History will be made in Esports this Monday, as the first-ever S-tier tournament is played on the new Counter-Strike 2 game. After more than a decade of CS:GO being the dominant format for professional Counter-Strike, players and teams have to adjust to accommodate a new version of the game we all know and love. Who will hit the ground running the fastest in Sydney next week? Read on for our IEM Sydney 2023 CS2 predictions.
Team Vitality have been the team to beat in CS:GO this year so far, taking down the big prize at Gamers9 2023 in Riyadh, as well as the Paris Major and IEM Rio earlier in the season. Can they maintain their winning ways in CS2?
Or will we see a new dynasty emerge? Who will be the surprise package in Australia over the next week? We look at the IEM Sydney 2023 odds and unpack the answers to all these questions and more.
| Tournament: | Counter-Strike IEM Sydney 2023, Esports (CS2) |
| 🧾 Format: | CS2 Offline S-tier tournament with 16 teams and a few stages |
| 🏟️ Venue: | Aware Super Theatre, Sydney, Australia |
| 🗓️ Dates: | Monday 16 October to Sunday 22 October |
It’s only been a fortnight now that CS2 has been available to the public, and it’s safe to say the game has had a rocky start. There have been bugs and glitches aplenty, with some pro players even coming out and saying that the game is not ready for competitive play yet. However, like it or not, IEM Sydney 2023 will be the first significant Counter-Strike event played on the Source 2 engine.
Because of how fresh the game is and because of the potential for reasonably significant bugs and other issues to crop up across the course of IEM Sydney, this is one of the more volatile Esports events to bet on. Does that mean bettors should stay away from it? Far from it! This one is ripe for choosing offshore gambling sites, with a good chance that an underdog takes out the whole event this week. Read on for our IEM Sydney 2023 CS2 betting tips because we have an idea who it might be.
Before we get into our betting tips for Counter-Strike 2, let’s look at the latest IEM Sydney 2023 odds from the best CS2 bookies. Here’s how the favorites are standing ahead of the tournament starting this Monday:
Despite the fact that the bookies are stabbing in the dark at who might win this one, Team Vitality enter IEM Sydney with the favorite tag. The French team pay 3.75 (11/4) for a win in Sydney, narrowly ahead of their competitors. Just behind them, ENCE and G2 Esports sit at 4.00 (3/1), with these three teams well ahead of the chasing pack. MOUZ come in at fourth, paying 8.00 (7/1) for a win, while Cloud9 and FaZe Clan can’t be separated in fifth equal on 9.00 (8/1).
This event hasn’t been played since 2019 when it was a wildly popular Esports tournament. Back then, IEM Sydney 2019 brought in more than 270,000 peak viewers, with the crowd one of the more engaged and debaucherous (see: videos of Australians drinking beer out of their shoes) crowds in Esports.
This year, there will be $250,000 on the line, with $100,000 plus a coveted spot at the IEM Katowice 2024 going to the winner. With a new game engine revealed, this is anyone’s to claim.
The IEM Sydney 2023 will be played with a relatively straightforward tournament structure. A total of 16 teams have been invited, split into two groups of eight. Three teams will advance from each of these groups, with the group winners moving directly to the semi-finals, while the second and third-placed teams move into the quarter-finals as the high and low seeds, respectively.
Opening matches will be played as best-of-one matches, while the remainder will be best of three. The IEM Sydney 2023 will be a straight knockout from the playoffs onwards, with the group stage being played as a double-elimination bracket. Here’s how the groups have come together for IEM Sydney 2023 and how we say each will pan out:
| Group A Teams | Predicted Group Finish |
|---|---|
| Team Vitality | First |
| BetBoom Team | Third |
| FaZe Clan | Fifth |
| GamerLegion | Seventh |
| Natus Vincere | Fourth |
| Apeks | Sixth |
| VERTEX ESC | Eighth |
| MOUZ | Second |
Team Vitality are the favorites in this group, and we expect them to move through the initial phase accordingly. MOUZ should also qualify in a relatively straightforward fashion, while we see an upset for the final qualifying spot from this group.
Expect the BetBoom Team to squeeze their way into the playoffs, ahead of favorites FaZe Clan, who we don’t think will adjust to the new CS2 format in time. Natus Vincere will perform well but ultimately fall short in the fourth spot.
| Group B Teams | Predicted Group Finish |
|---|---|
| ENCE | First |
| Lynn Vision | Eighth |
| Cloud9 | Fourth |
| Fnatic | Sixth |
| Monte | Fifth |
| Complexity | Seventh |
| Grayhound Gaming | Third |
| G2 Esports | Second |
It’s a tough group here, with some big names missing out on qualification. Our biggest tip for those who want to bet on CS2 IEM Sydney 2023 is that Aussie battlers Grayhound Gaming will cause a boilover and sneak their way into the knockout rounds off the back of some chaos with the new format and huge crowd support.
Still, ENCE should claim the top spot here, with G2 Esports not far behind them at the top of Group B. Anyone from the remaining list can surprise, however, but we don’t see Cloud9 or Monye in the playoffs, with the slimmest chances for Lynn Vision.
For those who want to bet on the latest Esports odds, you’re in the right place. Betting on CS2 is what we do best, and we’ve run the numbers to come up with the top CS2 IEM Sydney predictions. Here are our four finest:
1 (50%)
(50%) 1
It’s never easy picking a winner with as much up in the air as there is ahead of the IEM Sydney 2023 next week. However, if there’s one team that has been a consistent force this year and has a strong chance of adapting faster than others to the quirks of CS2, then it’s Team Vitality. The French team has won three big titles in 2023 – Gamers8, the Paris Major, and IEM Rio – making them by far the most decorated team this season.
What’s more, they performed poorly by their standards in the recently concluded ESL Pro League Season 18. Their 5th-8th place finish will have motivated them to bounce back strong here in Sydney, plus it has the added benefit of giving them some extra time to practice.
0
(100%) 2
If Team Vitality are the closest thing to a safe bet ahead of the IEM Sydney, then backing the BetBoom Team is your high-risk, high-return wager. BetBoom had to qualify for their spot in Sydney, and they did surprisingly well, coming through in second place. Other than that, plus a first-round exit at the recent ESL Challenger Jonköping 2023 qualifiers, we have little to go off in terms of recent results for the BetBoom Team.
Only created a few months ago, the team is comprised of players drafted from the likes of Cloud9, Team Spirit, and FORZE Esports. We say there’s a decent chance this will be the tournament where they burst onto the scene and announce themselves as a force in CS2 – and with odds of 34.00 (33/1), why wouldn’t you take this bet?
2 (100%)
0
One team that has found some great form in CS:GO recently is MOUZ. The German organization upset the bookies’ predictions by winning the recent ESL Pro League Season 18, and we say their form will put them in good stead for a deep run in Sydney, too. Their performance in the ESL Pro League wasn’t a one-off either–earlier this year, they charged all the way to the final at the IEM Dallas 2023, too. They are also one of the youngest teams in the event, which means faster adjustment for the renewed game, but they surely won’t lack the experience at the same time.
2 (100%)
0
Another side that punched above their weight in the ESL Pro League Season 18 was Monte, who secured themselves a 3rd-4th place finish. This was their best S-tier result all season, and with this kind of momentum plus confidence under their belts, Monte are every chance of coming out of the gates fast in Sydney and picking up an opening win against Complexity. They were also among the first Pro teams that started practicing CS2 when CS:GO was still the main game, and it should boost them at the beginning of the new era.
Counter-Strike history will be made next week as the very first CS2 major tournament occurs, with the IEM Sydney 2023 taking place on the new game. Fans can expect some volatile action as players adapt to the new format and iron out some of the creases, while Australian bookies should be ready for a new wave of interest.
We say that despite this, Team Vitality are the best prepared to navigate these choppy waters and should come away victorious, beating MOUZ in the final. Watch out for underdogs such as Grayhound Gaming and the BetBoom Team, however, who may be able to capitalize on the chaos and make deep runs themselves. BetZillion’s winning bets exposed here.
