All attention in the Esports world will turn to Rio de Janeiro next week, with the Challengers Stage of the IEM Rio Major 2022 getting underway.
| Event: | The Intel Extreme Masters Season XVII; Rio Major 2022 Challengers Stage |
| Venues: | Riocentro & Jeunesse Arena, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Date: | Monday 15 October to Thursday 3 November 2022 |
Before we dive into our detailed betting preview for the Rio Major 2022 Challengers, here’s a quick look at the top five favourites in the overall odds to qualify for the Legends Stage from this week:
Those looking to bet on CS:GO Rio 2022 can see five favourites leading the pack to qualify from this week’s play. Before we dig deeper into the background and odds of each team and discuss the odds for Esports betting further, here’s a quick overview of this event and its importance in the CS:GO calendar.
Many sportsIn-play modeLive streamingWelcome offersLive streamingMany bonuses25+ sportsSuperb bonusesEasy to useVIP programLive gamesMany bonusesMany bonuses24/7 supportMobile appsConsidered the most important events in the CS:GO calendar, the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Major Championships have been running since 2013. These events, commonly known as Majors, have expanded in size and prize money, with well over $1 million up for grabs at most Majors now.
Seventeen Majors have taken place over the last nine years, with the following teams winning the last five:
Of these three previous winners, FaZe Clan and Natus Vincere await the winners of the Challengers Stage of the IEM Rio Major 2022 in the Legends Stage of the tournament. Astralis will miss the IEM Rio Major, signifying the first Major the team has not participated in since its formation in 2016.
The IEM Rio Major 2022 will occur across a fortnight from 31 October until 13 November.
This signifies the first time in history that a Major CS:GO event has been played in Brazil. It will occur in front of a live audience of 18,000 at the Riocentro and Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The tournament takes place in three main sections:
Eight teams have already qualified for the Legends Stage and will sit out the tournament’s first phase. Sixteen teams will go head to head in a Swiss format between 31 October and 3 November in the Challengers Stage, with the top eight moving through to the Legends Stage and the bottom eight getting eliminated. Games will be best-of-one, except for elimination and advancement matches which will be best-of-three.
The same will happen again in the Legends Stage, with a Swiss format deciding which eight move on the Champions Stage and which eight go home. The eight remaining teams will compete in a single elimination bracket to decide a champion, with seeding based on the Legends Stage standings, and all matches best-of-three.
Whichever team remains will be crowned the IEM Rio Major 2022 Champion and walk away with $500,000. And that is except for in-game stickers, which often bring even more profits for players and organizations.
Here are the 16 teams competing in the Challenger Stage:
| Favoring Teams | Underdog Teams |
|---|---|
| OG | Evil Geniuses |
| Cloud9 | 00Nation |
| Team Vitality | Team GamerLegion |
| Outsiders | Bad News Eagles |
| BIG Clan | 9z Team |
| Furia Esports | Imperial Esports |
| MOUZ | IHC Esports |
| Fnatic | Grayhound Gaming |
These teams feature a range of exciting players such as ZywOo, sh1ro, syrsoN, KRIMZ and next including several high-level Brazilian players such as Fallen, coldzera, and KSCERATO.
These are the eight teams already through to the Legends Stage:
| Team | Key Players (HLTV Ranking) |
|---|---|
| FaZe Clan | Twistzz, broky and ropz |
| Natus Vincere (NAVI) | s1mple, electronic and b1t |
| Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP) | es3tag and Brollan |
| ENCE | Snappi and Valde |
| Sprout | Zyphon and refrez |
| Heroic | cadiaN, stavn, and TeSeS |
| Team Spirit | chopper and w0nderful |
| Team Liquid | NAF and EliGE |
If these legends are to hold the challengers at bay, they will need their key players to step up.
With the Challengers Stage almost upon us, our focus turns to predict which eight teams will progress from this stage into the Legends Stage of the tournament next week.
A mix of teams is present in the Challengers Stage—some incredibly strong units that will be disappointed on having missed out on qualifying for the Legends Stage directly, such as Team Vitality and Cloud9. Other teams have punched above their weight to even get this far in the tournament, such as Grayhound Gaming and IHC Esports.
Here’s our betting prediction for the CS:GO Major Challengers Stage.
Looking at the betting odds ahead of this event, there are five favourites to move through to the Legends Stage, with a few other teams nipping at their heels.
It’s safe to say that Team Vitality and Cloud9 are virtual certainties to enter the Legends Stage and even take them for 3-0 in the pickem. Moreover, they should pretend to pass a Legends stage and fight in the Playoffs, so picking them at the online betting website is too easy but also not so profitable at the Challengers Stage.
OG, Furia Esports, and MOUZ round out the next three favourites. However, several other teams will be close by, offering competition to these sides and even at healthy odds:
These three squads can all push for a higher qualification but should also secure places in the top eight that move through to the Legends Stage.
If betting were as simple as reading the bookmakers’ odds and acting accordingly, it wouldn’t be such an exciting industry. Heading into this week’s action, several teams could surprise and gain a dark horse qualification into the Legends Stage.
The Evil Geniuses have consistently had a roster of players within the HLTV Top 20 Rankings, and while the form of some of their stars hasn’t been quite as sharp as usual, they still have a team packed with quality, which they proved during the RMR. If any side is going to defy the betting odds and come out of nowhere to qualify for the Legends Stage of the tournament, it will be the Evil Geniuses.
GamerLegion also has a good shot at an upset qualification, with live streams of their recent play showing that the team have been developing nicely. Expect them to target their round one match-up as an opportunity to make a statement.
Unfortunately, a few teams in the Challengers Stage look like their road will end here.
The reality is that both teams have done well to get this far by qualifying for the Challengers Stage. Looking at the bookies’ odds, IHC and Grayhound have virtually no chance to make it through to the Legends Stage of the tournament. That’s because of a lack of tough competency in their regions, so they should view this week as a learning experience to build on.
Another aspect of the IEM Rio Major 2022 that grabs fans’ attention is the Pick’em for Challengers Stage.
This is a feature of the Intel Extreme Masters, where players can make their own in-game picks of who they believe will qualify for the tournament’s next stage. This can be done through a player’s Rio 2022 Viewer Pass, which must be purchased. Players must accurately guess one team that will progress 3-0, one that will be eliminated 0-3, and seven other teams that will qualify. Do this correctly, and prizes can be won, including Souvenir Tokens and Diamond Coins.
A Legends Stage Pick’Em will become available later next week, but for now, let’s look at the Pick’em for Challengers Stage.
Head to any CS:GO betting sites, and you’ll see a range of popular betting markets available for ESL Major bets.
Other than betting on which team will progress to the next tournament stage, there are also odds on who will win outright. Currently, Natus Vincere leads these odds at 5.00 (4/1).
Additional betting options include total maps, round handicaps, and total rounds, all of which can be found at most major bookmakers. These odds will become available throughout the next fortnight’s play.
Tune in next Monday to catch all of the action from the IEM Rio Major 2022 and see which CS:GO team will be crowned the victor.
