We’re all done with the CSGO esports’ winter pause. The first big tournaments are just around the corner, first of which is IEM Katowice 2023. The Polish cathedral of esports is, once again, going to deliver on all of its promises.
The next #ESLProTour Championship event: #IEM Katowice 2023 🏆
⚔ 24 teams
🥇Intel Grand Slam
💰$1,000,000 prize pool
📆 January 31st-February 12th, 2023
🏟 Spodek Arena
🇵🇱 Katowice, Poland
🎫Last wave of tickets available TOMORROW at 15:00 CET pic.twitter.com/2ZGFnSPUHB— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) November 17, 2022
Intel Extreme Masters is one of the most prestigious international esports series out there. This is a $1 million event we’re looking at, so the bookies were always going to have proper coverage. Still, it’s surprising to see so many options this early. Not only do we have IEM Katowice odds for outright winner, but also to reach the finals, as well as a few map-based futures like most played map and highest T win % map.
Where to Find IEM Katowice 2023 Odds
CSGO is no longer a small niche. Over the last five years, it went from being exactly that to a massive online market packed with avid enthusiasts. Bookmakers are always following positive trends, and CSGO betting (and esports betting in general) fit the description.
That said, IEM Katowice odds are already available across the board. All online bookmakers, even though they typically don’t give much attention to esports markets, have had their say ahead of this one.
If you’re looking for the best of the bunch, kindly refer to our guide on finding the best esports betting sites in 2023. The market is getting overcrowded with bookies, so it’s important to choose a reliable one.
IEM Katowice Futures: Outright Winner Odds
Since outright winners are the most popular type of futures, we’re primarily here to talk about them. Other than outrights, most bookies also offer other futures. We’ve mentioned some in the intro, the likes of to reach the finals, most played map, tournament MVP, highest T win %, etc. if you’re into futures other than outright winners, you have a lot of stuff to choose from here.
But, enough about that. Let’s focus on outright winner odds. Here’s what you can expect from the sixteen top-ranking teams:
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Faze Clan | +400 |
| Heroic | +500 |
| NaVi | +600 |
| G2 Esports | +700 |
| Cloud9 | +700 |
| Outsiders | +800 |
| FURIA | +800 |
| Liquid | +900 |
| Vitality | +900 |
| MOUZ | +1600 |
| Team Spirit | +1700 |
| OG | +2000 |
| Fnatic | +2000 |
| ENCE | +2500 |
| BIG | +2500 |
| NiP | +2500 |
The CSGO scene hasn’t been this chaotic and competitive in quite a while. Believe it or not, nine teams have outright winner odds within 500 difference. Faze Clan is the favorite at +400, Vitality and Liquid are the eighth/ninth-ranked team at +900.
This goes to show you Katowice is there for the taking. We’re in for quite the treat. No matter if you’re into CSGO betting or just an avid CSGO esports fan, you’re going to love what IEM Katowice 2023 has in store for us!
Tournament Format
Before moving any further with our IEM Katowice betting preview, let’s check out the format. As you’d expect from a $1 million event, this is a lengthy boi. It’s also dynamic, as in there are two types of participants. The first group starts from the play-in stage, while the second group starts from the group stage.
- The play-in stage starts on January 31st and features sixteen teams. They’re set to play a double-elimination bracket, opening up with bo1s and followed by bo3s later on. Only the top half of the teams (eight) advance to the group stage.
- The group stage features eight directly invited teams along with the top eight play-in teams. It comes in the form of two double-elimination groups featuring bo3s, each packing eight teams. Top six teams, three from each group, advance to the playoff.
The single-elimination playoff is scheduled to kick off on February 10th. Just six teams will be in the competition at this point. The playoff consists of two quarterfinals (bo3), two semifinals (bo3), and grand finals (bo5).
The playoff will be played at the Spodek Arena in Katowice, one of esports’ most mesmerizing venues. Thrilling CSGO action is guaranteed, that I can tell you right away!
Key Contenders
There are four key contenders we’d like to discuss. They are as follows:
- Faze Clan
- Heroic
- NaVi
- G2
Faze Clan is the favorite, but the remaining three teams shouldn’t be taken for granted. If you plan to bet on IEM Katowice 2023 futures, don’t skip next section because we’ll be going through key details about the top title challengers.
Faze Clan
Faze Clan is obviously the first name on the team sheet coming into this CSGO tournament. At +400, it’s difficult to argue against them, really. Sure, haters will say that they didn’t win the two final BLAST events of the year. But, come on, you can’t win them all.
Still, Faze Clan’s consistency coupled with unpredictable gameplay makes them a difficult opponent for anyone. Ropz has settled in nicely. 2023 is going to be his year, that I can already tell you.
I for one don’t think it is, which is why I suggest looking elsewhere!
Heroic
Everyone still underestimates Heroic, even though their consistency is right up there with Faze Clan. These guys won the BLAST Premier Fall Finals, reached Rio Major grand finals, and won two Pinnacle events in earlier last year. 2022 was pretty good for the Danes, we have to admit.
But, can the start of 2023 be even better? Remember, IEM Katowice is one of the most lucrative and prestigious events this year. Heck, there’s a million on the line, $400,00 of which goes to the winning team. Heroic has the quality, that’s for sure. If they can keep their composure in the first round, they’re bound to go high into the playoffs.
G2
Finally, G2! Even though they have just one title win in 2022, I am fairly confident in this G2 team coming into the Polish campaign. They’re kicking off from the group stage meaning they won’t have to go through the play-in hassle.
Plus, their final event of 2022 was a proper BLAST. Yes, pun intended – G2 won the BLAST Premier World Final, their first LAN title since their win on the 2020 BLAST Premier Spring regular season. G2 has exceptional individuals. If they can play like they did in Abu Dhabi, we’re might see them lift another trophy… this time in Poland!
IEM Katowice 2023 Dark Horses
We aren’t done just yet. There are still two more teams I’d like to point out. Judging by their IEM Katowice odds, they can be addressed as dark horses. Which teams am I talking about here; Liquid and Vitality.
Liquid
Yep, Team Liquid are back in action, boys and girls! Signing YEKINDAR back in October was one of the best moves TL has made in a long time. The Latvian maestro has already improved their results, by a mile. Granted, they’re still waiting for a proper title, but they aren’t lacking proper gameplay.
A quick reminder, Liquid finished second on ESL Pro League S16, reached the semifinals of BLAST Premier Fall Finals, and lost in the grand finals of BLAST Premier World Final. ESL Pro League S16 campaign was before YEKINDAR’s arrival, though, so that’s worth pointing out as well.
All in all, Liquid’s roster now looks quite formidable. If they can get things going early on, I’m sure their snowball potential is more than enough to see this one through. Title challenge is unlikely, but not impossible!
Vitality
The second IEM Katowice 2023 dark horse is Vitality. Yep, ZywOo and the company seem to be forgotten. Their 2022 was a year to forget, that’s for sure. Yes, they did win ESL Pro League Season 16, but that was their only title last year. It was one of two standout performances last year (the second one was BLAST Premier Spring Finals). Everything else was way below their usual standards.
On paper, this Vitality roster has the potential to kickstart an era this year. Zonic is one of the most experienced coaches out there. The same can be said for apex in the IGL position. ZywOo is ZywOo, no further introduction is needed. The rest of the team, are former Astralis stars dupreeh and Magisk, with former ENCE star Spinx rounding it off.
Vitality might not be among the most in-form teams out there, but they’re definitely a valuable pick at +900.
Conclusion
There you have it, boys and girls! That’d be all from our in-depth IEM Katowice 2023 betting preview. What are your thoughts on the first big CSGO tournament this year? Are you excited to get things going or will you be saving your bankroll for another occasion? Let us know in the comments section down below!
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