It’s a historic moment for the Counter-Strike franchise this coming week, as the first major event will be played on the new CS2 game. Gone are the days of CS:GO being the dominant format—for the first time in well over a decade, professional players will be required to adapt and cope with the quirks of CS2 at the IEM Sydney 2023.
With $250,000 on the line, plus valuable qualification for the IEM Katowice 2024, there’s plenty to play for in Sydney. Can we expect some surprises given how fresh this new version of the game is? If so, who will adapt the fastest? Or will the domination of Team Vitality in this year’s biggest events continue?
We break down all the latest betting odds from bookmaker bet365 in an attempt to answer these questions and outline the best bets to make on CS2 next week ahead of the IEM Sydney 2023.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: October 10th, 9:30 P.M. (GMT)
Despite the change in format, it’s a familiar scene at the bookies ahead of the IEM Sydney 2023. Team Vitality, the dominant force in Counter-Strike across the past year, tops the odds at bookmaker bet365 with a return of 3.75 for an outright win in Sydney. Close behind them, it’s a tie for the second favourites between ENCE and G2 Esports, with both paying 4.00. These three are well ahead of the rest of the pack, with fourth favourite MOUZ sitting at 8.00 before Cloud9 and FaZe Clan are joint fifth favourites on 9.00.
Odds to make the final mirror the outright odds, with Team Vitality leading at 1.90 through to Cloud9 and FaZe Clan on 4.50.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: October 10th, 9:30 P.M. (GMT)
There are two different routes to take in terms of betting on the IEM Sydney 2023. Either, go the conservative route and assume that form in CS:GO will translate to form in CS2 and bet based on what we’ve seen across the 2023 season so far. Or, assume that this new format—plus the bugs and glitches that come with it—will create a bit of chaos at IEM Sydney, so place your bet on a dark horse that has some healthy odds to win.
Our conservative recommendation would be to back Team Vitality to win here. They’ve simply been the best team by a long shot this year, winning three significant titles in the form of the Paris Major, IEM Rio and Gamers8 in Riyadh. They won’t be happy with their recent performance in the ESL Pro League Season 18, so should arrive in Sydney motivated to get a win.
For those wanting to wager on a dark horse, none is more mysterious and full of potential than the BetBoom Team. This newly formed Russian organisation is only a few months old and has several exciting players in their roster. Undoubtedly, they’ll be targeting a big splash in the professional debut of CS2 and with a return of 34.00, it would be a lucrative one too for those who take the risk on them.
