The BLAST Premier Spring Groups 2024 provided us with a glimpse of what is to come, but the new competitive CS2 season is about to truly kick off with IEM Katowice 2024 starting on January 31st. The Polish city of Katowice will play host to 16 top-tier teams from around the world, all vying to conquer the first big event on the 2024 calendar.
The dust has settled on the play-in stage of the competition, unveiling the eight teams who will join the eight invitees in the group stages of the tournament. Six will progress to the playoffs, all striving to reach the grand finale held at the iconic Spodek Arena.
The ultimate victor will not only be crowned champion but also secure a substantial £400,000 prize, a coveted spot at the IEM Cologne tournament, and the privilege to etch their name onto the illustrious Intel Grand Slam record.
Who are the hot favourites to go all the way in Katowice and book a slot at the fabled ‘Cathedral of Counter-Strike’? Can defending champions G2 sprinkle the stardust of m0NESY and NiKo to hold on to the title? Or will the Spodek Arena crowd see a new champion this time around? We break down the latest odds from bookmaker William Hill to help you fine-tune your betting strategy for the upcoming competition.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: January 30th, 4:00 A.M. (GMT)
The latest odds from bookmaker William Hill place usual suspects Team Vitality and FaZe Clan at the top of the pile on 2.50 and 4.00 respectively. None of these two teams, however, enter the fray in red-hot form. Both Vitality and FaZe showed signs of vulnerability in the recently concluded Spring Groups. Vitality were gunned down by a new-look Astralis, while FaZe was put to the sword by GamerLegion.
The duo did recover from these setbacks to qualify for the Spring Finals, but their shaky performance will be encouraging for the rest of the chasing pack. That said, Vitality and FaZe are the safest teams to root for in Katowice.
Virtus.pro and Team Spirit also appear as solid contenders following their impressive Spring Group performances, sitting on odds of 7.00 and 8.00. Current holders G2 also look like an enticing option at 10.00, but backing the German side is always a risky decision, primarily because of their largely inconsistent form over the past few months. Their streak of inconsistency continued in Copenhagen, where they did salvage a Spring Final spot later on through the play-ins.
Natus Vincere and Astralis look to be the most lucrative punts at 15.00 and 21.00, respectively. It took a bit of time, but w0nderful has proved to be a wonderful replacement for s1mple when he is in good form. iM’s fragging finesse also appears to be improving, making the Ukrainian giants one of the teams to keep an eye on in Poland. The newly formed Astralis have shown that they are capable of dismantling the strongest sides in their day, so we cannot rule out a surprise title run.
