by IEM Cologne 2024 kicks off on Wednesday, August 7, with eight matches in the opening round of the play-in stage. See ESB’s free Counter-Strike 2 betting picks for each fixture, with odds from the top esports bookmakers in South Korea.
| Time | Team 1 (Odds) | Team 2 (Odds) | Total Maps (O/U 2.5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:30am CEST | FlyQuest ($2.10) | BIG ($1.66) | Over $1.83 | Under $1.83 |
FlyQuest and BIG have enough talent on their rosters to qualify for the IEM Cologne 2024 main event. However, it is tough to pick a winner between these two, and betting on the total maps market looks to be the safest play.
Over 2.5 maps
| Time | Team 1 (Odds) | Team 2 (Odds) | Total Maps (O/U 2.5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:30am CEST | The Mongolz ($1.36) | SAW ($3.00) | Over $2.00 | Under $1.72 |
The Mongolz broke into the top 10 on the ESL world rankings for the first time, but they have since dropped to 11th. The Mongolian squad is ranked 18 spots higher than SAW and shouldn’t have much trouble beating the Portuguese roster.
The Mongolz -1.5 maps
| Time | Team 1 (Odds) | Team 2 (Odds) | Total Maps (O/U 2.5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:30pm CEST | Heroic ($1.36) | MIBR ($3.00) | Over $2.00 | Under $1.72 |
Heroic will have to play at IEM Cologne with Volodymyr “Woro2k” Veletnjuk as a stand-in, which should make this clash against MIBR closer than first expected. Neither team enters this event in great form, so taking the underdog at the match line is the play.
MIBR +1.5 maps
| Time | Team 1 (Odds) | Team 2 (Odds) | Total Maps (O/U 2.5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:30pm CEST | 3DMAX ($2.00) | 9z Team ($1.80) | Over $1.88 | Under $1.91 |
9z Team surprised everyone when they finished in third-fourth place at IEM Dallas 2024, where they defeated the likes of Liquid, Vitality and MOUZ. 3DMAX have had little time to prepare for their IEM Cologne campaign after being added as a replacement for BetBoom Team on Monday. At $1.80 with top esports bookmakers, 9z represent great value.
9z Team to win
| Time | Team 1 (Odds) | Team 2 (Odds) | Total Maps (O/U 2.5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4:30pm CEST | Complexity ($1.06) | ALTERNATE aTTaX ($8.00) | Over $3.25 | Under $1.33 |
These teams are separated by 84 spots in the ESL world rankings, so it is no surprise that Complexity are $1.06 favourites. There is no value in head-to-head or match-line betting with esports betting sites, so the round-line market is the value option.
Complexity -11.5 rounds
| Time | Team 1 (Odds) | Team 2 (Odds) | Total Maps (O/U 2.5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4:30pm CEST | Eternal Fire ($1.53) | Falcons ($2.37) | Over $1.83 | Under $1.83 |
Falcons have yet to win an S-Tier tournament since their inception into Counter-Strike; however, recent results suggest they are improving steadily. Eternal Fire enter this series as favourites, but given the improvement of this Falcons squad, the underdogs can spring a surprise.
Falcons to win
| Time | Team 1 (Odds) | Team 2 (Odds) | Total Maps (O/U 2.5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:30pm CEST | FURIA ($1.57) | Imperial ($2.25) | Over $1.83 | Under $1.83 |
FURIA are heavy favourites to beat Imperial, as they are 16 spots higher in the ESL world rankings. Following a strong performance at the Esports World Cup, it is hard to bet against this new and improved FURIA outfit.
FURIA to win
| Time | Team 1 (Odds) | Team 2 (Odds) | Total Maps (O/U 2.5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:30pm CEST | paiN Gaming ($2.10) | Team Liquid ($1.57) | Over $1.83 | Under $1.83 |
Team Liquid have looked better under the leadership of Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken, defeating Natus Vincere twice en route to qualifying for the BLAST Premier Fall Final. PaiN Gaming have been competing against South American teams in qualifiers and A-Tier events, so it is hard to see them beating Liquid in this series.
