by ESB brings you free Counter-Strike 2 betting predictions for four fixtures in the opening week of Intel Extreme Masters Dallas 2024. Here are our selections for G2 Esports vs Team Falcons, Complexity vs Team Liquid, Natus Vincere vs BIG, and Virtus.pro vs Heroic, with esports odds courtesy of the top bookies in South Korea.
G2 ESPORTS vs TEAM FALCONS CS2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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| Best Odds: | G2 $1.53 at GG Bet | Falcons $2.46 at GG Bet |
| When: | May 27, 2024 | 12:30 CDT |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS) |
G2 Esports rank among the elite few Counter-Strike esports teams, but they’ve yet to win a significant event this season. G2 reached the semifinals at PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 and Intel Extreme Masters Chengdu 2024 and recently placed top eight at ESL Pro League Season 19.
Although a fairly disappointing result for their standards, G2 Esports still posted solid results, which is why they’re expected to do well in Dallas. Yet we might want to tame our expectations.
In-game leader Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen won’t travel to Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center with his team and will be replaced by Jacky “Stewie2K” Yip. That’s a significant blow to G2 Esports and their chances to make it far, even though their deadly firepower remains intact.
Team Falcons haven’t accomplished anything nearly as impressive as G2 Esports since the turn of the year, but they played a competitive three-map series against Nikola “NiKo” Kova? and company in Malta. Now facing a weaker version of G2, Team Falcons have a realistic chance to cause an upset — especially in a best-of-one setting.
Team Falcons to win
COMPLEXITY vs TEAM LIQUID CS2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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| Best Odds: | COL $1.80 at GG Bet | Liquid $1.99 at GG Bet |
| When: | May 27, 2024 | 13:30 CDT |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS) |
The second match of Group A at IEM Dallas 2024 is a regional derby between Complexity and Team Liquid. The North American teams last met during the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 American RMR in March when Complexity won 2-1, and according to esports betting odds, we should be in for another close game.
Team Liquid have shown significant improvement since March and secured a spot in the knockout stage of ESL Pro League Season 19 earlier this month. Complexity reached even deeper and nearly secured a ticket for the grand final, with a 1-2 loss to the eventual champions, MOUZ, in the semis.
Both teams are on an upwards trajectory, and it’s hard to set them apart. Complexity have shown more and deserve to be priced as favourites with esports betting sites, but this being a clash between two regional rivals, we can expect another close affair.
Over 21.5 rounds
NATUS VINCERE vs BIG CS2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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| Best Odds: | NaVi $1.36 at GG Bet | BIG $3.08 at GG Bet |
| When: | May 27, 2024 | 14:30 CDT |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS) |
After winning PGL Major Copenhagen 2024, Natus Vincere battled to a 9th-12th finish at ESL Pro League Season 19. This isn’t too worrying, as their only loss of the tournament came against FaZe Clan, but there are arguments to be made against NaVi’s price for this match.
Ranked as the no.25 Counter-Strike esports team in the world, BIG are hardly serious contenders to win Intel Extreme Masters Dallas 2024. They didn’t accomplish much at ESL Pro League Season 19, and they didn’t impress at BLAST Premier Spring Showdown 2024 in March either.
Over the last three months, we have not seen BIG defeat a single elite CS team, and even when faced with weaker opponents, they’ve occasionally underdelivered. So even though Natus Vincere are notorious for slow starts to tournaments, they should do enough to beat BIG with a few rounds to spare.
Natus Vincere -3.5 rounds
VIRTUS.PRO vs HEROIC CS2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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| Best Odds: | VP $1.56 at GG Bet | Heroic $2.40 at GG Bet |
| When: | May 27, 2024 | 15:30 CDT |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS) |
Virtus.pro enter IEM Dallas 2024 following a solid performance at ESL Pro League Season 19, where they placed top eight. Even though VP are still far from where they want to be, they’ve started showing better performances since the signing of Denis “electroNic” Sharipov.
After their trip to Malta, Virtus.pro crashed out of BetBoom Dacha Belgrade 2024 in fifth-sixth place, suggesting they’ll need a bit more time to gain serious traction.
HEROIC, like Virtus.pro, have a lot to prove. They exited ESL Pro League Season 19 in 21st-28th place and then ran third-fourth at BetBoom Dacha Belgrade 2024 with just two victories against MiBR.
Virtus.pro placed much higher than HEROIC at ESL Pro League Season 19, but that’s the only reason why anyone would consider them as favourites for this match. The two sides are evenly matched, and since it’s a best-of-one game, HEROIC to win at outsider odds is a much more appealing bet.
