- What: Counter-Strike IEM Katowice 2024
- Date: Wednesday, January 31 – Sunday, February 11, 2024
- Location: Spodek Arena in Katowice, Poland
- How to Watch: Twitch
The 2024 edition of the Counter-Strike Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Katowice is upon us. The event runs from January 31 through February 11, 2024, at Spodek Arena in Katowice, Poland. The tournament features the 24 best CS:GO teams in the world. Up for grabs is a $1 million prize pool. Last year, G2 Esports, the runner-up in 2022, defeated Heroic in the 2023 CS:GO IEM Katowice finals. Both teams are in the running for the top prize of the 2023 version of the event.
The play-in portion of the 2024 IEM Katowice tournament begins on January 31. Sixteen teams participate in that double-elimination portion of the event. The top eight teams from the play-in then join the eight direct invite teams in the event. Those 16 teams compete in the main stage of IEM Katowice in two double-elimination groups. The top six teams from those groups then compete in the single elimination playoffs, with the finals occurring on February 11.
The play-in teams this year are: Virtus.pro, Cloud9, Apeks, FURIA, Spirit, Eternal Fire, BIG, BetBoom, GamerLegion, Astralis, TheMongolz, Heroic, M80, ENCE, Rooster, and PALOMA. The invited teams are: Vitality, MOUZ, Complexity, Natus Vincere, FaZe, G2, Monte, and Falcons. The winning team takes home $400,000, while the runner-up earns $180,000. The victorious club also qualifies for the IEM Cologne 2024 event, as well as the BLAST Premier World Final.
Before we dive into the betting picks for the 2024 IEM Katowice tournament, check out our guide to CS:GO betting and the best sports betting apps and mobile options.
IEM Katowice 2024 betting picks
Team Vitality
Currently the No. 2 ranked Counter-Strike team in the world, Team Vitality are the betting favorites to win the 2024 edition of this tournament. The European club, which plays out of France, are the hot team right now. They won the final two CS2 tournaments of 2023, taking home $500,000 for their victory at the BLAST Premier: World Final 2023 and $200,000 with a win at the BLAST Premier: Fall Final 2023. Team Vitality also took first at Gamers8 2023, BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023, Intel Extreme Masters 2023. They placed 5th-6th in this event in 2023, losing to Team Liquid in the quarterfinal round 2-1.
Team Vitality had some roster changes during 2023, but they will have the same lineup that finished 2023.
FaZe Clan
FaZe Clan are currently the top-ranked CS:GO team in the world. Some pundits think the team, which plays out of Europe, will benefit from the winter break. The squad finished as runner-up to Team Vitality in the BLAST Premier: World Final 2023 and BLAST Premier: Fall Final 2023. Before those second-place finishes, they won the Thunderpick World Championship. So, they do have some momentum heading into IEM Katowice 2024.
The question facing FaZe Clan is if the break has allowed them to make the necessary adjustments to beat Team Vitality.
FaZe Clan placed 7th-8th in the 2023 edition of this event.
The Faze Clan roster is the same as for the BLAST Premier: World Final 2023.
Virtus.Pro
The No. 9 ranked Counter-Strike team in the world, Virtus.Pro is one of the top betting favorites to win this tournament. The team, which plays out of Russia, is looking to have a breakthrough at IEM Katowice 2024. The team played well in 2023, scoring a runner-up finish to FaZe Clan at Thunderpick World Championship 2023, and winning the ESL Challenger at DreamHack Atlanta 2023 tournament in December.
Virtus will have a hard road to the title as they are one of the play-in teams in the event, but they could end up surprising other teams during this tournament.
Unlike some other teams involved in IEM Katowice 2024 have been playing in 2024. The squad is coming off a third-place finish at PGL Major Copenhagen 2024: European Qualifier A.
Best bet to win IEM Katowice 2024
The two betting favorites in this event are in that position for a reason, because they are playing well ahead of IEM Katowice 2024. Team Vitality doesn’t present the best betting value for this tournament, but they have been the dominant team lately. Considering that, Team Vitality is the betting pick to win IEM Katowice 2024.
Best bet to win IEM Katowice 2024: Team Vitality.
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