Betting Predictions for IEM XV Katowice World Championship

Only a week separates us from the start of the biggest IEM spectacle, and there are already numerous IEM XV World Championship outright betting options available! Nothing surprising, though! After all, it’s the pinnacle of the XV Season of Intel Extreme Masters, a proper CSGO event worthy of your absolute attention.

Need some of that Katowice action before the 2021 edition begins next week?

Well come on over and join us in the chat, rewatching the @natusvincere vs. @G2esports grand final from #IEM Katowice 2020 🙌 #ESLProTour

Live RIGHT NOW on https://t.co/855hMZD7uj 🔴 pic.twitter.com/UI3wsfToRD

— Intel®ExtremeMasters (@IEM) February 8, 2021

It’s a true CSGO bettor’s fantasy, a lengthy event packed with top-tier teams and best-of-three matchups. The first ensures fantastic CSGO action from a spectator’s standpoint; the second eliminates nasty upsets which are quite common in bo1 scenarios.

Considering both factors, IEM XV Katowice is going to be a proper festival of competitive Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. As such, it’s surely going to attract a ton of CSGO betting enthusiasts from all across the globe.

But, that brings forth an interesting question – is betting on CSGO worth it? I mean, this is a big event, no doubt about that, but is CSGO betting worth the time, money, and effort?

Let’s find out!

Should You Bet on CSGO?

Well, one simple answer can’t do the trick here. You see, people bet on CSGO matches for numerous reasons. The majority of consistent bettors do it for the thrill of the chase. There are those, however, who have bigger things in plan; those that look at things from a bigger perspective. In short, those who are in it for the profits.

At the end of the day, whether or not CSGO betting is worth it solely depends on what you make of it.

If you’re aiming for big bucks and you’re just not getting any returns, it might not be worth the hassle. If, however, you’re just spicing up your weekends and getting on level terms with the bookies, the extra excitement is definitely worth the hassle!

IEM Katowice Outright Betting Favorites

But, we are not here to talk about that sort of stuff. We’re here to talk about IEM XV World Championship outright betting opportunities, and that’s what we’re going to do from now on!

Let’s start off with the basics, we’re looking at a million-dollar event here. Intel Extreme Masters XV Katowice WC starts next Tuesday, February 16th to be more precise. The action will last all the way through the last day of the month; that’s when the colossal bo5 grand final is scheduled for.

There are twenty-four participants, sixteen of which kick the event off from the play-in stage. Eight teams are directly qualified for the group stage, whereas only eight of the sixteen play-in teams will get a chance to participate in it.

As for outright winner betting favorites, several teams stand out. There’s no clear-cut favorite, and that has been the case in the CSGO scene for quite a long time.

Whether you’re thinking of indulging in IEM XV World Championship outright betting, or you’re looking for valuable info once the first group stage matches kick off, the following section ought to be right up your alley!

Astralis as the Heavy Favorites

Even though they failed to reach the BLAST Premier Spring Finals, Astralis are the first name on the team sheet coming into this event. The Great Danes are still considered as the best team on the planet, and it’s hard to argue against their case just by looking at their roster and just how strongly they’ve closed out 2020.

Device is in excellent form, xyp9x and gla1ve are back in the starting roster, and this Astralis team is already eyeing top-tier titles in 2021. Stopping them is going to be difficult, though, but the likes of NiP and BIG obviously have all the right answers… or so it seems.


Vitality as the Runners-Up

ZywOo and the boys are still in the top three, sharing the second spot with NaVi, the team that eliminated them from the recently finished BLAST Premier Global Finals. As expected, ZywOo was a force to be reckoned with throughout the event, but S1mple managed to one-up him right off the bat and secure the first notable trophy in 2021.

Can the French prodigy get back at him and assert his dominance on this one? Well, the opportunity is there, that’s for sure! ZywOo is surrounded by quality players, a teamwork-based roster that won’t back down without a fight no matter who’s on the other end of the server!

NaVi Fancying their Chances

Natus Vincere is on fire, yo! The CIS behemoths were the most consistent team last year, but have won only one proper title, the last iteration of the IEM World Championship. Yep, they are the reigning champions – they are the team to beat coming into this tournament!

S1mple and the boys took 2021 off with a real bang, winning BLAST Premier Global Final after beating Astralis in the grand finals. It was an uphill struggle, that’s for sure, but S1mple and the boys prevailed. Why do I keep mentioning S1mple? Well, let’s just say I have a feeling he’s going to be the MVP of the event!

Can G2 Finally Budge?

People still expect major things from G2 despite having relatively poor performance on BLAST Premier Global Final. Their gameplay was solid, but they just didn’t have the tenacity and resilience to close out crucial maps.

What does the future have in store for G2? Can they make something happen on IEM XV World Championship? Well, they definitely have the quality to do so. Nexa and huNter, NiKo and KennyS – a brutal quarter well and truly capable of winning major titles. Are they the IEM XV World Championship outright betting opportunity you’ve been waiting for?

Can Liquid Defend the NA Scene?

The NA CSGO scene has always been one step behind its European counterpart. Well, except for the marvelous summer of 2019 when Team Liquid stepped up for the challenge and conquered the international stage in a brilliant fashion.

Can they give us more of the same? Well, I don’t think they can! You see, Liquid’s overall status in international waters took a massive blow. Heck, they’re not even the best team in their own region. A comeback is expected, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think it will come this soon. Not until they bring forth proper roster upgrades, to be more precise.

IEM Katowice Outright Winner Betting Odds

Now that you’ve seen the pros and cons for betting on each of the favorites, here are the official IEM XV World Championship outright betting odds, courtesy of BetOnline:

• Astralis: +250
• Vitality: +300
• Natus Vincere: +300
• Heroic: +400
• BIG: +700
• G2: +1000
• FURIA: +1200
• Virtus.pro: +1200
• Team Liquid: +1300

Most CSGO betting sites offer outright winner betting odds for all 24 participating teams, but we’ve listed only the eight group stage contestants with the likeliest chances of actually winning the title.

And that brings us to the end of the line, boys and girls!

Thanks for sticking through to the very end – hope your IEM XV World Championship betting adventure yields solid results!