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- What: Counter-Strike 2 IEM Masters Cologne 2024
- Date: August 7-18, 2024
- Location: LANXESS Arena, Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
- How to Watch: Twitch, YouTube
Twenty-four of the top Counter-Strike 2 teams in the world head to Germany for this week’s Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Cologne event. The esports tournament has a total prize pool of $1 million. The winner of the IEM Masters Sydney 2023 tournament takes home $400,000 of that and also earns a spot in the IEM Katowice 2025 event and the BLAST Premier World Final.
The Play-In Stage of the IEM Master Cologne 2024 event takes place between August 7-9 with 16 teams participating. The top eight teams move to the Group Stage where they join the teams who qualified directly for Stage 2 of the event. The Group Stage features two groups of eight teams. The double-elimination format features best-of-three play. The top three teams from each Group Stage advance to the Playoffs. In the Playoffs, the quarterfinals and semifinals are best of three, while the Grand Final is best of five.
The most recent IEM Masters event in Dallas took place in early July. G2 Esports won the tournament, beating Team Vitality in the Grand Final.
Before we look at the betting breakdown for the Intel Extreme Masters Cologne 2024 event, check out the best sites for betting on CS:GO events, and while you’re at it, take a look at the best sports betting apps and mobile options.
IEM Masters Cologne 2024 betting picks
| To Win 2024 IEM Cologne |  |  |  |
| Team Spirit | +175 | +250 | +175 |
| Natus Vincere | +200 | +300 | +200 |
| G2 Esports | +250 | +350 | +250 |
| Team Vitality | +300 | +450 | +300 |
| FaZe Clan | +350 | +550 | +350 |
| MOUZ | +500 | +600 | +500 |
| Astralis | +900 | +1200 | +900 |
| Team Liquid | +1600 | +3300 | +1600 |
| Virtus.pro | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Heroic | +2500 | +4000 | +2500 |
| The MongolZ | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Eternal Fire | +3900 | +4000 | +3900 |
| Complexity | +4900 | +5000 | +4900 |
| Falcons | +4900 | +5000 | +4900 |
| 9z | +5900 | +6600 | +5900 |
| FURIA | +5900 | +6600 | +5900 |
| BIG | +9900 | +10000 | +9900 |
| BB Team | +9900 | +9900 | +9900 |
| paiN Gaming | +14900 | +15000 | +14900 |
| Imperial | +14900 | +15000 | +14900 |
| SAW | +14900 | +15000 | +14900 |
| MIBR | +23900 | +25000 | +23900 |
| FlyQuest | +49900 | +50000 | +49900 |
| ALTERNATE aTTax | +99000 | +50000 | +99000 |
Team Spirit
Currently the No. 5 ranked CS:GO team, Team Spirit, had an enormous win in February when they defied the betting odds to win the IEM Katowice 2024 tournament, picking up $400,000, several qualifying spots, and 3,000 Blast Premier points. The team had betting odds of +750 in that event. They defeated one of the betting favorites (+300) FaZe Clan, in the Grand Final of the event. Team Spirit finished in 5th-8th at the PGL Major Copenhagen. A 3rd-4th place finish followed in Dallas. The Russian team then won the BLAST Premier: Spring Final 2024 for $200,000.
The roster of Team Spirit has been playing together since July 2023.
Team Spirit are in Group A in Cologne, along with Natus Vincere, Astralis, and G2 Esports.
Natus Vincere
Playing out of Ukraine, Natus Vincere is the No. 1 ranked CS:GO team in the world. The club has picked up two big wins in 2024, capturing first place and $500,000 in March at the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 event and then winning the Esports World Cup 2024 in July for $400,000. However, outside those two wins, Natus Vincere has struggled, finishing in 7th-8th at IEM Masters Katowice 2024, 9th-12th at IEM Masters Dallas, and most recently finishing 5th-6th at BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2024. They finished as the runner-up team at the BLAST Premier: Spring Final 2024.
Natus Vincere has been playing together since June 2023.
Team Liquid defeated Natus Vincere twice in a row at the BLAST Premier Fall Groups 2024 event.
The team is in Group A in Cologne.
G2 Esports
The No. 4 ranked CS:GO squad in the world, G2 Esports recently added two new members to the team, picking up malbsMd from M80 in June and Snax from GamerLegion in July. The club, which plays out of Germany, has played in two events with that lineup, placing second at the Esports World Cup and finishing in the 1st-4th group at the BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2024. Before making the changes to the team’s roster, G2 Esports placed first in Dallas, winning $100,000 for their efforts in that event.
With the team playing well before the new members joined, G2 will be a threat to win in Cologne if all members of the roster are on the same page.
Like the other betting favorites in this tournament, G2 Esports are part of Group A.
Best bet to win IEM Masters Cologne 2024
G2 Esports have not been playing as a unit as long as the other betting favorites in Cologne, but the team they have assembled is a strong one. The betting pick is for G2 Esports to win the IEM Masters Cologne 2024 tournament.
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