IEM Sydney 2023 Betting Preview: Best Sites, Odds, Format and Schedule
The first-ever Intel Extreme Masters event for CS2 is finally here – IEM Sydney 2023. Featuring 16 of the top CS2 teams in the world, the IEM Sydney seeks to will crown a new champion. On this page, read our IEM Sydney betting preview for the event, covering outright odds, format and schedule, participating teams and predictions. For the teams going to IEM Sydney, winning this event could mean a $100k prize and a ticket to IEM Katowice 2024.
Bet on IEM Sydney: Best Sites & Promos
Sign up to any of these reviewed betting sites to bet on Counter-Strike 2’s IEM Sydney 2023:
Event Overview
| Series | Intel Extreme Masters, Intel Grand Slam |
|---|---|
| Start Date | 16th October |
| End Date | 22nd October |
| Venue | Aware Super Theatre, Sydney |
| Prize | $250,000 |
| Teams | 16 |
IEM Sydney 2023 Outright Odds
| Team | GG.Bet Outright Odds |
|---|---|
| Team Vitality | +225 |
| ENCE | +275 |
| G2 Esports | +275 |
| Cloud9 | +500 |
| FaZe Clan | +750 |
| MOUZ | +1200 |
| Natus Vincere | +1400 |
| GamerLegion | +2500 |
| Monte | +3300 |
| BetBoom Team | +3300 |
Competition Format
Like previous Intel Extreme Masters events before it, the format for this event is similar, making for simple CSGO betting.
Group Stage
The competition starts with a Group Stage. Here, two double-elimination format (GSL) groups with eight teams each seed teams into the Playoffs.
With BO1 opening matches followed by BO3 matches, here are how teams have been seeded into their respective groups:
- Group A: Team Vitality, BetBoom Team, FaZe Clan, GamerLegion, Natus Vincere, Apeks, VERTEX ESC, MOUZ
- Group B: ENCE, Lynn Vision, Cloud9, Fnatic, Monte, Complexity, Grayhound, G2 Esports
From each group, seeding into the Playoffs for each Group is as follows:
- Group Stage Winners – advance to the Semifinals
- Group Stage Runners-up – advance to the Quarterfinals as the High Seeds
- Group Stage 3rd place teams – advance to the Quarterfinals as the Low Seeds
Playoffs Stage
Once in the Playoffs, single elimination with BO3 matches decides the competition – $250,000 is on the line together with a seed for IEM Katowice 2024 as outlined by the best CSGO betting sites.
Teams Participated at IEM Sydney
The following teams as seeded:
- ESL Partner Team – ENCE, FaZe Clan, G2 Esports, MOUZ, Natus Vincere, Team Vitality
- ESL World Ranking – Cloud9, GamerLegion, Monte, Fnatic
- Local Hero Invite – Grayhound Gaming
- European Qualifier – Apeks, BetBoom Team
- North American Qualifier – Complexity Gaming
- Asian Qualifier – Lynn Vision Gaming
- Oceanic Qualifier – VERTEX Esports Club
Schedule
With regards to the schedule, here’s the opening matches for both Groups:
Group A – Upper Bracket Quarterfinals
- 16/10 – Natus Vincere vs Apeks (02:00 CEST)
- 16/10 – VERTEX vs MOU (02:00 CEST)
- 16/10 – Vitality vs BetBoom (03:15 CEST)
- 16/10 – FaZe Clan vs GamerLegion (03:15 CEST)
Group B – Upper Bracket Quarterfinals
- 16/10 – ENCE vs Lynn Vision (04:30 CEST)
- 16/10 – Cloud9 vs Fnatic (04:30 CEST)
- 16/10 – Monte vs Complexity (05:45 CEST)
- 16/10 – Grayhound vs G2 Esports (05:45 CEST)
In this betting preview, we’ll be taking a closer look at a handful of the upcoming opening matches for each group, using odds thanks to GG.Bet. Learn more about GG.Bet through our GG.Bet review!
Group Stage Predictions
Monte vs compLexity
Bouncing back to form at the ESL Pro League Season 18, Monte have proven that they are a force to be reckoned with in Tier 1 CS. Finishing 3-4th at the mentioned event does give them the edge over a new-looking Complexity Gaming.
By ‘new-looking’ we’re describing the fact that Complexity’s 9-12th finish at the ESL Pro League Season 18 was a surprise for the team which has suffered bad form all year at CSGO tournaments.
However, Monte remains favoured here according to the GG.Bet CSGO odds.
- Predictions: Monte (1-0) compLexity
- Odds: Monte Outright Win (-141), compLexity Outright Win (+112)
- Betting Site: GG.Bet
Cloud9 vs Fnatic
Despite both being popular organizations in Counter-Strike, the match between Cloud9 vs Fnatic doesn’t look too exciting.
Moreover, although Fnatic did place higher than them at ESL Pro League S18, many would agree that they did so thanks to having an easier group compared to Cloud9.
Bearing this in mind, Cloud9 does have the edge in this opening match.
- Predictions: Cloud9 (1-0) Fnatic
- Odds: Cloud9 Outright Win (-192), Fnatic Outright Win (+150)
- Betting Site: GG.Bet
