Trent Reinsmith
- What: IEM Cologne 2023
- Date: Wednesday, July 26 – Sunday, August 6, 2023
- Location: LANXESS Arena in Cologne, Germany
- How to Watch: Twitch
This year’s edition of Europe’s biggest CS:GO event, IEM Cologne 2023, kicks off on July 26 and runs through August 6, 2023, at the LANXESS Arena in Cologne, Germany. The event begins with 24 of the best CS:GO teams in the world. At stake is a $1 million prize pool, a spot in the IEM Katowice 2024 event, and, of course, the EPT Championship.
The Play-In Stage for IEM Cologne 2023 features 16 teams: MOUZ, Apeks, 9INE, FURIA, Team Liquid, Imperial Esports, TheMongolZ, Grayhound Gaming, Fnatic, Complexity Gaming, Monte, Ninjas in Pyjamas, OG Esports, Into the Breach, Astralis, and BIG Academy. The best eight teams from the Play-In Stage will join the following eight teams in the Group Stage: G2 Esports, FaZe Clan, Team Vitality, ENCE, Heroic, Cloud9, Natus Vincere, and GamerLegion. The winning team takes home $400,000 of the prize pool, while the runner-up pockets $180,000. Last year, FaZe Clan defeated NAVI in the Grand Final. Astralis and Movistar Riders were the clubs who fell in the semifinal round.
Before we dive into the betting picks for the 2023 CS:GO IEM Cologne tournament, check out our guide to CS:GO betting and the best sports betting apps and mobile options.
IEM Cologne 2023 betting picks
| To Win IEM Cologne: 2023 |  |  |  |
| Team Vitality | +300 | +300 | +300 |
| Heroic | +333 | +333 | +333 |
| FaZe Clan | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| G2 Esports | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| ENCE | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| Cloud9 | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| Natus Vincere | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| MOUZ | +1800 | +1800 | +1800 |
| Team Liquid | +1800 | +1800 | +1800 |
| FURIA Esports | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Apeks | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Astralis | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Ninjas in Pyjamas | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Fnatic | +3300 | +3300 | +3300 |
| Monte | +5000 | +5000 | +5000 |
| 9INE | +5000 | +5000 | +5000 |
| GamerLegion | +5000 | +5000 | +5000 |
| Imperial Esports | +6600 | +6600 | +6600 |
| Into the Breach | +10000 | +10000 | +10000 |
| BIG Academy | +10000 | +10000 | +10000 |
| Complexity Gaming | +10000 | +10000 | +10000 |
| Grayhound Gaming | +25000 | +25000 | +25000 |
| TheMongolZ | +25000 | +25000 | +25000 |
| OG Esports | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Team Vitality
Based out of France, Team Vitality is expected to make a big improvement in the 2023 edition of the IEM Cologne event. Last year, the squad, which Apex captains, finished this event in 9th-12th place. Vitality is currently the No. 2 ranked CS:GO team in the HLTV rankings with 835 points.
The team is playing well heading into the Cologne event with wins at IEM Masters Rio 2023 and the Blast.tv Paris Major. However, they are coming off a runner-up performance to Heroic in the Blast Premier: Spring Final 2023 event, and they also have recent losses to NAVI and Imperial on their record.
On the upside, Vitality has one of the best CS:GO players in the world on their roster in ZyWoo.
Heroic
Currently the No. 1 team in the HLTV standings with 972 points, Heroic are one of the two teams favored to win the IEM Cologne 2023 event, with odds that are just slightly worse than those of Team Vitality. Heroic finished this event in 13th-16th place in 2022.
One reason to give a lot of consideration to Heroic, who play out of Norway and Denmark, is the fact they have a recent win over Vitality, beating them 2-1 in the Blast Premier: Spring Final 2023 event, which Heroic won for a prize of $200,000. Before that, the team finished as the runner-up in the Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2023 event, taking home $180,000 after falling to G2 Esports in the grand final of that event.
FaZe Clan
The winners of this event in 2022, FaZe Clan, have struggled over the past month or so, losing to ENCE, Heroic, Vitality, and Team Liquid. However, FaZe is the No. 3 team in the HLTV rankings with 578 points, and they did win the Intel Grand Slam Season 4 title in March for a $1 million prize.
One player to watch on FaZe Clan is Ropz, who joined the team in January 2022. The newest member of the roster, Ropz is a game-changing player, and there are some who believe we have yet to see his best play as a member of FaZe Clan. If you’re one of those people, you should consider FaZe Clan when placing your bets on the IEM Cologne 2023 event.
Best bet to win IEM Cologne 2023
While Heroic might not have a player on its roster that one could consider a game-changer, as a whole, the team has played very well as of late, and their wins over Vitality and FaZe Clan need to be considered a betting favorite as we head into IEM Cologne 2023. With how they have played as of late, Heroic is the betting pick to win the 2023 IEM Cologne event.
Best IEM Cologne 2023 betting pick: Heroic to win IEM Cologne 2023
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
