IEM Dallas, starting May 30, will feature 16 teams, including current major champions FaZe Clan, Ninjas in Pyjamas, G2 and FURIA. FaZe in particular will be looking to extend their prominence following their championship win over Natus Vincere in the grand finale of the PGL Major in Antwerp.
In current form, they’re the favorites here too. With Na’Vi not having made it to this tournament due to extensive visa complications, FaZe has a clearer path to the finale, and the punters have given them the best odds to get there.
Brush up on your CS with our Counter-Strike betting guide, and let’s take a look at who might come out ahead in Dallas.
Odds to Win IEM Dallas 2022
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| FaZe Clan | +130 |
| G2 Esports | +550 |
| Cloud9 | +600 |
| FURIA | +800 |
| ENCE | +1000 |
| Ninjas in Pyjamas | +1100 |
Odds as of May 27 at Sportsbook
FaZe Clan Obvious Favorite
FaZe (+130) overcame several obstacles at their recent triumphant run at PGL Major Antwerp 2022. FaZe began by losing their first map of the tournament to ENCE, but bounced back quickly to go 3-1 and qualify for the champions stage. The luck of the draw meant no game was an easy one, and at one stage a potential finals matchup against the defending champs was in the cards.
In their first game of the champions stage, they were pushed to the corner by Ninjas in Pyjamas, but emerged victorious from a tiebreaker. Then in the second game, they fell behind again before coming back. Robin “ropz” Kool showed his proficiency, playing a key role in FaZe firing on all cylinders when it mattered.
In the semifinals, at different times, it appeared as if FaZe would run away with the map, only to be kept honest by Team Spirit, and in the finals, in what was a clash between No. 1 and No. 2, FaZe slayed their past demons in style. It is hardly surprising that they enter IEM Dallas 2022 as massive favorites to repeat their historic run.
Value Picks To Win IEM Dallas 2022
The tournament is also a massive opportunity for ENCE (+1000) to impress; they’re after all a team that has made rapid strides in recent times. This was seen when they made an impressive semifinal run at the PGL Major Antwerp this month, apart from finishing second at the ESL Pro League Season 15 in April.
There is a small change they will have to contend with, though, with star rifler Lotan “Spinx” Giladi missing out on the tournament due to visa issues. This meant a late call-up for Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski at the $250,000 CS:GO tournament.
Spinx’ absence is a massive blow on paper as he’s been the driving force in the last two tournaments, with an average rating of 1.17 as per HLTV this year. His replacement Snax has had a bit of a lull in his career since parting ways with Polish team Anonymo in December. He has mostly been away from the tier-1 scene since.
The temporary change in personnel due to unavoidable circumstances somewhat dims ENCE’s shot at glory – and perhaps even making the playoffs – unless someone has the kind of unprecedented run you wouldn’t expect.
Meanwhile, NaVi’s absence along with Entropiq – also due to visa issues – means a massive opportunity for BIG and Movistar Riders to make an impression. Earlier, Copenhagen Flames looked a good bet to come in as one of the replacements, but they too had to bail out of the event.
Team MOUZ didn’t make it to the Belgian major, and have had plenty of time to prepare for IEM Dallas 2022. This could perhaps be a defining moment for the current roster. The European team confirmed their entry through qualification, beating Movistar Riders (2-0), Esports Club Kyiv (2-0), Copenhagen Flames (2-0) and BIG (2-0) in what seemed a serious struggle.
Incidentally, BIG and Movistar Riders, here only because of sanctions, aren’t championship-winning material by any means, but have made good progress over the past season or two, where they’ve worked toward developing a competent lineup that competes with the best talent from the region. This work-in-progress situation is well reflected in the odds.
BIG will fetch you 13x returns should they make the final, while Movistar Riders will give you 21x. Does that mean you should bet on them? Nope, not until you have loads of cash to burn and you know something about these two no one else does.
Cloud9, FURIA Strong Options
Meanwhile, Cloud9 (+600) comes in high on confidence, having recently signed Abai “HObbit” Hasenov and company from Gambit. This adds teeth to an already promising roster that is expected to go far in the competition. Not even a year’s sabbatical seems to have induced any kind of rust within the squad, given most of them have been actively playing elsewhere or in training. It’s this confidence they will bring into the tournament.
HObbit and the rest of his side played as “Players” at the ESL Pro League S15 after being told by the ESL to avoid using their original banners owing to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Playing for a new outfit altogether now, free of any baggage, should empower them to deliver better, and Cloud9 is certainly likely to be the beneficiary.
Brazilian outfit FURIA (+800) ensured the Americas region secured its first spot at the champions stage of the Antwerp major when they took down G2 in the 2-2 pool of the Legends stage Swiss system format.
On Vertigo, FURIA’s map pick, they won 15-12 courtesy an impressive performance on the CT side of the map. In Inferno they lost 16-14, even though they had their moments, despite Audric “JACKZ” Jug denying a 1 vs 3 clutch attempt from Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato. In the third, they snatched victory from the jaws of defeat after G2 surged to a 10-5 lead on Ancient.
Their odds increased after they won the anti-eco and broke FURIA’s CT side economy early in the second half, but couldn’t hold on as FURIA dug into their reserves to win. The match may have ended differently if Andrei “arT” Piovezan didn’t flank G2’s players right after; he got away with three decisive kills.
This play changed the momentum of the game completely as FURIA got onto a bit of a roll, winning the next nine rounds consecutively to close out a 16-11 win on Ancient. It’s this propensity to come back from tough situations, especially when pushed to a corner, that has the punters the fifth-best odds of making the final.
For the uninitiated, the 16 teams are divided into two groups and will battle through a double-elimination bracket. Home teams would include Cloud9 and Team Liquid, who have fallen way back in the pecking order and are trying to make some late changes. Whether this translates into making it even out of their own group remains to be seen, but such a possibility remains highly unlikely.
