The IEM Rio Major is the first CS:GO major to be taking place in South America, and the usual suspects top the odds. FaZe Clan (+375), Natus Vincere (+425) and Team Vitality (+475) lead the IEM Rio Major outright odds table, with Cloud9 (+700) and Heroic (+800) not too far behind.
The majors have had many different Sportsbooks over the years, which goes to show just how hard it is to predict who is going to be the IEM Rio Major Sportsbook.
Before we look at who the favorites are, make sure to check out our guide on how to bet on Counter-Strike.
Who Are The Betting Favorites In The IEM Rio Major Outright Odds?
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| FaZe Clan | +375 |
| Natus Vincere | +425 |
| Team Vitality | +475 |
| Cloud9 | +700 |
| Heroic | +800 |
| Team Liquid | +1000 |
| ENCE | +1200 |
| FURIA Esports | +1200 |
| Ninjas in Pyjamas | +1200 |
| MOUZ | +1600 |
| OG | +1600 |
Odds as of October 20 at Sportsbook
Favorites To Win The IEM Rio Major Title
FaZe Clan (+375)
FaZe Clan is the best-ranked side in the world, and it is no surprise that they’re leading the IEM Rio Major Sportsbook odds table. They also won the last major in Antwerp, which was their first major. This esports group has ambitions of dominating the landscape, and winning two majors on the bounce would be a great way to make a statement.
They’ve also won IEM Katowice, IEM Cologne and ESL Pro League Season 15 this year. A win here would constitute an Intel Grand Slam, the most coveted prize in Counter-Strike. Besides the excellent competition that they are bound to face in this tournament, their performance in the ESL Pro League 16 was a bit shaky.
It wouldn’t take away from an outstanding year, but they might not have the momentum that was carrying them a bit earlier in the season.
Natus Vincere (+425)
Natus Vincere will be looking to do better than they did at Antwerp, losing to FaZe on the final hurdle. They’ve got great history at the majors, winning in Stockholm around the same time last year.
For a long time, it felt like they couldn’t make it past the finish line. They were runners-up in three other majors: London in 2018, Columbus in 2016 and Cluj-Napoca in 2015. They’re ranked second in the world but are equally heavy favorites in most people’s eyes, even if the IEM Rio Major Sportsbooks odds tell a different story.
As long as they have S1mple – widely considered the best player in the game, and by some the best of all time – on their side, they’ll be capable of putting any team to the sword. However, this is still a team game, and he’ll need his teammates to back him up.
They haven’t been in the best form in the second half of the season, but those things tend to go out the window when you are participating in something like the majors. As the old saying goes, “form is temporary, class is permanent.”
Value Picks To Win The IEM Rio Major
Team Vitality (+475)
Team Vitality is the third big favorite on the IEM Rio Major Sportsbook odds table. They are a team on the rise but have yet to make that really big statement in the majors. They’ve got a player in ZyWoo who seems like he was made for such an occasion.
He’s a player many would consider as the best that CS:GO esports has to offer. The team has also shown their ambition in recent weeks by adding Spinx to their ranks. It looks like everything’s coming together for them, and it’s now only a matter of making it count on the big stage. This might just be their tournament.
Betting Strategy for Sportsbooks of the IEM Rio Major
Before deciding on who among the three are most likely to win, we must mention the likes of Heroic, Cloud9, Liquid and others. Heroic heads into this tournament in good form, Cloud9 has the fourth-best odds on the IEM Rio Major odds table and Liquid is ranked fourth in the world. They’ve all got valuable odds, but it’s hard to see them going past the three teams above them.
We would suggest you look past Natus Vincere for this one, just because they don’t seem to have the momentum at the moment. To win the majors, a lot of things need to go right, and while the team might stumble onto its best form during the tournament, we would advise against it for now.
FaZe is the obvious favorite, and the motivation to make it a Grand Slam will power them throughout the tournament. If they’re at their best, there’s no team better in CS:GO at the moment.
If you want to go for a slightly riskier pick, Vitality is the team. It feels like they’ve built a team just for this moment, and it’s time to strike. Their lack of experience in the finals is the only thing going against them, but they might also enter these matches with less pressure because of that – unlike FaZe and Natus Vincere, who will feel burdened by the pressure of repeating previous feats. It promises to be an excellent tournament.
