2021 CS:GO Intel Extreme Masters Season XVI Summer Preview

The best CS:GO teams in the world are preparing to take part in an Intel Grand Slam Season 3 event. There will be $250,000 up for grabs at Intel Extreme Masters Season XVI Summer, and 16 teams are out to claim the winner’s share of $100,000. Gambit are the favorites as the winners of the IEM Season XV  Championship, and they will have the easiest first game since they will take on the play-in winner.

2021 CS:GO IEM Season XVI Betting Odds

Gambit +300
Heroic +400
Virtus.pro +600
G2 +700
Astralis +800
NiP +1100
Complexity +1200
Vitality +1200
Spirit +1400
OG +1800
FunPlus Phoenix +1800
Extra Salt +2000
Evil Geniuses +2200
Fnatic +2200
Imperial +2800
Play-In Winner +2800

It’s only fair for Gambit to be pegged as the favorites since they are the top overall seed. They have been electric so far this calendar year, grabbing first or second place in seven of the ten events they have entered. We have seen Gambit win Vulkan Fight Series, the IEM XV World Championship, the Pinnacle Cup, and BLAST Premier Showdown. Sh1ro and Hobbit are two of the top eight players in the world this year, and Nafany has thrived as the shot caller.

Heroic has the best chance to knock off Gambit. They have won five events over the last 13 months, and Heroic has beaten Gambit twice in the final. WE saw Heroic beat Gambit in Loot.Bet Season 6 last June, and they knocked them off in a 3-2 thriller at ESL Pro League Season 13 last month.

One of the most successful teams in the history of CS:GO is a force to be reckoned with once more. Virtus.pro won CS Summit and Flashpoint Season 2 in the last six months, and they finished runner-up to Gambit at the IEM XV World Championship. The addition of Yekindar has made this team one to be reckoned with in international tournaments, and they are a tempting bet at this price.

Although G2 Esports hasn’t been as dominant as many believed they would be with the addition of Niko, they are still an elite team. They won a BLAST Premier event in April, and they made it to the semifinals of DreamHack Masters Spring three weeks ago. It’s hard to blame anyone for betting on G2 at these odds, but they should probably be closer to 10-1 given their struggles prior to the last month.

The greatest team in the history of CS:GO is no longer the favorite entering every event. Astralis boasts more accolades than any other squad, but the loss of Dev1ce won’t be easy to overcome. Ninjas in Pyjamas reportedly spent over $2 million to acquire him last month, and it’s going to take some time to fill his shoes. While Astralis will still fare well at this event, the chances of them winning it all are slim.

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