Intel Extreme Masters XVI Summer Event Preview and Betting Predictions

We’re all done with the first set of RMR events for the upcoming PGL Major! But, that’s not where the CSGO madness ends! You see, this summer is nicely poised with several outstanding events! We will have stuff to bet on all summer long, ladies and gentlemen! Today, we’re going to be talking about the next big event that’s just around the corner. Check your calendar, boys, and girls, because this Thursday and onward is going to be all about betting on IEM XVI Summer!

The sun is shining, we’re on the beach… It’s almost time for #IEM Summer! 🌴

⚔ 16 teams
📅 June 3rd-13th
💰 $250,000
🏆 Intel Grand Slam Event
📺 https://t.co/855hMZUIST pic.twitter.com/kNyDmPsYT6

— Intel®ExtremeMasters (@IEM) May 25, 2021

• Competing Teams: 16
• Dates: 3^rd to 13^th June
• Location: EU Online
• Stream: IEM Twitch
• Outright Favorites: Gambit, Heroic
• Dark Horses: NiP, Astralis, G2

Betting on IEM XVI Summer | Where and How?

Before we start digging through the key factors, rosters, form, and other stuff, let’s see what sort of betting opportunities are there! More precisely, let’s see where and how you can start betting on IEM Summer!

Where? This answer is pretty simple! Just navigate to an online esports bookmaker and you should be met with an abundance of available CSGO options. Not sure where to look for an online esports bookie? Even though Google is usually your best friend in scenarios such as this one, I advise you not to trust it.

The online esports betting sphere is packed with ads and a simple Google search won’t do you any good. Instead, what you should do is head on over to our esports bookmakers guide. That page has a ton of beginner-friendly information as well as a list of exceptional bookies for you to check out!

If you’re here about the how portion of this section, here’s a quick step-by-step guide to guide you through the whole process of placing your first-ever online esports wager:

Tournament Format and Schedule

Intel Extreme Masters XVI Summer is set to be a two-phase tournament. The first phase, AKA the group stage, consists of two separate double-elimination brackets. The opening rounds are best-of-ones, while all remaining matches are bo3, including both decider and elimination matches. Each group consists of eight teams, only three of which will get a chance to compete in the second phase AKA the playoff.

It’s the usual bracket type, one featuring two quarterfinals consisting of second and third-place teams from both groups. That said, group winners kickstart the playoff from the semifinals, meaning they’ll theoretically have much better chances of reaching the final match.

IEM XVI Summer Preview | Betting Favorites

We’ve reached the focal point of our IEM XVI Summer betting preview – betting favorites. Here are the six teams that are most likely going to be in the title-winning mix. Enjoy the show, boys and girls!

Gambit

Let’s start off with the team that’s still labeled as the best CSGO team in the world! Yessir, we’re talking about Gambit here! Even though they’ve finished second on DH Masters Spring and ESL Pro League S13, they are still the #1 team in the world. Their consistency is superb – no other team comes close to Gambit right now!

But, momentum and raw clutching potential can only get you so far. Are we going to see Gambit falter and make way for the likes of Spirit, NaVi, and Virtus.pro to take away the flattering title of the best CIS team? The best team in the world title is still not up for grabs irrelevant of how this event ends up. Gambit’s advantage is just too massive for anyone to catch up two weeks from now.

If you’re going to be betting on IEM XVI Summer, Gambit ought to be on your bucket list. The grandiose CIS team is set to open the event against Sprout. Unfortunately, the odds on Gambit to win this one aren’t really worth anyone’s while. But, if you believe in their ability to close out yet another big event, you can always invest in a long-term option. More about that later on!

Heroic

Heroic’s form is not to be taken for granted either! They are the third-best team in the world right now, according to HLTV, just behind Gambit and NaVi, the CIS powerhouses. If we go back a bit, we’ll notice Heroic’s consistency is off the charts too. They’ve only had one poor event this year, Intel Extreme Masters XV World Championship. Everything other than that event resulted in Heroic reaching the semifinals at the very least.

What about betting on IEM XVI Summer? Should you bet on Heroic? Well, nothing suggests otherwise, but I guess it’s best to wait and see how they square off against Imperial. Anything but a straightforward under 25.5 win will be somewhat of a disappointment for the Danish side.

NIP wins Mirage and the series. GGWP @NIPCS 👊

We end up in 4th place in @Flashpoint 3, giving us 1300RMR Points, well done to our boys!

Thanks for all the support this event, see you next one!❤️#BeHeroic #Flashpoint3 pic.twitter.com/bAPZHuK8au

— HEROIC (@heroicgg) May 27, 2021

However, I can’t recommend investing money into the opening round. It’s a best-of-one clash, meaning there’s added risk in the mix. It’s just not worth it, especially knowing just how ridiculously low the odds are.

NiP

Let’s talk about the most interesting CSGO team right now; let’s talk about Ninjas in Pyjamas! Why are they the most interesting CSGO team at the moment? Well, because of device, that’s why! The Danish superstar has been nothing but superb on his NiP debut. Even though everything kicked off in the worst possible way; even though everything was entangled with Anonymo replay drama, NiP got back into the mix and managed to clinch the grand finals. As you probably know, ropz and frozen were just too tough to contain and NiP had to make do with the second place. Not too shabby for a debut, right?

But, now that we’ve seen device and the boys mean business, we all have sky-high expectations from them. The thing is, what if this was just a one-off thing? What if NiP players go back to their usual unimpressive selves?
Well, that’s the thing with device. Not only is he a superb individual, but with him, everyone plays 20% better. He’s like Luka Modrić of CSGO. That said, even if we don’t see NiP have another amazing event, I have no worries about them failing to clinch the top five in the months to come. They have way too much potential to bottle it all…

Astralis

Astralis are not to be taken for granted here! Despite the fact device is no longer there, Bubzkji’s debut has been solid and, while he won’t be able to fill device’s shoes right off the bat, he definitely has enough room and (even more importantly) potential to grow.

Everyone thought Astralis would go from a top 10 team to a tier B side. However, that didn’t happen, and let me tell you why. Unlike Vitality or NaVi, Astralis never relied too much on device. Yes, he was their star player, he was the player that did all the tough work in crucial scenarios… but for Astralis, it was always more about teamwork than relying on a single player. That’s their key strength, and that’s what will save them from dropping down the CSGO pecking order in the coming months.

Astralis is set to open the contest against FPX, and cross with the better of Extra salt vs. G2 Esports, should they win the opening round. I honestly can’t see them failing on Thursday, meaning if you’re here for tips on betting on IEM XVI Summer, Astralis to win the opener is a no-brainer!

G2

G2 Esports is coming up in the world. Finally, some would say… And yeah, they’re right – it was about time we see the likes of NiKo, nexa, and huNter start doing what they do best! Mind you, though, they are still far from top form, but they’re finally starting to win matches against tougher opponents, and that sort of consistency is what they’ve been missing ever since NiKo’s arrival.

Their Flashpoint run was pretty good; in fact, they were the only team that managed to beat NiP up until the grand finals. Of course, NiKo and the boys did lose against NiP in the lower bracket finals, but still – a win is a win!

On the bright side, the bracket is aligned perfectly for them to reach the single-elimination bracket. They’re going up against Extra Salt, than against either the better or worse of Astralis vs. FPX. The upper portion of group A is packed with top-quality teams, meaning G2’s knockout stage sprint won’t be a straightforward one. But, knowing their qualities and form, they shouldn’t have any major issues here.

Virtus.pro

We’re rounding off our important work here with Virtus.pro! YEKINDAR and the boys are returning for another massive international campaign. They will be looking to impress on Thursday, and their recent results suggest they might just do that!

But, I’d be lying if I’d say their form is exceptional. It was, that’s for sure, but the last few events pushed them down. Poor performances on ESL Pro League S13, Funspark ULTI, and DH Masters Spring must’ve taken a toll on these players. But, I still firmly believe we’re going to see them overcome Fnatic in the opening round.

Next up, though, they’re most likely going to have to fight with NiP. Device and the boys are coming off a majestic Flashpoint run, so we’re going to have a quite a fiery contest to watch and bet on. As far as outrights are concerned, I wouldn’t bet my money on VP. But, as far as the opening round is concerned, I might even set some money aside for them. No worries, you’ll be the first to know thanks to our regularly updated esports picks section!

Outright Betting on IEM XVI Summer

We’re almost done with our IEM XVI Summer betting piece. As usual, we’re going to wrap things up with a couple of pieces of advice for people looking to get in on the whole outright betting on IEM XVI Summer category.

The best way to start is by checking out what bookies have to offer for this particular long-term. Here’s what BetOnline has to offer. If you don’t know much about this betting platform, feel free to check out our BetOnline review!

• Gambit +300
• Heroic +400
• Virtus.pro +600
• G2 +700
• Astralis +800
• NiP +1100
• Complexity +1200
• Vitality +1200
• Spirit +1400
• OG +1800
• FPX +1800
• Extra Salt +2000
• Fnatic +2200
• EG +2200
• Imperial +2800
• Sprout +2800

Place Your Bets Now!

Obviously, if you’re going to be betting on IEM XVI Summer here, the top half of the list are the names you should be interested in. The likes of Gambit, heroic, Virtus.pro, G2, Astralis, and NiP are the primary contestants here. Looking back at their most recent results, the title is definitely going to one of them. Which one, though, is anyone’s guess at this point.

And, quite honestly, we’re going to leave it at anyone’s guess. I’m done with trying to predict outright winners of online events, especially international competitions featuring not just EU but NA and CIS teams too. It’s just too chaotic, is all!

But, don’t let that discourage you from outright betting on IEM XVI Summer! It’s still a fairly interesting bet; just make sure you go in with a low stake. That’s the golden rule here…