The IEM Melbourne 2025 group stage will kick off on Monday, April 21. Check out ESB’s free Counter-Strike 2 betting preview here.
IEM Melbourne 2025 Group Stage betting picks – Monday, April 21
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The world’s best 16 Counter-Strike 2 teams will begin their quest for the Intel Extreme Masters Melbourne 2025 trophy on Monday, April 21, in the first round of the Australian tournament’s group stage. Here are our CS2 betting picks for the first day of action with esports odds courtesy of the top bookmakers for gamblers in United States.
FAZE CLAN vs PAIN GAMING CS2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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|---|---|
| Best Odds: | FaZe -2500 at BetOnline | paiN +800 at BetOnline |
| When: | April 21, 2025 | 11:15 AEST |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS) |
FaZe Clan won their last meeting with paiN Gaming during PGL Bucharest 2025 with 13-7 on Dust2 but needed 24 rounds (13-11) on Inferno and came very close to dropping the ball on the CT-side. PaiN Gaming are not in the best form, having played just three games since ESL Pro League Season 21 and lost all three – against Aurora Gaming, FaZe Clan, and Team Falcons.
However, paiN showed some fight, picking up maps against Aurora and the Falcons, who should be, at the very least, considered equal to FaZe.
We’re getting +225 for paiN to win a map, which is a very generous offer.
paiN Gaming +1.5 maps
THE MONGOLZ vs COMPLEXITY CS2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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|---|---|
| Best Odds: | MongolZ -227.27 at BetOnline | COL +162 at BetOnline |
| When: | April 21, 2025 | 11:15 AEST |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS) |
The MongolZ have done an incredible job defying the odds this season with semifinal appearances at IEM Katowice 2025 and ESL Pro League Season 21. However, their form ahead of IEM Melbourne 2025 is not that great.
Complexity are the complete opposite as a team who have not managed any notable tournament runs but travel to Australia in great shape. So in this affair, it comes down to form vs quality.
MongolZ should win more times than not, but as long as Complexity can keep playing the way they did in Bucharest, they should be good for at least one map.
Over 2.5 maps
MOUZ vs BIG CS2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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|---|---|
| Best Odds: | MOUZ -833.33 at BetOnline | BIG +450 at BetOnline |
| When: | April 21, 2025 | 13:45 AEST |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS) |
MOUZ last met with BIG in the first round of PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025, when they won 2-0, with 16-13 on Ancient and 13-5 on Mirage. While it was not the most convincing display from MOUZ, they have looked great over the next two months, with a gold medal from PGL Cluj Napoca 2025 and two runner-up finishes in ESL Pro League Season 21 and BLAST Open Spring 2025.
BIG have not accomplished anything remotely as inspiring this season, nor have they shown they can compete against tier-one teams.
MOUZ are the superior team. Anything less than a 2-0 sweep will be a major disappointment.
MOUZ -1.5 maps
3DMAX vs GAMERLEGION CS2 BETTING & MATCH DETAIL |
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|---|---|
| Best Odds: | 3DMAX -175.44 at BetOnline | GL +125 at BetOnline |
| When: | April 21, 2025 | 13:45 AEST |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS) |
3DMAX and GamerLegion both made the knockout stage of PGL Bucharest 2025 earlier this month, and neither have yet to win a tournament this season. Still, despite showing similar form, GamerLegion are priced as underdogs for this match with the best Counter-Strike 2 betting sites.
This is not a massive surprise, as 3DMAX have been playing better than their record might suggest. All five players are averaging a positive performance rating, and as a unit, they have a fairly deep map pool with a notably better win rate than GamerLegion on Train (80% vs 33%) and Dust2 (60% vs 0%).
GamerLegion can bite, so it is not beyond the realms of possibility that they take a map, but this is 3DMAX’s game to lose.
3DMAX to win
TEAM LIQUID vs VIRTUS.PRO CS2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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|---|---|
| Best Odds: | Liquid -138.89 at BetOnline | VP +100 at BetOnline |
| When: | April 21, 2025 | 16:15 AEST |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS) |
Team Liquid and Virtus.pro last met in the second round of PGL Bucharest 2025, when Virtus.pro won in two maps. Yet, they are priced as underdogs for the rematch.
This makes little sense, as even though Liquid should be playing much better with the players they have, Keith “NAF” Markovic and co. have yet to find any traction under a new in-game leader, and they looked particularly bad in Bucharest.
At this number, Virtus.pro are a no-brainer pick.
Virtus.pro to win
TEAM VITALITY vs FLYQUEST CS2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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|---|---|
| Best Odds: | Vitality -3333.33 at BetOnline | FLY +900 at BetOnline |
| When: | April 21, 2025 | 16:15 AEST |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS) |
Team Vitality are the hottest CS2 team in the world, having won the last three S-Tier tournaments. On the other side, FlyQuest are the lowest-rated team attending the tournament with no notable tournament runs to talk about.
This is a David vs Goliath type of game, where the only way for the outsiders to walk away with anything is for Vitality to slip. But considering their form and impressive consistency, there is only one way this fixture can end.
Team Vitality -12.5 rounds
TEAM FALCONS vs SAW CS2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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|---|---|
| Best Odds: | Falcons -714.29 at BetOnline | SAW +400 at BetOnline |
| When: | April 21, 2025 | 18:45 AEST |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS) |
Team Falcons enter IEM Melbourne 2025 as one of the most exciting teams to follow, having recently shown signs of life by winning PGL Bucharest 2025. Moreover, Falcons have earlier this month, bolstered their roster with the signing of ex-G2 Esports AWPer Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov.
The addition of m0NESY alone is a good enough reason to have faith in Team Falcons. Still, we have yet to see them play with the new roster, so it is fair to tame our expectations.
SAW are not considered a serious threat for this match. They’ve played just one game since March, and even that ended in a humiliating 3-13 loss to BetBoom Team. While the Portuguese squad have shown before they can do damage against tier-1 teams, they are rusty and in bad shape.
Team Falcons -1.5 maps
NATUS VINCERE vs MIBR CS2 BETTING & MATCH DETAIL |
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|---|---|
| Best Odds: | NaVi -714.29 at BetOnline | MIBR +400 at BetOnline |
| When: | April 21, 2025 | 18:45 AEST |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS) |
Natus Vincere have been struggling this season and have not shown the heights expected of them. Even though NaVi reached the knockout stages of all four S-Tier events they’ve attended since the turn of the year, Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen have been anything but consistent – with losses against MongolZ and SAW, and close games against paiN and TYLOO.
MiBR are not expected to make it far in Melbourne following two early eliminations from PGL Cluj Napoca 2025 and ESL Pro League Season 21. However, the Brazilians have shown they can bite with a three-map game against Team Vitality.
Natus Vincere should win, but MiBR can take a map.
MIBR +1.5 maps
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