Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2026 Group Stage betting predictions – Monday, April 13

The battle for the lion’s share of the US$300,000 prize pool and Intel Extreme Masters trophy begins on Monday, April 13, when 16 Counter-Strike 2 teams clash in the first round of IEM Rio 2026 group stage.

Featuring some of the world’s strongest teams, IEM Rio promises to offer an exciting week of action and plenty of betting opportunities to explore, especially on day one when some of the squads re-enter the arena after a lengthy break.

Esportbet brings you free Counter-Strike 2 betting previews and expert picks for the first eight fixtures of IEM Rio, along with odds from the top-rated esports bookmakers.

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  Fast Payouts

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TEAM VITALITY vs RED CANIDS

Best Odds	VIT -1000 at BetOnline | RED +1400 at SportsBetting
When	April 13, 2026 | 10:00 BRT
Watch Live	Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS)

Team Vitality travel to Rio as the main favorites to claim the trophy on the outright markets and rightly so. They are the best CS2 team of 2026, were the best team in the world in 2025, and are arguably the most dominant squad who’ve touched the game in the last five years.

As a unit, Vitality work well, and individual, players like Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut and Robin “ropz” Kool are in exceptional form.

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  The bookies' bookie

All that adds pressure on Team Vitality to perform, but that has yet to stop them from making a run to the title.

RED Canids are a solid team from South America, but they have not featured in an S-Tier tournament this season and can not measure up to most Tier-1 squads, especially Vitality.

This should be a very one-sided game.

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GENTLE MATES vs G2 ESPORTS

Best Odds	M8 +200 at BetOnline | G2 -277.78 at SportsBetting
When	April 13, 2026 | 10:00 BRT
Watch Live	Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS)

G2 Esports head to Brazil with a point to prove, having been struggling to find much success this season. While an exciting team to follow, G2 will be handicapped at IEM Rio, as they are without Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač, who is out with an injury.

While the core is there, G2 Esports it is not like their lineup have made much noise as they’ve yet to place top-four in big events.

On a more positive note, without their star player, the expectations on G2 are low, allowing them to play more relaxed and loose.

In their first match, G2 will face off against Gentle Mates, who have done well in lesser events, but have yet to prove themselves against Tier-1 teams. So even though G2 are weakened, it is unlikely for Gentle Mates to put up much of a resistance.

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3DMAX vs TEAM FALCONS

Best Odds	3DMAX +550 at BetOnline | Falcons -1000 at SportsBetting
When	April 13, 2026 | 12:30 BRT
Watch Live	Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS)

Team Falcons enter Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2026 with something to prove. However, they have had something to prove in all events they have attend this season, yet the Falcons have yet to win silverware.

Despite fielding one of the most stacked rosters in the world, the Falcons consistently fall apart when it matters the most. On a more positive note, the Falcons tend to perform when faced with weaker opponents.

This explains why the Falcons are -1000 favorites to take down 3DMAX on all top-rated CS2 bookmakers. On the other hand, 3DMAX are not a team who will roll over and die. They showed some sings of life at PGL Bucharest and considering this is Falcons’ first game in over two weeks, it is not beyond the realms of possibility for 3DMAX to take one map.

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TEAM SPIRIT vs TEAM LIQUID

Best Odds	Spirit -1000 at BetOnline | Liquid +550 at SportsBetting
When	April 13, 2026 | 12:30 BRT
Watch Live	Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS)

Team Spirit have been underdelivering this season and haven’t looked the same since adding Boris “magixx” Vorobyev as an in-game leader. But even though they’ve not been very successful, Spirit haven’t completely collapsed, having secured bronze from IEM Krakow, and two playoff appearances at ESL Pro League and BLAST Open.

Like Spirit, Team Liquid haven’t accomplished much this season, struggling to make much noise in bigger events. Even with the recent roster change and the arrival of Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa, Liquid have not shown any improvement and seem to be on a downward spiral.

Team Spirit have some wrinkles to iron out, and even though they have been inconsistent, Spirit to sweep at $1.53 is a solid bet.

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LEGACY vs MOUZ

Best Odds	Legacy +275 at BetOnline | MOUZ -400 at SportsBetting
When	April 13, 2026 | 15:00 BRT
Watch Live	Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS)

MOUZ have been shaky of late, placing fifth-eighth at ESL Pro League and 13th-16th at BLAST Open Spring. Despite the promising start to the season, which include a fourth-place finish at IEM Krakow and a bronze medal from ESL Pro League, MOUZ haven’t looked like themselves in the last month.

Legacy had a solid run at ESL Pro League in March, when they reached the quarterfinals. But this is still a relatively unproven team at the highest level.

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  Fast Payouts

On paper, this is MOUZ’s game to lose. But considering their poor form and Legacy’s flashes of greatness last month, whihc includes a quarterfinal run at ESL Pro League, a closer game is not entirely unlikely.

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B8 vs NATUS VINCERE

Best Odds	B8 +400 at BetOnline | NAVI -714.29 at SportsBetting
When	April 13, 2026 | 15:00 BRT
Watch Live	Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS)

Natus Vincere had a very slow start to the season, but have since found their stride and secured two promising tournament results in March. They won ESL Pro League and placed second at BLAST Open Spring, while managing a 10-3 record over that sretch.

B8 have not reached the same heights this season. Their most notable result was winning Parken Challenger Championship #3 at the start of April, and while B8 made quarterfinals of PGL Bucharest they’ve not had to deal with a very demanding schedule.

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  The bookies' bookie

Natus Vincere are known to start tournament slow, suggesting they can drop a map to B8. However, considering NAVI’s form and the quality gap between the two teams, it is easy to imagine a quick 2-0 sweep for the favorites.

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AURORA GAMING vs HOTU

Best Odds	Aurora -714.29 at BetOnline | Hotu +400 at SportsBetting
When	April 13, 2026 | 17:30 BRT
Watch Live	Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS)

HOTU are one of the lowest rated teams of the tournament and unlikely to make it far. In their first match of IEM RIO, HOTU will face Aurora Gaming, who have had their moments this season.

Despite failing to win a tournament title, Aurora placed second at ESL Pro League and made semifinals of BLAST Open Spring. Widely considered as one of the dark horses to compete for a podium finish, Aurora can be volatile, but their ceiling is high, making them an easy pick to handle one of the weaker teams in the lineup.

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FURIA vs PASSION UA

Best Odds	FURIA -833.33 at BetOnline | UA +450 at SportsBetting
When	April 13, 2026 | 17:30 BRT
Watch Live	Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/ESLCS)

Passion UA are +450 underdogs to defeat FURIA, which does not sound wrong.

In February, Passion UA acquired Azbayar “Senzu” Munkhbold on a loan to try and make the Major, but still failed, which is concerning. Senzu has since left, leaving Passion UA with a weaker lineup that does not inspire much confidence.

FURIA remain one of the world’s strongest CS2 teams, despite the recent slip-ups, including early exits from PGL Cluj-Napoca, ESL Pro League, and BLAST Open Spring. Their poor form, however, should not carry as much weight, as FURIA have been up-and-down before, yet they find a way to perform when it matters.

Playing at home and in desperate need for a solid result, FURIA are one of the teams to watch and a squad who will want to have a strong start to the group stage.