Disclaimer: Predictions are based on opinion and should not be construed as betting advice. Past performance does not guarantee future outcomes. Odds and VRS rankings are accurate as of 26 January 2026, and can change at a moment’s notice.

The stage is set, as the third chapter of the “Hall of Heroes” beckons. After Hannover and Katowice, the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) winter event has moved to Kraków. Now, all eyes are on the highly anticipated Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) tournament, an integral part of the ESL Grand Slam.

Join us in the hype as we discuss our IEM Kraków 2026 betting predictions, featuring power rankings informed by thorough research, passion, and the latest odds.

IEM Kraków 2026 Power Rankings

With 24 of the best CS2 teams competing, IEM Kraków 2026 is a highly contested S-Tier event, featuring the world’s top players. 

Only six teams will make it to the state-of-the-art TAURON Arena in Kraków, fighting for glory in front of a huge crowd. The question on everyone’s mind is: Who will make it to the Playoffs? That’s what we attempt to predict with our IEM Kraków 2026 power rankings.

For a well-rounded approach, we used the official VRS rankings and pre-event outright betting odds. Odds reflect a bookmaker’s confidence in an outcome, which helps determine solid rankings. 

The odds in this article are presented in decimal format (Stake × Odds = Payout), with American odds and implied probability included for reference. To give ourselves the best chance of success, we chose teams directly invited to the Main Event (skipping the Play-In), with one exception.

Team Vitality (#1)

Team Vitality had a disappointing, and exceptionally rare, poor day at the office in the Semifinal of BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1, losing to Team Falcons. In all fairness, Nikola “NiKo” Kovač showcased incredible form, scoring two Aces during the series. 

Despite the 2–1 loss against Team Falcons, who played with a stand-in, Team Vitality remains our top pick. And bookmakers agree, with odds of 3.50 (+250) implying a probability of 28.57% that Team Vitality will add the IEM Kraków 2026 trophy to their cabinet.

If Dan “apEX” Madesclaire can rally his lineup of superstar CS2 players to bounce back from defeat in Malta, Team Vitality could easily win it all. Odds of 1.90 (-110) indicate there’s a 52.63% chance they’ll make it to the Grand Final.

Team Spirit (#2)

The first top-tier LAN event after the return of Myroslav “zont1x” Plakhotia and newly assigned IGL Boris “magixx” Vorobyev didn’t go as planned for Team Spirit. 

The squad crashed out unexpectedly in the Quarterfinals of BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1, losing to PARIVISION and their ex-teammate, Ivan “zweih” Gogin, in a 2–1 reverse sweep. Odds of 5.50 (+450) indicate there’s an 18.18% chance that Team Spirit will bounce back to claim the IEM Kraków 2026 trophy. 

Team Spirit is, in our opinion, a bit undervalued at #6 in the VRS and can easily reach the Grand Final. Odds of 3.25 (+225) translate to an implied probability of 30.77% that Team Spirit could earn a top-two finish.

MOUZ (#3)

Since adding Lotan “Spinx” Giladi to the roster one year ago, MOUZ hasn’t made a roster change. What’s more, the team has demonstrated incredible consistency throughout the past year, clinching several podium finishes and victory at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025.

MOUZ didn’t compete at BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1 and should be well-rested, ready to tackle anyone at IEM Kraków 2026. 

The squad is currently ranked #7 on the VRS. Odds of 8.00 (+700) indicate a 12.50% chance of winning the coveted trophy in Poland, while odds of 5.00 (+400) translate to an implied probability of 20% that MOUZ will make it to the Grand Final.

FURIA (#4)

At BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1, it was clear that FURIA were a bit shaky. If not for AWPing prodigy, Danil “molodoy” Golubenko, FURIA might not have even made it to Malta.

FURIA is still at #1 on the VRS as IEM Kraków 2026 begins. However, their recent performance, narrowly reverse-sweeping HEROIC in the Quarterfinals, and then losing 2–0 to underdogs PARIVISION in the Semifinals of BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1, doesn’t inspire as much confidence as the odds might suggest.

Bookmaker odds of 4.50 (+350) indicate that FURIA is the second-most-likely to win, with a 22.22% chance. We think they are a tad bit overvalued at their current form.

Team Falcons (#5)

The superteam put up an amazing performance with a stand-in (Matej “Nucleonz” Trajkoski) and without their head coach (Danny “zonic” Sørensen), at the BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1 LAN Finals, beating Team Liquid 2–0 and eliminating the favorites, Team Vitality, with a solid 2–1 performance. 

However, Team Falcons were kicked to the curb in the Grand Final, falling apart as they suffered a 3–0 loss to underdogs PARIVISION. That’s why we have Team Falcons at #5 instead of #3. Odds of 5.00 (+400) indicate they have a 20.00% chance of winning IEM Kraków 2026, the third-highest among all teams competing.

After their devastating loss so close to the finish line once again, two things can happen: Either Team Falcons will shake off the loss and smash everyone with superstar Maksim “kyousuke” Lukin back in action, or they’ll fall completely flat.

PARIVISION (#6)

On January 25, we witnessed underdogs PARIVISION lift the BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1 trophy. It was the first top-tier event of the year, and possibly, a sign of what’s to come. With the win, PARIVISION shot up through the VRS to #4.

Led by veteran IGL Dzhami “Jame” Ali, boasting ex-Team Spirit rifler Ivan “zweih” Gogin, PARIVISION stunned favorites. After reverse-sweeping Team Spirit in the Quarterfinals, they went on to demolish FURIA 2–0 to reach the Grand Final, where they swept Team Falcons under the rug with a 3–0 to become the BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1 champions.

Odds of 15.00 (+1400) indicate a 6.67% chance to win IEM Kraków 2026. That’s by far the highest odds of any Play-In Stage team, inspiring confidence in continued success.

IEM Kraków 2026 Bottom 18 Predictions

Check out our power rankings for the bottom 18 teams in our IEM Kraków 2026 betting predictions below, including the chances of lifting the trophy based on outright tournament winner odds.

• NAVI (#7) – 7.69%
• The MongolZ (#8) – 6.67%
• FaZe Clan (#9) – 5.88%
• G2 Esports (#10) – 5.26%
• Aurora Gaming (#11) – 4.55%
• Team Liquid (#12) – 2.44%
• Legacy (#13) – 1.49%
• B8 (#14) – 1.49%
• 3DMAX (#15) – 1.32%
• paiN Gaming (#16) – 0.99%
• Astralis (#17) – 0.99%
• NIP (#18) – 0.66%
• Passion UA (#19) – 0.66%
• BC.Game (#20) – 0.40%
• FUT Esports (#21) – 0.40%
• GamerLegion (#22) – 0.40%
• HEROIC (#23) – 0.40%
• NRG (#24) – 0.20%

FAQS

Who Are The Favorites To Win IEM Kraków 2026?

Team Vitality is the favorite to win IEM Kraków 2026, supported by odds of 3.50 (+250) and a 28.57% implied chance of success.

How Are These IEM Kraków 2026 Power Rankings Decided?

To create our power rankings for IEM Kraków 2026, we conducted diligent research, considering factors such as matchup histories, recent results, roster changes, and the latest bookmaker odds.

Where Can I Watch The IEM Kraków 2026?

You can watch all the IEM Kraków 2026 matches live on the IEM website as well as the ESL Counter-Strike’s YouTube and Twitch channels.

What Is The IEM Kraków 2026 Schedule?

IEM Kraków 2026 is scheduled to run from January 28 to February 8.

Who Are The IEM Kraków 2026 Underdogs?

NRG are the underdogs at IEM Kraków 2026, with odds of 501.00 (+50,000) indicating only a 0.20% chance of success.

REFERENCES

1. Intel Extreme Masters (IEM)
2. ESL Counter-Strike (YouTube)
3. ESLCS (Twitch)