IEM Kraków 2026 Begins Tomorrow — Where Is the CS2 Betting Value?
IEM Kraków kicks off tomorrow. It’s the true beginning of the CS2 Season 2026. IEM Krakow is the first true stadium LAN test of the 2026 CS2 season. With long breaks, roster tweaks, and shifting form lines, this event is less about rankings and more about who actually arrives prepared. This is where you might need advice and peer support. This tournament replaces the legendary IEM Katovice, but the country remains the same.
Tournament will be player January 28 – February 8, 2026
Playoffs: February 6 – 8 at TAURON Arena Kraków.
Total prize pool: $1,250,000 (with $1,000,000 in team winnings and $250,000 in Club Rewards).
Champion’s share: $400,000 + club reward.
The tournament consists of three main stages:
Play-Ins (Jan 28-30):
16 teams have a lowed seed and they compete in a double elimination bracket BO3:s for eight spots in the Group Stage.
Group Stage (Jan 31-Feb 3):
16 teams (8 direct invites + 8 Play-In qualifiers) in two double-elimination GSL groups.
Top three from each group advance.
Playoffs (Feb 6-8):
Single-elimination bracket. All matches are best-of-3 except the Grand Final (best-of-5).
This play structure doesn’t penalize so much if you lose a match. There’s always a second chance, so the shocking disqualifications are not so probable.
Who should you bet on to have CS2betting value?
Favorites
Vitality
Vitality are coming to this counter strike year of 2026. They have two players of the three best players in the world. 4 in the top 10. It’s hard to beat the individual masterclass of Vitality having the best igl in the world also. Mezii is such a great anchor to boost their success potential. Vitality didn’t play their best in BLAST and that’s why the reigning Major Champions have 3.50.
We think that’s pretty good, and we make Vitality as the main CS2 Outright Pick for IEM Krakow.
FURIA
Molodoy gives them win equity they haven’t had in years. After winning a lot in the late 2025 season their odds to win here are second lowest. They did not impress in Blast either and after a full schedule in the late 2025, we predict that FURIA will take time to get going after the breaks.
Spirit
Spirit lost against the team they kicked. Many pieces changed for Spirit during the offseason. Magixx has never been an IGL so it will sure take a little bit of time. Also the two returnees have struggled with their fragging form, so it’s fun to see if they have gotten it back during the time on the bench. Donk can do donk things again, but we think that Spirit are not ready for titles yet. But for sure they are going to win tournament this year.
Falcons
Falcons are Falcons again. We are hoping and praying everything from them, but receive only little. BLAST Bounty was weird for them because they had to play with a stand-in and without kyouusuke. Falcons are offered one of the smallest odds in the field, but we can’t make the bet value, so we’ll skip it this time.
Dark horses
PARIVISION
As we discussed previously, PARIVISION have a lot of the pieces together to make a successful Counter-Strike team. Winning IGL, solid tactics, star riflers and good team work. We thought that PARIVISION’s would drop too much to get value anymore after the success they had in BLAST. But they still offer 14.00 odds for them to lift the trophy.
Aurora — Quiet Upgrades, Big Ceiling
Aurora didn’t rebuild fully , but they got a good player soulfly from Fire Flux. It's been time since XANTARES won something big. At least this time their CS2 odds are high. Practice has told that they are in a good form.
And early‑season LANs reward teams that kept their core intact.
Why they’re dangerous
Firepower upgrade without losing structure
Great on punish maps (Ancient, Mirage)
Strong vs mid‑tier teams, competitive vs top‑tier
The MongolZ — The Chaos Pick
Cobrazera in, Senzu out. We'll miss Senzu, but The MongolZ can always scary, and their top ceiling is really high.
This team is now pure volatility.
Why they’re dangerous
Hyper‑aggressive style by blitZ
Always a huge LAN buff
They don’t respect big names
They always steal at least one map at big events from favorites in later stages.
Our two outright picks for the IEM Krakow
Really boring, but. Vitality should make the adjustments, and seem the most dangerous. FURIA and molodoy have won enough in a while. Falcons struggle to win big tournaments. Spirit is not ready yet. MOUZ don’t have enough firepower.
Vitality at 3.50 odds
PARIVISION at 14.00 odds
📺 How to Watch
Matches will be broadcast live for all matches on our website cs2bet.io/matches. From the same page you can find the CS2 Live stats and betting predictions, analysis and more.
Come and check it out. Good luck for your bets in IEM Krakow and stay tuned for more CS2 predictions.