Welcome to all esports and Counter-Strike 2 fans! From January 28 to February 8, 2026, one of the biggest tournaments of the winter part of the season, IEM Krakow 2026, will take place. The tournament will feature 24 teams competing for the championship title and a $1 million prize pool. Among the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals matches, we highlight MOUZ vs NRG, which promises to be very exciting. We will share CS2 betting tips and try to determine the likely winner of the match.
How the bookies view it: MOUZ favorite
According to the bookmakers, MOUZ are the favorites in the match against NRG at IEM Krakow 2026, with odds of 1.13 versus 5.24. The team is among the strongest at the professional level, and this tournament will be its debut of the 2026 season.
MOUZ form. What result can be expected from MOUZ
Our betting tips and CS2 picks begin with analyzing MOUZ form. CS fans surely know this team, as they have achieved many victories at the highest level.
MOUZ roster: torzsi, xertioN, Jimpphat, Brollan, Spinx.
The 2025 season began unsuccessfully for MOUZ. At the BLAST Bounty Spring 2025: Closed Qualifier the team placed only in the top 32, and at IEM Katowice 2025 they were eliminated in the group stage, finishing the tournament in 16th place.
MOUZ delivered a strong result at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025. The team started with victories over BIG and 3DMax, but then lost to Falcons and FaZe. In the decisive match they defeated VP and advanced to the main stage. In the playoffs they consecutively beat paiN Gaming, Astralis, and Falcons, becoming the champions of the tournament.
MOUZ confirmed their level of play at ESL Pro League Season 21. The team finished 3-1 in Stage 2, and in the playoffs lost only to Vitality in the grand final, taking 2nd place at the tournament.
MOUZ performed at the same level at BLAST Open Spring 2025. In their group in the Group Stage the team took 2nd place, and in the playoffs in a close match lost only to Vitality in the grand final, finishing 2nd at the event.
The team continued performing at a high level at IEM Melbourne 2025, where they were undefeated in the Group Stage, but in the playoffs Semifinals they lost to Team Falcons and dropped out of the tournament, placing 3rd–4th.
They achieved a similar result at BLAST Rivals Spring 2025 — 3rd–4th place.
MOUZ earned a silver finish at IEM Dallas 2025. The team was once again undefeated in the Group Stage, but lost to Vitality in the grand final.
At one of the biggest tournaments of the year, BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, MOUZ started directly from Stage 3 thanks to strong previous performances. After two losses the team recovered with three wins and qualified for the playoffs. In the Quarterfinals MOUZ defeated Team Spirit, but in the Semifinals again lost to Vitality, exiting the tournament in 3rd–4th place.
At IEM Cologne 2025 MOUZ played above all expectations. The team first defeated Team Liquid and NaVi with a 2-0 score, and then lost to Team Spirit 1-2 in the upper bracket final of the group stage, still advancing to the playoffs.
In the playoffs MOUZ started with a 2-1 victory over FURIA, after which they earned a confident 2-0 win over Vitality — the strongest team of the season. However, in the final they lost to Team Spirit 0-3, finishing 2nd at IEM Cologne 2025.
MOUZ also placed 3rd–4th at BLAST Bounty Fall 2025 and 5th–8th at the Esports World Cup 2025.
At BLAST Open Fall 2025 MOUZ finished in 3rd–4th place, and at ESL Pro League Season 22 they ended the tournament in 3rd place.
The team also participated in IEM Chengdu 2025, performing at an expected level and placing 4th.
Thanks to their performances, MOUZ finished in the top 5 of the BLAST Frequent Flyers Program 2025 and earned $192,308.
At one of the main tournaments of the year, the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, MOUZ performed slightly below expectations. The team started directly from Stage 3, where they finished with a 3–1 record; however, in the playoffs they lost their first match and were eliminated from the tournament, finishing in the top 8.
NRG form. What result can be expected from NRG
We continue our CS2 tips with analyzing NRG form.
NRG roster: oSee, nitr0, Jeorge, br0, Sonic.
The American team is mostly known for its performances at B- and C-tier tournaments, where it is one of the strongest teams in its region.
The 2025 season was an active one for NRG. The team showed consistently strong results in North America and made several attempts to establish itself at the highest level of the professional Counter-Strike 2 scene.
The team started the year with a victory at Launders LAN #2, which set a positive tone for the entire season. In February, NRG continued to build momentum by winning CCT Season 2 North American Series #4, where the level of competition was already higher.
NRG also won the Intel Extreme Masters Dallas 2025: North American Qualifier, securing a spot at a major LAN event.
At the beginning of spring, NRG competed in ESL Pro League Season 21, where they finished in 20th–22nd place. After that, they played in the qualifiers for PGL Astana 2025 and BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, finishing 3rd–4th and 3rd respectively.
Next, NRG won NA Revival Series #6 and later confidently became champions of ESL Challenger League Season 49: North America, earning $25,000 in prize money. However, at S-tier tournaments—IEM Dallas 2025 and BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025—the team was unable to perform as desired, finishing in the top 16 and top 27 respectively.
During the summer part of the season, NRG consistently competed in B- and C-tier tournaments. At the Thunderpick World Championship 2025: North American Series #2, NRG placed in the top 4, and they also became silver medalists at Ace North American Masters Fall 2025. Among the key successes was a victory at CCT Season 3 North American Series #1.
In the autumn part of the season, NRG continued to perform well at B- and C-tier tournaments. The team won ESL Challenger League Season 50: North America – Cup #1, Fragville 2025, NA Revival Series #10, and FRAG Ultra Mega Jersey 2025, and later became champions of ESL Challenger League Season 50: North America, finishing the tournament undefeated.
NRG also played in ESL Pro League Season 22 but had an unsuccessful run, suffering three losses and finishing in the top 24.
At one of the main tournaments of the year, StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, NRG started very well with victories over NiP and FaZe, but then suffered three losses and were eliminated from the tournament, finishing in the top 27.
In the 2026 season, NRG continued their strong performances at B- and C-tier tournaments and also qualified for IEM Krakow 2026 through the VRS Global ranking.
Recent head to head
The match at IEM Krakow 2026 will be the first between MOUZ and NRG. The winner will advance to the Upper Bracket Semifinals.
Players to watch: Jimpphat and nitr0
Among the players on both teams, we highlight Jimpphat (MOUZ) and nitr0 (NRG). Both players demonstrate a high level of gameplay and strong statistics, making a significant contribution to their teams victories.
Which maps does MOUZ pick and ban most often?
Let’s analyze both teams map statistics to make smart CS2 picks.
Strong maps
- Inferno: high win percentage (71.4%) with 7 matches played.
Average results
- Overpass: average winning percentage (50.0%) with 4 matches played.
- Ancient: average winning percentage (50.0%) with 2 matches played.
Weak maps
- Nuke: low win percentage (25.0%) with 4 matches played.
- Mirage: low win percentage (0.0%) with 3 matches played.
Which maps does NRG pick and ban most often?
Strong maps
- Mirage: high win percentage (69.2%) with 13 matches played.
- Inferno: high win percentage (69.2%) with 13 matches played.
- Overpass: high win percentage (66.7%) with 6 matches played.
- Dust2: high win percentage (58.3%) with 12 matches played.
Average results
- Nuke: average winning percentage (50.0%) with 4 matches played.
Predicted result of the match between MOUZ and NRG at IEM Krakow 2026
Most analysts consider MOUZ the favorites in the match against NRG at IEM Krakow 2026. The team is one of the strongest at the professional level, but this tournament is their first of the season, so it is difficult to predict their performance. NRG, meanwhile, are a mid-tier team, but surprised everyone in their previous match by defeating Astralis. In our opinion, MOUZ will win this match, but NRG will put up a strong fight.
Betting prediction: MOUZ wins.
