IEM Rio Day 3 - 2026: Wednesday Projections & Picks
Another great slate awaits us on Wednesday, April 15th 2026 at IEM Rio.
Here is who we should pay attention to on Underdog, Sleeper, Chalkboard, PrizePicks, Betr, and DraftKings Pick6.
CS2 Slate Preview
Six games on Wednesday. More teams will advance to the knockout round while others are eliminated from contention.
Will Spirit bounce back after a rough sweep? Will Falcons continue their strong play against the number one ranked team in the world?
Let's dig in.
Game by Game
G2 vs 3DMAX - 73.7% G2
G2 are heavily favored despite being without their in-game leader huNter. They pushed Vitality to the absolute limit on Day 2 and should be feeling pretty good about themselves. MATYS, HeavyGod, and NertZ are the primary producers to target.
misutaaa leads 3DMAX in 3-month kill rate and is the one to watch if this goes competitive, though it was Lucky who came up huge against Liquid yesterday. At an approximate 26.3% win probability, the upset call is a little interesting given the stand-in situation on the other side.
Spirit vs RED Canids - 86.8% Spirit
As usual, donk leads the slate and Spirit are heavy favorites. This should be a straightforward 2-0 win for the Russian organization against a vastly inferior team. If RED Canids can stay somewhat competitive, donk could pop off for one of his monster outputs. It's rare to see him struggle on consecutive days and this is a much friendlier matchup.
Not much interest in anyone individually on the RED Canids side. dav1deuS leads the team in 3-month kill rate but the game script is unlikely to give him many opportunities.
Aurora vs B8 - 65.9% Aurora
Aurora are moderate favorites but B8 has been playing solid CS. They are a better team than their seeding suggests.
XANTARES leads Aurora by score and is explosive when he gets going. Wicadia has been a consistent secondary producer. woxic holds the AWP but has not been playing too well recently.
On the B8 side, npl is one of the rare in-game leaders who can also produce strong kill outputs individually.
Natus Vincere vs HOTU - 81.6% NaVi
Na’Vi should handle HOTU without too much trouble. makazze leads in terms of upside and has been one of the more consistent performers in the scene over the past few months. b1t is another steady option, while w0nderful is a high-ceiling, low-floor AWPer.
HOTU are a significant underdog at 18.4% and there is limited DFS interest on their side.
Vitality vs Falcons - 68.2% Vitality
The most interesting game of the day. ZywOo paces Vitality and projects well in a game this close. flameZ has been producing at an elite level in recent weeks but doesn't get nearly as much fanfare as his teammate.
Falcons have three legitimate fraggers in m0NESY, kyousuke, and NiKo, and the team looked strong in a 2-0 dismantling of Spirit yesterday. The karrigan situation didn't seem to affect their performance much, but playing Vitality is a whole different challenge.
FURIA vs MOUZ - 50.0% / 50.0%
A genuine coin flip. Both teams are evenly matched on paper and neither has a structural advantage coming in.
KSCERATO leads FURIA in the rifling department, while molodoy has been playing at an elite level and leads the team in 3-month kill rate as one of the more talented AWPers in the world.
MOUZ counter with Spinx, and xertioN and torzsi (AWP) are solid secondary options. Jimpphat is more of a support player, but he’s talented as well.
Players to Watch
donk (Spirit) - leads the slate; ceiling game if game competitive rather than stomp
ZywOo (Vitality) - most complete player in the world; possible close series with volume upside
XANTARES (Aurora) - explosive producer in a competitive matchup
makazze (Na’Vi) - clean setup against a significant underdog; aggressive play style conducive to DFS production
Good luck!
Looking for more content? Here is where to go next:
Kalshi CS2 Picks
CS2 DFS Picks
CS2 Strategy Tips
IEM Cologne Major 2026
Underdog Fantasy Review
Sleeper Fantasy Review