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Heroic vs Ninjas in Pyjamas: IEM Cologne CS2 betting odds, tips

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Publish Date: July 22, 2025

Ninjas in Pyjamas has hinted at being a bona fide top-20 team once again but it will need to put on a strong showing in IEM Cologne to prove it, starting with this match against Heroic.

Match	IEM Cologne Play-In Stage
Kick-off	July 23, 2025 at 12 pm ET
Top pick	Heroic wins
Best price	GG.BET live odds
Betting favorite	Ninjas in Pyjamas

All eyes were on the BLAST Austin Major in June and while that’s understandable, it did result in some collective amnesia regarding teams that weren’t in the tournament. One of the most notable among them is NiP, a historic organization that has struggled for relevance in the last year but might be ready for a comeback.

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Ninjas in Pyjamas vs Heroic match overview

Tournament: IEM Cologne 2025
Stage: Play-in Stage
Game: Counter-Strike 2
Format: Best-of-three

Betting tip: Heroic’s quick exit from Fissure Playground 1 leaves room for skepticism, but NIP is debuting a new player here after a mixed 2025.

My Ninjas in Pyjamas vs Heroic pick: Heroic wins (2.11 at GG.BET)

Ninjas in Pyjamas vs Heroic in-depth team, match analysis

Fissure Playground 1 was a relatively small event that’s having a big impact when it comes to CS2 esports betting. The biggest story coming out of the event was Tyloo’s first-place finish, which carries some big implications when it comes to the team’s upcoming matches in IEM Cologne. Another is the latest Heroic shakeup impacting the team in a negative way, at least in the short term.

BIG vs HEROIC | FISSURE PLAYGROUND 1 – CS HIGHLIGHTS

The team shipped star player Álvaro “⁠SunPayus⁠” García and head coach Eetu “⁠sAw⁠” Saha to G2 Esports, continuing the organization’s tradition of fleshing out the rosters of bigger names. Heroic’s proven ability to scout and develop up-and-coming talent is beyond question, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t hiccups and growing pains. That was made clear in Fissure Playground, as the team exited the tournament after going 0-2 in the group stage.

It’s an unfortunate turn of events for Heroic, but it’s probably not time to tap out on the team just yet. At least, not against the likes of Ninjas in Pyjamas.

While NiP is a storied brand in Counter-Strike, it hasn’t been a successful one in 2025 so far. The team, surprisingly, cleared the group stage in PGL Astana with a 3-2 record but that’s the lone significant success the team has had against serious competition.

Most of the year has been spent in regional leagues and qualifiers. Despite facing comparatively weak competition, NiP hasn’t been able to make hay. Even with PGL Astana, the team fell short in three EU open qualifiers, losing to relative no-namers like TigeRES, Wild Lotus, and Benched.

Though NiP’s wins against G2 Esports and Virtus.pro in PGL Astana are notable, they’re a true anomaly in the team’s overall body of work this year. That makes it hard to pick them, even against a Heroic that is coming into this tournament in less-than-top form.

Rosters and roles

Ninjas in Pyjamas	Heroic
r1nkle	LNZ
ewjerkz	yxngstxr
sjuush	tN1R
Snappi (IGL)	nilo
xKacpersky	gr1ks

Map pool

Nuke has been NiP’s go-to map in 2025, and the team has a strong 30-8 record this year. Inferno is a less common pick, but the team is 10-4. It’s also 13-8 on Train but it’s closer to .500 on its other maps.
Heroic’s 15-6 record on Mirage has been a difference-maker for the team this year, though it has a winning record across all its maps. Just not a strong winning record.
Ninjas in Pyjamas prefers to play on Nuke and Ancient, though it doesn’t actually have a permaban. Heroic permanently bans Inferno.

Key stats

Metric	Ninjas in Pyjamas	Heroic	Edge
Pistol round win%	48.7%	43.4%	Ninjas in Pyjamas
Top-rated player	r1nkle (1.22)	tN1R (1.18)	Ninjas in Pyjamas
Map win-loss	94-61	67-47	Ninjas in Pyjamas

Stats include all matches played by both teams in 2025.

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Ninjas in Pyjamas vs Heroic head-to-head record

Heroic and Ninjas in Pyjamas have not played against each other in 2025. They last crossed paths in a Shanghai Major European RMR in 2024, but both teams tore down and rebuilt their rosters after the tournament.

Ninjas in Pyjamas and Heroic recent match history

Ninjas in Pyjamas were active in June across multiple regional leagues:

NaVi Junior: 2-1 loss
BIG: 2-0 win
Fnatic: 2-1 loss
TNL: 2-0 win
Iberian Soul: 2-1 win

Heroic debuted its post-SunPayus roster in Fissure Playground 1, which was preceded by its group stage exit from the BLAST Austin Major:

BetBoom Team: 2-1 loss
BIG: 2-1 loss
Nemiga Gaming: 2-0 loss
Tyloo: 2-1 win
B8: 1-0 loss

Ninjas in Pyjamas vs Heroic betting odds snapshot

Market	Odds
Ninjas in Pyjamas to win	1.72
Heroic to win	2.11
Over 2.5 maps	1.96

Lines pulled from GG.BET at 7:45 pm MT on July 21, 2025.

Ninjas in Pyjamas vs Heroic betting picks and predictions

GG.BET and other betting sites are abandoning Heroic very quickly. That’s a bit premature, especially given the relatively limited success NiP has had against credible opposition. Even for those buying in on NiP, it’s worth remembering that the team tweaked its roster in June with Kacper “xKacpersky” Gabara making his debut for the team here.

Best picks

Heroic wins @ 2.11 – This match was initially pegged as a tossup and the lines have moved in a way where Heroic is the underdog. That’s presumptuous on bettors’ part.
Heroic wins 2-1 @ 3.93 – NiP might not win, but the team puts up a serious fight regardless. Of the team’s last 10 best-of-three losses, seven have come via 2-1 scores.
Over 2.5 maps @ 1.96 – For those who are bearish on Heroic’s prospects going forward, this line is a good value without committing to either team.