The excitement in Group B continues, as we're about to be treated to two Mid Bracket Semifinal matches at ESL Pro League Season 17!
ESL Pro League Season 17: Group B Mid Bracket Semifinal schedule and betting odds
The Mid Bracket Semifinals are due to take place on March 3, coming in after the Mid Bracket round one matches, which resulted in both Complexity Gaming and Imperial Esports being sent down to the Lower Bracket, where they'll be facing elimination on March 4.
But first, we have the Mid Bracket Semifinal action to look forward to! The winners of today's matches will advance on to the Mid Bracket Final on March 4, while the losers will be facing potential elimination in the March 4 Lower Bracket Semifinals.
The first Semifinal match of the day will kick off at 15:00 GMT on March 3, when Movistar Riders will be going up against FURIA Esports.
Movistar Riders (3.80) vs FURIA Esports (1.22)
Movistar Riders have found themselves in the Mid Bracket Semifinals following their shocking upset win against Complexity Gaming on March 2. Movistar were able to defy the odds, claiming a decisive 2-0 victory with scores of 16-8 on Vertigo and 16-13 on Ancient. It was an incredible result for the team, who had otherwise struggled in the tournament, having found themselves in the Mid Bracket following an absolutely bruising loss to Heroic. Movistar Riders have limited experience at tournaments of this level but have now proved that they have what it takes to compete against arguably stronger teams.
FURIA Esports meanwhile have much heavier expectations on their shoulders - but have been relegated to the Mid Bracket through their 2-0 loss to MOUZ in the March 2 Upper Bracket Semifinals. FURIA suffered a 0-2 loss, losing both Mirage and Ancient with scores of 16-12 and 16-9, respectively. It was a tough result for the Brazilian team, who are feeling the pressure to improve on their performance at IEM Katowice 2023, where they ranked in 17th - 20th place.
FURIA are the favourites to win here, with odds of 1.22 vs Movistar Riders' 3.80.
Our second Mid Bracket Semifinal match of the day will take place at 18:30 GMT, and will see BIG competing against SAW.
BIG's loss to Heroic in their Upper Bracket Semifinal match was widely expected - but they at least made the BLAST Premier Fall Finals champions work hard for their victory. Despite the odds being heavily against them, BIG were able to force the match into the third map, ending the series with a 2-1 win to Heroic. Still, with BIG's scores of 16-19 on Nuke, 16-13 on Inferno, and 14-16 on Vertigo, the team pulled off a fantastic performance in the face of a much stronger team. It's a record that bodes well for their Mid Bracket performance, as they fight for the right to make it to the March 4 Mid Bracket Final.
SAW's previous match was similarly forced onto the third map after the team claimed a 2-1 victory over Imperial Esports. The odds coming into their match were neck and neck, and indeed the series proved to be an incredibly closely-fought affair. SAW started off strong, claiming Vertigo with a score of 16-7 before Imperial claimed a 16-7 victory of their own on Overpass. The match was ultimately decided in overtime, with SAW closing out the series with a 19-17 win on Nuke. Their victory saw SAW narrowly avoiding being relegated to the lower bracket - but they'll once again be fighting to stay in the Mid Bracket in today's match.
The odds are in BIG's favour here, at 1.35 vs SAW's 2.90.
Which teams are you supporting? Whoever you choose to back, remember that you can watch each match live here on Luckbox. Just check out the full upcoming match schedule here, and select a match to place a bet - and tune in to watch the match streamed live! And remember to sign up to claim your free 100% bonus!
