Season 17 of the ESL Pro League shows no signs of slowing down - as we get ready for Group B to take the stage on March 1.
ESL Pro League Season 17: Group B Upper Bracket Quarterfinals schedule and betting odds
The action over in Group A has now come to a close, with Cloud9, Outsiders, G2 Esports and Fnatic having all qualified for the Playoffs.
And that means it's now Group B's turn! The eight teams in Group B will be taking the stage from March 1-5, kicking off with the Group B Upper Bracket Quarterfinals on March 1.
The action begins at 15:00 GMT when we'll see Heroic going up against Movistar Riders.
Heroic (1.04) vs Movistar Riders (8.00)
Heroic are making their ESL Season 17 debut after an incredible few months for the team, and a strong start to the 2023 season. They'll be coming into the March 1 match fresh from their stunning performance at IEM Katowice 2023, where they ranked in second place following a dramatic 1-3 Grand Final match against G2 Esports. When tied with their success at the BLAST Premier: Fall Finals last year, Heroic has plenty to brag about right now - And will be well worth keeping your eye on in this month's tournament.
Movistar Riders earned their spot in the tournament via their success at ESL Challenger at DreamHack Valencia 2022, where they emerged victorious over Outsiders in the Grand Final. It was a remarkable result for the team, who otherwise has little in their recent history to brag about - outside of their victory at RTP Arena Cup 2022 and a recent 4th place result at the CCT Central Europe Malta Finals. Still, they're absolutely going to have their work cut out for them against the likes of Heroic.
The odds are very heavily in Heroic's favour here, at 1.04 vs Movistar Riders' 8.00.
That's not the only match taking place at 15:00 GMT, however. While Heroic fights it out with Movistar Riders, we'll also be treated to a match between BIG and Complexity Gaming.
BIG (1.65) vs Complexity Gaming (2.10)
BIG haven't had the most compelling start to the 2023 season, with a 13th - 16th placement at IEM Katowice and 7th - 9th at BLAST Premier: Spring Groups in just the past few months. Still, things may be turning around for the German team, as they have just qualified for the Rio Major through their second-place result at the European Qualifier. It remains to be seen what lies in store for them this month, but they'll no doubt be keen to improve on their Season 16 performance when they ranked in 13th - 16th place.
Complexity Gaming meanwhile had considerably more success at IEM Katowice 2023, ranking in a respectable 7th - 8th place. Things have only improved for the team since then too, as they have recently qualified for the BLAST.tv Paris Major through their victory at the North American RMR Qualifier. Complexity made it to 9th - 12th place during Season 16, so all eyes will be on them to see if they can improve on that record.
The odds are in BIG's favour here, however, at 1.65 vs Complexity Gaming's 2.10.
The next pair of matches both take place at 18:30 GMT - when we'll get to see Imperial Esports going head-to-head with FURIA Esports.
Imperial Esports (3.80) vs FURIA Esports (1.22)
Imperial Esports earned their invitation to ESL Pro League Season 17 via their victory at the South American Conference, earning the right to compete alongside their fellow South American team 00 Nation. Beyond that, the team has spent much of the 2023 season attempting to qualify for both the Rio and BLAST.tv Paris Majors. They fell short of a Rio Major qualification during the Open Qualifiers, but have earned the right to compete at the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023: American RMR through their second-place result at the Qualifiers.
FURIA meanwhile are coming into this month's tournament fresh from their disappointing performance at IEM Katowice 2023, where they ranked in 17th - 20th place. It was a startling fall from grace, especially considering the team's phenomenal run at last year's IEM Rio Major, which saw them ranking in 3rd - 4th place, after being knocked out of the tournament by Heroic. The pressure is on, then, for FURIA to reclaim that former glory - and their Season 17 debut is looking promising for the Brazilian team.
The odds are in FURIA's favour here, at 1.22 vs Imperial Esports' 3.80.
Our final Upper Bracket Quarterfinal match will also take place at 18:30 GMT and will see SAW competing with MOUZ.
SAW have found themselves competing at ESL Pro League Season 17 thanks to their success at the European Conference, where they ranked in 1st-2nd place alongside Eternal Fire. The team has had a solid 2023 run so far, with 3rd-4th placements at both CCT South Europe Series 2 and OMEN WGR Challenge 2023. Outside of their ESL Pro League ambitions, the Portuguese team is currently attempting to qualify for the BLAST.tv Paris Major, and has recently earned the right to compete in the European RMR B through their second-place result at the European Qualifier Decider.
MOUZ meanwhile started off 2023 on something of a dour note, ranking in 13th - 16th place at IEM Katowice 2023. Given their strong performances at both the IEM Rio Major and ESL Challenger at DreamHack Rotterdam 2022 (ranking in 3rd-4th place at both tournaments), MOUZ is certainly capable of great things - but has yet to prove that this year. Early signs are looking good for MOUZ's season 17 debut, but there's every chance of an upset win here.
Still, MOUZ are favoured to win - with odds of 1.38 vs SAW's 2.80.
We're racing through the ESL Pro League Season 17 Group Stage, and you're sure to not want to miss a moment. Make sure to check out the full match schedule right here, and remember to sign up to claim your free 100% bonus!
