The end is within sight as we work our way through the ESL Pro League Season 17 Playoffs - with the Round of 12 Bracket due to kick off later today (March 22)
ESL Pro League Season 17: Round of 12 schedule and betting odds
Out of the 32 teams who started out at the tournament, just 12 remain. Four teams were sent home after the first round of the Playoffs, with the Round of 16 sending some fan-favourite teams packing. Most notably, that includes Team Liquid - who have found themselves unexpectedly heading home early after an underwhelming run through ESL Pro League Season 17.
That leaves the remaining teams to fight it out for their share of the $850,000 prize pool. The ultimate winner will receive $200,000, 3,000 BLAST Premier Points and will qualify for both IEM Cologne and the BLAST Premier World Final.
The Round of 12 action will kick off at 14:30 GMT when we'll see ENCE going up against G2 Esports.
ENCE (4.80) vs G2 Esports (1.15)
ENCE will be making their Playoffs debut today, after qualifying for the Round of 12 through their impressive Group Stage performance. The team had an impressive run through Group D, making it through to the Upper Bracket Final through back-to-back victories against both ATK and Rare Atom. And while they ultimately suffered a 2-0 loss to underdog team forZe, they have more than earned their place in the Playoffs. Of course, it could be argued that ENCE benefited from some favourable match-ups during the Group Stage - and may be due for a rough awakening as they face off against G2 Esports.
G2 Esports needs no introduction. The team has been a dominant force in CS:GO, particularly over the last few months, having just recently claimed victory at IEM Katowice 2023. And despite an upset loss to Cloud9 in the Group Stage, G2 have otherwise performed well at the tournament so far. The team is fresh from their victory over Movistar Riders, eliminating the Spanish team from the tournament with a 2-0 win. With the likes of Team Liquid underperforming, G2 are one of the clear favourites to make it through to the Grand Final. But in a tournament rich with upset wins, does ENCE have what it takes to eliminate the Katowice champions from this week's tournament?
The odds are heavily in G2's favour here, at 1.15 vs ENCE's 4.80.
And that's not the only match taking place at 14:30 GMT - when we'll also have the chance to see Outsiders going head-to-head with Natus Vincere (NAVI).
Outsiders (1.85) vs NAVI (1.85)
Outsiders seem to be set to make up for their relatively disappointing start to the 2023 season after they ranked in 5th - 6th place at IEM Katowice. The IEM Rio 2022 champions had a promising run through the Group Stage, earning an immediate qualification to the Round of 12 via a promising run through Group A. The Russian team comfortably defeated both IHC Esports and Fnatic, only to fall short against Cloud9 in the Upper Bracket Final. Things are looking promising, but will they be able to survive against NAVI?
NAVI are fresh from their victory in their Round of 16 match against 00Nation, where they claimed a 2-1 win. While a win is a win, it was perhaps a little too closely fought for NAVI's liking, after the team suffered a shocking upset loss to forZe in the Group D Upper Bracket Quarterfinals, forcing them to earn their Playoff qualification in the Mid Bracket. Still, while NAVI are still not quite the dominant CS:GO force that they used to be, they're still not a team to be overlooked - and we could well be due to see Outsiders heading home later today.
The odds here are neck and neck, with both teams boasting odds of 1.85.
Our next pair of matches will take place at 18:00 GMT when we'll be treated to a showdown between FaZe Clan and FURIA Esports.
FaZe Clan (1.22) vs FURIA Esports (3.80)
As one of the strongest teams in the world right now, expectations are sky-high for FaZe Clan's performance later today. The team qualified for the Round of 12 through a stellar run through Group C, where they defeated both Rooster and Ninjas in Pyjamas before facing off against Team Vitality in the Upper Bracket Final. And while they ultimately suffered a 2-0 defeat, that setback isn't likely to dampen expectations for FaZe Clan, who are a strong contender to make it through to the Grand Final on March 26.
But they'll need to beat FURIA Esports to get there. The Brazilian team is coming into this match fresh from their victory over Fnatic in the Round of 16, eliminating the team from the tournament with a score of 2-0. FURIA has done well to make it this far, having qualified for the Playoffs through their victory over BIG in the Group B Mid Bracket Final - but they're arguably facing their greatest challenge yet in FaZe Clan.
FaZe Clan are the favourites to win here, with odds of 1.22 vs FURIA's 3.80.
And finally, our second match at 18:00 GMT will see MOUZ competing against paiN Gaming.
MOUZ (1.26) vs paiN Gaming (3.40)
MOUZ have made it to the Playoffs after a promising run through the Group Stage, having made it through to the Group A Upper Bracket Final following victories over both SAW and FURIA Esports. And while they suffered from a tough matchup in that Final, with Heroic claiming an expected 2-0 victory, it was nonetheless a promising start for MOUZ, who have had a tough 2023 season so far. Their performance at the recent IEM Katowice left much to be desired, with them falling out of the tournament in 13th - 16th place. Win or lose today, they've improved on that record already - but can they make it through to tomorrow's quarterfinals?
They won't if paiN Gaming has anything to say about it. The team is fresh from their spectacular upset win over Team Liquid, eliminating them from the tournament through a 2-0 win. While Liquid unarguably underperformed throughout the tournament, paiN Gaming's unexpected victory is still likely to be a huge boost to their morale, and they look to once again defy the odds in their match against MOUZ.
MOUZ are the favourites to win here, with odds of 1.26 vs paiN Gaming's 3.40.
The Grand Final of ESL Pro League Season 17 is just around the corner - so you won't want to miss another moment of this CS:GO tournament. You can follow along with every match via our handy ESL Pro League Season 17 match schedule. And to make the most out of your Counter-Strike betting experience, remember to sign up to claim your free 100% bonus!
