We're off to the Playoffs! The action at IEM Rio 2023 is rapidly approaching its dramatic conclusion, as we look forward to the Quarterfinals on April
IEM Rio 2023: Quarterfinals schedule, betting odds and predictions
Just six remain from the 16 teams who started out at this week's tournament. The fast-moving Group Stage saw teams being eliminated rapidly, and yesterday was no exception - with Fnatic, FaZe Clan, OG and Ninjas in Pyjamas all now heading home from Rio.
And the carnage is only set to continue once the Playoffs kick off tomorrow (April 21). All matches during the Playoffs will be best-of-three under a single-elimination bracket, meaning we'll be saying goodbye to two more teams at the end of the Quarterfinals.
The six remaining teams are competing for their share of the $250,000 prize pool - with the ultimate winner of IEM Rio 2023 receiving $100,000, alongside a qualification to IEM Cologne 2023.
And we don't have long to wait before the action in Rio kicks off once again, with the Quarterfinals due to begin at 16:00 GMT on April 21, with a match between BIG and Team Vitality.
BIG (2.80) vs Team Vitality (1.38)
BIG are heading into the Playoffs fresh from their Upper Bracket Final loss to Natus Vincere (NAVI), which ended with a score of 0-2 - seeing the Ukrainian team advancing straight on to the April 22 Semifinals. It was a disappointing setback for BIG, who have otherwise enjoyed a solid run through the tournament, having pulled off a remarkable upset win over Heroic in the Upper Bracket Semifinals. BIG has delighted fans so far - but is their run about to come to an end?
Team Vitality, meanwhile, just narrowly avoided elimination in the Group Stage, after finding themselves in the lower bracket following their 19-17 loss to OG in the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals. And while they took revenge on OG through a 2-1 victory in their April 19 Lower Bracket Final match, arguably their greatest moment of the tournament so far came the day before. Vitality are responsible for eliminating FaZe Clan from the tournament, having claimed a 2-0 victory in the Lower Bracket Semifinal. With one of the tournament's strongest teams out of the running, the chances of Team Vitality claiming victory at the April 23 Grand Final have increased tremendously - but do they have what it takes to make it there?
The odds are in Team Vitality's favour here, at 1.38 vs BIG's 2.80.
Our second Quarterfinals match will kick off at 19:30 GMT, when we'll see FURIA Esports going up against Heroic.
FURIA Esports (2.40) vs Heroic (1.50)
FURIA Esports have an incredible run through the IEM Rio Group Stage. And while they were unable to defeat Cloud9 in the Upper Bracket Final, where they suffered a 2-1 loss, the Brazilian team has delighted fans so far this week. They kicked off the tournament with a 19-15 win over Fnatic in the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals, before defying the odds to defeat FaZe Clan in the Upper Bracket Upper Bracket Semifinals with a decisive score of 2-0. FURIA has had a fantastic tournament so far, but will they be able to face off against Heroic?
Heroic, meanwhile, have had something of a mixed week. While their IEM Rio 2023 Group Stage run has plenty to brag about, including their 2-0 victory over Ninjas in Pyjamas in the Group A Lower Bracket Final, it wasn't without its setbacks. The team found themselves in the lower bracket, and fighting for survival, after their surprise 2-1 loss to BIG in the Upper Bracket Semifinals. And while they've more than made up for that setback, Heroic cannot afford any more upset losses - and will need to pull out their A-game if they're hoping to make it through to the Semifinals.
The odds are in Heroic's favour here, at 1.50 vs FURIA Esports' 2.40.
We're racing through IEM Rio, with just a few days left to go before the Grand Final. We have only a handful of CS:GO tournaments left, before Counter-Strike 2 releases later this year. Therefore, you'll not want to miss a moment, and you can watch CS:GO live via our handy IEM Rio 2023 match schedule. And whoever you choose to support in your CS:GO betting experience, remember sign up to claim your free 100% bonus.
