The Lima Major has begun! The first Major on the Dota Pro Circuit is well underway, with another packed schedule ahead of us on February 23.
Lima Major 2023: February 23 Group Stage schedule and betting odds
We're currently making our way through the Group Stage of the Lima Major, where the 18 participating teams have been separated into Groups A and B. They'll be fighting it out until February 26, after which the top four teams from each group will advance to the playoff's upper bracket. The teams in fifth and sixth place meanwhile will move on to the lower bracket, while the remaining teams will be eliminated from the tournament.
The stakes are high, then, as we look ahead to another full day of matches on the Group Stage - with both Group A and B taking the stage to determine who will make it to the playoffs. Here's just a handful of our favourite matches taking place today, February 23!
Group A schedule and betting odds
There's plenty to look forward to in Group A - with one of the first matches of the day treating fans to a showdown between PSG.LGD and Team Spirit, taking place at 15:00 GMT.
PSG.LGD (3.73) vs Team Spirit (3.09)
PSG.LGD have had a rough start to the Lima Major, with neither of their debut matches being success stories for the team. Their day started with a 0-2 loss to TSM, which was shortly followed up by a 1-1 draw against Evil Geniuses. That first result was particularly surprising, given that PSG.LGD had been favoured to win, setting the Chinese team off on a bad footing at this year's Winter Major. Fans are understandably expecting more from the team, given their victory at the Riyadh Masters last year, with hopes running high that they'll turn things around in today's matches.
But they're facing strong competition in their first match of the day, with Team Spirit likely to give the team a run for their money. Their Lima Major debut was something of a mixed bag, with a 2-0 victory over TSM somewhat undercut by a 0-2 loss to Gaimin Gladiators. Still, Spirit are worth keeping your eye on here, given their fantastic success at the PGL Arlington Major 2022, and absolutely have what it takes to rank highly in Lima. And of course, they'll be keen to get their revenge on PSG.LGD, who denied them their victory in the Riyadh Masters 2022 grand final.
This one is looking close, but Team Spirit is favoured to win - with odds of 3.09 vs PSG.LGD's 3.73.
That's not the only Group A match worth keeping your eye on. We're also due to be treated to a face-off between TSM and Tundra Esports, taking place at 15:00 GMT.
TSM (6.17) vs Tundra Esports (1.92)
TSM's start to the Lima Major couldn't have been more varied, with a 2-0 win over PSG.LGD being shortly followed up by their 0-2 loss to Team Spirit. Still, they've been playing well so far this season, having taken first place in the North American Winter Tour, and emerging victorious over the likes of Shopify Rebellion. That's maintaining the same momentum that saw TSM qualify for The International in their first year in the Dota Pro Circuit, before earning a second-place spot at BTS Pro Series Season 13: Americas. It's a solid record, setting TSM up for success in their second year in the DPC.
Accomplished as TSM may be, they're facing nigh-impossible odds against Tundra Esports. As the champions of The International 2022, expectations are understandably sky-high for Tundra coming into the Lima Major. Fortunately, they're off to a solid start - having claimed a 1-1 draw against Execration and a 2-0 win over EHOME. Tundra are absolutely a fan-favourite in the Lima Major and are definitely worth keeping your eye on.
Tundra are heavily favoured to win here, with odds of 1.92 vs TSM's 6.17.
The full Group A match schedule is as follows:
EHOME (6.39) vs Gaimin Gladiators (1.73) - 15:00 GMT
PSG.LGD (3.73) vs Team Spirit (3.09) - 15:00 GMT
Evil Geniuses (2.14) vs Talon Esports (5.35) - 15:00 GMT
TSM (6.17) vs Tundra Esports (1.92) - 15:00 GMT
Team Spirit (2.63) vs Evil Geniuses (4.42) - 19:00 GMT
TSM (2.75) vs Talon Esports (4.24) - 19:00 GMT
EHOME (3.29) vs Execration (2.97) - 19:00 GMT
Tundra Esports (2.63) vs Gaimin Gladiators (4.42) - 19:00 GMT
Group B schedule and betting odds
There's plenty of excitement to be had over in Group B too. For instance, we're just hours away from being treated to a match between Team Aster and BETBOOM TEAM, taking place at 17:00 GMT.
Team Aster (3.50) vs BETBOOM TEAM (3.29)
Team Aster's start to the Lima Major was an interesting one to watch, with the team neither claiming victory nor defeat - claiming 1-1 draws against both Shopify Rebellion and beastcoast. The Chinese team have come into this year's Winter Major in a high, having claimed second place in the Chinese Tour - falling short to LSG.LGD in the grand final. Still, the team has a solid track record, having recently ranked in 4th place at The International 2022 - and absolutely have what it takes to perform well in Lima.
But the same could be said of BETBOOM TEAM, who had a similarly mixed start to the tournament - ending their match against Team Liquid with a 1-1 draw, and losing to Shopify Rebellion with a score of 0-2. Still, even drawing against Team Liquid is an achievement in itself - with BETBOOM TEAM demonstrating the skills that saw them coming in first place in the Eastern Europe Tour, emerging victorious over fellow Lima competitors Team Spirit and HellRaisers.
They're both solid teams, and this is looking like a close match. The odds are slightly in BETBOOM's favour, however, with odds of 3.29 vs Team Aster's 3.50.
And that brings us to our final match selection of the day, which will see Team Liquid going up against Entity, in a match taking place at 21:00 GMT.
Team Liquid (1.73) vs Entity (6.74)
Team Liquid are one of the favourites at this year's Winter Major, and for good reason. The team has been on excellent form in recent months, securing a first-place position in the Western Europe winter tour, defeating the likes of Gaimin Gladiators, Tundra Esports and Entity. Expectations are running high then, especially given their 4th place ranking at The International 2022, so Liquid has a daunting legacy to live up to. They've had a solid run through Lima so far, having claimed a 1-1 draw against BETBOOM, before earning a 2-0 victory over HellRaisers.
Entity are therefore facing some steep odds here, particularly given their less-than-stellar start to the tournament. They've lost both of their matches so far, facing 0-2 defeats to the hands of both Knights and Geek Slate, so they have some ground to make up here. Entity came in fourth place in the Western Europe winter tour - meaning they're the lowest-ranked WEU team to make it through to Lima, making them the underdog team here in more ways than one.
The odds are therefore quite heavily in Team Liquid's favour here, at 1.73 vs Entity's 6.74.
The full Group B match schedule is as follows:
Shopify Rebellion (3.09) vs Entity (3.73) - 17:00 GMT
Team Aster (3.50) vs BETBOOM TEAM (3.29) - 17:00 GMT
HellRaisers (5.62) vs beastcoast (2.12) - 17:00 GMT
beastcoast (5.82) vs BETBOOM TEAM (2.10) - 21:00 GMT
Team Liquid (1.73) vs Entity (6.74) - 21:00 GMT
Shopify Rebellion (1.61) vs HellRaisers (7.96) - 21:00 GMT
Who will you be supporting? The Group Stage is well underway, with each of the 18 teams fighting for their right to make it to the Playoffs. Whoever you think has what it takes, make sure to check out the full upcoming match schedule right here - and while you're at it, remember to claim your free 100% bonus!
