With the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals out of the way, all attention is now on the Lower Bracket, where eight teams are currently waiting to kick off Round 1 on March 1-2!
Lima Major 2023: Lower Bracket Round One schedule and betting odds
The Lima Major Playoffs have gotten off to a fantastic start, with Gaimin Gladiators, Entity, Shopify Rebellion and Team Liquid having all emerged victorious - and moved on to the Upper Bracket Semifinals, taking place on March 2.
But before that, we'll be treated to the first round of the lower bracket, where the teams who ranked in 5th and 6th place during the Group Stage will be joined by the losers of the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals.
Only four out of the eight teams in the lower bracket will survive to see round two, and so with each team facing elimination, the stakes are higher than ever.
The action is set to begin at 16:00 GMT when we'll be treated to a match between Team Aster and Tundra Esports.
Team Aster (2.45) vs Tundra Esports (1.53)
Team Aster have found themselves in the lower bracket following their 2-0 loss to Gaimin Gladiators in the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals. It was a tough matchup for Team Aster, with Gaimin Gladiators having had an incredible run through the Group Stage. Things aren't looking great for Aster here either, as they get ready to go up against the winners of The International 2022. Still, Team Aster ranked higher than Tundra Esports during the Group Stage, so they're not ones to be written off just yet.
Tundra Esports meanwhile have some heavy expectations on their shoulders, coming into the 2023 season following their stunning victory at The International 2022. The team had a solid start to the year by ranking in third place in the first WEU tour of 2023, but arguably disappointed in the Group Stage. While their record of three wins, one draw and four losses was enough for them to qualify for the Playoffs, fans understandably had higher expectations for The International champions. Time will tell if they can improve on that record now they're in the Playoffs.
The odds are in Tundra's favour here, at 1.53 vs Team Aster's 2.45.
The next match of the day will take place at 19:00 GMT when we'll see Evil Geniuses going up against beastcoast.
Evil Geniuses (1.65) vs beastcoast (2.20)
Evil Geniuses fell to the lower bracket following their 2-0 loss to Entity in the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals. It was a harsh setback for the team, who otherwise had a promising run through the Group Stage with a record of three wins, four draws and one loss. The team has been on a high in recent months too, having closed out the 2023 season by ranking in first place at BTS Pro Series Season 13: Americas, and coming in second place during the first DPC SA tour of the year. Despite their setback in the Upper Bracket, Evil Geniuses are still worth keeping your eye on.
Their fellow South American team beastcoast may still give them a run for their money, however. The team came in first place in the DPC SA Winter Tour, though their run through the Lima Group Stage wasn't quite as impressive. With a record of two wins, four draws and two losses, beastcoast performed well enough to make it to the Playoffs - but will need to up their game to keep up with the competition at this stage of the tournament.
The odds are in Evil Geniuses' favour here, at 1.65 vs beastcoast's 2.20.
Our third match will take place at 22:00 GMT when Team Spirit will be fighting for survival against PSG.LGD.
Team Spirit (1.50) vs PSG.LGD (2.54)
Team Spirit have faced one loss in the Playoffs already, having suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Shopify Rebellion in the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals. It was a mild upset loss, with the odds having favoured Team Spirit heading into the match, due to their solid performance in the Group Stage - with a record of four wins, three draws and one loss. They might not have had the best start to the Playoffs, but Team Spirit are still a notable contender at this year's Winter Major.
PSG.LGD meanwhile had a reasonably disappointing run through the Group Stage. Their record of two wins, four draws and two losses was enough to make it through to the Playoffs but hardly lived up to their fans' expectations. The team had a solid start to 2023, coming in first place in the DPC CN tour, and had a fantastic performance throughout 2022 - having emerged victorious at the Riyadh Masters as well as the Winter and Spring regional finals.
The odds are in Team Spirit's favour here, at 1.50 vs PSG.LGD's 2.54.
We'll have a bit of a break after that - With the final lower bracket round one match taking place at 16:00 GMT on March 2, when Talon Esports and HellRaisers will be going head-to-head.
Talon Esports (1.44) vs HellRaisers (2.74)
Talon Esports' Upper Bracket Quarterfinal match was a brutal matchup. The team had the misfortune to be going up against Team Liquid - who have been absolutely dominating the tournament so far, having failed to lose a single match. The odds were therefore pretty heavily against Talon Esports, so their 2-0 loss hardly came as a huge surprise. That's not to say Talon haven't been performing well themselves, however. With a Group Stage record of three wins, four draws and one loss, they're still a force to be reckoned with.
HellRaisers' Group Stage record isn't quite as impressive, sitting at three wins, one draw and four losses. While they performed well enough to make it through to the Playoffs, they were the lowest-ranked team in Group B to do so, coming in just below Beastcoast. The team has therefore already just narrowly evaded elimination so far this tournament and will be fighting for survival once again in their March 2 match.
The odds favour Talon Esports here, at 1.44 vs HellRaisers' 2.74.
The Playoff stage of the Lima Major 2023 is well underway, and the Grand Final is just around the corner on March 5. Who do you think will go the distance? Whoever you choose to support, remember to check out the upcoming match schedule and sign up to claim your free 100% bonus!
