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The ESL Pro League Season 17 playoff bracket was finalised over the weekend, with FORZE, ENCE, Natus Vincere, and Team Liquid taking the final four spots.
After defeating Natus Vincere and Team Spirit on their way to the Group D upper-bracket final, FORZE went on to finish undefeated by beating ENCE 2-0 in the decider to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.
Most esports betting sites had FORZE as underdogs to win Group D, but the Russian team dominated ENCE 16-3 and 16-13 in an easy 2-0 win.
Despite losing in the upper-bracket final, ENCE secured a spot in the second round of the playoffs, leaving two spots in the first round to be filled from the lower-bracket final and last-chance stage.
After losing to FORZE in their first series, Natus Vincere finished the group stage strong with 2-1 wins over Astralis and Rare Atom before defeating Team Spirit in the lower-bracket final to secure their spot in the playoffs.
Team Liquid faced Astralis in the fourth-place decider, which the North American team won 2-0 (16-8, 16-12), allowing the world no.3 to take the final playoff spot.
The ESL Pro League now moves on to the first round of the playoffs, with the first four games set to take place on Tuesday.
Here is the #ESLProLeague Season 17 Playoff Stage Bracket! 🏆
Which teams do you think will make it to the Grand Final on Sunday? pic.twitter.com/TPV41IvuxZ
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) March 19, 2023
Below is a list of the opening-round matchups, with odds courtesy of BetOnline.
- Natus Vincere (-1428.57) vs 00Nation (+650) @ 3:30pm CET
- FURIA (-151.52) vs Fnatic (+110) @ 3:30pm CET
- paiN Gaming (+275) vs Team Liquid (-400) @ 7pm CET
- G2 Esports (-2000) vs Movistar Riders (+750) @ 7pm CET
