The Lima Major 2023 is the first Dota 2 Major tournament of the 2023 season, which kicked off on February 22 in Lima, Peru. The event welcomed 18 Dota 2 teams from six regions, vying for the lion’s share of the $500,000 prize pool, and as we enter the tournament’s final stage, there are just 12 squads remaining.
The group stage, which concluded on Sunday, saw the elimination of six teams who placed bottom three in their respective groups and proved not to be cut out to compete with the world’s elite. In Group A, TSM, Execration, and EHOME all accumulated the fewest wins, whereas in Group B, Geek Slate, BetBoom Team, and Knights placed bottom three and had to pack their begs.
Although the Lima Major 2023 group stage resulted in the elimination of a couple of great teams, plenty of talent remains left in the tournament, which will continue with the playoffs on Tuesday, February 28.
Twelve Teams Remain In The Race
The Lima Major 2023 playoffs will welcome 12 Dota 2 teams, who got seeded into a double-elimination bracket based on their showing in the group stage. The top four teams from each group advanced into the upper bracket, while the fifth and sixth-placed teams got put in the lower bracket.
All playoff games will be played as best-of-three (Bo3), except for the grand finals, which will be best-of-five (Bo5).
Although a couple of strong teams got eliminated in the group stage, most of the squads who were priced as the favorites to win the Lima Major 2023 on the outright esports betting markets have remained in the race. That includes Team Liquid, who are priced as the main favorites on the esports betting outright markets (+180), Gaimin Gladiators (+375), and Entity (+450).
But while the esports odds show one thing, there is something to be said about which teams deserve the shortest esports odds and which are priced as the leading candidates to hoist the trophy.
The Western European Teams’ Race
According to the latest esports betting odds, Team Liquid, Gaimin Gladiators, and Entity are the main candidates to win Lima Major 2023, which makes sense if we consider their performances in the group stage.
Gaimin Gladiators topped Group A with a 4-3-1 record, ahead of Team Spirit, Evil Geniuses, and Talon Esports. On the other side, Team Liquid won Group B with a 6-2-0 record, ahead of Entity (4-3-1), Shopify Rebellion, and Team Aster.
Coincidentally, three of four Western European teams also performed the best in the group stage, leaving only the reigning International champions, Tundra Esports (+3300), out, who placed sixth in Group A, with a 3-1-4 record.
Group Stage Success doesn’t guarantee Playoff Victory
There is no denying that Team Liquid, Gaimin Gladiators, and Entity looked the best in the Bo2 group stage, with a combined record of 14-8-2, but their group stage run won’t necessarily translate to the playoffs. This, however, definitely doesn’t mean that they can’t.
Team Liquid, in particular, are extremely consistent and arguably the strongest Dota 2 team in the world, which explains why their name pops up in many The Lima Major 2023 predictions. They placed third at The International 2022 and further strengthened their roster with the signing of ex-Secret player Nisha.
It didn’t take long for Team Liquid to show off their strength, winning DPC WEU 2023 Tour 1: Division I without dropping a single series, and based on their performances in Peru, they should be set for a deep international run as well. There are obstacles in their way to the title, and it definitely won’t be easy, but if Liquid can keep the wind in their sails, they’re bound to reach at least the finals.
Dangerous Outsiders
While Entity, Gaimin Gladiators, and Team Liquid lead the outright betting markets and are in the eyes of many, the only teams to be considered solid The Lima Major 2023 predictions, we can’t look past the likes of Team Spirit, Evil Geniuses, and Shopify Rebellion.
Team Spirit (+600)
Team Spirit (+600), who won TI2021, aren’t the same powerhouse they were two years ago, but they’re a formidable team that will punish any squad that will underestimate them. They can be volatile and need to rely on their opponents making mistakes to make a deep run, but Spirit has enough talent to cause some damage.
Evil Geniuses (+900)
Evil Geniuses (+900) might not field a star-studded roster, but they have played extremely well in the group stage, and it seems like they enjoy the support from the home crowd, which just might be enough for EG to push a bit deeper. They’ll have a tough road to the finals, though, as they first need to defeat Entity and then Gaimin Gladiators, but if EG make it past the two European teams, they’ll be just a couple of steps away from claiming the title,
Shopify Rebellion (+1000)
Shopify Rebellion (+1000) are perhaps the most underrated team in the tournament. Filled with veteran players who have already won tournaments much greater than Lima Major 2023, Shopify Rebellion are not to be underestimated.
Their explosive playstyle and aggressive approach to their games has proven to be difficult to deal with, even for the best Dota 2 teams in the world. And even though this playstyle can be a double-edged sword, we can be sure that Shopify Rebellion will have something ready for the Bo3 series.
These players have been playing together for up to seven years, and as they’ve shown as a part of Evil Geniuses, Fly and his crew are a formidable team on LAN.
Who Will Win Lima Major 2023
According to the Lima Major 2023 odds, Team Liquid are the main candidate to win Lima Major 2023, and unless we’re in for a few shock results, they likely will. But if things turn sour for the European squad, we’re looking at Shopify Rebellion to take full advantage of the opportunity.
Although they seem weaker than Liquid on paper, you can easily say that Shopify Rebellion are just as strong or better than the remaining ten squads.
Their group stage run is not indicative of this team’s strength, and we expect Shopify Rebellion to show off their true colors only when the playoffs begin. Don’t get confused by the Lima Major 2023 odds on Shopify Rebellion – this is a quality squad with plenty of LAN experience.
The Lima Major 2023 continues on Tuesday, February 28, with the opening games of the upper bracket.
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