ESL Pro League Season 21 kicks off on March 13! Pinnacle is here to preview the eight playoff teams and their opening matches in the quarterfinals.
Eternal Fire (+267*) vs. Spirit (-344*) Best Bets – March 13, 2025
Eternal Fire (EF) is the only team that played all the way from the play-ins to the playoffs. It has entered the playoffs in every top-tier tournament since 2025 and climbed to #4 in the HLTV ranking and #7 in the Valve ranking, surpassing even G2 in both rankings. Over the last three months, EF has played 6 maps, maintaining a win rate of over 50% on 5 of them, with its highest win rate being 83.3% on Nuke. However, it suffered their biggest losses against Spirit on 3 of these 5 maps.
Team Spirit’s streak of consecutive championships was ended by Team Vitality at IEM Katowice 2025. Despite being swept 3-0 in the Grand Final, Spirit remains ranked #1 in both HLTV and Valve rankings and is still widely regarded as the top team in the world. Over the last three months, Spirit has played 6 maps, maintaining a win rate of over 60% on all of them. It even boasts a 100% win rate on Train, a map where EF only has a 40% win rate.
These two teams will face each other again after their last encounter in the BLAST Bounty 2025 Season 1 Grand Final. Last time, Spirit secured victory with a 3-1 map score, with the 3 maps they won being EF’s biggest defeats on those maps.
Best bets: Spirit Handicap –1.5 (+103*) and Total Maps Under 2.5 (-149*)
Bet: Eternal Fire vs. Spirit odds
MOUZ (-155*) vs. G2 (+127*) Best Bets – March 13, 2025
MOUZ earned its first top-tier title of 2025 at PGL Cluj-Napoca, finally proving itself after a rocky start to the year. With AWPer Ádám "torzsi" Torzsás securing a +115 K-D diff over the last month, four players on the team now have ratings above 1.00. Even the lowest-rated member, Ludvig "Brollan" Brolin, boasts a solid 0.99 rating.
On the other hand, G2 is currently outside the top 3 in both Valve and HLTV rankings. The team has yet to secure a top-tier title since star rifler Nikola "NiKo" Kovač left the organization at the start of 2025. His replacement, Nikita "HeavyGod" Martynenko, has yet to deliver standout performances, maintaining only a 1.10 rating over the past three months.
Best bets: MOUZ Money Line (-155*)
Bet: MOUZ vs. G2 odds
Vitality (-388*) vs. Liquid (+297*) Best Bets – March 14, 2025
Vitality is currently on an 8-match win streak, following its victory at IEM Katowice 2025. It defeated the current #1 team in the world, Team Spirit, in the Grand Final with a dominant 3-0 sweep. Star player Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut was awarded the MVP for the tournament, boasting a 1.42 rating. Over the last three months, Vitality has maintained a 100% win rate on 4 out of 6 maps played, with all team members holding a rating of 1.00 or above. Robin "ropz" Kool, who joined the team this year, has been another key contributor with a 1.23 rating, adding firepower alongside “ZywOo”.
On the other hand, Team Liquid has made it to the playoffs after a long absence. The biggest change to the team this year is Guy "NertZ" Iluz replacing Mareks "YEKINDAR" Gaļinskis. “NertZ” now holds the highest rating on the team with 1.18 over the last three months. Can he lead Team Liquid against the formidable Vitality?
Best bets: Vitality Handicap -1.5 (-110*) and Total Maps Under 2.5 (-169*)
Natus Vincere (-206*) vs. The MongolZ (+167*) Best Bets - March 14, 2025
Natus Vincere (NAVI) reached the semifinals in its last two tournaments but suffered 0-2 losses against Team Spirit on both occasions. During the group stage, NAVI faced an unexpected loss against SAW but quickly bounced back to secure a playoff spot, including a dominant 2-0 win over G2. NAVI’s best-performing map over the last three months is Mirage, with an 88.9% win rate, which is its first-pick map. NAVI dominated the first half of 2024 and was crowned the champion of ESL Pro League S20. Could it achieve back-to-back ESL Pro League titles?
The MongolZ have become a regular face in playoffs but have yet to win a top-tier title in 2025. Its recent defeats have all come against traditional powerhouses like NAVI, Vitality, and Spirit, highlighting its relative inexperience at the highest level compared to these established organizations. The MongolZ’s first-pick map is also Mirage, where it holds a 66.7% win rate. If Mirage is picked in this matchup, it could be the decisive map in determining the winner.
Best bets: NAVI Handicap -1.5 (+155*) and Total Maps Under 2.5 (-124*)
Bet: Natus Vincere vs. The MongolZ odds
*Odds subject to change
