NEWBEE vs SPARKING ARROW GAMING DOTA 2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS
NEWBEE vs SPARKING ARROW GAMING CHINA DOTA 2 PRO LEAGUE SEASON 2 BETTING PREVIEW
Two of the worst teams in the China Dota2 Professional League will meet this Saturday when Newbee take on Sparking Arrow Gaming in Week 7 of Season 2.
Newbee have yet to win a single match this term, which sits them at the bottom of the table and guarantees them elimination from the league. About the only positive from their campaign so far is that Wen “Wizard” Lipeng and co. took a map each off CDEC Gaming and Royal Never Give Up.
Newbee have also left a lot to be desired in the DPL-CDA Professional League Season 1, where they lost to ViCi Gaming, Keen Gaming, CDEC and Sparking Arrow. However, they ended a month-long losing streak on Tuesday with a reverse sweep against Invictus Gaming. That upset win came down to impressive performances from Wizard and Yin “Aq” Rui, who terrorised IG with Shadow Fiend and Broodmother to end the series with a 20-5 kills-deaths ratio.
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Despite Aq’s recent surge in form, Sparking Arrow Gaming will fancy their chances to defeat Newbee again, as they did on Monday when they handed Wizard and his crew their fourth defeat in the DPL-CDA Pro League. However, that match was not as one-sided as it may seem.
Newbee had Sparking Arrow with their backs to the wall for the majority of game one but failed to use the early advantage to seal the deal, which allowed SAG to scale and overrun their opponents in the late game. Newbee fixed that mistake in game two, where they kept Ou “Op” Peng and co. at bay from minute one and came away with a win in under 32 minutes. The last map of the series was the complete opposite, although the 42.5k net worth deficit doesn’t show the real picture.
Sparking Arrow hold a 5-5 record in their last 10 matches, but it’s worth noting that most of those wins came in Development League fixtures. In the Dota2 Pro League, SAG have managed only one win – against Team Aster – in seven outings this season.
NEWBEE vs SPARKING ARROW GAMING CHINA DOTA 2 PRO LEAGUE SEASON 2 BETTING PREDICTIONS
On paper, Sparking Arrow Gaming look to be in much better shape than Newbee. However, it’s hard to ignore the fact that SAG have been participating in the Development League, where they’re facing tier-two teams.
We are still leaning towards Sparking Arrow on form, but the odds on a three-map series are far more appealing than those for an outright result. Newbee took one map from SAG in their last meeting and defeated IG not long ago, so they should make a game of it this Saturday.
Over 2.5 maps
NEWBEE vs ROYAL NEVER GIVE UP DOTA 2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS
NEWBEE vs ROYAL NEVER GIVE UP CHINA DOTA 2 PRO LEAGUE SEASON 2 BETTING PREVIEW
Newbee will be looking to bounce back from a 0-6 start to their Dota2 Pro League Season 2 campaign this Sunday when they face Royal Never Give Up for the fifth time this year.
There is nothing good to say about Newbee’s performances so far this season. Having already lost to ViCi (0-2), PSG.LGD (0-2), Invictus Gaming (0-2), EHOME (0-2), CDEC Gaming (1-2) and Keen Gaming (0-2), Wen “Wizard” Lipeng and company’s chances of avoiding relegation are slim to none.
But it’s not only their Pro League campaign that has fallen flat. In their last 10 fixtures, which span the Pro League, CDA League S1, JJB Spring Cup S2 and DPL-CDA Professional League Season 1, Newbee managed only two wins. The most recent of those triumphs was a 2-1 result against Keen in the CDA League on April 18, since when they have lost five straight to IG, PSG.LGD, EHOME and CDEC (twice).
As a team, Newbee have been struggling since their ninth-12th finish at The International 2019. Although they have seen some success in a few minor tournaments this season and had a few occasional flashes of greatness, they the quality required to compete with the top Chinese Dota2 teams.
While Newbee have been fighting an uphill battle, Royal Never Give Up have established themselves as serious contenders for the Dota2 Pro League title. Ahead of Week 6, RNG hold a 6-1 series record and 12-2 map record to sit atop the league standings. The only team to stop RNG this season were Invictus Gaming at the start of April, while Gao “Setsu” Zhenxiong and his crew have made easy work of any other team that stood in their way.
RNG have, however, had a few shaky performances beyond the Pro League. They lost to EHOME (0-2) and IG (1-2) in DPL-CDA Professional League Season 1 last week, and they went down to Aster (0-2) and ViCi (1-2) in CDA League Season 1 two weeks prior. While those results appear to indicate some volatility, we can cut RNG some slack due to the unpredictable nature of online fixture.
VICI GAMING vs CDEC GAMING CHINA DOTA 2 PRO LEAGUE SEASON 2 BETTING PREDICTIONS
The Dota2 esports scene has been littered with upsets since all competitive play was moved online. But when the skill gap between two teams is as large as it is here, picturing the final result becomes significantly easier.
In their last four meetings, RNG won three times with an 8-3 aggregate score. While Newbee won their most recent bout, which took place at the start of April in the CDA League, any form they had going at the time has well and truly dissipated.
Calling a clean sweep is a bold move in online play, but it is difficult to see ay other result in this case. Esports bookmakers are offering decent odds on RNG to win every map, which makes the decision much easier.
Royal Never Give Up -1.5 maps
NEWBEE vs EHOME DOTA 2 BETTING & MATCH DETAILS
NEWBEE vs EHOME CHINA DOTA2 PRO LEAGUE SEASON 2 BETTING PREVIEW
Newbee and EHOME are set to lock horns in a best-of-three (Bo3) clash this Sunday during Week 1 of China Dota2 Professional League Season 2.
Unlike most other Dota2 esports teams, Newbee have not made any roster changes this year. Perhaps they should have, however, seeing how their performances from January to March were a bit shaky.
Newbee kicked off 2020 with a ninth-place finish in China Dota2 Professional League Season 1 and a title at Elite Challenge S2. In February, Wen “Wizard” Lipeng and his crew finished runners-up at the StarLadder ImbaTV Dota 2 Minor Season 3 China Qualifier and secured top-six finishes at both the ESL One Los Angeles 2020 China Closed Qualifier and Hainan Master Spring Invitational China Qualifier, to which they added two more fifth-sixth placements at Elite Challenge S3 and Asian Hero League S2 in March.
Although Newbee’s overall results fail to inspire much optimism, the TI4 champions had their moment earlier this week at ESL One Los Angeles 2020 – Online: China when they claimed big wins over ViCi (2-0), Invictus Gaming (2-0) and PSG.LGD (2-1). That marks a significant turnaround from their losses to Avengerls, CLcombat Team and The New Top in the Asian Hero League two weeks prior.
Their volatile results indicate Newbee are dealing with some consistency issues. While there are arguments to be made that Wizard and co. did not care too much about their Asian Hero League venture, losing to teams of that quality is still hard to explain.
Outside of allowing Cheng “vtFaded” Jia Hao and Ren “eLeVeN” Yangwei to leave their inactive roster and team up with Cloud9 and PSG.LGD respectively, EHOME have not seen any changes to their Dota2 project since they signed Cheng “NothingToSay” Jin Xiang and Liu “Sylar” Jiajun in November 2019.
Through November and December, Zhang “y`” Yiping and co. finished fourth at the World Electronic Sports Games 2019 China Online Qualifier and DreamLeague Season 13 China Closed Qualifier, made it to the semi-finals of the WePlay! Bukovel Minor 2020 China Qualifier and closed out the year with a first-round elimination from the World Electronic Sports Games 2019 China Finals at the hands of Invictus Gaming.
Since January, EHOME have placed eighth in China Dota2 Professional League Season 1, third at the ESL One Los Angeles 2020 China Closed Qualifier and crashed out of WeSave! Charity Play – China in round one after suffering a devastating 0-2 loss against ViCi Gaming.
If we draw a line, EHOME have produced some solid results without producing anything spectacular. They have been slightly unlucky in a few of their tournament ventures, however, as they’ve met some of the strongest teams early on.
NEWBEE vs EHOME CHINA DOTA2 PRO LEAGUE SEASON 2 BETTING PREDICTIONS
This fixture will pin together two Dota2 teams who, on paper, look to have well-matched squads, yet esports bookmakers have y`and co. priced as comfortable favourites.
Newbee have put on some standout performances in recent months, namely their wins over ViCi, Invictus and PSG.LGD, but defeats against CLcombat Team, Avengerls and The New Top show how inconsistent they can be. Furthermore, EHOME have defeated Newbee in each of their last seven meetings dating back to the StarLadder ImbaTV Dota 2 Minor Season 2 China Qualifier in May 2019.
EHOME produce much more stable results and are historically the stronger team, so they are a solid bet in this clash. Newbee can still have their moments of greatness, so placing a wager on a three-map series is still something to consider.
EHOME to win
Over 2.5 maps
The match in question was in the first round of the upper bracket at the StarLadder ImbaTV Dota 2 Minor Season 3 China Qualifier, where four Chinese Dota 2 teams competed for a ticket to the fourth Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) Minor of the season.
Avengerls won the first round of the series and were well on their way to a clean sweep after accumulating a massive gold lead in the second round. However, the momentum then shifted the other way as Newbee roared back from a huge deficit to win the series 2-1. While comebacks and reverse-sweeps are no rarity in professional esports, it was the way Newbee managed to turn the game around that arose suspicion.
The first one to bring up his concerns about the match was TI4 champion and current EHOME coach xiao8, who is a prominent name in the Dota 2 scene due to his vast knowledge about the game. He was streaming at the time and noted in his commentary that Avengerls were playing very suspiciously.
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Xiao8’s main argument was that Avengerls did not use any Deceits or Smokes when they were ahead in order to cement their lead. Furthermore, EHOME’s coach also pointed out the team’s Morphling player for his suspicious activities, namely his refusal to use his skills to avoid ganks.
Some may say the player in question was simply underperforming on the day, but such cases are as rare as they are unacceptable at this level. Xiao8 watched the replay of the game and spotted a few more misplays from the Morphling player which, in his words, showed a clear intent to throw the contest.
Xiao8’s claims have sparked debate among the Dota 2 community, although the general consensus is that Avengerls had some very questionable moments. Even Newbee took to social media to express their confusion about their opponents’ performance in game two and three.
“We are so trash… They [Avengerls] were about to take it 2:0 and all of sudden they just ran at us and started feeding,” read Newbee’s Weibo post.
Valve Corporation is yet to release a statement on the matter, but it is expected the game developer will launch an official investigation.
]]>After a solid victory over IG Vitality (IG.V) as we predicted yesterday, Newbee will finish the round robin stage of the Thunder Fire Spring League today with battles against Sky Walker Club and Keen Gaming.Luminous (KG.L).
Newbee hold top spot in Group B with four victories and only two games lost.
In game one against IG.V they constructed a pushing strategy by drafting Shadow Shaman and Jakiro as dual supports.
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Shadow Shaman is best in pushing tower with his ultimate ability – Mass Serpent Ward – summoning 10 Serpent Wards to attack enemy units and structures.
In order to execute their pushing strategy, Dark Seer purchased Guardian Greaves which provides 300 health and 200 mana to nearby allies.
The cooldown time of this item is only 40 seconds, so every member of Newbee was getting 300 health and 200 mana every 40 seconds.
Thanks to this item, they did not need to back out after taking a team fight or tower.
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Newbee ended the game by the 36-minute mark after securing Phantom Assassin the Aegis of the Immortal by eliminating the opposition Roshan.
In game two they drafted Shadow Shaman as their support again, this time to work with the core heroes, Death Prophet and Lone Druid, in a pushing role.
Death Prophet is one of the best pushers in Dota 2, as his ultimate ability – Exorcism – unleashes up to 24 Spirits that each have attack damage of 58 and significant healing powers.
Keen Gaming.Luminous, the bottom side in Group B, are holding zero points after losing against IG Vitality and For The Dream.
Newbee whitewashed both of those teams, so the outlook is rather bleak for KG.L – especially when one factors in the drafting abilities of Banana and Sansheng, both former coaches.
Newbee vs Keen Gaming.Luminous betting prediction
It should surprise nobody that we are giving Newbee an 80% chance to win this match-up without dropping a game.
Thus, we recommend backing them for a 2-0 whitewash at $1.36 odds with GG Bet.
]]>After whitewashing For The Dream with 2-0 yesterday, Newbee now tackle IG Vitality (IG.V) in a battle for top spot in Group B in the Thunder Fire Spring League.
Even though Viper is being nerfed in this latest Dota 2 patch, Newbee still picked the Netherdrake to counter Faceless Void and Elder Titan in their first game against For The Dream yesterday.
Thanks to Viper’s Nethertoxin breaking down the passive skill of FTD’s heroes, Newbee won the game easily.
This team ranks among the best Dota 2 drafters in the world because Sansheng (position four) and Banana (position five) have previous coaching experience at different teams.
Besides them, Sccc, the position two player, has wide heroes’ pool knowledge to work with.
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IG.V played a total of four games yesterday – two against Flaming Cyborg Alpha and two against Keen Gaming.Luminous.
They picked Lifestealer in three of those contests and Shadow Fiend in two, with the former proving an excellent choice due to his tier-one status in this meta.
Shadow Fiend does not rank on either of the top two tiers in this patch and IG.V can use that to their advantage because Newbee are unlikely to ban him.
Besides of Shadow Fiend and Lifestealer, IG.V also drafted Earth Spirit in both games against KG.L.
Luobo, Vitality’s position four player, illustrated great plays with that hero by roaming around the map early to secure kills and create space for his team.
Newbee definitely have to respect his Earth Spirit and ban this hero.
Newbee vs. IG Vitality betting prediction
We give Newbee a 55% chance to win this match-up 2-0, which is paying $1.66 at GG Bet.
]]>This is the second playoff match up in the Dota2 Professional League Season 6 (2018 S2) and it starts immediately after the contest between Invictus Gaming and IG.Vitality.
The point of difference with this game however is that the winner will advance to Upper Bracket Finals, securing themselves at least top 3 in this tournament because the opponent awaits them in Upper Bracket Round 1, PSG.LGD withdrew from this tournament.
EHOME and Newbee encountered each other on 5 days ago, December 22, 2018. EHOME whitewashed Newbee with a ruthless 2-0 score.
In game 1, neither team earned themselves advantage in the drafting phase. EHOME drafted Lifestealer to counter against Tiny while Newbee last picked Timbersaw because EHOME had 4 melee heroes.
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In the laning phase, Newbee definitely had the advantage because Timbersaw was too strong to sustain any core from EHOME.
However, the game started to favor on EHOME once Legion Commander had his Blink Dagger, Lifestealer always Infest (His ultimate skill) into Legion Commander with smoke of deceit (SOD).
With the Aura defensive item Dark Seer from EHOME purchased, Legion Commander barely lost the duel. EHOME won the game thanks to their good strategy of ganking and decision of SOD.
In game two, Newbee drafted Rubick to take mid lane, that was a good choice because this hero buffed in this patch, lingering longer debuff effect up to 44% when his Arcane Supremacy is at level four.
However, ASD, the position 2 player from EHOME played Lina in that game, with his amazing last hit and farming skill in early phase of the game. Sccc was zoned out of mid lane before 10-minute mark.
EHOME displayed their game play and fast decision making in the game very nicely, no matter in laning phase or decision of roaming/ganking on enemies also the reasons lead them towards the victory.
EHOME vs Newbee betting prediction
After analysing the drafting abilities and last head-to-head result of both squads, we give EHOME a 70% chance to win this match-up.
Our recommendation is to go medium and bet on EHOME to win the game 2-0 at better than $1.78 at GG Bet.
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Teams at ESL One Birmingham
Participants and competitive format ESL One Birmingham 2018 brings together 12 teams from a total of six regions:
North America: OpTic Gaming, Evil Geniuses
South America: paiN Gaming
Europe: Team Liquid, OG
CIS: Team Spirit, Virtus.pro
China: LGD.Forever Young, Newbee
Southeast Asia: Fnatic, Mineski
Tournament format
For the group stage, the teams will be divided into three groups of four:
Group A
? Evil Geniuses
? Fnatic
? Virtus.pro
? Team Spirit
Group B
? OG
? paiN Gaming
? Team Liquid
? Vici Gaming
Group C
? OpTic Gaming
? LGD.Forever Young
? Mineski
? Newbee
Each of these groups will be played in a double-elimination bracket format (GSL). The third- and fourth-placed teams from every group are eliminated. Second-placed teams advance to the quarter finals. First-placed teams play Bo1 matches against each other to decide who advances directly to the semi finals and who joins the remaining three teams in the quarters. The first- and second-placed teams of these three advance to the semis, while the other must play through the quarter finals.
ESL One prize money
Being a Major on the Dota 2 circuit, ESL One Birmingham 2018 offers not only prize money but qualification points as well. These rewards will be divided among participating teams in the following way:
1st place: 750 points; $500,000
2nd place: 450 points; $200,000
3rd place: 225 points; $100,000
4th place: 75 points; $60,000
5th-6th place: 0 points; $34,000
7th-9th place: 0 points; $16,000
10th-12th place: 0 points; $8,000
Teams to watch
Fnatic
Fnatic is one of those teams with a great roster, enormous potential and consistent results, except there’s one problem: these results are always slightly below what’s required to gain big qualification points for The International 2018 and climb faster in the Dota Pro Circuit rankings. Fnatic got many top four and top six finishes this season, but it still has problems against most of the top teams. The team should do enough to finish top six in Birmingham, but it is unlikely to climb any higher than fifth-sixth.
Vici Gaming
Vici Gaming finished third at the recent MDL Changsha Major. The Chinese team is currently sitting at number six in the Dota Pro Circuit rankings and has multiple top four finishes in DPC events this year, including four grand finals. These guys have to be considered an excellent chance to reach the semis.
Newbee
The TI 7 finalists have had a pretty rough season, but the team’s results have been good enough for a top eight placement within the Dota Pro Circuit rankings. Newbee is currently sitting at number seventh in this hierarchy with 2445 points. The team finished fourth at the recent MDL Changsha Major, proving that it’s still one of the world’s best.
Team Liquid
Team Liquid performs very well when there’s no pressure, so this tournament might just be the perfect opportunity to win another title. Liquid is already qualified for The International 2018, so this is just a rehearsal for the most awaited event of the year. The team is currently sitting at number three in the Dota Pro Circuit rankings with 6084 points, but KuroKy and his squad will surely want to prove to everyone that they’re capable of becoming the first team in the history of Dota to win two TIs. Given the group seedings and the level of opposition at ESL One, Team Liquid has a high chance of reaching the grand final.
Evil Geniuses
Evil Geniuses have a lot to play for at ESL One Birmingham 2018 and need a top three finish in order to climb back into the eight and secure a direct invite to The International. If they fail to do this, there is a very high chance we won’t see EG at TI8, simply because two of their regional opponents – VGJ.Storm and OpTic Gaming – are incredibly strong right now. EG’s best results this season were a title at GESC: Indonesia Dota2 Minor and a third-place finish at DreamLeague Season 8. It’s not very likely that EG will get a top four finish in Birmingham, but a top six should be within their reach.
OpTic Gaming
OpTic Gaming is the strongest underdog of this tournament and we’ve yet to see how much ppd and his teammates have improved since their title win at StarLadder ImbaTV Invitational Season 5. Given the group seedings and the level of competition at ESL One Birmingham 2018, it will be difficult for OpTic to get out of the group stage. Still, the team is led by a former TI champion and should be regarded as a strong contender that could produce big upsets.
Virtus.pro
Virtus.pro is another team that’s famous for performing well at big events and has already won two ESL One Majors this year. Solo and his teammates will probably experiment with original drafts and strategies at this tournament, so from a betting perspective it might be risky to take VP’s side in certain matches – especially against world-class opponents. Still, Virtus.pro is a top three contender for sure and should have a deep run at ESL One. Currently the number one team in the Dota Pro Circuit rankings, VP is expected to get a top four finish at this event.
Mineski
Although not that far from peak form, Mineski is still slightly weaker than the other top candidates. Currently sitting at number five in the Dota Pro Circuit rankings, the Southeast Asian team finished fifth-sixth at MDL Changsha Major after losing to Newbee. A similar outcome looms at ESL One Birmingham 2018.
Betting tips for ESL One group stage
Fnatic vs. Evil Geniuses
Wednesday, May 23 – 11am BST
This is a match between two teams of similar strength, but Fnatic has the upper hand. EG showed many signs of weakness in their last tournament and lost against multiple teams, including Fnatic. Both EG and Fnatic have everything to play for at ESL One Birmingham 2018, so this battle will no doubt be fierce. Betway puts the odds at $1.85 each, anticipating a close match in which anyone could win.
Betting prediction: Fnatic to win
Virtus.pro vs. Team Spirit
Wednesday, May 23 – 11am BST
The skill difference between these two sides is absolutely huge. Unless VP decides to go for a weird draft and just YOLO it, Solo and his squad should get a quick victory over Team Spirit. Betway has installed Virtus.pro as overwhelming $1.12 favorites, but even that price seems high considering the enormous likelihood of victory.
Betting prediction: Virtus.pro to win
Team Liquid vs. paiN Gaming
Wednesday, May 23 – 12:10pm BST
This is another match in which one of the teams is much stronger than the other. No doubt, paiN Gaming has improved a lot after w33’s transfer, but the squad is still light years away from Liquid in terms of overall strategy and team play. That is not even to mention the fact that Liquid has one of the strongest players in the world for each role. Betway puts the odds at $1.15 to $4.75 in favor of Team Liquid, giving you a 15 per cent profit for an almost certain result.
Betting prediction: Team Liquid to win
OG vs. Vici Gaming
Wednesday, May 23 – 12:10pm BST
OG had a short period of glory at MDL Changsha Major, defeating iG Vitality and even Mineski. However, the rest of the teams quickly realized what their strategy was and simply banned their favorite heroes. After that it was back to struggle town for the Europeans, who have had a rough season so far and clearly lack a set of coherent strategies that have been properly tested and implemented. Given Vici Gaming’s strength and versatility, it is hard to see OG having any chance whatsoever. Betway is paying $1.40 odds for Vici, which makes this easily the best betting opportunity for the first day of ESL One Birmingham 2018.
Betting prediction: Vici Gaming to win
OpTic Gaming vs. Newbee
Wednesday, May 23 – 1:20pm BST
This is perhaps the most balanced match on day one, taking place between two strong opponents that have excellent rosters and great team strategies. Both have formidable captains, but Newbee has a slight advantage in terms of experience and individual skill. It has also been performing quite well recently, which is why Betway is giving them a slight edge at $1.70 against OpTic’s $2.05 return.
Betting prediction: Newbee to win
Mineski vs. LGD.Forever Young
Wednesday, May 23 – 11pm BST
It has been a while since we’ve seen LGD.Forever Young on the big stage, so it’s a complete mystery what this team is capable of at this point. LFY qualified for this event by defeating Keen Gaming, VGJ.Thunder and Invictus Gaming in the Chinese qualifier, which suggests that it might be a fairly strong contender. And given Mineski’s rather mediocre form in recent weeks, this match is the perfect opportunity to have a crack at the underdog. Betway puts the odds at $1.45 to $2.55 in favor of Mineski, so there is plenty of value in tipping an upset.
Betting prediction: LGD. Forever Young to win
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Participants and event format
EPICENTER XL is held in Moscow between April 27 and May 6, and features 12 teams from 6 different regions:
- CIS: Natus Vincere, Team Empire, FlyToMoon, Virtus.pro.
- North America: compLexity Gaming.
- South America: paiN Gaming.
- Europe: Team Liquid, OG, Team Secret.
- China: Newbee, LGD Gaming.
- Southeast Asia: Mineski.
Initially, the teams will be divided into two groups of 6.
Group A:
- Team Liquid
- Mineski
- PSG.LGD
- Team Empire
- compLexity Gaming
- FlyToMoon
Group B:
- Virtus.pro
- Team Secret
- Natus Vincere
- paiN Gaming
- Newbee
- OG
In each group, every team plays a Bo3 match against every other team. At the end, the top two teams from each group advance to the upper bracket of the main event. The next two teams advance to the lower bracket. The bottom two teams are eliminated.
Teams to watch at EPICENTER XL
Mineski
After months of struggling and poor results, Mineski made a spectacular comeback at Dota 2 Asia Championships 2018, where it won the title. No doubt, the team’s new coach Tang “71” Wenyi played an instrumental role in that success. This man is actually the former coach of EHOME from The International 2011, where the Chinese powerhouse placed 2nd.
At the moment, Mineski is 4th in the Dota Pro Circuit rankings table and will likely continue to impress everyone with its performances for the rest of the season.
Virtus.pro
Sitting at number 1 in the Dota Pro Circuit rankings and being already qualified for The International 2018, Virtus.pro is now just trying to keep up with the latest patches and developments on the professional scene, in order to guarantee itself the best shot at winning this year’s TI.
This season, VP won 5 tournaments in total: 3 Majors, 1 Minor, and another big tournament that wasn’t part of the Dota Pro Circuit, namely World Electronic Sports Games. And with 4 other top 4 results at Dota Pro Circuit LAN events, Virtus.pro has definitely had its best season ever.
Going into EPICENTER XL, Virtus.pro is expected to get a top 4 finish, although its previous participations at this tournament did not end up well for it. Still, this year will likely be different as this particular VP roster is the strongest in the history of the organization.
Team Secret
With 3 tournament titles (1 Major and 2 Minors) and various other top 4 results, Team Secret has had a great season and is currently 3rd in the Dota Pro Circuit rankings table. Secret’s latest title dates back just one month ago, when it won DreamLeague Season 9 by defeating Fnatic in the Grand Final (score 3 – 0).
Going into EPICENTER XL, Team Secret is expected to get a top 4 finish, even though at Dota 2 Asia Championships 2018 Puppey and his teammates looked a little uncoordinated and ultimately finished 9th-12th.
Team Liquid
Having won the first two editions of EPICENTER, Team Liquid goes into this tournament to defend its title. The team is currently 2nd in the Dota Pro Circuit rankings table, being almost assured of its direct invite to The International 2018.
This season, Team Liquid had 9 top 4 finishes and won 3 titles. Overall, the team’s consistency has been second to none. If everything goes according to plan, Liquid should easily get another top 4 finish at this event. Realistically, this team is the 3rd best at this tournament, being almost at Virtus.pro and Mineski’s level.
Betting predictions
compLexity Gaming vs. FlyToMoon
CompLexity Gaming is a fairly strong team from the North American region and its roster has a lot of international experience and a multitude of notable achievements. On the other side, FlyToMoon is a recently formed CIS team with almost no international results to speak of and very limited experience playing as a unit.
Bovada puts the odds for this match at -145 / +100 or around 1.69 – 2.00 in favor of compLexity Gaming and at these odds, this is a great betting opportunity.
Betting prediction: compLexity Gaming to win, paying $1.80 at GG Bet
Virtus.pro vs. paiN Gaming
The skill difference between these two teams is enormous. Virtus.pro has been the best team in the world this season while paiN Gaming does not have a single point in the Dota Pro Circuit rankings table. In addition to this, paiN Gaming has recently brought in a new player, namely w33.
Bovada puts the odds for this match at -2500 / +1000 or around 1.07 – 11.00 in favor of Virtus.pro, anticipating a quick and effortless victory for the CIS squad.
Betting prediction: Virtus.pro to win, paying $1.04 at GG Bet
Team Secret vs. Newbee
Both of these teams are very strong and occupy top 5 spots within the Dota Pro Circuit rankings table. However, the difference between them is quite substantial: almost 2500 points. Furthermore, the head to head record for this season clearly favors Team Secret: 5 W – 2 L.
Bovada puts the odds for this match at -195 / +155 or around 1.51 – 2.55 in favor of Team Secret, and its assessment is pretty much on point.
Betting prediction: Team Secret to win, paying $1.57 at GG Bet
Mineski vs. PSG.LGD
This is a rematch of the Dota 2 Asia Championships 2018 Grand Final. Mineski won that match with the score of 3 – 2, but the battle was extremely fierce and the match could have easily gone either way.
At the moment, the difference between Mineski and PSG.LGD within the Dota Pro Circuit rankings table is quite significant. The two teams are separated by 4 places and more than 1300 points. That’s a direct result of Mineski’s much better performance throughout the season.
Going into this match, Mineski is definitely favored to win again, but only by a little. Bovada puts the odds at -120 / -120 or around 1.83 – 1.83, going as far as to assess the situation as being perfectly equal on both sides. I personally don’t think that’s the case and I still favor Mineski to emerge victorious.
Betting prediction: Mineski to win, paying $1.83 at GG Bet
OG vs. Natus Vincere
This is a very difficult match to predict, as both of these teams have been in a lot of trouble lately. OG lost Resolut1on while Natus Vincere lost RodjER and SoNNeikO. After these losses, both teams went from one failure to another, except for OG’s small regional victory during the qualifiers for ESL One Birmingham. The team qualified for this Major by beating Team Kinguin in the Grand Final. At the same time, Na’Vi had several poor results lately, losing against small regional teams like Vega Squadron and even Mega-Lada E-sports.
Bovada puts the odds for this match at -205 / +160 or around 1.49 – 2.60 in favor of OG, and that is certainly an assessment based on Na’Vi’s latest results in regional qualifiers for future Dota Pro Circuit LAN events. However, I think the assessment is correct.
Betting prediction: OG to win, paying $1.57 at GG Bet
Team Liquid vs. Team Empire
This is another mismatch between one team that won The International 2017 and is currently sitting at number 2 within the Dota Pro Circuit rankings, and another one that hasn’t earned a single point this season and is a complete mess overall.
Bovada puts the odds at -800 / +500 or around 1.13 – 6.00 in favor of Team Liquid, as it would take a miracle for Empire to avoid defeat in this match. Keep in mind, this will be a Bo3 series, meaning that Empire has to defeat Liquid not once, but twice to walk away with a victory.
Betting prediction: Team Liquid to win, paying $1.12 at GG Bet
]]>Although DreamLeague Season 9 is only a Minor, many of the world’s best teams will be attending it. As a result, the event offers great matches and excellent Dota 2 betting opportunities. Kenny R gives his free predictions below.
Prize distribution and participants
Because it belongs to the Dota Pro Circuit, DreamLeague Season 9 offers 300 qualification points in addition to the $300.000 prize pool. These rewards will be divided among participating teams in the following way:
- 1st place: 150 points; $125.000
- 2nd place: 90 points; $70.000
- 3rd place: 45 points; $30.000
- 4th place: 15 points; $30.000
- 5th – 6th place: 0 points; $15.000
- 7th – 8th place: 0 points; $7.500
DreamLeague Season 9 features 8 teams from 6 different regions:
- China: Newbee.
- Southeast Asia: Fnatic.
- North America: Immortals.
- South America: PaiN Gaming.
- CIS: Team Empire.
- Europe: Team Liquid, Team Secret, OG.
Dream League Season 9 event format
DreamLeague Season 9 will be played in a double-elimination bracket format with all of the teams starting in the upper bracket. All matches are Bo3, except for the Grand Final (Bo5).
Free betting tips for Dota 2 Dream League Season 9
Fnatic vs. OG
These two teams are of roughly the same strength, although Fnatic has a significant advantage due to the fact that OG lost a very important player recently. Resolut1on’s departure will no doubt have a negative short- term impact on OG’s teamplay and overall coordination.
Betting analysis: Bovada puts the odds at -135 / -105 or around 1.74 – 2.05 in favor of Fnatic, and at these odds a bet on the Southeast Asian team is definitely worthwhile.
Best bet: Back Fnatic at $1.72 at GG Bet
Newbee vs. Immortals
This match can only end one way, as it’s impossible for a team of Immortals caliber to beat Newbee not once, but twice. The Bo3 format ensures that the best team wins in the vast majority of cases.
Betting analysis: Bovada puts the odds at -1000 / +475 or around 1.10 – 5.75 in favor of Newbee, as this is basically free money to be made.
Best bet: Back Newbee at $1.06 at GG Bet
Team Secret vs. Team Empire
This is another match between two teams of vastly different levels of skill. Team Secret will probably mop the floor with Team Empire, who is present at this event simply because the top CIS teams had no interest in it.
Betting analysis: Bovada puts the odds at -1000 / +475 or around 1.10 – 5.75 in favor of Team Secret, allowing you to make a 10% profit on an almost certain result.
Best bet: Back Team Secret at $1.08 at GG Bet
Team Liquid vs. PaiN Gaming
PaiN Gaming’s performance at the recent WESG tournament was no doubt impressive, but it’s not exactly relevant going into this match. And that’s because the WESG tournament brought together mostly improvised teams made up of players of just one nationality. As a result, almost none of the world’s best teams attended the event. The only one who did was Virtus.pro. They replaced one player (No[o]ne, who is Ukrainian) and played under the name Team Russia. VP won WESG by defeating PaiN Gaming in the Grand Final.
Betting analysis: Since this is a Bo3 series, PaiN Gaming’s chances against the TI 7 champions are extremely low. Bovada puts the odds at -2500 / +800 or around 1.04 – 9.00 in favor of Team Liquid, as this will likely be a very easy match for the Europeans.
Best bet: Back Team Liquid at $1.05 at GG Bet
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ALSO READ: DREAMLEAGUE SEASON 9 TEAM ANALYSIS
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