The first major since The Invitational kicks off in Chengdu, China this weekend when 16 teams square off in the Panda Capital of the world. This will be our first look at teams’ revamped rosters after the most lucrative competition in Esports, and all the teams in attendance will be out to prove they can knock off OG. Evil Geniuses are the favorites to win the competition, but domestic teams like Vici Gaming, Team Aster, and EHOME want to win a title on home soil.
2019 DOTA 2 MDL Chengdu Major Betting Odds
Evil Geniuses +250
Vici Gaming +350
TNC Predator +350
Fnatic +450
Team Aster +650
Team Liquid +850
EHOME +1000
Gambit +1200
Alliance +1400
Positive Guys +1800
Beastcoast +1900
Fighting Pandas +2000
J.Storm +2400
Team Adroit +3000
Team Unknown +5000
Invictus Gaming +5000
It’s a little disappointing that OG aren’t taking part in this event. OG have been the best team in the world for over a year, becoming the first team in the history of DOTA 2 to win The International in consecutive seasons. The European juggernauts won nearly $28 million with those two victories, and they have decided to take some deserved time off.
Evil Geniuses won The International in 2015, and they have been trying to get back to the mountaintop since that success. They lost to Team Liquid in the Quarterfinals of the International two months ago, and they fell in the semifinals to PSG.LGD in 2018.
The organization acquired two new members last month, signing Abed and RAMZES to overhaul their roster. RAMZES made a name for himself on Virtus Pro, while Abed has been an up and comer since turning pro at the age of 15 four years ago. Both players are significant upgrades, so Evil Geniuses are hopeful they pay immediate dividends.
Vici Gaming have won two of the last four majors. They bested Virtus Pro at DreamLeague Season 11 in Stockholm back in March, and they knocked off Team Liquid at the EPICENTER Major in Moscow just before The International. Vici underwhelmed at the top event in DOTA 2 two months ago, so captain Fade moved to Team Aster and was replaced in his role by Pyw.
TNC Predator acted fast after The International. They staked a claim for themselves as contenders by adding kpii and March in the summer, but that latter addition has led to some questions. March hasn’t been an active player since May, so he will have a sizable learning curve.
Big organizations usually have teams in different Esports placed in different regions in an effort to grow the brand. That is true with Fnatic, which is based in Southeast Asia for DOTA, rather than in Europe where most of their fans and teams lie.
Fnatic have not won a big event since claiming the 2012 Thor Open almost seven years ago, but they have been competitive. They lost in the semifinals at the 2016 The International, and they made it back to the prestigious event last year. Fnatic only have one player on the roster with more than 15 months experience with the organization, and Moon and 23 Savage are the newcomers this time around.
The only other teams with odds of less than 10-1 are Team Aster and Team Liquid. Liquid finished runner-up to OG in 2019, and they were the last team other than OG to win the event. However, this roster has been entirely revamped as that team departed the Liquid banner two months ago, leading to Liquid signing the entire Alliance squad.
Aster was founded 14 months ago, and change has been a constant over this short stretch. Two new players joined the team in September with Sccc and Fade coming aboard, but the results have yet to be there.
At BookMaker Sportsbook, our team of writers breaks down every betting matchup on the wagering board. Esports are exploding in popularity and BookMaker has you covered for all of your betting needs. From League of Legends to CS:GO, BookMaker has all the Esports betting lines you can hope for. Open an account and get in on the action today!
