The Mid-Season Invitational will get underway in earnest on Friday. The six teams everyone expected to make it to the Group Stage are here as Team Liquid and Flash Wolves had little trouble in their play-in series, and Phong Vu Buffalo became the third straight Vietnamese team to make it through the Play-In Stage. At least one of those three teams will make it to the knockout rounds, but they are heavy underdogs to go any further as Invictus Gaming, SK Telecom T1, and G2 Esports are seen as massive favorites.
2019 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational Group Stage Betting Odds
G2 Esports -215
Team Liquid +168
The EU vs NA rivalry kicks off the second day of action at MSI, but these teams aren’t as evenly matched as we have seen in the past. G2 have created a super team with arguably the most talented player at every position in the LEC, and they are looking to build off their surprising performance at Worlds last year.
Liquid’s main hope here is to play to the bottom lane. I believe G2 have a slight advantage in the top lane and a sizable advantage in the mid lane, but veterans Doublelift and CoreJJ could take advantage of Caps’ inexperience on AD Carries. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them draft for early game and attempt to snowball a lead.
Flash Wolves -200
Phong Vu Buffalo +150
Flash Wolves have made it to the semifinals of three straight Mid-Season Invitationals, but this team has changed a lot over the last three seasons. All of their superstars have departed, including jungler Karsa and support SwordArt. There have been some coordination problems with jungler Bugi this season, and support ShiauC is making his first international appearance with Flash Wolves. I smell an upset in the making, as I believe Zeros might bully Hanabi in the top lane and lead Phong Vu to a win.
Invictus Gaming -370
Team Liquid +273
This is just a mismatch. Invictus are a much better team than Liquid, and the North American Spring champions are going to get wiped here. A team like Cloud9 might be able to surprise Invictus with a quirky draft, but Liquid have not shown a lot of creativity this season. Liquid are the best mechanical team in NA, yet they pale in comparison to Invictus in this regard.
SK Telecom T1 -1200
Phong Vu Buffalo +600
The last time we saw SKT take on a Vietnamese team at MSI, it was one of the bloodiest games ever. Phong Vu is not one of the biggest aggressors in the VCS, but they are still far more aggressive than most teams, and SKT will be more than happy to match that aggression in the early game. SKT will get the victory due to their superior macro, but this will be fun.
G2 Esports -216
Flash Wolves +163
Of all six games on the second day of MSI, this is my favorite play. G2 are a class above Flash Wolves. The Flash Wolves had some hiccups in their play-in series with Vega Squadron, and G2 will punish similar mistakes. G2 have much better macro play and are well-suited to the early game, so I think they can win this one in less than 30 minutes. My lone concern is the extent to which Mikyx is hurt.
SK Telecom T1 -120
Invictus Gaming -110
Finally, we have the match that everyone has been waiting years to see. These are the two best teams in the world, and virtually every analyst is picking either SKT or IG to win MSI. Korea has long been regarded as the best region for League of Legends, but China ruled the scene last year, and Invictus will look to continue that. Get your popcorn ready for this match.
At BookMaker Sportsbook, our team of writers breaks down every betting matchup on the wagering board. Esports are exploding in popularity and we at BookMaker have you covered for all of your betting needs.
From League of Legends to CS:GO, BookMaker has all of the Esports betting lines you can hope for. Open an account and get in on the action today!
