The Mid Season Invitational is slated to start on May 1 as eight teams battle for as many as two spots in the main stage. Group A is the proverbial Group of Death. Play-In favorites Phong Vu Buffalo and 1907 Fenerbahce were drawn into the same group with two of the strongest teams from weaker regions in Bombers and Isurus Gaming. You could make the case that the four best teams in the Play-In Stage are those teams, and it’s a shame that only one has a chance to advance to face Team Liquid for a spot in the main stage.
Group B is far more wide open. Detonation FocusMe, Mega Esports, INTZ Esports, and Vega Squadron are the four teams in this group. These four teams were good enough to win their regions, but whoever advances from this group will be a heavy underdog against Flash Wolves with a spot in the main group stage on the line.
League of Legends 2019 Mid-Season Invitational Play-In Betting Odds
The Play-In Stage is split into two groups of four teams. In those groups, each team will play every other team twice in a double round robin format, and the team with the best overall record in each group will advance to the next stage. There is no margin for error in this format.
Phong Vu Buffalo -167
1907 Fenerbahce +116
It’s a real shame that the two most talented teams in this stage were drawn into the same group. VCS winners have looked pretty impressive in the past, and Phong Vu Buffalo is looking to follow in the footsteps of GIGABYTE Marines and EVOS Esports, while 1907 Fenerbahce is out to make waves of their own. The VCS and the TCL are the only two minor regions that have sent teams to the main group stage in previous years, so it’s very likely that whichever team wins these two matches will win Group A.
Phong Vu turned heads at Worlds last year by beating both G2 Esports and Flash Wolves in the Group Stage. All of that team is back and has international experience now too. Zeros is a solid top laner, while Naul and BigKoro have proven themselves capable of being able to carry as well.
Meanwhile, 1907 Fenerbahce is out to fulfill the promise we saw last year. This team has just one Turkish player on the roster, hiring young guns from other regions, but this will be the first experience on an international stage for all of these players. I like Ruin in the top lane a lot, yet I think PVB will win this game and eventually advance from Group A.
Isurus Gaming -161
Bombers +111
In Group B, both Isurus Gaming and Bombers would have had a puncher’s chance of getting out. We have seen Latin American teams perform well internationally in the past, and Seiya is a mid laner you have to respect. He has led Lyon Gaming, Rainbow7, and now Isurus Gaming to an international competition, and that’s the consistency you’re looking for here.
That’s why I give Isurus the edge over Bombers. This Bombers team is interesting with Mimic and BalKhan coming over from Korea, but there are too many questions around their mid laner and bottom lane for me to like them in this group.
Detonation FocusMe -169
MEGA Esports +117
This is the best chance DFM will ever have to succeed on an international stage. Old hands Ceros and Yutapon have been with this organization for six years, and their longevity might finally be rewarded here. They will be going against a Thai team in Mega that is very interesting though. Rockky, G4, and Lloyd were members of Ascension Gaming, and they have a good bit of international experience too. I think these are the two favorites in this region.
INTZ Esports -172
Vega Squadron +119
Brazil continues to send teams that are considered the second- or third-best in their region to international tournaments, as their top teams falter in the playoffs. INTZ was expected to fall to Flamengo, but instead mid laner Envy popped off throughout the series and eventually led his team to MSI after a five game final.
INTZ will be playing the team that I think is the biggest dark horse in the Play-In Stage. Vega Squadron doesn’t have a lot of known commodities on the roster, but they will continually the top team in the CIS this season, and that region has always acquitted itself well on the international stage. I like their chances here.
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