Team Aster vs. Royal Never Give Up: Dota PIT S5 China betting analysis

William Davis Published 03/08/2021

OGA Dota PIT Season 5: China will start with a hotly contested match between Royal Never Give Up and Team Aster.

This matchup will pit the reigning i-League champion against the most exciting team in China. While Aster is heavily favored at first glance, RNG’s meta-breaking strategies could lead to a lucrative upset. OGA Dota PIT Season 5 China will split a $150,000 prize pool between eight of the best teams in China. RNG versus Aster begins on August 7 at 5 a.m. CDT.

Aster has played against Royal Never Give Up three times on patch 7.29. All three have gone the way of Team Aster, but RNG’s recent hot streak has positioned the squad for a major upset. The addition of Ru “RedPanda” Zhihao brought some wonderful spice to RNG’s drafts, but Team Aster’s late-game prowess could grant the squad an edge.

Team Aster has been a tour de force in its home region, landing first-place finishes at the most recent DPC upper division and the first season of i-League. But the squad has failed to find stable footing at either DPC major in part due to travel problems. These five players have remained competitive in their home region. While PSG.LGD shines abroad, Team Aster rules the domestic roost.

Hard carry Du “Monet” Peng gets the most attention thanks to his aggressive late game swagger. Lin “Xxs” Jing is also a respectable pick for the best off laner in China. His Axe has maintained an insane 87.5% win rate in patch 7.29. Ye “Borax” Zhibiao, formerly known as BoBoKa, stands out as a stellar playmaker in a region full of amazing supports. Aster plays textbook Dota 2. The team is clean and efficient, with its actions seemingly planned well in advance.

That classic style makes Aster a prime candidate for Royal Never Give Up’s drafting shenanigans. No other team in China can bulldoze the metagame as hard as RNG. Ru “RedPanda” Zhihao’s current drafting philosophy is closer to the former Wings Gaming than any other modern team in China. One week RNG is taking Elephant past the 100-minute mark, and the next it’s sweeping PSG.LGD with hard support Faceless Void.

Four of Royal Never Give Up’s Dota 2 players originally played together at Sparking Arrow Gaming. They were poached by other teams after a few good tournament runs, but have now reunited under the RNG banner. SAG was known for insane draft decisions like first-pick Anti-Mage and carry Nature’s Prophet before it was cool. Royal Never Give Up heads into OGA Dota PIT Season 5 just after a third-place finish at i-League.

Team Aster vs. Royal Never Give Up rosters

Team Aster Dota 2 roster:

Carry – Du “Monet” Peng
Middle – Liu “White丶Album_白学家” Yuhao
Off lane – Lin “Xxs” Jing
Soft support – Ye “Borax” Zhibiao
Hard support – Zhang “LaNm” Zhicheng

Royal Never Give Up Dota 2 roster:

Carry – Zhong “GodKing” Liushuai
Middle – Deng “Dstones”‘ Lei
Off lane – Su “Flyby” Lei
Soft support – Chong “FelixCiaoBa” Wei Lun
Hard support – Ru “RedPanda” Zhihao

Aster vs. RNG is much closer than it seems

Aster’s 3-0 record over RNG for the patch has tilted the odds heavily in their favor. Aster is listed at 1.38 odds to take the best-of-three series, but that doesn’t account for RNG’s momentum going into this event. Massive upsets over PSG.LGD and Invictus Gaming will put some pep in RNG’s step. Aster is also one of five Chinese teams invited to The International 10. LaNm and his gang have more important things to think about than countering a Faceless Void support. A $20 bet on RNG for the match can net a hefty $56 return. If you prefer live Dota 2 betting, pay close attention when Team Aster drafts Troll Warlord. 11.00 pre-game odds on a rampage could pay off thanks to Monet’s signature hero. Regardless of which team you want to win, RNG versus Aster will be a very exciting match to watch.

A $20 bet on RNG will net a hefty $56 return. The same bet on Aster gives $27.60. Given the upset potential and highly tilted odds, a small bet on Royal Never Give Up can lead to big returns.