The International 10 opening day betting picks and analysis

William Davis Published 06/10/2021

Ready to use Dota 2’s most lucrative tournament to your advantage?

The International 10 is finally upon us in all of its $40 million glory. Valve took its sweet time with releasing the group stage details, but now we know exactly which matches will take place on October 7. The best-of-two format means three possible results, leading to higher odds and bigger payouts. Here are the best betting opportunities at the start of The International 10, plus the best Dota 2 odds on the internet from Winners.bet.

Virtus.pro vs Undying betting analysis

Valve decided to open up The International 10 with an enticing match-up. Virtus.pro represents the next generation of Dota 2 talent in the CIS region. The squad didn’t drop a single match all year in the regional DPC, though it did struggle after qualifying at both majors. Undying is the feel-good underdog of TI10. The qualifiers proved that it’s the third-best team in North America, but how will that stack up against the heavy hitters on the world stage?

Undying is actually the more experienced team when it comes to The International. David “MoonMeander” Tan Boon Yang is a two-time DPC major champion and he attended TI in 2015 and 2016. This is every Virtus.pro player’s first time at The International. Still, it’s difficult to believe that the third-best team in NA can beat the undisputed champions of Eastern Europe. Winners.bet lists 1.84 odds for a clean VP victory. That’s a safe and lucrative bet to start out TI10.

Alliance vs OG betting analysis

The first batch of games will also include a grudge match between two TI-winning organizations. Some of OG’s players, including captain Johan “N0tail” Sundstein, threw shade at Alliance during an apparent DPC coaching scandal that later turned out to be perfectly within the rules. The exchange produced one of the greatest public statements in Dota 2 history from Alliance carry Nikolay “Nikobaby” Nikolov.

Alliance dominated the 2021 Dota Pro Circuit season on its way to TI10. Defending champion OG barely scraped into the event through the regional qualifiers. In their duels this year, Alliance beat OG 2-0 twice and 2-1 once. The oddsmakers don’t seem to acknowledge that 3-0 match history at all. A $20 bet on Alliance 2-0 over OG will earn $100 on Winners.bet. Off laner Sébastien “Ceb” Debs will also be competing with vision troubles, something that could hinder his performance. It’s dangerous to underestimate OG at The International, but such a massive potential payout can’t be ignored.

beastcoast vs Elephant betting analysis

The star of the second TI10 group stage round will be a battle between South America and China. Many of beastcoast’s players were a part of the breakout Infamous lineup that shattered expectations at The International 2019. Héctor Antonio “K1” Rodríguez and Jean Pierre “Chris Luck” Gonzales quickly gained a reputation as a fearsome core duo. By contrast, many of Elephant’s top players had already established themselves as stars at that time. This team has an icon in every lane with carry Zhang “Eurus” Chengjun, mid laner Lu “Somnus” Yao, and support playmaker Xu “fy” Linsen.

Oddsmakers heavily favor Elephant to win with 1.96 odds for 2-0 beastcoast. These teams have absolutely no match history, but the Chinese side’s captain has a history of popping off at The International. While Elephant wins out for raw talent, beastcoast is an innovative team with its own history of TI excellence. A 1-1 scoreline, which earns 2.25 times your stake, is a very real possibility.

Evil Geniuses vs Invictus Gaming betting analysis

Valve seems to have a thing for climactic rematches on day one. The fifth-round headliner will be a rematch from the Singapore Major grand finals. Evil Geniuses was the runner-up for both majors this year, and EG will strive to end the season on a high note. Invictus Gaming will enter TI10 as a dark horse after winning the first 2021 DPC major. iG reverse-swept Evil Geniuses to take that $500,000 event. Invictus star mid lander Zhou “Emo” Yi made Dota 2 history with a single punctuation mark.

It’s difficult to judge Evil Geniuses’ form heading into The International 10. The team hasn’t played publicly since the AniMajor. Invictus has stayed busy in China, earning bronze at i-League Season 2 and OGA Dota PIT. The algorithms greatly favor the North American side, with 2.39 odds for EG to sweep iG 2-0. Considering that this is Evil Geniuses’ final match of the day, try to judge EG’s performance against Team Aster. If Artour “Arteezy” Babaev can’t carry better than ill Du “Monet” Peng, EG’s chances drop considerably.

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