DPC China 21/22 Opening Day Match Predictions and Analysis

The most-anticipated region is finally kicking off their iteration of Dota Pro Circuit 2021-22 season. China, famed for crafting some of Dota 2’s finest teams in history is finally opening the season on January 3rd.

Let’s cut the sweet talks short and get into the DPC China Opening matches.

PSG.LGD vs Team Aster

The first day at DPC China kickstarts with a must-watch game. PSG.LGD and Team Aster are Chinese powerhouses, but PSG.LGD is indisputably the favorites heading into the new season.

More interestingly, Team Aster is the talk of the town after they had a significant roster shuffle. For instance, Zhang “LaNm” Zhicheng stepped down from the captain position to a laid-back coach role. This didn’t come as a surprise since LaNm is arguably among the eldest Dota players around, but he’s famed for his drafting advice.

Another change is Team Aster’s midlaner, who’s now Zeng “Ori” Jiaoyang, previously Liu “White丶Album “ Yuhao. This came as a surprise to fans, considering WhiteAlbum’s potential as a young prodigy and was seen as a long-term investment to Aster’s already-formidable roster.

Unfortunately, the early matches Team Aster played in Huya Dota2 Winter Invitational shines them as a weak team as they narrowly qualified for playoffs. Hence, the odds are in favor of PSG.LGD at x1.17 versus Aster at x4.65 returns.

PSG.LGD vs Phoenix Gaming

What can we say? We love PSG.LGD, especially after their International 10 (TI10) debut and phenomenal journey. Perhaps what sets PSG.LGD apart from the rest of China’s powerhouses is that they weren’t afraid for round twos.

Director 8, or Zhang “xiao8” Ning, the coach of PSG.LGD noted that winning TI10 in the first run (by this new line-up) was never their goal. Hence, even after falling just short, it didn’t take long before PSG.LGD publicly announced that their line-up will stick together for another round.

Anyways, Phoenix Gaming, a team that rose from the Lower Division league last season, albeit an exceptional opponent nevertheless. Thus, it would be foolish to assume Phoenix is outmatched versus PSG.LGD.

However, the Dota 2 odds reflect differently as PSG.LGD has x1.01 versus Phoenix at x13.33 returns.

Invictus Gaming vs Royal Never Give Up

Another highly anticipated match is IG vs RNG, where we have several high-profile players on both sides. Similar to PSG.LGD, IG had a decent TI10 run themselves and stuck together for another season. Their easy-going attitude towards losses is certainly a morale booster for the team to keep moving forward.

Whereas we have a new all-star team under the RNG brand. Housing several former PSG.LGD players that played in TI8 and TI9. Fortunately, we managed to get a glimpse of both teams’ performance from the recent Huya Dota2 Winter Invitational 2021. Well, IG being the notable powerhouse and Singapore major champion themselves, is rocking the upper bracket. Meanwhile, RNG also had a decent start in the tournament by placing top seeds in their group. Unfortunately, the momentum was short-lived as OB.Neon defeated the lather in the first Upper Bracket round.

Odds-wise, RNG isn’t too shabby at x2.20 against IG at x1.63 odds. Since IG enters the DPC China as the top dogs, while RNG is a new line-up.

Vici Gaming vs LBZS

VG deserves a spotlight after what they were capable of performing at Huya Invitational. VG’s revamped line-up for DPC2021-22 didn’t receive much support since there were no high-profile players.

However, VG quickly garnered attention after delivering an exceptional performance at the Huya Invitational. They concluded groups with top seeding but fell to IG in the playoffs. Albeit, it was a very close series, and managing to snatch a game off IG is an accomplishment for the young roster.

Up against LBZS, VG certainly has the leverage from their brand reputation alone. Furthermore, it’s comforting to know that the revamped VG is reliable this early into their DPC run. While LBZS is a lowly Lower Division team, they are highly regarded as a mainstay in DPC since last year.

Regardless, the odds will favor VG at x1.24 while LBZS is at x3.77 odds.

The DPC China league will be an eyeopener for mundane viewers and regional opponents too. After their strong showing at TI10, we are expecting them to put up a flamboyant fight at the majors next year. As the DPC China runs for six weeks, we recommend the Dota 2 betting guide and Dota 2 news for frequent predictions.

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