The ONE Esports Singapore Major 2021 is kicking off on March 27 with $500,000 USD on the line. Besides the monetary rewards, there are also the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) points, and bragging rights as the top strongest Dota 2 teams.
The Singapore Major is the first LAN event in well over a year, and the first major of the 2021 season. There are huge expectations to deliver a safe event, and even more on the participating teams.
© ONE Esports
Diving into the tournament itself, the first two days will be the nail-biting Wild Card games, where six teams compete for the top two seeds. Let’s just say the Wild Card entries aren’t really ‘qualified’ until they secure their group stage spot. Anyways, the main stage of the event starts with the group stage between eight teams. These teams are no other than Alliance, Natus Vincere, Neon Esports, Quincy Crew, Team Aster, Thunder Predator, and the two undecided Wild Card winners.
Much like the wild card, the group stage will be quick best-of-two matches to determine the top six teams heading into playoffs. The playoffs are where the big boys are awaiting patiently, such as the famed Team Secret, Virtus.pro, Evil Geniuses, Invictus Gaming, Fnatic, and beastcoast. Fortunately, the playoffs are best-of-three matches, so the bulk of the action will definitely be during these games.
© PGL
As stated, the first two days will be the Wild Card games, followed by another two days’ worth of group stage. Lastly, the playoffs will run its course for four days throughout the weekend.
Games will kick off at 10 a.m. GMT+8 on each competitive day. Day by day schedules can be found on the Official ONE Esports page, and on Twitter.
The Singapore Major will give us the first chance to bet on a Dota 2 LAN event in well over a year. There is a huge momentum shift expected between the best Dota 2 teams when it comes to offline play. Some of the favorites might quickly fall off and new contestants will rise up with ease. With all of this in mind, there are some interesting betting opportunities that would not be available under “normal” circumstances.
As usual, for your regular bets and how to bet on Dota 2, our general guide should prove sufficient to get you started. Several providers will offer a unique esports bonus for the Singapore Major. Our team will provide specific predictions and tips for each stage of the event in dedicated News Articles. However, there are 5 important betting tips to keep note of before placing your bets.
Having these tips in mind, you should read our day to day analysis on why some teams are likely to perform better then others and which providers will provide you the best odds at each stage of the event.
Here are four quick predicts and matches to be ton. We will update this section, as the event progresses on a rolling basis.
VP they didn’t stand a chance against PSG.LGD and the fight against Quincy Crew was too close to comfort, considering how North American teams are often depicted as the weakest. Looking at how Thunder Predator is becoming the fan favorite here, both teams’ odds are relatively even. If we are to side with Thunder Predator on this crucial elimination match, it’s at x2.03 (+304) or Virtus.pro for x1.75.
Vici Gaming is one of three Chinese Esports giants who are still competing in the Singapore Major. They performed well in the playoffs to make it into Upper Bracket, only to meet a much stronger brethren, Invictus Gaming. Needless to say, that loss was still pretty impressive since they managed to snatch a game off IG. Vici Gaming got this one in the bag, and the odds speak for itself too. Betting on Vici Gaming is a mere x1.3 however.
PSG.LGD’s journey from Wild Cards has been fun and thrilling. Most recently, they even sent the CIS bears down into the Lower Bracket. Team Secret has the skills on their side and the fans as well. Even after what PSG.LGD delivered thus far, their odds are still very high, at a x3.25 to be precise. A good value bet.
Evil Geniuses, North America’s last hope in the Singapore Major versus the monstrous Invictus Gaming. IG was even nicknamed Team Secret’s kryptonite. While EG stomped its competition back in their local scene, it may be a whole different league when Chinese teams are on the same playing field today. As far as odds go, both teams are pretty even, but IG is undoubtedly a terrifying opponent for EG. IG is at x1.91 (+306), while EG is at x1.85.
On paper, it would be a no-brainer to call the Playoffs teams as favorites. However, in hindsight, there’s a huge power gap between these regional favorites. Not to undermine the Peruvian stack, beastcoast is clearly the odd ball among the others. South American teams haven’t had much spotlight since the Internationals, and are often known as the weakest region. Hence, despite being a Playoffs team, the odds are definitely against beastcoast.
On the contrary, Team Secret and Virtus.pro are the talk of the town after their overwhelming stomp in their respective regions. China also has something up their sleeves, that is the newcomer, Invictus Gaming. But it would be rude to not include Team Aster, the other Chinese powerhouse that gave IG a run for their money.
Favorites aside, Dota 2 has its fair share of famed underdogs, such as Liquid and Nigma. While their participation in the major are currently on the line as the Wild Card teams, should they make it out, they could potentially pose a threat to the top dogs.
On a different note, Natus Vincere is another team to look out for, considering they got several high-profile stand-in for the event. With former Virtus.pro player, Roman “RAMZES666” Kushnarev and Andrey “Mag” Chipenko, Navi gives off a way different vibe.
Mark your calendar, so that you do not miss the action live on ONE Esports Twitch Channel.
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