The 2022 Mid-Season Invitational kicks off on Tuesday, May 10th and Michael Lee is here to provide you with his best picks and predictions for the first round of play. Today, he takes a look at DetonatioN FocusMe vs Team Aze, Evil Geniuses vs G2 Esports, and PSG Talon vs RED Canids.
Esports Betting Tips: Tuesday, May 10th
DetonatioN FocusMe vs Team Aze
2022 MSI
DetonatioN FocusMe might be the sixth-best team at the 2022 MSI, which isn’t good enough for them to win the trophy, but they might be able to put up a strong resistance against some of the top dogs. Luckily, they will have a very easy match to kick off their MSI campaign, perfect for the Japanese champions to warm up ahead of tougher challenges.
Team Aze are the reigning LLA champions and clearly the best team in their league. Aze are great with dragon and barton control, and they, on average secure a +2.1k gold lead at 15 minutes, which is seriously impressive. But we must take into account that Aze have achieved those incredible numbers in a fairly weak league.
LLA teams have not achieved anything in international tournaments over the years, and it’s highly unlikely for that to change in 2022. They might pick up a few wins against other bottom teams, but realistically, Aze should stand no chance against DetonatioN FocusMe, who were by far the most dominant team in the Japanese league.
Unless DetonatioN FocusMe find a way to blunder their chances, this should be a straightforward win for the LJL champions. Take DetonatioN FocusMe to cover the 9.5 kill handicap!
DetonatioN FocusMe -9.5 Kills
$1.83
Evil Geniuses vs G2 Esports
2022 MSI
G2 Esports did not dominate Europe as they did years before, but their playoffs run was incredible. Even with a new roster, G2 have proven that they’re one of the top teams in the region, or better said, G2 Esports have proven to be THE best team in the LEC.
Despite dropping down to the lower bracket early into the playoffs, G2 found their traction and went on a streak of four consecutive 3-0 sweeps straight to the title while humiliating the likes of Vitality, Misfits, Fnatic, and Rogue.
G2 Esports’ main strength is their objective control, but they’re not that shabby when it comes to team fighting either.
Like G2, Evil Geniuses had a phenomenal performance in their domestic playoffs and earned the tag as North America’s top LoL team. EG is excellent in objective control like their European counterparts, and I would argue that their team fighting is even better.
But even though EG can be very potent, their biggest strength is also their biggest weakness. This season, most of EG’s success was thanks to their ADC Danny, who receives most of EG’s resources, which enables him to carry the games.
Although this approach has worked in the LCS, it’s also a strategy that can quickly fall apart. G2 Esports might not have the best bottom lane at the MSI, but with caPs and Jankos working together to put pressure on the bottom lane, G2 Esports should be able to completely shut down EG and prevent them from playing their game.
PSG Talon vs RED Canids
2022 MSI
PSG Talon had a strong showing in the PCS regular season and have dropped just two games out of 18. However, in the playoffs, PSG Talon did struggle a bit more, as they lost (1-3) in the third-place match but then picked up two 3-2 victories to claim the title.
Even though PSG Talong are a highly respected team on the international stage, their stats from the 2022 Spring Split – particularly PCS playoffs – aren’t that great. Unlike other teams, PSG Talon had a -140 gold deficit at 15 minutes and their damage per minute (DPM) was at just 1727.
But despite their less-than-convincing performance in the playoffs, I would not ignore PSG Talon. Remember what this team has achieved at the 2021 World Championship? Well, no one believed in them then either.
RED Canids might be the weakest team at the 2022 MSI. This might sound like a harsh take, but based on what I have seen from RED Canids this season, ranking them above 10th would be too generous.
The CBLoL champions barely made it to the 2022 MSI, and their performances across the regular season and in the CBLoL playoffs have left a lot to be desired. They average a -450 gold deficit at 15 minutes, have an 1889 DPM, and fairly mediocre 60% and 63% Dragon and Baron control rates.
So not only do RED Canids hail from a much weaker region than PSG Talon, but they have also been struggling in their league. If RED Canids win, this could be one of the biggest upsets we have seen in a while, and I don’t believe they’ll do it. Nor should RED Canids come even close to beating PSG Talon.
PSG Talon -8,5 Kills
$1.90
