Ninjas in Pyjamas vs Tempo Esports
EPIC League Division 1 qualifier
Ninjas in Pyjamas and Tempo Esports will clash on the opening day of EPIC League Division 1 qualifier in what promises to be a very one-sided bout and a tough test for Tempo Esports. It will mark the first time in history these two squads will clash, which could, in theory, benefit the underdogs.
NiP did not impress me with the form they have been showing in October and I am especially not excited about their ninth-place finish at the ESL One Germany 2020, where NiP lost to Alliance, Yellow Submarine and Vikin.gg. Still, those three are very solid teams and arguably much stronger than Tempo Esports.
Tempo Esports are 6-4 in their last 10 games and are also entering this match on a four-game winning streak. They have, however, faced mostly low-tier opponents across the last couple of months and have recorded only four games in the last three weeks.
There is a world where NiP drop the ball and lose against Tempo Esports but as long as esports bookmakers are offering 2.02 on NiP to win 2-0, I'll have to side with the proven quality. Bet on Ninjas in Pyjamas to win with 2-0!
Gambit Esports vs Team Unique
EPIC League Division 1 qualifier
Team Unique have established themselves as a fairly decent second-tier Dota2 team with their showings throughout 2020. Having said that, Unique have not looked too sharp as of late and I don’t expect that to change this week.
Team Unique are 3-1-6 in their last 10, which is bad on its own, however, it's also important to mention Unique have played only two games since late September, which should raise some flags. Additionally, Unique have recently signed Yaroslav "Pikachu" Vasilenkoas a replacement for Artem "Lorenof" Melnik, who left for Gambit Esports, which is obviously not optimal for their roster synergy.
Gambit, while a household name in CIS esports scene, have only recently rebuilt their Dota2 team which is now comprised of Anton "yy" Shkredov, Lorenof, Andrey "meLes" Romanov, Albert "eine" Garaev and Danial "XSvamp1Re" Alibaev. Although it's unclear how Gambit will perform given that this is a fresh squad, they undeniably have a lot of strong pieces, which makes me believe Gambit could potentially compete for a top-four finish this competition.
Due to Unique's poor form and Gambit's roster rebuild this fixture looks like a complete coin-toss, which is usually the case in tier-two CIS Dota2 games to begin with. At the end of the day, Gambit should win at least one map, which makes the +1.5 map handicap the best bet to take here.
Mudgolems vs Live to Win
EPIC League Division 1 qualifier
Anyone who has been following the Dota2 scene for the last couple of weeks should be familiar with mudgolems, who have recently claimed a bronze medal at the ESL One Germany 2020 and have a month ago locked in a runner-up finish at the BTS Pro Series Season 3: Europe/CIS.
Fielding former CR4ZY, AG, Alliance and Chicken Fighters players, mudgolems were billed as a threat from the get-go, although not many expected them to produce such impressive results only a couple of weeks after they’ve entered the scene.
Live to Win, meanwhile are a new Dota2 team formed by a group of well-known CIS players. This squad won't last for long as it was formed for the sole purpose to compete in the upcoming events, which brings us to our main problem and that is synergy.
Even though all five players speak the same language and are likely familiar with each other, some of them have never played together before and I have serious doubts they will manage to gel together quickly enough to stand up against mudgolems.
That is not to say mudgolems are a perfect team, but after seeing them defeat some of the best teams in Europe, I have no doubt they can sweep Live to Win with ease. Bet on mudgolems!
Mudgolems -1.5 Maps
$2.11
