• Esports

League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational Knockout Stage: Betting Preview, Picks, and Value Bets

With less than 24 hours separating us from the final three matches of this year’s Mid-Season Invitational, the tensions are higher than ever. The two semifinals matches are bound to provide us with plenty of excitement. Invictus Gaming is set to play against Team Liquid, and SKT T1 is set to measure their strength against the European giants, G2 Esports. Since there’s not a lot of time remaining before these two matches start, I’ll skip with the usual nonsense (tournament format, interesting facts and all that), and head straight into the best LoL bookies and MSI 2019 Knockout Stage betting picks.

If you want more info on the actual tournament, please refer to our Mid-Season Invitational 2019 betting preview!

Where to Bet on MSI 2019 | Best LoL Bookies

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Invictus Gaming vs Team Liquid

The first semifinals match is a real beauty but could easily end in a proper stomping. Team Liquid managed to find their place in the playoffs, and they’ll be going up against the LPL champions, Invictus Gaming. Of course, the LPL team is the heavy favorite here. However, we shouldn’t belittle the North American team.

Their group stage performance was on point. With each passing game, their level of play increased and now they have winds to their sails—winds that could help them overcome the heavy favorites. They’re known for causing troubles to superior teams. However, I doubt their passion and tenacity will deal enough blows to the LPL champions.

On paper, this fixture is the epitome of a mismatch. Bookies have Invictus Gaming to win at -10,000, which just goes to show you what a powerhouse they are. On the other hand, Team Liquid to win is at +1,000. So, if you’re hoping for a Cinderella story involving the NA team, I guess you can go for it. I wouldn’t recommend it though, but it’s your money and a low stake bet on such high odds isn’t a terrible choice.

In my books, it’s just a matter of time before the eventual fall of Team Liquid. In other words, I’m positive that Invictus Gaming will see this one through. The only question I have is how many rounds it will take. Will it be over in three? Or perhaps four? Five rounds would be an incredible sensation for Team Liquid.

When it comes to individual prowess, it’s difficult to point out a single player. And I’m talking about both of these teams. The reason they’re playing in the semifinals is because of their impressive team cohesion. Even in IG’s defeat to SKT T1, their team cohesion was mostly on point. Team Liquid, on the other hand, showed great resilience in the final match against G2 Esports, where they managed to capitalize after a tough fought contest.

Overall, I believe Invictus Gaming won’t have many difficulties with closing this one out. Despite Team Liquid’s solid all-around performances in the group stage, I doubt they’ll manage to play at IG’s tempo. If they get a single round to their tally, I’m sure they’d be proud. Two rounds and I reckon they’ll throw a party after the match. Bookies agree with me on this one. 3-0 Invictus Gaming is -250, 3-1 is +150 and 3-2 is +540. Talk about superiority, huh?

SKT T1 vs G2 Esports

Let’s continue with our MSI 2019 Knockout Stage betting picks and talk about the second semifinals match. This one, in contrast to the first, is going to be a much tougher contest. Not only are these two teams much more similar in terms of roster quality and champion pool depth, but they also have thrilling stories in the background of this tournament.

SKT T1 is here to seek redemption after a disastrous 2018 season. They’ll be hoping to snatch an international trophy and get back to their winning ways. And, quite frankly, they’re on a good path at the moment. Seven wins and three defeats in the group stage isn’t exactly the greatest score, but it’s enough to hide them from Invictus Gaming until the grand finals.

G2 Esports, on the other hand, will be hoping for the same things, just with different motives. You see, this new LoL meta is suiting their playstyle and champion pools perfectly. They’re hasty, aggressive, and like to play around and taunt their opponents in every possible situation. Perkz and the company are playing thrilling, unpredictable League, making them difficult opponents to face. Even though on paper, SKT T1 is a slight favorite in this matchup, I strongly believe in the European giants. And here’s why:

As I just mentioned above, the G2 Esports players are the kings of this new meta. SKT T1, on the other hand, hasn’t fully adapted to it yet. Furthermore, they seem too static at times. It seems as though they’re afraid to be aggressive in crucial early-game global objective contests, something that could greatly hurt them in their match against G2 Esports. Not to mention G2 Esports’ snowball potential if they win the initial global objective contests.

This will also make for dramatic action on Mid. Caps and Faker have already had a great match in the group stage. It was neck and neck throughout the match, but at the end of it all, Faker did have better KDA (3/3/3) and higher farm, but Caps had five more kills (8/2/10) and more overall gold. Additionally, Caps’ team ended up storming SKT T1’s base, so his contribution seemed far superior to that of Faker’s Azir.

All in all, SKT T1 vs G2 Esports is going to be a thrilling contest. With ten exceptional players and some of the best LoL talents in the world going up against each other, anything but majestic gameplay will be a true disappointment. As far as the MSI 2019 Knockout Stage betting picks are concerned, I believe G2 Esports will make it three wins in a row against SKT T1. Even though the European side is currently on a three-match losing streak, knowing the tenacity and quality of their roster, they’ll come back even stronger and present themselves in the best possible way.