Why is betting on Dota 2, and specifically The International 10, something that attracts people all over the world? There are a few different ways to look at that. On the one hand, the game has had a rather long break and high quality matches have been far and few between during all of 2021. We have less data to put our trust in than normal, and the stats we can base our bets on are heavily limited. Beyond that, the game has also received a new patch (7.30) recently, which further complicates our task of evaluating each team’s strength.

Like always, a new patch will shake things up in the Dota 2 ecosystem a fair bit in the beginning, but it always manages to end with the best teams at the top. All of this might sound rather negative if we are looking to bet on The International 10, but it can actually be the complete opposite.

Keeping track of how the tournament develops in the early stages can give us a great opportunity to find the perfect value bets if we are quick at hitting the market. Expected top teams can show weakness early on, just to evolve with the meta further down the line. This is something we can use to our advantage through re-evaluating teams on a daily basis with the right information. Dota 2 is a game where momentum and daily form plays a huge role, and even more so in a tournament like The International.

Likewise there will always be lower ranked teams who have put in a ton of work and they will be hitting the right spot as soon as the tournament kicks off. These types of situations present themselves fast in the beginning of the tournament. This is especially true due to the intense schedule with matches played best of two, with teams facing every team of their group once. The bookmakers are not fast enough with updating odds and evaluating the teams correctly with these rapid changes. This is a big difference between esports and bigger, more traditional sports. There are big edges to be found in this stage of the tournament.

It is now worth mentioning that there is reason to be careful with this line of thinking too. Strong starts from the lower ranked teams is often just that - a strong start. As the tournament progresses it is often the stronger teams taking over more and more, as they can start implementing new strategies in their playbook. The International 10 is a long tournament with intense scheduling and it’s crucial to continually re-evaluate the team's weaknesses and strengths. Getting hung up on a team doing well early and keeping on believing in them is a common trap.

Always keep in mind that statistics and hard groundwork is the key to success when you are going to bet on Dota 2, and not least during The International. Comparing odds to always receive the best possible value is also an obvious foundation to succeed. Luckily, here at elsnp.com you will be able to compare odds for all matches in The International 10!

Betting on The International 10 is obviously not only a question about finding the best bets, or even the the best odds. It's also about finding the sportsbook for your needs - that might be the best bonus, great livebetting, big odds markets, vast odds markets or anything else really. Most of our recommended bookmakers offer odds for The International 10, but some stick out a bit more than others.

When it comes to outright betting we have three clear favorites Bet365, William Hill and Unibet.

All of these sportsbooks are true veterans in the industry and they have had their odds for TI10 available for several months already. Moreover, they all offer a great welcome bonus to get you to a great kick start from the get-go. Bet365 have one of the best bonuses one market in our opinion. Not only due to the size of it, but also the simplicity and the simple rollover requirements.

William Hill is one of the oldest and most experienced bookmakers in the world, and their esports selection is excellent, not least for TI10.

Another fan favorite is of course Unibet, who focuses heavily on offering the best esports and Dota 2 markets in the world. Both their pre-match selection and livebetting offers a great variety of betting markets for the game, and betting on TI10 with them will without a doubt be a great experience!

These three bookmakers truly exemplifies what a great sportsbook can offer you when it comes to betting on esports, and we can happily recommend them all for TI10. High odds, good bonuses, transparency and trustworthiness together with great market selections makes it a no-brainer for us.

We also want to mention a somewhat new and fresh sportsbook for betting on sports. LeoVegas is more than anything known for their great online casino, but they have since some time back also offered betting on sports, and they have done tremendously well in a short span of time. Why not give them a shot? If you do, you will be eligible to take part in a unique bonus. LeoVegas offers a 100% profit boost bonus up to £100. This mean that you can use a token on a placed bet to increase the profit of that bet with a 100%. The best part of it all? The win is not tied to any rollover requirements at all, and you can instantly withdraw your winnings!

As some might know, LeoVegas have a great reputation for being the #1 mobile user destination. This is as much true for their sportsbook as the casino section. So, if you are planning on placing bets on TI10 with your phone, then LeoVegas is a great choice for you!

We will now take a look at our predictions for TI10. We have done this by dividing the teams into three different categories: favourites, challengers, and the potential dark horses. Note that this list is solely based on which teams we believe will perform well, and they are not meant as betting tips as we have not taken the odds into account.

After our analysis of how The International 10 might play out we will take a look at the best outright betting options ahead of the tournament. There we weigh the teams expected performance against the latest available odds to find the best value bets.

We will also provide you with our Power Ranking for TI10, where all teams are included. The rankings will be updated each week, or whenever noteworthy events change our opinion.

All odds presented down below are provided by Bet365, and will be updated on a weekly basis.

We have chosen three teams with the best chances to win TI10 based on their current form, experience and their general strength. This does not mean these are our betting tips, as odds are not considered. Ahead of TI10 it’s relatively clear that these three teams are a bit above the rest, but as we know from the past the story can be another altogether when the tournament starts. Dota 2 is a very dynamic esports game and that is even more true during a tournament like The International. Here we go, our three main candidates to lift the Aegis in October!

PSG.LGD

• Carry: Ame
• Mid: NothingToSay
• Offlane: Faith_bian
• Support: XinQ
• Hard Support: y´

Odds for PSG.LGD to win The International 10:

PSG.LGD is without a doubt the massive favourite to win The International 10, but we instantly have to bring up the big news - the team will most likely play with a stand-in. NothingToSay has not managed to get a VISA to travel outside Malaysia and everything speaks for PSG.LGD playing with their coach, xiao8, instead.

The addition of the former Dota 2 legend has not stopped PSG.LGD from keeping up their normal momentum in recent times though. The team has since the temporary switch managed to place second in ESL One Fall and winning OGA Dota PIT.

This Chinese giant also has two very strong performances in The International behind them, which further proves how strong the team is, and they consistently make deep runs. In TI8 they saw themselves beat by OG in a final that by many is seen as one of the best ever, and in TI9 they managed a third place finish - not too shabby either.

UPDATE: NothingToSay has been confirmed to have acquired a VISA, and he will be attending TI10. For obvious reasons this makes PSG.LGD the gigantic favorite again. The Malaysian superstar midlaner makes PSG.LGD a complete mix of immense skill and team oriented perfection. It's really as simple as that - with these news there is no team that can match PSG.LGD on paper, and the odds now seem more justified.

There is no doubt that PSG.LGD is the most stable team in the world during 2021 and they are expected to reach the top three without much issue. We can’t blame the bookies for this assessment at all, but the odds aren’t exactly exciting for them to win at all either. Despite confirming the attendance of NothingToSay we would not go with odds under 4.00. There is simply too much room for change until TI10 kicks off to warrant it. For now we are definitely passing the odds provided.

Team Secret

• Carry: MATUMBAMAN
• Mid: Nisha
• Offlane: zai
• Support: YapzOr
• Hard Support: Puppey

Odds for Team Secret to win The International 10:

It’s that time again - Team Secret is once again one of the favourites to win TI. We have seen this story play itself out at least a couple of times before, and it has always ended in a near tragedy. This time it could however be slightly different, as the pressure has cooled down a fair bit since the amazing performances by Secret last year. The team was one of the most dominant we have ever seen in Dota 2, but since much has changed.

The expectations due to last year’s dominance have not panned out during 2021 even if it started just the same way. DreamLeague 14 was a flawless 7-0 showing by Secret that led them straight into the upcoming major. That did however end in a complete disaster as Secret didn’t win a single match out of five, and that was followed up by a last place finish in ESL One Summer. And since then the team has not been to be seen at all. Still they are here as one of the favourites for TI10.

It’s exactly these results that honestly could play in the favour of Team Secret , who otherwise have always had to wear the mantle of a dominant force no one was supposed to stop. Puppey leads the team with an iron fist and we can expect the preparations to have been as rigorous as ever. There is only one goal - to return home with the Aegis. This team truly possesses a skill ceiling higher than anyone else, well, maybe besides PSG.LGD of course. The only thing needed now is that it all clicks perfectly when it’s needed the most.

It might very well be the time for Team Secret to finally get all cylinders running hot when TI comes knocking. The fact that the odds for them have reached 7.50+ makes us feel like the value is finally there. If Puppey has managed the preparations perfectly and managed to get Secret into 2020 form, then they will be very tough to stop, and the odds value is actually big here!

Evil Geniuses

• Carry: Arteezy
• Mid: Abed
• Offlane: iceiceice
• Support: Cr1t-
• Hard Support: Fly

Odds for EG to win The International 10:

EG still has some swagger from winning TI5, but that’s already six years ago and we can count on the organisation to be hungry to once again be the top dog. The team has undergone several changes since and the veterans in the team are now Arteezy and Crit-, who both joined the team in 2016. Since then the results have been clearly acceptable with a few tournament wins here and there, a long list of top three finishes, but a real jackpot is still missing.

At TI8 the team ended third after a loss against PSG.LGD, but what most probably remember even better are the thriller matches against OG. The drama between N0tail and Fly is something that has been imprinted in the Dota 2 history books forever. In TI9 they once again had a strong showing, but it came to a sudden end as they lost to OG (who else?) in the upper bracket, which was followed up by a loss against Liquid. While a 5-6th place finish is nothing to be ashamed of, EG wants more, much more.

A quick look at 2021 shows that EG have adapted to playing with both iceiceice and Abed extremely well. The team placed second at Singapore Major and WePlay Animajor, which in itself is a very good sign. The Achilles heel for EG is still how much trouble they have to close out a tournament and win it all. Top finishes are no longer good enough.

There are a lot of fans who would be happy to see Arteezy and Crit- finally win a TI, and the chances might just look better than ever. We can almost certainly count on the team making a deep run, but all the way? Nah, that sounds easier said than done, but for odds of 7.50+ we are getting close to enough value. Right now odds of 10.00 or more would be an instant bet, but for now we will keep cool.

In the category for challengers to lift the Aegis at TI10 we have chosen teams who for one or another reason can’t really reach the favourite status, but who still on a good day very well could get involved in the battle. The teams in this category aren’t longshots to win it all, and the most likely scenario is that they at a minimum will place in the upper half.

OG

• Carry: Sumail
• Mid: Topson
• Offlane: Ceb
• Support: Saksa
• Hard Support: N0tail

Odds for OG to win The International 10:

There won't be many people who dares to count OG out of the discussion to win TI anymore. Ahead of TI8 the team was completely disregarded and ranked as the worst team in the tournament, but we all know how that ended up. For TI9 they were not mentioned as a favourite, nor a challenger for that matter either. That would turn out to an even more dominating showing than the first time around. Who doesn't remember the IO carry, the fountain farming with Bristleback, or all other madness?

No, it's that simple at this point. OG is a team that manages to shine the most on the big stage, and it's no accident they have filled their cabinet with major and TI trophies. Now they arrive at The International 10 with Sumail and Saksa instead of ana and Jerax, but with leaders like N0tail and Ceb this team can go all the way again. As per usual we will also have Topson as a joker to count on when TI rolls around - will he achieve 3 jackpots in 3 tries? Well, at this point, why not?

The Dota 2 year of 2021 has not been what could be expected of OG, as they have missed the majors and ended up fourth at ESL One Summer. It does have to be said that the team had an amazing journey in the TI qualifiers when it was all on the line though. The two-time TI champions won matches against Vikin.GG and Nigma to set up a final against Tundra Esports. After a 0-2 deficit OG handle business as is tradition for the team. 0-2 became 3-2 and they secured a chance to defend their title in Romania.

OG is a team that should not be overlooked until the fat lady sings. They can truly overcome any obstacle, no matter how dire it looks. That is without a doubt their core strength, and when it comes to TI that ability is more crucial than ever. For odds around 9.00 it's still not the most attractive option. There are several strong teams attending and the mix with Sumail and Saksa has still not shown itself from their best side. We will skip taking a shot for these odds, but counting out this TI winning machine? Never.

UPDATE #2: Ceb will play at TI10 after all. A big positive for OG of course, but they have lost valuable time in their preparations ahead of the tournament. How the team is looking early on will be crucial, and we believe there will be great value betting opportunities whether OG over or under performs.

Team Aster/Vici Gaming/Invictus Gaming/Elephant

Aster:

• Carry: Monet
• Mid: White
• Offlane: Xxs
• Support: Borax
• Hard Support: LaNm

Team Aster:

Vici Gaming:

• Carry: poyoyo
• Mid: Ori
• Offlane: old eLeVeN
• Support: Pyw
• Hard Support: Dy

Vici Gaming:

Invictus Gaming:

• Carry: flyfly
• Mid: Emo
• Offlane: JT-
• Support: Kaka
• Hard Support: Oli

Invictus Gaming:

Elephant:

• Carry: Eurus
• Mid: Somnus
• Offlane: Yang
• Support: fy
• Hard Support: Super

Elephant:

All of the Chinese teams have great chances for deep runs at TI10, which also their odds back up quite clearly. It has become more and more apparent during 2021 that China is the dominating region of the Dota 2 scene right now, and in all honesty they could have sent 5-6 more teams who could performed well. When it comes to evaluating the teams it certainly is no easy task, as the Chinese scene has been a real slugger fight as of late.

These teams clash often, but there no one has shown themselves to be clearly ahead of the other. Instead it comes down to daily form and coincidences and any team can really beat the other on a given day. That is probably just another receipt of how good AND stable these teams are, which is a scary prospect for all other regions ahead of TI10. Not least is the fact that these teams get exceptional training time against each other yet another thing adding to the feeling that this could be Chinas year at The International.

At the moment we think Aster is the best betting option considering how well they performed at I-League, where they won the final against Vici Gaming. For odds of 26.00 it feels like a great value bet. The team has a great mix of young super skilled players, but they are also led by the very experienced LaNm, a legend in Chinese Dota 2. Our second choice falls on Vici Gaming, that have a great mix of experience with Ori, eLeVeN and DY, but also two interesting and more unproven players in Pyw and poyoyo. 13 times the money feels like a good option here too, but Aster is still a step ahead in terms of value.

Even if we see Aster and VG as the strongest bets to win TI10 we have to add that both Elephant and IG are interesting too. In Elephant we have a team with a plethora of star power. Eurus, Somnus, fy, Yang and Super are all heavy names on the Dota 2 scene, and at a certain time they would have all belonged to the absolute elite tier of players. They are slowly getting their tools and systems in shape, and even if odds of 9.00 doesn't interest us right now, they can be a great way to find value bets if they show great form from the start of the tournament.

IG is a team that has been very up and down since the creation of the current lineup in 2019. At times the young team, led by the veteran Kaka, has been on their way to belonging with the top teams in the world, just to fall down back in line behind the big names in China. On their best days Emo and flyfly make wonders with their immense mechanical skill, but as a whole it does feel like the teams is missing just that little extra to lift the Aegis this time around.

T1

• Carry: 23savage
• Mid: Karl
• Offlane: Kuku
• Support: Xepher
• Hard Support: Whitemon

Odds for T1 to win The International 10:

T1 is the big hope for South East Asia at TI10. The team broke through in a major fashion as they secured a third spot finish at the Animajor in June, which was then followed up by an exceptional performance at ESL One Summer, when the team won it all. Since then the play has been far from as flawless, but fourth place finishes at ESL One Fall and OGA Dota PIT is nothing to be ashamed of, far from it.

This incredibly skilled team has made a name for themselves as the comeback kings as they have managed to win from impossible spots time after another. This has also been true in the less successful tournaments.

It might be a longshot of course, but if T1 can show the type of form they displayed during spring, then anything can happen. The teams is built around insane individual skill, but they can also play some of the best team play seen this year in Dota 2. The fact that they can overcome anything as a group when it's needed the most is a great recipe for succeeding at TI10, and an underdog bet on them is warranted for 26 times the money.

Fnatic

• Carry: Raven
• Mid: ChYuan
• Offlane: Deth
• Support: Jabz
• Hard Support: DJ

Odds for Fnatic to win The International 10:

Before you think we have gone insane, let us explain. Fnatic is obviously a team who should not be named among the favorites for TI10. They should probably not even be in talks of the upper half, but that is only when considering their results in 2021. There is indeed not much to be happy about in the Fnatic camp, despite maybe a second place finish at BTS Pro Series ahead of teams like Team SMG and T1. And their qualification to TI10 of course.

When Fnatic were completely counted out they managed to grab the bull by the horns and prove that they belong on the big stage this year as well. After wins against Omega Esports and OB Neon they overcame their rivals, TNC.Predator, twice in a row to secure a spot at TI. Raven, ChYuan, Deth, Jabz and DJ are all players who have been here before, and when their game clicks well they can threaten any team out there.

At the moment Fnatic is being completely disregarded from the talks of winning The International, but we believe the team has much more to offer than most others. For 51 times the money it sounds both like a fun bet, but it's definitely not without some kind of value either!

1. PSG.LGD
2. Team Secret
3. Evil Geniuses
4. Virtus.Pro
5. Vici Gaming
6. Elephant
7. Aster
8. Invictus Gaming
9. OG
10. Team Spirit
11. Quincy Crew
12. T1
13. Fnatic
14. Undying
15. Alliance
16. Thunder Predator
17. beastcoast
18. SG e-sports

The Favourite Tip: Team Secret for odds

The Value Bet: Aster for odds

The Longshot: Fnatic for odds

We have a total of eight teams participating in DreamLeague Season 14: Europe, and it’s highest division. Four teams got an invite, and another four grabbed their spot through a qualifier.

Teams invited through the DPC Circuit (Ranked by amount of DPC Points)

• Evil Geniuses
• PSG.LGD
• Virtus.Pro
• Quincy Crew
• Invictus Gaming
• T1
• Vici Gaming
• Team Secret
• Team Aster
• Alliance
• bestcoast
• Thunder Predator

Qualified through Regional Qualifiers

• North America: Undying
• South America: SG e-sports
• Europe: OG
• East Europe: Team Spirit
• China: Elephant
• Southeast Asia: Fnatic

The total prize pool for The International 10 is $40,018,195, and the distribution looks exactly like it has done over the past few years, with a massive first prize and a quick drop-off towards the end.

Here is a list of how the money will be distributed at The International 10:

1: $18,208,300

2: $5,202,400

3: $3,601,600

4: $2,401,100

5-6: $1,400,600

7-8: $1,000,500

9-12: $800,400

13-16: $600,300

17-18: $100,000

There it is, that's how the biggest prize pool in esports history will be divided. For The International 9 the winning team, OG, received $15,620,181 and that will now be beaten by just short of 3 million by the coming winners of TI10.

The International 10 has not yet released the final format it will be played with, but we know that it will just like always be divided into a big and hectic group stage, followed by a Main Event. The group stage has historically been played with 18 teams being divided into two groups, played with a Round Robin, meaning all teams in the group play each other once in a BO2. We can expect this to be the case for The International 10 as well, but it is yet to be confirmed.

The Main Event of The International 10 will more than likely be played just like it has been previously. With a double elimination bracket consisting of 16 teams. This means that only two teams will be knocked out in the group stage, but eight teams starting in a BO1 match in the lower bracket. As soon as the official format for TI10 is released we will update this information, but for now we can still almost be certain that what is mentioned above will be the case.

Group Stage - October 7th - October 10th, 2021

Main Event - October 12th - October 17th, 2021