This article is sponsored by DJ Esports.
Evil Geniuses had a very strong showing during the 2021 Dota Pro Circuit placing second at the One Esports Singapore Major and WePlay AniMajor and qualifying for The International 10 with a global leading 1,700 DPC points.
The success of EG this season largely came from integrating Abed and iceiceice into the team. With the Southeast Asian players joining the team, EG was able to implement a much more aggressive and technical style that helped the roster reach new heights. This playstyle shift had the team rolling and put them in second place on DJ Esports’ analytics matrix.
Likewise, OG went through a playstyle change too after making multiple roster adjustments over the last year, including the return and then subsequent retirement of ana during the second half of the DPC season, and after failing to even appear at a Major this season.
All of these changes led to N0tail and the boys playing slightly more conservatively, capitalizing on opportunities more than trying to force them with reckless abandon.
OG still has that aggressive mentality and is more than willing to act on it with SumaiL and Topson on the front lines. They flip a switch even if it looks like they might play a bit safer when it comes to mid-game objectives.
That ability to swap playstyles is going to be put to the test when they clash against EG in a series that could have serious seeding implications for TI10’s main event.
EG has led early in a majority of their games during the group stage, pushing that advantage and coming out on top more often than not, boasting a 5-3 record through two days. You can expect EG to press any advantage they can get early in an attempt to crush OG’s hopes of coming back.
Meanwhile, OG has staged several miraculous comebacks, namely an incredible last-minute push to win a game against Virtus.pro on day one. If they can properly get their core heroes online before EG pulls away, you can expect the two-time reigning TI champions to be ready for a teamfight.
EG and OG have clashed numerous times over the years, have a deep history with each other on a player-to-player level, and typically play with styles that make every matchup a must-watch. Both teams have shown that they are incredibly strong, and will likely be moving on to the next stage of TI10 regardless of the result of their clash.
If EG’s early offense isn’t enough to put them in a position to weather OG’s comeback, the key to these games could very well be seeing who can coordinate a teamfight better in the late-game, an area where OG will likely have the advantage.
Based on the current odds, OG has a return of 5.481 on beating the spread, just needing to win one game for bettors to earn a big payday by trusting the flowers.
Going into the exotic side of things, EG’s early offense is impressive, but OG is much more likely to focus on objectives in creative ways, which typically means that they have control of early-game Roshan. According to DJ Esports, OG’s first Roshan rate in the past 10 games is a staggering 80 percent.
This translates well into OG’s tendency to pay more attention to development in the early game and looking to turn that into an advantage when looking for opportunities to win the first Roshan, which helps them carry momentum into the late game. Because of this, DJ Esports has OG’s first Roshan odds set at 2.209.
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OG’s high likelihood of taking the Roshan, combined with their ability to shut down opponents in the late game, give them a real chance at taking Roshan and then winning game one with that management. With odds of 2.895, this could be a nice bet for anyone who thinks control is key.
Thanks to EG’s strong laning abilities, they often go for early picks in order to give themselves more advantages and opportunities to control the map. DJ Esports’ data shows their First Blood and First Tower rate are better than OG. Specifically, their First Tower rate is 36 percent higher than OG’s.
After taking an early lead, expect EG to invade the opponent’s side of the map to hinder OG’s development for the mid and late-game. Essentially, if EG gets a lead early, expect them to hit five kills soon after.
From the line-up data provided by DJ Esports, both teams have a regular pattern to their picks.
EG prefers a lineup that comes online quickly, can press the offensive, and tend to have proven useful in recent data, while OG is more methodical, choosing a line-up that focuses on late-game teamfights and personal preference. This game will come down to whether or not EG can quickly take shape and get in OG’s face, or if OG can keep EG on ice long enough to mount their own offensive.
In any case, the duel between these two juggernauts and the implications for playoff seeding will likely make this series the most-watched in Group A.
The match begins at 2am CT, and if you want to see more odds for EG and OG’s series or any other games for TI10, you can view them on DJ Esports.
