Dota 2 Betting is back when the International 2022 is set to kick off on Saturday, October 15, as some of the world’s top teams head to compete for the coveted Aegis of Champions and the largest slice of the multi-million dollar prize pool.
However, we still need to get the final two participants via the Last Chance Qualifier, which will run from October 8-12, featuring 12 teams vying for the final two tickets leading to the championship.
Although not as exciting as the main event, the LCQ will present us with a handful of exciting clashes and a plethora of great Dota 2 betting options, one of which we will explore in this article.
Today’s free esports betting preview focuses on a clash between Wildcard Gaming and Xtreme Gaming, who will lock horns for the first time in their history. And while the Dota 2 betting odds suggest that this will be a very one-sided affair, that hasn’t stopped us from finding a couple of solid esports betting predictions.
David vs. Goliath
Admittedly, neither Xtreme Gaming nor Wildcard Gaming are expected to win The International 2022, which is fairly evident if we take a look at the outright betting odds. While Xtreme Gaming are priced at +3300 underdogs to go all the way, Wildcard Gaming are priced as high as +15000 to upset the field and win the championship.
Suffice to say, Wildcard Gaming won’t win TI, while Xtreme Gaming will have to severely outperform the expectations to do so. But regardless of this being a clash of two outsiders, there’s quite a significant gap between the two Dota 2 teams.
Even though both have earned their spot at the championship, Xtreme Gaming are significantly stronger, which, in part, has to do with the fact that they hail from China, which is a much stronger region than North America.
And even though Xtreme Gaming have to fight through the LCQ, they have achieved a lot this season. So while they might be the third-best Chinese Dota 2 team, Xtreme Gaming have looked very competitive and have done enough to earn respect from international opponents.
Unlike Xtreme Gaming, Wildcard Gaming have achieved very little this season, with their most notable result being a fifth-place finish at DPC NA 2021/2022 Tour 3: Division I.
Respected But Undervalued – Xtreme Gaming
Over the competitive history of Dota 2, Chinese Dota has varied quite a lot, but it is often undervalued by the fanbase. Notably, a few prominent teams in EHOME, LGD, ViCi, and Invictus Gaming have dominated in the respective eras, and very rarely do we see any other team come up to challenge the established names.
The only exceptions were veteran lineups or younger squads bursting with potential and unknown talent. Xtreme Gaming are somewhere in the middle, fielding veteran players and younger, inexperienced, but success-hungry individuals, forming a very scary lineup with a high ceiling.
We don’t know much about how Xtreme Gaming will do internationally since we’ve yet to see them play on an international stage. However, they had qualified for Arlington, which they had to skip due to visa issues, so it’s not like Xtreme Gaming weren’t good enough to play on big stages.
It’s important to note that they’re 5-5 against the current TI11 favorites, LGD, and 8-2 against ViCi Gaming, which alone is enough to make you believe in Xtreme Gaming’s potential.
Qualifying Would Be A Success
Wildcard Gaming’s chances of winning The International are slim to none, and even though TI has seen a plethora of Cinderella stories in the past, Wildcard Gaming likely won’t be involved in one this year. That’s not to say that they don’t deserve a shot at qualifying for TI11, but even that will be a challenge.
Wildcard Gaming won just one tournament this year – the Royal Jelly Covenant: NA – in March, but even that’s hardly worth praising, knowing that it was a Tier 3 event that didn’t feature a good team. Elsewhere, Wildcard Gaming have been largely disappointing, even domestically.
Their most notable placement of 2022 was fourth at DPC NA 2021/2022 Tour 2: Division I, which again is nothing to write home about. And their fifth-place finish in Tour 3: Division I further proves that Wildcard is a mid-table NA Dota 2 team at best.
Moreover, if we look at Wildcard Gaming’s past results, they haven’t beaten a single solid team. And to make matters worse, they even struggled against second-tier Dota 2 squads, which is highly concerning and should make you think twice before considering making esports predictions in their favor.
Xtreme Gaming vs. Wildcard Gaming Betting Prediction
No matter how you look at this match and how much you believe that underdogs actually have a chance to cause an upset in the BO2 series, there is nothing that would suggest Wildcard Gaming can defeat the third-best team from China.
Dota 2 betting can be a bit tricky, especially in BO2 games featuring teams from different regions and no head-to-head records. But even with all that in mind, this is a match Xtreme Gaming can’t lose.
Unlike Wildcard Gaming whose peak is to qualify for TI11, Xtreme Gaming might even battle for a top-eight finish. This is a match that can only end one way, and there is just one of many possible esports predictions you can make.
Prediction: Xtreme Gaming to win
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