Mid Season Invitational 2022: Top Tips, Tricks & Strategies

Posted on May 8, 2019 - Last Updated on May 4, 2022

The 2022 Mid-Season Invitational is about to start! The Stage 1 begins  on May 10 with 11 participants split into three groups. Teams are drawn into three groups based on seeding, with the likes of G2 Esports, SK Telecom T1, and RNG being among the strongest contenders. During the group stage, matches are best of one and the best two teams from each group advance to Stage 2.

The stakes are demonstrably high, as every team will be fighting for fame, glory, and a chunk of the multi-million prize pool. With that in mind, our League of Legends experts prepared a quick list of Mid-Season Invitational betting tips and tricks that will help you make the most out of your money!

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Our top bookmakers for betting on the MSI:

Know Your Mid Season Invitational Teams

Just like a general needs to map out the terrain to come up with a battle plan, you need to get a good grasp of Mid Season Invitational teams to devise your gambling strategy. The key thing to note here is that all MSI participants come from different regions. And while some of these regions have common traits and qualities, LoL esports fans will still see a clash of wildly different playstyles at this event.

Still, if we had to make a quick power ranking of the attending teams, it would look something like this:

  1. Royal Never Give Up (China, LPL)
  2. T1 (South Korea, LCK)
  3. G2 Esports (Europe, LEC)
  4. Evil Geniuses (North America, LCS)
  5. PSG Talon (Taiwan, LMS)
  6. Saigon Buffalo (Vietnam, VCS)

Now, keep in mind that this doesn’t necessarily mean that the #2 Mid Season Invitational team will always win against the #3 team. On the contrary, the unpredictability of G2 Esports gives them a decent shot of taking down SK Telecom T1 in a best-of-one format. In a similar fashion, Evil Geniuses might drop a game to PSG Talon purely because they won’t be able to keep up with their opponents in the early game. The only team that will have trouble punching above its weight is Saigon Buffalo. Not only is their playstyle relatively standard, but they don’t have the firepower to challenge lineups from other major regions.

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T1, RNG and G2 Esports Expected to Dominate MSI 2022

Another interesting thing to note is the top-2 standoff. T1 are hungry to regain their former glory through a combination of polished macro and cold-blooded playmaking. Meanwhile, Royal Never Give up have been running hot  throughout the LPL regular season and the playoffs, and their relentless aggression will be a stark contrast to SKT’s calculated playstyle.

So, what should you take away from this?

The top-2 teams are above the rest of the playing field in a playoffs setting, but it’s entirely possible that they will drop some games in the group stage. Most notably, one of our main Mid-Season Invitational betting tips is to consider betting on Evil Geniuses beating G2 Esports in their first Bo1 match. PSG could also contest RNG for first place if the LPL champions fail to play well in the first minutes of the match. And while there is some room for a Saigon Buffalo upset, the risks are too high to put your money on it. As for who’s going to raise the trophy, T1 are still the favorites to win this event, although we wouldn’t be surprised if other teams managed to challenge their dominance.

Do Your Mid Season Invitational 2022 Research

Every veteran gambler knows the importance of data and research. Sure, you could base your Mid Season LoL Invitational bets on instinct and hunches, but you will get much better results if you reinforce your reads with stats and analysis. Of course, the big question is, how exactly should you go about this?

Well, the best starting point is Oracle’s Elixir. This is an independent analytical platform with relevant data on the most popular LoL esports leagues and international tournaments. With that, you can access information like kill/death/assist (KDA) ratios, damage shares (DMG%), CS difference at the 10-minute mark (CSD10), and more. And while these Mid Season Invitational stats might sound confusing, they will be of huge help when you’re gauging player strengths and weaknesses.

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Our next stop is Leaguepedia. Much like Oracle’s Elixir, this site highlights player stats and performance indicators, albeit on a slightly lower scale. However, Leaguepedia supplements this data with match histories, champion statistics, and head-to-head records to give you a better idea of how your favorite teams and players will do at the MSI.

Finally, one of our top Mid Season Invitational 2022 betting tips is to read up on expert opinions. League of Legends podcasts like The Dive, EUphoria, and Listen Loco often feature players, coaches, and notable community figures sharing their thoughts on upcoming esports matches. You can also get a good idea of the current balance of power by visiting the League of Legends subreddit or following reputable analysts like Azael, Froskurinn, or PapaSmithy on Twitter. Granted, this isn’t the same as working with numbers, but it can provide a solid foundation for your analysis.

Adjust Your Gambling Strategy

Things tend to get wild at the Mid Season Invitational. No matter how much time you spend analyzing team identities and researching player matchups, there’s a good chance that something unexpected will happen over the course of the tournament. At times like these, it’s important to be flexible with your gambling strategy.

For instance, don’t hesitate to shuffle your personal LoL power rankings if you see that the underdogs are completely overperforming the favorites. In a similar fashion, don’t be afraid to take a chance on an upset even if all the experts disagree with your read. International tournaments are the most unpredictable aspect of competitive League of Legends. And in the end, even the most in-depth Mid-Season Invitational betting tips won’t amount to much if you don’t trust your gut.

Gianfranco Capozzi Avatar
Written by
Gianfranco Capozzi

Gianfranco works as Esports Editor-in-Chief and Head of Esports at Catena Media. He is specialized in Growth Hacking and Digital Marketing, with over 10 years of experience. Passionate about Overwatch, Fortnite, League of Legends, and esports industry news and regulations.

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