The series began with a closely contested game, where TSM were able to gain the upper hand after the 30-minute mark. Despite having a lineup composed mainly of control heroes, EG were unable to stop Jonathan ��Bryle�� Guia��s Leshrac and lost the first game of the series.

The second match was a clear demonstration of TSM’s superiority, as Enzo ��Timado�� Gianoli joined Bryle in dominating the game. The two core players of TSM did not suffer a single frag in the entire run of the second match, and together they recorded a total of 28 kills.

Due to the momentum of the series, it was widely anticipated that TSM would emerge victorious in the third game and clinch the series. However, Evil Geniuses surprised all by delivering a commanding performance, with Jean Pierre ��Chris Luck�� Gonzalez Salazar, Adrian ��Wisper�� Cespedes Dobles, and Crhistian ��Pakazs�� Savina showcasing their skills on Rubick, Timbersaw, and Chaos Knight, respectively.

Timado was completely stymied, and Ember Spirit player Bryle struggled to find room to operate on the map. The series lasted for 35 minutes as EG secured their first win in what became their journey toward a massive comeback.

Game four was a highly competitive match between the two teams and their cores, Pakazs and Bryle. Despite being slightly behind throughout the game, TSM attempted to regain ground with their Templar Assassin. EG, however, had an advantage with their champions Lina and Timbersaw, allowing them to further extend their lead.

TSM’s morale was diminished after the third game. The confidence they had previously gained from the first two matches was now depleted as EG cruised to victory in the fifth game in 25 minutes.

This tournament is the first showcasing of Evil Geniuses’ newly formed roster. The win becomes a feather in their cap as they look to build momentum heading into the season proper.

The highly competitive nature of the 2023 DPC season was evident in the close series between the top two organizations in the Americas. However, TSM were unable to field their full team due to the absence of Matthew “Whitemon” Filemon and the fact that Matthew “Ari” Walker and Gainullin “kasane” Ilyas were still on European soil. David “MoonMeander” Tan Boon Yang had to step in as a substitute.

With Division 1 action set to begin in a month, it is likely that Whitemon, Ari, and kasane will make their way to North America soon.

?More esports news

?BOOM Esports enter the BTS Pro Series S9 SEA playoffs with a 5-3-0 record and an impressive 13-3 map differential from the group stage. Nigma Galaxy SEA have been far less impressive, finishing the group stage in fourth place with a 2-5-1 record and 9-7 map differential.

While BOOM have been far more efficient, they couldn’t win against Nigma Galaxy last Sunday when the underdogs forced a 1-1 draw. It’s fair to mention that BOOM had to play with a stand-in for Brizio Adi “Hyde” Putra Budiana; however, that doesn’t mean much considering Hyde has not been able to play for BOOM for over a week.

BOOM Esports are the reigning BTS Pro Series champions and objectively a better team than Nigma Galaxy, but that doesn’t mean we’re in for a 2-0 sweep. Nigma Galaxy have had some solid showings, particularly towards the end of the group stage, which gives us hope that Wilson “poloson” Koh Chin and co. can force a close series.

?Motivate.Trust Gaming last met with Yangon Galacticos on October 29, when they won 2-0. MG.Trust were priced as $1.22 favourites to win that bout and are priced similarly for the rematch, so it’s fair to assume we might be in for another clean sweep.

However, a lot has changed since that fixture, namely for the better for Yangon Galacticos, who are undefeated across their last five BTS Pro Series outings. Over that stretch, Galacticos won against Polaris Esports, Nigma Galaxy SEA, Execration, and Omega Gaming, while they could only manage a draw against OB Esports x Neon.

MG.Trust Gaming are undefeated across their last four, with two draws against OB.Neon and Nigma Galaxy and two wins against Army Geniuses and Omega Gaming. While those are solid results, they are hardly enough to explain the offered Dota 2 betting odds.

Yangon Galacticos have been playing well of late, and while we wouldn’t count on them upsetting the BTS Pro Series S8 bronze medallists, the outsiders look solid enough for us to believe they can do some damage.

?Motivate.Trust gaming are heavily favoured to win this bout which is justifiable. Anurat “boombell” Praianun and his crew are one of the top teams at the tournament, whereas Omega Esports are firm favourites to finish the ninth season of the BTS Pro Series in last place.

Admittedly, Omega had a very tough start to the tournament, as they had to face BOOM Esports, OB Esports x Neon and Nigma Galaxy SEA, but that’s hardly an excuse. What’s more, MG.Trust are easily just as strong as these three squads, if not stronger.

MG.Trust and Omega have met three times in 2021, and while Omega forced a draw in April, they have lost the next two bouts (0-2), most recently at the end of October. There’s not a lot that would suggest Omega can cause an upset, so we will gladly take MG.Trust at the offered Dota 2 betting odds.

?Nigma Galaxy SEA have yet to find any traction this tournament and are 1-3-0 after four rounds, with draws against two of the weakest teams in Omega Esports and Army Geniuses. Polaris Esports, meanwhile, have managed a 2-1-2 record with wins against Omega Esports and Army Geniuses, a draw against Execration, and losses to Yangon Galacticos and MG.Trust.

Nigma and Polaris last met during the eighth season of the BTS Pro Series in September, when Nigma won the first bout (2-0) but lost the rematch (1-2). The teams have not made a single roster change since; however, it’s worth noting that Polaris have played significantly more games since September (36) than Nigma (3) and are 9-4-2 across their last 15.

A draw is a possibility, but we like Polaris at $3.38.

?Execration are in a terrible spot, having failed to win a single match across their opening five. In their defence, Execration are playing with two stand-ins in Justine Ryan Evangelista “Tino” Grimaldo and Denz Daryll “Abat” Anedez, but that doesn’t change the fact that Execration aren’t playing well.

Yangon Galacticos entered BTS Pro Series Season 9 as outsiders, and while they have not achieved anything remarkable, they are playing reasonably well. On Monday, Galacticos nearly won a map off the reigning champions, BOOM Esports, and added a draw with OB Esports x Neon on Thursday.
Form-wise, Galacticos are in a better spot, yet they’re still priced as high as $5.03 to win this bout, which doesn’t seem fair. The esports bookmakers seem to be putting way too much weight on the brand value and Execration’s success in their last meeting with Galacticos (2-0) in September.

Yangon Galacticos with a map advantage is a safe bet, but there’s far more value in siding with the outsiders to win at $5.03.

?Following a disappointing run at The International 10, Thunder Predator released their entire roster and acquired a new lineup, formerly of NoPing e-sports, who won the eighth season of the BTS Pro Series in September and placed second in the seventh season a month prior.

Simply TOOBASED are a North American side known for two things: fielding Dota 2 veteran Jaron “monkeys-forever” Clinton, and middling success over the year. Simply TOOBASED’s only notable achievement of the year was a gold medal from the NA’s DPC Season 1 lower bracket. What’s more, the NA squad have managed only one win across their last 17 outings.

The top Dota 2 betting sites have set the kill handicap for this bout is set at 14.5, which is high, but more than fair. In their meeting with INF.UESPORTS on Saturday, Simply TOOBASED lost with 8-34 and 15-42 in kills, and if that performance is any indication, TP should cover the spread easily.

?OB Esports x Neon are 1-1-0 after two rounds of play, with a win against Nigma Galaxy SEA and a draw against BOOM Esports. Although a relatively small sample size of games, you really can’t complain about what OB.Neon have shown.

Army Geniuses have had some flashes of greatness in the previous BTS Pro Series seasons, but this is still a very weak team. The Indonesian squad have managed one win since the start of October and only two across their last 16 outings (2-9-5).

The only thing working in AG’s favour is that they have played stalemates with OB.Neon in their last two meetings. However, with the performances they’ve been showing recently, it’s unlikely that Army Geniuses will see the same level of success this time out.

?BOOM Esports and Motivate.Trust Gaming last met in September, during the eighth season of the BTS Pro Series, when BOOM won 2-0. It marked their second head-to-head victory of the year (2-1-1) and first since June, having lost against MG.Trust in the BTS Pro Series S6 finals (0-3).

BOOM have made one change since their last meeting with MG.Trust , adding Timothy John “Tims” Randrup as a replacement for Rafli Fathur “Mikoto” Rahman. MG.Trust, meanwhile, announced that they would keep the same roster heading forward.

Form-wise, BOOM are undefeated across their last five outings (5-0), while MG.Trust’s undefeated run stretched over nine games, albeit it includes only three wins (3-6-0). However, MG.Trust have at least been playing games this month, whereas BOOM’s last bout happened a month ago.

Ring rust will play a factor, and you could question whether BOOM have had enough time to incorporate Tims into the roster. Still a strong team on paper, but there are too many ‘what ifs’ to justify a bet on BOOM.

?Nigma Galaxy SEA and Execration have not made any roster changes during the BTS Pro Series’ two-month break and are the same teams they were in September when Nigma Galaxy won 2-0. It marked their second head-to-head victory of the year (2-5) and first since February.

Execration and Nigma Galaxy are both 3-3 across their last six outings, and they both played their last official match in September, so it’s fair to expect some ring rust and an open affair.

Anything can happen after a long break, especially at this level of play; hence a draw is a real possibility. However, we are not as excited about Execration since the team has only four active players and will need to play with a stand-in. Nigma Galaxy are a better pick at the offered Dota 2 betting odds.

Team SMG enter the BTS Pro Series Season 8 Southeast Asia playoffs as the one to beat, having topped the group stage without a single loss (7-2-0). What’s even more impressive is that SMG’s only two draws happened during the first week of play, so they’re in excellent form heading into the tournament’s final stage.

Execration have met with Team SMG 14 times across the year but have managed only three wins and one draw (3-1-10). While a very unconvincing record, it’s important to note that Execration’s third head-to-head win happened last Thursday when they swept SMG 2-0.

We don’t expect Execration to cause an upset, but they can compete with SMG. Execration have won at least one map against SMG in half of their last 14 meetings, largely thanks to their early aggression. A handicap bet on Execration is a solid option, but we like the first blood market better.

Nigma Galaxy SEA (formerly Galaxy Racer) are 6-1-2 at BTS Pro Series S8 and 6-1 across their last seven outings. Their only loss over that stretch happened on Sunday when Galaxy lost against Team SMG; however, they previously won six straight, all 2-0 results.

Despite their incredible form, Nigma Galaxy SEA are priced as underdogs for this match, which likely has to do with their poor showing in their last meeting with BOOM Esports (0-2). BOOM were the better team on the day, but that doesn’t guarantee them success on Thursday.

There isn’t a lot to separate Nigma Galaxy SEA and BOOM Esports quality-wise. While we have no issue with BOOM being priced as the favourites, there is no value backing them at $1.51. At the offered Dota 2 betting odds, it’s difficult to pass on Nigma Galaxy SEA to cause an upset.

?Galaxy Racer will play their second BTS Pro Series match on Wednesday when they clash with Yangon Galacticos. It will mark their third meeting of the year and the first since February when Galaxy Racer won 2-1.

Yangon Galacticos enter this match with a 1-2-2 record after five rounds of play with losses against BOOM Esports and Polaris Esports, two draws against Team SMG and Motivate.Trust Gaming, and a win against Dream Makers. Outside of their loss against Polaris, Galacticos have done well enough to be considered one of the tournament’s top-four teams.

Galacticos are priced as high as $2.10 to win one map against Galaxy Racer, which is very generous since they have done it before. A smaller wager on the outsiders to win the match is worth considering, but we will play it safe and settle for a handicap bet.

?Army Geniuses are priced as heavy underdogs for this bout, even though they are 3-1 in the head-to-head across their last four meetings with Execration. Still, it’s worth mentioning that Execration won their most recent clash 2-0 just a week ago.

You could argue that Army Geniuses shouldn’t be priced at such high Dota 2 betting odds, but their poor form justifies the price. In contrast, Execration are undefeated in their last six (4-2-0) and have suffered only two losses since the start of the month (6-8-2) �C both against the current BTS Pro Series frontrunners, Team SMG.

A bet on Army Geniuses at the offered Dota 2 odds is inviting, but we don’t see how they can upset the in-form Execration. We have to side with the favourites for this bout.

?OB Esports x Neon got off to a slow start to their BTS Pro Series Season 8 Southeast Asia campaign with two draws against Execration and BOOM Esports. Similarly, Galaxy Racer drew their opening match of the tournament on Wednesday against Dream Maker as $1.31 favourites.

One result doesn’t mean much, but it’s hard to be overly excited about Galaxy Racer and their performance earlier this week. However, on a more positive note, Galaxy Racer are 2-1-1 in the head-to-head against OB.Neon across their last four meetings.

Galaxy Racer last met with OB Esports x Neon a month ago, when they won 2-0, albeit the game could have easily ended the other way. Based on what we have seen from these two Dota 2 esports teams so far, there is a solid chance that we might see a draw, but at $4.05, we have to take OB.Neon to pick up their fifth head-to-head victory on the year and their first since May.

?Army Geniuses have yet to win a game at this tournament but came close on Tuesday when they drew with Team SMG, to which they added a reasonably solid performance against Motivate.Trust Gaming (0-2) two days later. Even though Army Geniuses lost that match, they showed some good qualities and nearly came back from an 8.8k deficit on map two.

Dream Maker forced a draw against Galaxy Racer on Wednesday, and while that was a good result, it was mostly a product of Galaxy Racer playing poorly. In their second bout of the tournament, Dream Maker clashed with Execration (0-2), and we can’t say we were impressed with what they showed on the day.

Dream Maker players were getting caught out of position left and right, and there was nothing positive about their teamfighting either. That’s not to say that Army Geniuses are a perfect team, but they’re not as prone to making mistakes, which could be the difference on Saturday.

Motivate.Trust Gaming are expected to ease past Army Geniuses on Thursday, which isn’t surprising considering they have achieved far more over the season. What’s more, MG.Trust won this matchup 2-0 during the seventh season of the BTS Pro Series.

Still, we don’t believe the offered Dota 2 betting odds are fair. Army Genoises are 2-1 up in the head-to-head across their last three meetings, and even though those two wins happened way back in May, the teams haven’t changed by much and look as strong as they were four months back.

The only roster change across both teams since then happened in July when MG.Trust parted ways with Supanut “LionaX” Chow and replaced him with Anurat “boombell” Praianun, who rejoined the team after seven months.

Even though you could argue that Army Geniuses are weaker, we have to take a shot with them at $9.09. Alternatively, you can take the underdogs with a map handicap.

OB Esports x Neon started their journey into the eighth season of the BTS Pro Series on Tuesday with a draw against Execration, which isn’t too exciting considering Jaunuel “Jaunuel” Arcilla and co. were priced as favourites with the top esports betting sites. Still, we have to keep in mind that they’re playing with three temporary stand-ins.

BOOM Esports are one of the strongest teams at the tournament; however, like OB.Neon, they are playing with two stand-ins in Jinn Marrey “Palos” Lamatao and Prieme Ejay “PlayHard” Banquil. The latter is a former member of OB.Neon, who cut him from the team in June.

The revenge narrative could make you favour BOOM Esports over OB Esports x Neon, but we’re primarily interested in PlayHard’s insight into how his former team operates. For that reason, we like BOOM at excellent betting odds.

?Team SMG last met with Army Geniuses during the seventh season of the BTS Pro Series, where they won both meetings with 2-0. With those two wins, SMG are now 7-1-1 in the head-to-head, with three consecutive clean sweeps since late July.

Still, SMG haven��t been too convincing of late, and have managed a 2-3-0 record across their last five outings. That run includes wins against Execration and M Y and three draws against Team God, Royale 5, and Galaxy Racer.

Similarly, Army Geniuses haven��t achieved much across the last week, with a 2-1-2 record in their last five outings – a draw against Ragdoll, two wins against Team God and Royale 5, and back-to-back losses against Galaxy Racer and Execration.

Due to Team SMG��s previous success against Army Geniuses, it would make sense to side with them to deliver on Tuesday. Still, we like Army Geniuses with a map handicap better, mainly due to SMG��s shaky showings against Royale 5 and Team God.

?Execration last met with OB Esports x Neon at the start of August, when they forced a 1-1 draw. With that, Execration are 2-2-7 in the head-to-head with Neon and 0-2-3 across their last five meetings.

Execration enter this match with a fairly solid 7-1-2 record across their last 10 outings. Meanwhile, OB Esports x Neon have managed a much worse 4-2-4 run over the same stretch and haven��t played a single official match in almost a month.

Neon were last seen competing during BTS Pro Series Season 7 Southeast Asia, in which they finished in seventh place, while Execration landed in fifth. Even though Neon have consistently delivered against Execration, it��s hard to be overly excited about a ring-rusty team, who have managed only one win across their last seven fixtures.