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Dota 2 fans are among the first to celebrate the beginning of 2020, as a tournament dedicated to their favourite game starts on January 9.
The WePlay! Bukovel Minor is an event of lower magnitude, but an excellent opportunity for the teams to gear up for what promises to be a highly competitive season. The offline esports tournaments will feature eight teams from regional qualifiers, with one squad guaranteed from each region. There will be split into two groups and the top two teams from each advance to the playoffs.
WePlay! Bukovel Minor Favourites and Prize
Each of the participating teams is guaranteed to win a prize of at least $12,000, but the top four will get the lion’s share from a total of $300,000. The winners will be awarded a $72,000 paycheck, while the runners up will have to settle for $60,000. A match will determine the teams that finish in the third and fourth places, and their corresponding prizes of $54,000, respectively $42,000.
The Ukrainian tournament has a clear favorite, with Nigma being the most likely team to prevail, as reflected by the esports odds of 3/2 at ArcaneBet. The Europeans will have home pitch advantage and overall the strongest roster, but they will share Group B with Gambit Esports. Ukrainian fans are likely to root for this team coached by a countryman, and whose victory is priced at 7/2 by the same bookmaker.
Geek Fam and Team Spirit are the underdogs of Group A, while Royal Never Give Up and Ninjas in Pyjamas are the top seeds. Rivalry offers similar odds of 11/2 on the Chinese outfit to prevail and 13/2 on the North Americans. US fans will be cheering for Ninjas in Pyjamas, but Canadians will surely root for Fighting Pandas, who get odds of 9/1 and have a roster featuring four Canadians and a US player.
Read also: Forbes Lists Its Top Three Esports for the Next Decade
WePlay! Bukovel Minor Group Stage Bets and Tips
The group stage matches will be decided a few days before the tournament begins, but punters can already place antepost wagers. Risk-averse punters and those who don’t want to wait for the tournament to complete can bet on the winners of Group A and B. Group B has a clear favorite, with Nigma getting odds of 3/5 at Buff.bet followed at a distance by Gambit Esports at 11/5. Meanwhile, Royal Never Give Up are slight favorites in Group A at 6/5, with Ninjas in Pyjamas close behind at 8/5.
Punters can get creative and bet on the most successful team from the Community of Independent States. Gambit Esports are so much better than Team Spirit that punters can only expect odds of 3/10 at Betway esports on the former to finish higher in the final standings. It’s going to be much more difficult to predict the best performing North American team, as both Ninjas in Pyjamas and Fighting Pandas are priced at 9/10.
Image courtesy of WePlay! Esports
