The Kuala Lumpur Major Playoffs Picks

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With the first group stages matches already on their way, now is the right time to talk about the teams with the highest chances of going through to the playoffs. In other words, you can think of this article as The Kuala Lumpur Major Playoffs Picks since that’s basically what we’ll be talking about later on.

But we won’t be going straight to that right off the bat. First, we will take a sneak peek at the tournament itself. Starting off with a quick bookie info, tournament overview, covering the format and then discussing everything betting-related (including the playoffs picks). I am sure many of you will agree with me when I say there is a lot of things to cover! No worries, I won’t waste any more of your precious time… Let’s head straight to business!

Where to Bet on the Kuala Lumpur Major?

If you’ve come to The Kuala Lumpur Major Playoffs picks, then you must be interested in Dota 2 betting, right? If that’s the case, I’m happy to present you with a short list of Esports bookies that usually impress me with their Dota 2 options and betting odds. So, why don’t you take a closer look at them real fast? Who knows, perhaps one of them gets to be your next Esports bookie of choice.

Here are the top US betting sites we recommend for betting on the Kuala Lumpur Major:

Here are the top Non-US betting sites we recommend for betting on the Kuala Lumpur Major:

The Kuala Lumpur Major Overview

After a brief info about the best Esports bookies to use for Dota 2 betting, it’s time to say a few key statements about the tournament itself. No worries guys, as soon as this section is over, we will quickly go through the format and then we’ll be arms deep in The Kuala Lumpur Major Playoffs Pick. I promise!

The Kuala Lumpur Major is the first Major of this competitive Dota 2 Esports season (2018/2019). As such, this tournament will feature a total of 16 teams from all around the world, all of which will have their eyes set on the grand prize.

The total prize pool for The Kuala Lumpur Major sits at $1,000,000 which is the usual number for such prestigious Dota 2 events. The winner, however, takes “only” $350,000 with runner-up and 3rd spot taking $170,000 and $100,000 respectively.

In addition to a whopping $1,000,000 in prize pool money, players will also be battling for a total of 15,000 points. The winner will take home close to 5,000. 4,950 if we are to be more precise here.

Despite the fact The Kuala Lumpur Major lasts from 9th till 18th November, only the 3 final days will be available for watching live at the mesmerizing Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur. Yes, this means the group stage alongside the bigger portion of playoffs will all be played behind closed doors.

The Kuala Lumpur Major Playoffs Format

The tournament itself, on the other hand, consists of both group stage and playoffs. The main event kicks off on 9th November and lasts all the way to the 18th where a total of 16 teams will battle it out for $1,000,000 in prize pool money. The group stage will feature 4 groups with 4 teams in each. Bo3 double-elimination bracket is the chosen arrangement for the group stage. Top 2 teams go through to the upper brackets playoffs while bottom 2 teams go through to the lower bracket playoffs. Basically, all teams get another shot at this tournament even after a bad start in the group stage.

As for the actual playoffs, they consist of upper and lower brackets, with the lower having 2 additional rounds due to the fact we’re talking about a double-elimination bracket. Lower bracket round 1 is played as Bo1 and the Grand Finals match is played as Bo5. All other matches in The Kuala Lumpur Major Playoffs are scheduled for Bo3 matchups.

Only the 3 last days are going to be played at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur in front of a live crowd!

The Kuala Lumpur Major Playoffs Picks

The Kuala Lumpur Major playoffs are very important since they’re basically the entire tournament. Sure, there’s a group stage at the very start but it’s really short with only a handful of matches in each group. With that being said, the playoffs are what matters so let’s head straight to the most anticipating question of them all – which teams are going to go through to the upper brackets of The Kuala Lumpur Major playoffs!

Group A

The situation in Group A is practically completed. Team Secret and NiP are the teams with 2 wins and will be heading to the upper bracket. More precisely, NiP goes against EG in UB Round 1 while Team Secret will most likely go up against Vici Gaming who are playing their Decided match against Aster in a couple of hours. If you ask me, Group A team that’ll continue their path through the upper bracket is definitely Team Secret. MidOne and Nisha have been looking terrifying recently. Undoubtedly the toughest opponents to face in this tournament!

Group B

As I just stated above, Vici Gaming should be the 2nd placed team in group B. 1st placed team is Evil Geniuses and they are playing against NiP on Monday. Evil Geniuses are looking fine at the moment, but they could easily be surprised by Ninjas in Pyjamas cometh the UP Round 1 matchup. This match is surely on my radar as one of the better ones so far in The Kuala Lumpur Major.

Group C

Group C and group D are still total mysteries. Not a single match has been played in these 2 groups so predicting the top placed teams can be a cumbersome task. However, a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do, right? Well, in that case, I’d say PSG.LGD should be the clear winner in this group. TI8 Finalists should not have a lot of issues with the likes of Gambit, Tigers, and Fnatic. The latter, of course, is my top pick for the second spot in Group C. It’s time to put my money where my mouth is!

Group D

Last but not least – group D! Once again, I can tell you the clear favorites right away – Virtus.pro. However, the battle for the second spot is going to be a tough one and I really can’t point out one team among the remaining 3. But since I have to make a pick, I’d say the highest chances of finishing second go to Forward Gaming…

Who Will Reach the Grand Finals?

As far as the grand finals are concerned, I can see only a handful of teams capable of reaching the grand stage. Of course, in addition to Team Secret which are the main favorites to win The Kuala Lumpur Major, I can also see the likes of Vici, EG, Virtus.pro, and PSG.LGD with somewhat equal chances of going through all the way. Of course, anything can happen in a double-elimination system.

That’s basically why The Kuala Lumpur Major Playoffs Picks are so hard to nail down correctly. There are multiple twists and turns in the brackets, just 1 defeat can delegate a team to the other side of the bracket. But still, any of the 5 teams listed above has decent chances if their recent performances were a good representation of their prowess.

Where to Watch This Tournament?

If you are interested in betting on this tournament, then surely you must be interested in watching it too. Rest assured there are several places to watch The Kuala Lumpur Major so that’s not going to cause a problem. However, what might cause it is the time zone difference. Since this tournament is played in Kuala Lumpur, the majority of matches are played very early in the morning for all European fans. North American fans, on the other hand, won’t have these issues.

If you want to watch The Kuala Lumpur Major, here’s a direct Twitch livestream for your convenience:

Watch live video from PGL_Dota2 on www.twitch.tv

Pavo Jurkic

Pavo Jurkic has been in the esports betting industry since 2015, actively writing content related to this rapidly growing industry. A dedicated father by day and an avid gamer by night, Pavo Jurkic aims to bring you the freshest esports news and betting predictions. ...

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Pavo Jurkic

Pavo Jurkic has been in the esports betting industry since 2015, actively writing content ...

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