MSI 2021 Semifinal Preview, Odds and Picks – DWG Kia Favored Against MAD Lions
- The Semifinals of the 2021 Mid Season Invitational take place on May 21st and May 22nd
- Royal Never Give Up and DWG Kia are massive favorites to win their respective semifinal matches
- DAMWON Kia finished the Rumble Stage in first place with an 8-2 record
The Mid Season Invitational is down to the final four. Although the tournament has seen its fair share of surprises, DWG Kia, commonly known as DAMWON Kia, and Royal Never Give Up are still massively favored to advance to the finals in the MSI 2021 Semifinal odds.
These two teams were far and away the favorites to win the entire tournament, as seen in the MSI 2021 Preview. So far, there’s no real reason to doubt that RNG or DWG Kia will hoist the MSI Trophy. However, PSG Talon have exceeded expectations and qualified for playoffs over the likes of Cloud9.
Even with an impressive Rumble Stage, oddsmakers aren’t giving PSG Talon much of a chance against RNG.
MSI 2021 Semifinal Odds
| May 21, 2021 | Map Handicap | Total Maps | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Never Give Up | -1.5 -286 | O 3.5 -223 | -834 |
| PSG Talon | +1.5 +185 | U 3.5 +135 | +425 |
| May 22, 2021 | Map Handicap | Total Maps | Moneyline |
| DWG Kia | -1.5 -286 | O 3.5 -223 | -834 |
| MAD Lions | +1.5 +185 | U 3.5 +135 | +425 |
Odds as of May 20th from Betway
Royal Never Give Up vs PSG Talon
Even though DWG Kia opened the tournament as the favorites, entering the playoffs, some might argue that RNG is actually the strongest team. Royal Never Give Up finished the Rumble Stage with a 7-3 record, which earned them the second seed. The biggest boon for them is that they were the only team to defeat DAMWON Kia, and they did it twice.
However, this isn’t a matchup between RNG and DWG Kia just yet. The odds are making it seem like that will inevitably be the matchup in the final, but first RNG and DAMWON need to hold off their semifinal opponents.
PSG Talon has been the surprise of MSI 2021. They’re the top team out of the Pacific Championship Series, and they absolutely dominated their own region. After going 17-1 in the regular season, they swept three straight teams in the playoffs to earn their spot at MSI. Still, entering MSI, they were heavily underestimated but immediately impressed in the Rumble Stage with a Day 2 win over Cloud9 and a huge victory over RNG on Day 3.
A win over RNG is nothing to scoff at, but in the best-of-one format, it’s still not enough to warrant picking PSG Talon to win this playoff series. As miraculous as this upset would be, Royal Never Give Up is still a tier above. PSG Talon’s success at MSI proves that they can hang at an international level, but don’t expect them to start taking down the LPL Champions in a best of 5.
Pick: Royal Never Give Up (-834), U 3.5 (+135)
DWG Kia vs MAD Lions
The pre-tournament favorites are the number 1 seed entering the playoffs, but they’re not as invincible as they once seemed. They dropped a game to Cloud9 in Stage 1, and lost both matches against RNG in the Rumble Stage. Although that might raise some concern for their potential Grand Final matchup, there’s no reason to ring the alarm bells just yet.
The MAD Lions have performed admirably after winning the LEC title over the likes of G2 and Fnatic. Regardless of how this series goes, they’ll be able to hang their hat on a tournament where they took a game off of RNG. The one thing lacking from their MSI checklist is a win over DAMWON Gaming.
While I expect them to take a game off of the defending World Champions, winning the series seems a bit farfetched. We’ve seen Europe shock teams out of the LCK before, but DWG Kia should handle their business against the MAD Lions and lock up their spot in the finals.
Pick: DAMWON Kia (-834) , O 3.5 (-223)
Growing up, Matthew was in love with sports. So, following his undergrad, it only made sense to dive head-first into the world of sports media. Rather than sticking to traditional sports, Matt found his way to eSports and gaming. He also produces, edits and serves as an analyst for SQUAD.
