Introduction

As the biggest Dota 2 tournament of the year， The International 8 (TI8) is one of the most anticipated events in the world of esports. With a massive prize pool， top-tier teams from around the globe， and millions of viewers tuning in to watch， TI8 is a tournament unlike any other. And with the tournament fast approaching， now is the perfect time to start thinking about placing your bets and making your predictions for this year’s champions.

The Teams

This year， 18 teams will be competing for the TI8 crown. The teams are split into two groups of nine， and will play against each other in a round-robin format. The top four teams from each group will advance to the upper bracket of the main event， while the bottom team from each group will be eliminated. The remaining teams will continue to compete in the lower bracket of the main event， with the winner of the lower bracket facing off against the winner of the upper bracket in the grand finals.

The Favorites

As always， there are a few teams that are considered the favorites to win TI8. At the top of the list is the Chinese team， LGD Gaming. Featuring a roster of skilled and experienced players， LGD has been in dominant form throughout the year and is widely considered to be the team to beat at this year’s tournament.

Other favorites include the European team， Team Liquid， and the Southeast Asian team， Mineski. Team Liquid is the defending champion， having won last year’s tournament in dominant fashion， while Mineski has been performing exceptionally well in recent months， winning several major tournaments in Asia.

The Contenders

While LGD， Team Liquid， and Mineski are the favorites to win TI8， there are several other teams that could potentially make a deep run in the tournament. Among these contenders are the Chinese team， Virtus.pro， and the North American team， Evil Geniuses.

Virtus.pro has been consistently strong throughout the year， winning a number of tournaments in Europe and Asia. Evil Geniuses， on the other hand， has a long history of success in Dota 2 and is always a threat to make a deep run in any tournament.

The Underdogs

While the favorites and contenders are likely to draw the majority of the betting action at TI8， there are a few underdog teams that could surprise everyone and make a deep run in the tournament.

One such team is the South American team， paiN Gaming. While the team may not have the same level of experience or skill as some of the other teams in the tournament， they have been playing exceptionally well in South America and could potentially cause some upsets in the early stages of the tournament.

The Betting Options

As a fan of esports， there are several different betting options available for TI8. The most common form of betting is simply to pick the winner of the tournament outright. This is a popular option for those who are confident in their predictions and want to make a big win.

Other betting options include picking the winner of individual matches， predicting the winning team for specific rounds， and even betting on individual player statistics. There are a wide variety of betting options available， making it easy for anyone to get in on the action and make their predictions for this year’s tournament.

Conclusion

The International 8 is set to be an incredibly exciting event， with some of the best Dota 2 teams in the world competing for the championship title. Whether you’re a hardcore Dota 2 fan or simply looking to get in on the action and make some bets， there are plenty of opportunities to get involved and enjoy the tournament. So start thinking about your predictions and get ready for some nail-biting action at TI8!