It's time for the 2023 Mid-Season Invitational! Some of the biggest names in League of Legends are due to fight it out this month, in a tournament running from May 2-21.
Mid-Season Invitational 2023: Play-In Stage Upper Bracket Round 1 schedule, betting odds and predictions
This month's action is due to kick off with the Play-In Stage, where eight teams will be competing under a Double Elimination bracket, where only three teams will qualify for the next stage of the tournament.
All teams at MSI 2023 are competing for their share of the $250,000 prize pool, $50,000 of which will be awarded to the winner of the May 21 Grand Final.
And the tournament is set to begin today (May 2) with the Play-In Stage, where we'll be treated to four Upper Bracket Round 1 matches. The action will kick off at 13:00 GMT, with a face-off between PSG Talon and DetonatioN FocusMe.
PSG Talon (1.45) vs DetonatioN FocusMe (2.60)
Taiwanese team PSG Talon have had a tremendous start to the 2023 season, after they claimed a first-place win at PCS Spring 2023, following their victory over FRANK Esports in the Grand Final. The team has won every PCS Spring since they were founded in 2020, making PSG Talon a regular face at the Mid-Season Invitationals. They've performed well in the past too, having ranked in 3rd - 4th place in 2021, and 5th place in 2022 - meaning they're a team worth keeping your eye on this month.
Meanwhile, DetonatioN FocusMe are fresh from their first-place victory at LJL Spring 2023, having emerged victorious over Sengoku Gaming in the grand final. They're also a familiar face at Mid-Season Invitationals, but haven't seen anything near the same level of success as PSG - having ranked in 7th - 9th place in 2021 and 9th - 10th in 2022. While it's far too early to write them off just yet, they'll be facing some steep odds if they want to improve on that record.
The odds are in PSG Talon's favour here, at 1.45 vs DetonatioN FocusMe's 2.60.
Our next match will kick off at 16:00 GMT, when we'll see G2 Esports going up against LOUD.
G2 Esports (1.10) vs LOUD (5.80)
G2 Esports have had a promising 2023 season so far, having kicked things off with a 1st place win at LEC Winter 2023, following their victory over MAD Lions in the Grand Final. That victory was followed up by a 4th place result at LEC Spring 2023 - a relatively disappointing result, but ultimately insignificant given that they had already qualified for the MSI at that point. G2's run at the 2022 MSI was fantastic to witness, with them finishing in 3rd - 4th place. And so there's going to be plenty of pressure on G2 to repeat that performance this year.
LOUD, meanwhile, earned their spot at this year's MSI through their victory at the first 2023 CBLOL Split, having defeated PaiN Gaming in the Grand Final. This is the first time LOUD will be competing in a Mid-Season Invitational, having failed to qualify in both 2021 and 2022. They did, however, qualify for Worlds 2022 - but their ranking of 19th - 20th place left much to be desired.
The odds are heavily in G2 Esports' favour here, at 1.10 vs 5.80.
Our next match will take place at 13:00 GMT on May 3, when Bilibili Gaming will fight it out with Rainbow7.
Bilibili Gaming (1.04) vs Rainbow7 (8.00)
Bilibili Gaming has repeatedly come close to tasting victory this year, only to be denied at the last possible moment. Their 2023 season got off to a great start with a second-place result at Weibo Cup 2022, where they ultimately lost the Grand Final match to Weibo Gaming. This is the first time Bilibili has made it to an MSI, having earned their spot at this year's tournament through their second-place result at LPL Spring 2023, where they once again fell short at the Grand Final - this time to JD Gaming.
Rainbow7, meanwhile, are attending their first MSI since 2018, where they ranked in 9th-10th place. The team has had a difficult few years, having not attended any tournaments since their run at the 2020 Worlds, which they ended in 19th - 20th place. Still, their fortunes seem to have turned around this year, with a first-place result at LLA Opening 2023 earning them their spot at this year's MSI. It's a promising start, but does Rainbow7 have what it takes to impress fans this month?
The odds are heavily in Bilibili Gaming's favour here, at 1.04 vs Rainbow7's 8.00.
And finally, our last Upper Bracket Round 1 match will take place at 16:00 GMT on May 3, when Golden Guardians will face off against GAM Esports.
Golden Guardians (1.58) vs GAM Esports (2.20)
Golden Guardians will be attending their first-ever MSI this month, after having a difficult run in the LCS ever since the team was founded in 2018. But after a series of extensive roster changes last year, it seems that the team might be about to turn things around. Golden Guardians qualified for this year's MSI through their impressive second-place finish at LCS Spring 2023, where they lost to Cloud9 in the Grand Final. It's a promising turnaround for Golden Guardians, but how will they fare in their MSI debut?
Meanwhile, GAM Esports will be attending their first MSI since 2017, which they finished in 6th place. That's despite the team technically qualifying for last year's MSI, after they finished VCS Spring 2022 in first place. The team ultimately passed on attending the tournament, instead choosing to focus on SEA Games. Still, they've finally made it to the MSI again this year, having qualified through their victory at VCS Dawn 2023. GAM had a promising 2022 run, but how will they fare at their first MSI in six years?
Golden Guardians are the favourites to win here, at 1.58 vs GAM Esports' 2.20.
We're about to be treated to a full month of world-class League of Legends esports action, and you're not going to want to miss a moment. To bet on League of Legends, just check out our MSI 2023 match schedule - and remember to claim your free 100% bonus!
