Following a convincing victory over Flash Wolves in their semifinal match-up, Kingzone DragonX is a moderate favorite to defeat Royal Never Give Up on Sunday for the Mid-Season Invitational title. Coming into MSI, Kingzone were a very strong favorite. They had odds of over 1/4 to win it all prior to the tournament according to oddsmaker BetDSI. They were supposed to dominate, but instead they struggled.
Kingzone finished the Group Stage in third place. This was a team that was expected to drop just one or two games on their way to the title, but instead they were clearly under both Flash Wolves and Royal Never Give Up in the group stage. Kingzone were able to defeat Flash Wolves in their MSI semifinals match, and now they must defeat RNG.
MSI Betting Odds (Courtesy of BetDSI)
Kingzone DragonX -161
Royal Never Give Up +125
Matchup to Watch
These are two of the best AD Carries we have ever seen. Uzi is a legend at this point. While RNG might not be at its best, this is the best we have ever seen Uzi perform on the international stage. He carried his team through the Group Stage and his play was a huge factor in their win over Fnatic in the semifinals.
Uzi is at his best on late game carries. He has proven that he can play Ezreal, but he has also shied away from the champion when push comes to shove. He would rather jump on a late game hyper carry like Kog’Maw or Tristana. There isn’t anything wrong with that on the surface, but his clear reticence when it comes to playing the champion is something to be concerned with.
Meanwhile, Pray has been fantastic on Ezreal. While this champion is not great in the early game or the late game, he is very tough to beat when he hits his two power spikes. More than any other team, Kingzone knows exactly how to play around this. They rotate perfectly in order to get Kingzone the advantage when the team gets its Ezreal power spikes. That helps him press and tip the scales when it comes to their mid lane duel.
Player to Watch
Khan will be the difference in this series. Kingzone’s top laner was marginalized in the group stage, but he found his form in the win over Flash Wolves. He was able to carry on his favorite champion, Jayce, and his Jax was very impressive as well.
As long as Khan plays well, it’s hard to see of a way for Kingzone to lose. His play is so tank, intrinsic to the performance of Kingzone that the two are hand in hand. If he plays a tank, Kingzone’s chances go considerably down. However, if he plays a carry, Kingzone is in a great position.
Analysis
Even though RNG have played well, it feels like this is Kingzone’s tournament to lose. As long as Peanut and Khan are playing well, Kingzone is going to win. Go ahead and take them in this match-up.
Prediction: Kingzone DragonX 3 Royal Never Give Up 1
