Top tips for betting on The International (Dota 2): how to predict the winner with 1xBet

Gambling and betting have accompanied people throughout history. In the 21st century, this world has changed: now esports, or video game competitions, take center stage.

Esports tournaments are watched by millions of fans, and betting on who will win is becoming more and more common.

The main Dota 2 tournament, The International (TI), is considered the most important esports competition.

It is known for its high level of excitement and usually offers the largest prize pools in the industry.

For those who bet, it is a great place because there are many games, the results are often unpredictable, and you can win a lot.

This article provides important tips and tactics for successfully predicting TI outcomes, based on examples from the 2025 season.

Many major bookmakers offer a range of betting options for this tournament; for example, on the 1xBet platform, you can find betting lines for the tournament winner, individual games, and player statistics. 

The International 2025 tournament took place in Hamburg, Germany, from September 4 to 14.

The prize pool for this competition exceeded $2.8 million. The final match ended with Team Falcons defeating Xtreme Gaming 3:2. This score highlights how intense the game was.

Team and meta analysis: the basis for successful betting

You need to understand esports to predict the winner of The International. Without this knowledge, it is impossible to make an accurate prediction.

Studying the results of the 2024-2025 season

The key factor is the stability of the team and its recent achievements before the TI championship.

In 2025, the leaders in ratings and results included teams such as Team Falcons, Xtreme Gaming, Team Spirit, PARIVISION, and Tundra Esports:

1. Current status. You can’t just bet on last year’s champion. Especially if they are not performing well in the current season. For example, Team Liquid, the winners of TI 2024, immediately lost to Tundra Esports in the playoffs, which led to their elimination from the tournament. Team Falcons, on the other hand, which had shown the best results for most of the 2025 season, deservedly won the championship title.
2. Results at major LAN tournaments. It is important to watch how teams perform in live tournaments. The TI tournament is held in exactly the same format. Teams that performed well at Major tournaments in 2025 may become favorites.
3. Game statistics. It is important to analyze the raw numbers: the team’s win percentage against top-10 opponents, as well as their average match duration. A team that wins more than 65% of its games and does so quickly is likely to be using very successful tactics.

It is important to study only the teams’ achievements in the last three to four months before the start of TI.

This is because the gameplay (patches) and morale of the teams often change, and old information is no longer relevant.

Understanding the “meta”

The meta is the current dominant strategy in Dota 2, based on the strength of certain heroes, items, and tactics.

Valve, the game’s developer, traditionally releases a major patch shortly before or during The International to introduce an element of unpredictability:

1. Team adaptability. Teams that are the first to find and effectively use “broken” (overpowered) heroes or combinations gain a huge advantage. Teams with a deep strategic pool, such as Team Spirit and Team Falcons, often excel at this.
2. Player hero pool. It is important to assess how many heroes the main players (especially the carry and mid laner) know how to use. If they can play at a high level on many heroes, it will be difficult for their opponents to “ban” them, that is, to prohibit them from choosing strong characters during the draft. A team that depends on only 2-3 heroes becomes too predictable, and it is easy for the opponent to ban them.
3. Playing style. Many teams play differently. Some immediately start attacking aggressively. Others focus more on map control, earning gold and experience (“macro game”) to win at the end of the game. Those who combine both approaches well or know how to counter them often win at The International.

It is important to watch who the teams choose at the beginning of the group stage of TI 2025. This will help you determine which heroes and play styles have become dominant. As soon as a new effective strategy (meta) emerges, the odds for winning at 1xBet can change dramatically.

Betting strategies: numbers and specifics

To be successful, those who place bets need to do more than just guess the outcome. They need to be able to find the most profitable way to place a bet.

Types of bets on TI 2025:

The simplest bets are best for beginners. For example, you can bet on the winner or the total number of cards. This does not require in-depth analysis of statistics.

Examples and figures for TI 2025

The tips will be clearer if we look at specific cases. Examples and figures from The International 2025 are suitable for this. Before the start of this championship, several bookmakers, including 1xBet, gave low odds to three teams:

1. Team Falcons. Before TI 2025, their odds of winning the tournament were around 3.50-4.00, as they had won several major tournaments in 2025 and demonstrated strong team play. In the end, they won, and betting on them brought a profit.
2. Team Spirit. Due to the fact that they had already won the championship twice and played with the same lineup, bookmakers often rated them at 4.50-5.50. The season was successful. However, they failed to reach the TI 2025 final. Their journey in the tournament ended in the playoffs.
3. Xtreme Gaming. A Chinese team with strong individual players. Their odds of winning before the playoffs were around 6.00-7.00. They made it to the grand final, which made betting on them to finish in the top 2 (if such a market had been available) profitable at any initial odds.

Using odds on finishing in the top 3 or top 4 (if offered) can be a safer strategy than betting on the outright winner, especially when it comes to favorites with odds below 5.00.

An important trend at TI 2025 was the large number of long series in the playoffs. For example:

• upper bracket final. Team Falcons vs. Xtreme Gaming – 3 maps (score 2:1). The bet on Total Maps Over 2.5 in the Bo3 series was successful;
• grand final. Team Falcons vs. Xtreme Gaming – 5 maps (score 3:2). The bet on Total Cards Over 4.5 in the Bo5 series was successful.

In matches between the world’s top 5 teams in the TI playoffs, the probability of the series ending with a score of 2:0 or 3:0 is less than 30% (based on TI 2024 and 2025 statistics). Most often, all 3 or 5 cards are played.

Betting methodology: practical steps

The bet will pay off if the forecaster analyzes the situation. Then he should strictly follow his plan. Therefore, before placing a bet, it is necessary to go through several mandatory preparation stages:

1. Forming a list of the top 5 teams. First, the top 5 teams’ rating is formed, but sometimes the top 5-7 are included. First, you need to evaluate the teams’ performances in decisive competitions.
2. Study of the group stage. It is necessary to analyze the choice of heroes, new techniques, and hidden, unexpected moves of the teams. Teams that confidently win in their group usually occupy a more favorable position in the playoffs.
3. Comparison of odds. To make the most of their bets, players should compare the odds across markets on different top platforms (“winner,” “handicap,” and “total cards”). This will help you find the best conditions.

Discipline in following the plan and budget control (bankroll management) are the basis for long-term success in betting, even in such an unpredictable tournament as The International. 

Risks and features of betting on esports

Betting on Dota 2 is risky, even if there is a lot of data to analyze. It is important to remember the factors that are difficult to predict: 

1. Patch before TI. As we know, game updates sometimes turn the entire tactics upside down. Suddenly, strong characters or teams become weak, and weak ones become stronger if players learn to use them in a new way.
2. “TI Buff.” During the season, teams from North America or Southeast Asia often perform averagely. However, their results at The International improve dramatically. This is difficult to predict, but analysts advise taking into account that such teams, which no one expects to be leaders, can unexpectedly bring high profits to those who bet on them.
3. Coincidences in the game. Dota 2 is a game where one mistake can cost the entire match, regardless of the difference in gold or experience. Important mistakes can drastically change the situation in the game. For example, when a player respawns unsuccessfully. 

Victory in esports betting is never guaranteed. Experts advise investing wisely. You should only bet on playoff games that you have studied thoroughly. 

Successful betting on The International requires a detailed approach that includes three factors: the teams’ current results (their wins in 2025), how quickly they adapt to the new meta after the patch is released, and their psychological state.

It is profitable to bet on a strong favorite before the start of the tournament.

This was confirmed by Team Falcons’ victory at TI 2025 with high odds of 4.00. The main principle is to bet based on statistics. Emotional decisions should not be made.

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