User blog comment:B214/Volume 22 spoilers/@comment-27083298-20161115021134/@comment-30289101-20161116070758

I'm sure the Rating Game Qualifier is just using a standard MMR System, like in Chess or League of Legends. You get points for winning, you lose points for losing. If you beat a team rated higher than you, your rating goes up more than if you beat a team lower than you, and vice versa for losing. If you lose a match you should've statistacally won by a landslide, your raring will nose dive. If you were anticipated to lose, you don't lose that much of your rating. The way you can qualify with few matches is simple, challenge the top tier teams and win.

I don't think the reviews themselves effect the score at all; they're merely pointing out that a team is performing above or below what their score indicates, which would be useful information for things like betting. Though, it is also possible they can award/deduct bonus points based on the performance.

As for the original post, I think Dulio's team has the advantage, Issei is inherentily weak against tactical types like Dulio, and Dulio's no pushover when it comes to combat strenth either. I'd also give the advantage to Cao Cao for the same reason. However, Issei has plot armor (by no means a guerrenteed win in this series, but it still helps) and Sairaorg is a "good guy" while Cao Cao is more ambiguous/"evil" right now, so they have the narrative advantage.