Esports betting sites expected to see some lopsided games, and that was exactly what we witnessed, as the likes of Bilibili Gaming (BLG), Hanwha Life Esports (HLE), and G2 Esports claimed impressive victories in their respective fixtures.

BLG kicked off the first round of the Swiss Stage in a clash with MAD Lions KOI, and even though MAD shot out to an early lead, the top seed from the League of Legends Pro League (LPL) regained the ascendancy and ran away with the win in under 27 minutes.

Many expected Top Esports (TES) vs T1 to be the pick of the bunch on day one, as the reigning world champions took on a resurgent Chinese squad who secured the second seed from the LPL.

The clash was close throughout the 30 minutes, but it was TES who secured a vital win that dropped T1 into the loser’s bracket.

Gen.G entered their round one series against Weibo Gaming (WBG) as overwhelming favourites with GG Bet; however, their win was less than convincing, as it took the pre-tournament favourites 45 minutes to defeat the LPL team.

Dplus KIA and Fnatic clashed in the fourth series of the day, where the LCK’s third seed controlled the game and held a gold lead throughout before claiming the win in just over 35 minutes.

Thanks to a masterclass from LNG bot-laner Chen “GALA” Wei, the third seed from the LPL took down the top seed from the LCS, Team Liquid.

GALA’s stat-line read 9/1/9, which has him situated in equal second in the KDA list for the Swiss Stage, and with that 18.0 KDA, he propelled LNG to a dominant win inside 35 minutes.

The final three fixtures of day one featured Hanwha Life Esports vs PSG Talon, FlyQuest vs GAM Esports, and G2 Esports vs paiN Gaming, with HLE, FlyQuest and G2 winning their respective matches with relative ease to book their spot in the 1-0 bracket.

The #Worlds2024 Swiss Stage Round 2 bracket!

Note: The match order is still TBD. pic.twitter.com/JlFRjYikuR

— LoL Esports (@lolesports) October 3, 2024

The first match of day two will be an all-LPL fixture with Bilibili Gaming taking on LNG Esports before Gen.G clashes with Top Esports in the following series.

Below is a list of Swiss Stage round two series, set to be played on Friday, October 4.

• Bilibili Gaming ($1.30) vs LNG Esports ($3.40) @ 2pm CET
• Gen.G ($1.40) vs Top Esports ($2.75) @ 3pm CET
• G2 Esports ($3.40) vs Hanwha Life Esports ($1.30) @ 4pm CET
• Weibo Gaming ($1.40) vs Team Liquid ($2.75) @ 5pm CET
• T1 ($1.06) vs paiN Gaming ($8.00) @ 6pm CET
• Dplus KIA ($1.25) vs FlyQuest ($3.75) @ 7pm CET
• Fnatic ($1.40) vs GAM Esports ($2.75) @ 8pm CET
• PSG Talon ($2.00) vs MAD Lions KOI ($1.72) @ 9pm CET

More esports news

MAD Lions barely made it to the LoL World Championship 2024 and were not very convincing through the play-ins either. Considering everything they have shown, Europe’s third seed should struggle against one of the tournament favourites.

Bilibili Gaming are among the leading candidates to lift the Summoner’s Cup. And while the LoL Worlds patch will introduce some uncertainty, especially early into the main stage, you must have an excellent reason to go against one of the hottest LoL esports teams.

BLG should win without any issues, but their handicap lines are a little too severe. Knowing both sides are fairly bloody, taking over 27.5 total kills is an appealing option.

T1 placed fourth in the LoL Champions Korea (LCK) 2024 Summer regular season, third in the playoffs, and barely made it past KT Roster in the LCK 2024 Regional Finals. Top Esports were not convincing in the last split either, with bronze medals from Group Ascend and the LPL 2024 Summer Playoffs.

On form, it is easy to understand why neither team is among the tournament favourites. However, it is much easier to trust TES, who have looked incredible against any team who failed to stop them early.

Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok and co. can wake up at any moment to defend their throne, but T1’s early game has not been the best, which could be a problem.

Gen.G have played incredibly well throughout the 2024 season and enter Worlds as one of the title favourites. Weibo Gaming, like usual, are very potent but inconsistent underdogs who can beat anyone on their day.

Gen.G are the better, more stable, and more reliable team, yet this does not justify their tag as $1.19 favourites. The long break and volatility of a new patch could shake things up a bit, so in a series between two elite squads, it is hard to pass on the outsiders to at least keep it close.

A smaller play on Weibo Gaming to win is worth a look as well.

Fnatic and Dplus KIA are not expected to compete for the Summoner’s Cup, but they can play at a very high level. This is more obvious with Dplus KIA, who have produced excellent games domestically; the problem is they have not done this consistently.

Fnatic collapsed at the Mid-Season Invitational and the Esports World Cup 2024 mainly due to the lack of experience of their bottom lane, namely ADC Oh “Noah” Hyeon-taek. This could again be a problem at LoL World Championship 2024, but after two international events, some improvement is expected.

Dplus KIA have a higher ceiling, but they are not consistent in reaching it. Fnatic, at $3.36 with the best LoL betting sites, are worth a look.

Even as $3.54 underdogs, Team Liquid might still be overrated. While the LoL Championship Series (LCS) second seed performed reasonably well at the Esports World Cup 2024, the gap between the LCS and LPL is significant enough to fade them.

LNG Esports might not be one of the main candidates to win the tournament, but they are very efficient in trashing weaker teams — as seen in their run through the LPL 2024 Summer. Expect a one-sided series.

Hanwha Life Esports exceeded expectations in the LCK 2024 Summer, yet most of that is thanks to Dplus KIA’s and T1’s struggles. Their LCK trophy aside, HLE are still the same counter-punching team, which will be a problem at LoL Worlds 2024.

PSG Talon had a rough run through the play-in stage; however, that does not take away from how stacked and experienced this lineup is. The added games in the play-ins also allowed PSG to warm up ahead of their first proper test of the tournament.

Even though Hanwha Life Esports are LCK’s top seed, $1.06 is an absurd price for a squad with a flawed playstyle.

Matches pitting minor and major regions against one another tend to be priced heavily in favour of the latter. However, it is hard to justify saying the LCS is much stronger than the Vietnam Championship Series (VCS).

GAM Esports have not been adequately tested in their league, so it is hard to say how high they can fly. But the same can be said for FlyQuest, who only had to deal with one formidable opponent domestically.

The North American squad should be priced as favourites, but not at this number. The value is with the underdogs.

G2 Esports were anything but great in the final split of the season; however, they shifted into a higher gear when it mattered and won both the LoL EMEA Championship (LEC) 2024 Summer Playoffs and the Season Finals.

PaiN Gaming looked very good in the first stage of the tournament, but they only had to defeat Vikings Esports and Movistar R7. Suffice it to say the Brazilians have not been properly tested yet.

G2 Esports are known to play with their food, but rarely on the international stage. They’re the superior team by all metrics, and it should show on Thursday.

Esports betting tips

Four teams have been eliminated, and 16 remain on the road to glory.

Even in the play-in stage, one major region has already fallen short of expectations.

100 Thieves, from North America, suffered a disappointing defeat to PSG Talon in the lower bracket final, marking an early exit from LoL Worlds 2024.

With the Swiss Stage now set, exciting first-round matchups are on the horizon.

#Words2024 Swiss Stage round 1 match order:@BilibiliGaming @MADLionsKOI @TOP_Esports_ @T1LoL@GenG @WeiboGamingLoL @FNATIC @DplusKIA @TeamLiquidLoL @LNG_Esports @HLEofficial @psgtalonlol @FlyQuest @GAMesportsVN @G2League @paiNGamingBR https://t.co/i0oHBJbfpe

— LoL Esports (@lolesports) September 29, 2024

T1 will start their title defence against Top Esports, while European fans have reason for cautious optimism: G2 Esports faces paiN Gaming, and Fnatic goes head-to-head with Dplus KIA.

On the other hand, MAD Lions fans may feel a pang of anxiety as their team has drawn LPL Summer champions, Bilibili Gaming, in the first round.

In an interview, Supa from MAD Lions expressed a desire to face a North American team for revenge, but it seems that match will have to wait.

GAM Esports, fresh off a strong play-in stage performance, will now face FlyQuest, while PSG Talon must take on the LCK Summer winners, Hanwha Life Esports.

Meanwhile, Team Liquid is set to face LNG Esports, and Weibo Gaming is lined up against Gen.G, the dominant second seed from the LCK.

This year��s World Championship will take place across Berlin, Paris, and London, with the Swiss Stage held in two parts: October 3-7 and October 10-13.

The opening day will feature best-of-one round one matchups, followed by 1-0 and 0-1 matchups on October 4.

From then on, the decisive best-of-three matches will determine who moves on to the knockout stage and who goes home.

The play-in stage has already concluded, with eight teams competing for four qualification spots.

These four teams will now join the twelve already qualified teams in the Swiss Stage, where many consider the ��real�� Worlds to begin.

The 16 teams are divided into four pools, with Pool 1 teams facing Pool 4, and Pool 2 taking on Pool 3.

Importantly, no teams will face opponents from their own region in the first round.

After that, matchups will pair teams with the same record regardless of region, and rematches will be prohibited.

To qualify for the knockout stage, a team must win three matches, while three losses mean elimination from Worlds 2024.

The Swiss Stage format will feature best-of-one matches until the qualification and elimination series, which will be best of three.

Fans can catch all the Swiss Stage action on the official LoL Esports channels on Twitch and YouTube.

The final eight teams that survive this gruelling stage will advance to the knockout stage, bringing them one step closer to the Summoner��s Cup.

Thursday’s Swiss Stage matches

• Hanwha Life Esports ($1.06) vs PSG Talon ($8.00) @ 2pm CET
• FlyQuest ($1.36) vs GAM Esports ($3.00) @ 3pm CET
• G2 Esports ($1.16) vs paiN Gaming ($4.50) @ 4pm CET
• Bilibili Gaming ($1.08) vs MAD Lions KOI ($7.00) @ 5pm CET
• Top Esports ($2.00) vs T1 ($1.72) @ 6pm CET
• Team Liquid ($3.00) vs LNG Esports ($1.36) @ 7pm CET
• Fnatic ($3.75) vs Dplus KIA ($1.25) @ 8pm CET
• Gen.G ($1.20) vs Weibo Gaming ($4.33) @ 9pm CET

More esports news

With this victory, BLG has solidified their dominance in the Chinese League of Legends scene, winning all domestic competitions this year and earning the first seed for the upcoming World Championship.

Congratulations to @BilibiliGaming on winning the 2024 #LPL Summer Playoffs championship!

The glory has been earned, and a new era of dominance begins! This year, they've claimed both the Spring and Summer season titles, taking home their second Silver Dragon Cup. They will head�� pic.twitter.com/KU1dgdtvs9

— LPL (@lplenglish) August 30, 2024

BLG entered the finals as the clear favourite, and despite WBG’s strong start in Game 1, BLG’s experience and skill quickly turned the tide.

WBG, led by Lee “Tarzan” Seung-yong on Zyra, initially controlled the early game, but BLG managed to secure a gold lead despite being behind in kills.

The game��s pivotal moment came when WBG attempted to take Baron, only for BLG��s Yangwei “Wei” Yan to steal it and secure a series of kills, leading to a swift victory.

Game 2 was a display of BLG’s dominance, with Zhuo “Knight” Ding and Wei controlling the map and overwhelming WBG, ending the game with a staggering 29-6 kill score.

Knight’s exceptional performance on Zeri in the midlane, finishing with a 10/1/13 KDA, highlighted BLG’s superiority.

WBG showed resilience in Game 3, securing an early gold lead and even taking Baron.

However, BLG’s Jiaohao “Elk” Zhao capitalised on a crucial team fight, earning a pentakill that shifted the momentum back in BLG��s favour.

A final decisive team fight in the midlane allowed BLG to close out the game and the series.

This victory not only marks BLG��s second LPL title of the year but also Knight��s fourth consecutive LPL championship, having previously won both LPL splits in 2023 with JD Gaming.

Knight��s consistent dominance in the midlane earned him the Finals MVP award, further establishing his reputation as one of the best players in the world.

knight takes home the FMVP title for the 2024 #LPL Summer Playoffs Finals and claims his fourth championship in a row! Congratulations to him on this unprecedented achievement! pic.twitter.com/QMcYMgH9BB

— LPL (@lplenglish) August 30, 2024

BLG’s success in 2024, including a strong performance at the Mid-Season Invitational (where they finished second to Gen.G), sets them up as one of the top contenders for the World Championship.

BLG will look to continue their winning ways on the international stage and seek revenge against Gen.G.

Weibo Gaming, despite their loss, had a commendable run through the summer spit, finishing third in the regular season and making it to the grand final.

They now turn their attention to the LPL Regional Finals, where they will face LNG Esports for a chance to qualify for Worlds 2024.

More esports news

BILIBILI GAMING vs WEIBO GAMING LoL BETTING & MATCH DETAIL

Bilibili Gaming will defend their League of Legends Pro League (LPL) title on Friday, August 30, when they clash with Weibo Gaming in the LPL 2024 Summer Playoffs grand final. The two sides already met in the upper bracket semifinals when BLG won, and based on the latest LoL betting odds, they are expected to come out ahead again.

Zhuo “knight” Ding and co. took care of business a week ago when they clashed with Weibo and once before during the regular season, so it is hard to question their ability to win on Friday. But even though the last fixture ended in a 3-0 sweep, the final result does not tell the whole story.

It was a competitive game that could have easily ended another way, but Bilibili Gaming narrowly kept winning most of the skirmishes. Weibo weren’t bad on the day, Bilibili Gaming were just slightly better.

Since then, BLG and Weibo have both beaten Top Esports, with 3-1 and 3-2, the latter being more interesting, as all five maps were complete stomps �C one way or the other. It was an extremely solid performance from the outsiders, who schooled Top Esports despite mid laner Li “Xiaohu” Yuan-Hao playing exceptionally poorly.

That win also proved that Weibo Gaming’s ceiling is very high; it’s only a matter of consistency and whether they can produce another showing like it on Friday. Not that Weibo is known for being reliable, but they have shown two excellent performances heading into the grand finals.

This is still Bilibili Gaming’s game to lose, as they are stronger, but only slightly. At $5.74 with the top LoL betting sites, Weibo Gaming are criminally underrated and an excellent bet to win a map and as a smaller position on the +1.5 maps market.

Esports betting tips

BILIBILI GAMING vs TOP ESPORTS LoL BETTING & MATCH DETAILS

Bilibili Gaming and Top Esports will clash on Wednesday, August 21, when the two Chinese juggernauts battle it out for the League of Legends Pro League (LPL) 2024 Summer Playoffs finals ticket.

With a lot on the line, both teams have plenty of reasons to step up. According to LoL betting sites, however, the series will not be as competitive as it may seem.

Bilibili Gaming enter the LPL 2024 Summer Playoffs semifinals off an awe-inspiring victory against Weibo Gaming, who they bested 3-0 on Saturday. It was one of the best showings from BLG this split, indicating that the defending champions might be peaking at the right time.

Top Esports had a slow start to the playoffs against Anyone’s Legend, but they were more convincing against LNG Esports in the fourth round. TES still failed to look as dominant as usual, however, mainly because LNG are good at minimising losses early.

Like Top Esports, Bilibili Gaming are one of the best early-game teams in the LPL. This could lead to an interesting affair between two stylistically similar teams.

But while a strong early game is simply one of Bilibili Gaming’s tools, it is Top Esports’ primary win condition. And knowing Zhuo “knight” Ding and his crew are in a good spot to contain their rivals, they should have a straightforward path to victory.

Esports betting tips

Sentinels redeemed themselves in a decisive 2-0 sweep against FPX, securing their spot in the group B decider match.

SEN CITY LIVES TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY! #VALORANTChampions pic.twitter.com/DQMMNCdi3D

— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) August 8, 2024

Coming off a tough 2-0 loss to Gen.G, Sentinels were determined to bounce back against FPX, who themselves had narrowly lost to Team Heretics in a thrilling 2-1 series.

FPX’s pick of Bind, where they had previously excelled with a unique Yoru and Chamber composition, initially looked promising as they took an 8-4 lead in the first half.

However, Sentinels made key adjustments, and they rallied to win nine consecutive rounds, closing out the map at 13-8.

Zachary “zekken” Jude Patrone led the charge with 20 kills, and Kale “Autumn” Dunne was the only player from FPX who could match his performance.

On Lotus, Sentinels continued their momentum, exploiting FPX’s unconventional composition, which lacked a duelist.

FPX struggled to break Sentinels’ defensive setups, allowing Sentinels to secure a dominant 9-3 half.

Zekken and Tyson “TenZ” Van Ngo were the stars of the show, with TenZ contributing 19 kills to help Sentinels finish the map 13-5.

With this victory, Sentinels eliminated FPX and advanced to a rematch against Gen.G for a spot in the playoffs.

KR�� Esports also delivered a commanding performance, eliminating Bilibili Gaming with a 2-0 victory.

KR��’s map veto favoured them, forcing Bilibili to play on weaker maps.

Despite Bilibili taking an early lead on Lotus, KR��’s resilience showed as they turned the tide with a near-flawless second half to close out the map 13-9.

Fabian “Shyy” Patricio Usnayo’s triple kill in the final round was crucial in securing KR��’s victory.

Moving on to Bilibili’s pick, Icebox, KR�� dominated from the start, with Nicol��s “mta” Gonz��lez and Angelo “keznit” Mori leading the charge.

Despite Bilibili’s efforts to adapt, KR��’s aggressive playstyle proved too much, and they wrapped up the map with a decisive 13-4 scoreline.

KR��’s victory set them up for a high-profile rematch against Fnatic, a team they famously defeated at Champions 2021.

For both Sentinels and KR�� Esports, these victories were vital in keeping their tournament hopes alive.

Sentinels will face Gen.G in a do-or-die match, while KR�� will look to continue their run against Fnatic.

KR�� KEEPS THEIR #VALORANTChampions DREAMS ALIVE! pic.twitter.com/8xiyQEUW7p

— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) August 8, 2024

More esports news

Sentinels had a very tough start to VALORANT Champions 2024, as they had to face the top team in the world, Gen.G, and lost in two maps. FunPlus Phoenix did not have it much easier, as they lost to Team Heretics in overtime.

FunPlus Phoenix showed more than expected against Team Heretics, although the latter side did not perform at 100% on the day. As such, it is fair to question whether FunPlus Phoenix are actually good.

Sentinels, with their roster, should not be losing games like this. But as FunPlus Phoenix proved in Shanghai and last week, they can hang with the best. Expect a close series.

Bilibili Gaming kicked off their tournament run with a 0-2 loss against Fnatic; however, they showed a pulse on Bind, where the VCT China representatives won nine rounds. Lotus was much more one-sided, but it is not like Bilibili have ever been good on that map.

Bilibili Gaming do not have to worry about Lotus for this series, as it is one of their opponents’ weakest maps, along with Abyss — as shown in KRU Esports�� defeat against DRX in the opening series.

VALORANT betting sites have KRU as big favourites for this match. But based on the teams�� performances in the first round, it is easy to believe Bilibili Gaming can leave a dent in VCT Americas�� fourth seed.

Esports betting tips

The top VALORANT betting sites have priced DRX as $1.57 favourites for this game, which sounds a bit off. DRX placed fourth in VCT 2024 Pacific Stage 1 and second in Stage 2, but they have not looked very stable in the most recent stage.

KRU Esports are the third seed from the Americas league, which doesn’t sound great. But Marco “Melser” Machuca and co. have proved to be very resilient, while a deep map pool has helped them remain competitive with the top squads from the region.

DRX are rightly the favourites, but this price is too short. The value is with the VCT Americas representatives.

Bilibili Gaming have not looked terrible this season, but there are reasons to believe Marcus “nephh” Tan and his crew won’t make it far in South Korea. While they came close to beating other top Chinese sides during league play, BLG consistently fell short.

Fnatic have not accomplished as much this season as they did in 2023, but they won the VCT 2024 EMEA Stage 2 title without any issues. So even though Fnatic have not made a big splash on the international stage yet this season — just one playoff appearance at VCT 2024 Masters Shanghai — they are in great form and experienced enough to make a deep run in South Korea.

Even though Bilibili Gaming deserve respect for reaching the world championship, Fnatic are a far superior team and should win this with plenty to spare.

Esports betting tips

Ninjas in Pyjamas showed signs of life last week against Top Esports and Bilibili Gaming, and that is reflected in the odds. Although they remain winless this split, the top LoL betting sites have NiP priced at $1.58 to beat LGD Gaming.

On Friday, Ninjas in Pyjamas took a bite out of Bilibili Gaming, only to fall apart on the final two maps. LGD Gaming also took a map from a superior opponent last round, but LNG Esports ran over them after that.

LGD Gaming and Ninjas in Pyjamas are the bottom teams in Group Ascend, and there are not many reasons to favour one over the other. NiP look stronger and field better players, but the eye test suggests this series is closer to a 50-50.

Bilibili Gaming kept their winning streak alive on Friday when they stomped Ninjas in Pyjamas 2-1 after losing the opening map. It was a convincing victory, but like in the previous two, Bilibili dropped a map.

Anyone��s Legend continue posting shaky results. They have now lost four in a row, going down to JD Gaming, Weibo Gaming, Top Esports, and LNG Esports. However, Anyone��s Legend produced a quality performance on map one against LNG on Sunday, which isn��t to be ignored.

A few close games against top LPL contenders should not make Anyone��s Legend a serious threat to Bilibili Gaming. But knowing that the defending champions have not been the most convincing in their past games, it is fair to expect AL to take one map off them.

Esports betting tips