?Nongshim RedForce suffered their fourth defeat on Sunday, going down to DWG KIA (0-2). With that, RedForce are now 2-4, which doesn’t look good, but they have had to face all three LCK top dogs in T1, DWG KIA and Gen.G, so we would not overreact to their 33% win rate.

KT Rolster hold the same 2-4 record, but they have been playing much better than what that figure might suggest. They looked good against DWG KIA (0-2) last week and even took a map from T1 last month; meanwhile, KT’s only disappointing performance came at the end of Week 2, when they lost against Liiv SANDBOX.

Given their past performances, the offered LoL betting odds on KT Rolster look fair, and they’re not a bad bet at the available price. But we also don’t expect this to be a one-sided series, so we’ll take over 2.5 maps at $1.90.

?Kwangdong Freecs scored a very important win last week when they took down T1 (2-1), but they were no match for Gen.G on Saturday (0-2). It was a one-sided affair, but we can’t act like we expected it to play out differently since very few teams in the league can compete with Gen.G.

We have been consistently fading Fredit BRION this split, and we likely won’t step away from this strategy anytime soon – at least until they prove they understand the current meta and start drafting good champions. Even if they’re individually stronger than their opponents, BRION always seem to find a way to put themselves at a disadvantage, which explains why they’re 0-6 with an 8% map win rate (1-12).

So even though Fredit BRION are a quality team, their performances on the Rift leave a lot to be desired. Kwangdong Freecs are not an elite team, but they’re playing well and should win this matchup without any major issues.

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Fredit BRION are still without a win (0-5), and we don’t expect that to change until they fix their main issue – drafting. This is a capable roster with solid players, but until Fredit BRION figure out what works in the current meta and draft accordingly, we will continue to fade them.

On Thursday, Fredit BRION played a solid game against Hanwha Life Esports, but they lost 1-2, largely due to the aforementioned issues. And considering they’ll have to face a stronger version of HLE on Saturday, it’s very easy to decide where we’ll put our money.

It’s not so much that we believe Liiv SANDBOX are a strong team, but rather that we don’t trust Fredit BRION. Liiv SANDBOX on the moneyline and a smaller wager on the -1.5 map handicap is the way to go.

Gen.G have yet to drop a game this split, and it’s unlikely that will change this weekend. Even though Kwangdong Freecs achieved the unthinkable on Wednesday when they defeated T1 (2-1), the final result was a by-product of T1’s abysmal drafts and questionable decision-making rather than Kwangdong Freecs’ quality.

Unlike T1, Gen.G approach their games with a lot more discipline and are far more efficient in punishing mistakes. This should come in handy this weekend, especially in the early game, where Gen.G should take advantage of KDF’s weak sidelanes and get the ball rolling early.

At $1.44, we wouldn’t bet on Gen.G to win 2-0, but we are interested in the total kills market. Esports betting sites have set the line at just 19.5, expecting a quick game, but we consider the number to be way too low considering how the teams like to play. At $1.83, this is a bet we can’t pass on.

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Our first match-up for today brings us two teams trying to stay in touch with the top four teams in the LCK, with KT Rolster sitting in seventh-place with a 1-3 record and DAMWON Gaming sitting in fourth-place with a 2-2 record.

KT Rolster will begin this match against DAMWON Gaming coming off a close 0-2 defeat to SANDBOX Gaming which dropped them down into seventh-place. KT Rolster’s only win came against Brion Esports when they beat the last place team 2-0 back on match day one of week two. The team that finished seventh in the LCK Spring edition will be looking to improve and get back to the results they were showing in 2020 where they finished in fifth and sixth-place in the Spring and Summer Splits.

DAMWON Gaming won both of their two opening matches over Brion Esports and SANDBOX Gaming starting the Split off 2-0, but they have then gone on to lose their next two matches against Gen.G and T1. DWG started off the Split the way they would have liked, with two early convincing wins, but since losing to Gen.G and T1 some similarities to the Spring Split are appearing, as DWG weren’t able to compete with the top two teams in the LCK. Even though the boys from DWG are currently on a two-game losing streak, they will be looking to put a team like KT Rolster away quite quickly.

KT Rolster and DAMWON Gaming will be looking for a change in form here, with the latter trying to keep in touch with the undefeated top three teams. We will be going for a bit of value here by taking the match favourites at the match line of -1.5 at $2.10 with esports betting sites.

The second match of the day brings us two undefeated teams that both sit in equal first-place with T1 taking on DRX. Both teams will enter the match-up with 8 maps won and only one map lost meaning there is nothing separating these two rosters.

T1, the reigning LCK champions and record setting roster from the LCK Spring Split has started their LCK Summer Split just how they ended their last, in winning ways.They became the first team ever in the LCK to go undefeated throughout an entire Split finishing 20-0 and taking out the LCK Spring title. After only registering four Group-Stage MVPs throughout the LCK Spring Split, Choi “Zeus” Woo-je has started off very strong with four MVPs from T1s first four games showing that this team has stars in every single lane this Split. Meaning they won’t be relying on Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyeong and Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok like they usually do.

DRX who sit in equal first-place with a 4-0 record after recording wins over; Nongshim RedForce, Brion Esports, Hanwha Life Esports and Kwangdong Freecs. DRX are coming off a fourth-place finish which is their best finish to a Split since LCK Spring 2019 where they finished in third-place. The DRX mid and top-lane players are having a great start to the Summer Split with Kim “Zeka” Geon-woo and Hwang “Kingen” Seong-hoon compiling five MVPs between them through their first four matches. If “Zeka” and “Kingen” can keep their great form up throughout the Split, whilst getting consistently solid performances from the bot-lane duo of Kim “Deft” Hyuk-kyu and Cho “BeryL” Geon-hee, this DRX team could definitely spoil the T1 party in this match.

T1 are extremely short favourites here and there is obvious reason as to why they deserve to be, but we believe we have found some value in another market. Over 2.5 maps, with GG Bet, in the total maps market is where the value is, as we should be seeing a very tight match-up between two very talented rosters.

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?Hanwha Life Esports played well in the opening round of the split, yet they still lost against Kwangdong Freecs (1-2), and they added another defeat (0-2) against Gen.G last weekend. In their defence, HLE had a rough schedule, so we would wait for a few more rounds before calling them a lost cause.

DRX are 2-0 with wins against Nongshim RedForce (2-0) and Fredit BRION (2-0), and if things go as planned, DRX could be 4-0 by the end of this week. Although anything can happen in the current meta, DRX are playing extremely well and will need to blunder badly if they were to slip against Hanwha Life Esports.

Hanwha Life Esports have some quality, but the team is clearly not on the same page, and until we see some improvement, we will continue to believe that Hanwha Life Esports can’t compete with LCK top dogs. DRX to win 2-0 at $1.66 is a clear choice.

?Gen.G are priced as $1.10 favourites for their LCK 2022 Summer Week 2 clash with Fredit BRION, which looks like a fair price. Gen.G are one of the top LoL teams in the world and vastly superior to any squad not named T1, DWG KIA, and DRX.

Gen.G enter this match with a perfect 3-0 record, having picked up fairly convincing wins against KT Rolster (2-0), Hanwha Life Esports (2-0), and DWG KIA (2-1) and barring any surprises, they should keep their streak alive for a while longer.

Fredit BRION have yet to win a game this split, with defeats against DWG KIA (0-2), DRX (0-2), and KT Rolster (0-2). Although they deserve some slack for having to face some of the top LCK teams, things won’t get much easier for them this Friday.

At the offered LoL betting odds, we wouldn’t bet on Gen.G to win, and they’re not a very appealing choice to cover the map handicap ($1.44) either. So instead, we’ll take a bet on under 21.5 kills. With the recent changes to turret damage, the games have picked up the pace, which can lead to more kills, but it’s hard to believe Fredit BRION will come even close to double digits.

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?Gen.G are sitting in equal first with a 2-0 record and +4 map difference, tied with DRX and DWG KIA after their first two games of the split. Gen.G have entered the LCK Summer Split unchanged from their second-place finish in the LCK Spring Split. They have continued their outstanding form by taking both of their best-of-three matches against Hanwha Life Esports and KT Rolster in perfect order with back-to-back 2-0 wins, showing that they will once again contend for the title in this season’s LCK Split.

DAMWON Gaming KIA also have started the LCK Summer Split in perfect fashion with a 2-0 record and +4 map difference. Since their third-place finish in the 2022 Spring Split, DWG KIA have made one change as Jang “Nuguri” Ha-gwon returns to the top lane for the three-time LCK champions. This will provide the team with some added experience, as Nuguri is considered one of the better top-lane players in the world. After changing their entire roster in December of 2021, this DWG KIA side will now have had the time to practice together in between the Spring and Summer splits – something that could see DWG KIA rise back to one of the top teams in the LCK once again.

We should be set for a cracking best-of-three here, with both teams coming into the match with undefeated records. Therefore we will be going with the overs in the total maps market.

?The second best-of-three for Wednesday brings us the seventh- and eighth-placed teams, who both have not registered a win this split.

Fredit BRION have not been able to win a map, let alone a series in their first two best-of-three matches for the LCK Summer Split, losing 0-2 to both DRX and DWG KIA. They bring the exact same team to the LCK Summer that they had in the LCK Spring Split, where they finished in sixth place after losing 0-3 to DWG KIA in the first week of the playoffs. Coming off their best finish in the LCK since their inception in 2018, BRION will look to build on that result and try to become a new contender.

KT Rolster will also enter this best-of-three match with a 0-2 record, but they have won one map – which actually came against the LCK Spring champions, T1. They also begin the LCK Summer Split with the exact same roster that finished seventh in the LCK Spring Split, which was one of their worst results in the competition since the team’s inception in 2014. This KT Rolster roster has the ability to get back to the top six this split, but they must be beating teams like Fredit BRION, who have historically struggled in the LCK.

KT Rolster showed some really good signs when they were able to take a map off of T1 in their second best-of-three match, and if they bring that type of form to this match, they should win this best-of-three. We will be taking the favourites here at the map handicap of -1.5, paying $2.75 with GG Bet.

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?Kwangdong Freecs picked up their first victory on Wednesday when they edged past Hanwha Life Esports (2-1). And if that result is any indication, Park “Teddy” Jin-seong and his crew should be able to defeat Liiv SANDBOX as well.

According to the outright betting markets, Liiv SANDBOX are one of the outsiders to win the LCK, which is fair, mainly because they’ve not made a single roster change this offseason. That is both strange and concerning for a team that put together just four wins (4-14) in spring.

The only thing that works in Liiv SANDBOX’s favour for this match is the added variance the new meta brings and the fact that Kwangdong Freecs did not look too clean on the second map against Hanwha Life Esports. But even with that, it’s doubtful Liiv SANDBOX can win on Friday.

We don’t like either team at the offered LoL betting odds, but we’re interested in under 24.5 kills on both maps. The current meta seems to be all about low-scoring games, with very few reaching 20 kills mark, so it’s hard to pass on the offered line.

?T1 were phenomenal in LCK 2022 Spring, and they did not slow down until the 2022 Mid-Season Invitational, where they narrowly lost (2-3) the grand finals against Royal Never Give Up. After such a display, it’s tough to doubt T1 and their chances to defend the LCK crown, but having them priced as $1.16 favourites against Nongshim RedForce seems a bit much.

T1 are undeniably one of the top LoL esports teams in the world, but this is still their first match of the new season in an entirely different meta. T1 may go on another 18-0 run, but from a betting perspective, RedForce are underestimated at $4.50.

RedForce did not achieve much in LCK 2022 Spring, but we have to remember that they were dealing with COVID. Moreover, this is still a very stacked roster with a high ceiling, making them a very appealing team to bet on as underdogs.

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The League of Legends season has already begun, and from the looks of it, the teams from other regions are still trying to figure out the new meta. But even though many questions remain unanswered, there is a noticeable trend of low-scoring games.

We could have anticipated that; however, the scaling approach – which seems optimal in the current state of the game – could have easily resulted in bloodier mid-late game teamfights. Still, seeing only 24 average kills in LoL Pro League (LPL) matches suggests we should see even lower figures in the LCK.

As the offered LoL betting odds propose, Gen.G should win this match, and that’s fair. Gen.G were far superior to KT Rolster in LCK 2022 Spring, and we don’t expect that to change. But KT Rolster are good enough to put up a fight, which, combined with the current trend of low-scoring games, leads us to believe that KT Rolster with a +6.5 kill handicap (on both maps) is the right play.

As the first bout of the day, this one is a complete mismatch and a game DWG KIA shouldn’t be losing. Admittedly, DWG stumbled a bit in LCK 2022 Spring, but that’s relative to the expectations. So even though DWG KIA failed to defend the title, they’re still the clear third-best team in the league.

Fredit BRION did well in spring and finished the regular season with eight wins, just enough to squeeze into the playoffs. Unfortunately, we don’t expect them to repeat that run this split because their main competitors have made improvements, while Fredit BRIO failed to do the same.

This is another match that the favourites can’t afford to lose, and realistically, they shouldn’t. But at the offered betting odds, under 23.5 total kills is the most appealing bet. DWG KIA can win 2-0, but we’re getting just $1.80 on the handicap, which isn’t enough to pull the trigger.

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?PEACE have fought their way through the lower bracket to reach their second LCO finals. During their lower-bracket run, the reigning LCO finalists won against Chiefs Esports Club (3-0), ORDER (3-2), and Dire Wolves (3-0), and now look like serious title contenders; however, they still need to make it past Pentanet.gg, who they know all too well from the LCO Split 1 finals.

PEACE have been putting up impressive performance metrics throughout the playoffs, including 1.25 Gold Percent Rating (GPR), 9% Average Gold Spent Percentage Difference (GSPD), 66.9 Early Game Rating (EGR), 14.9 Mid-Late Game Rating (MLR), and +1313 Gold Difference at 15 min (GD@15). In comparison, Pentanet.gg’s numbers show 1.29 GPR, 15.3% GSPD, 68.6 EGR, 31.4 MLR, and +1158 GD@15, albeit those include only the game against Dire Wolves.

PEACE have momentum on their side and have looked better against Dire Wolves than Pentanet.gg, but it’s hard to justify a bet on the outsiders at the offered LoL betting odds. Pentanet.gg are 2-1 up in the head to head, field better talent, and have plenty of film to watch over and analyse how PEACE like to play. It likely won’t be a 3-0 sweep, but Pentanet.gg should get it done in four maps.

?Hanwha Life Esports last met with Liiv SANDBOX at the start of August, when they lost 0-2, and it doesn’t seem like they will fare much better this time out.

Liiv SANDBOX might have slipped in the opening round of the playoffs, albeit they had to face the eventual finalists T1 (0-3). This is a solid team, and while they can’t compare to the likes of T1, DWG KIA, and Gen.G, Liiv SANDBOX have proven time and time again that they’re a class above other mid-table LCK squads.

SANDBOX’s biggest strength is their top side, but that’s not to say that their bottom lane is weak. Realistically, HLE only look stronger in the mid lane; however, if their side lanes struggle and fail to get priority, we can be sure that Kim “Croco” Dong-beom will have enough time to make Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon’s life difficult. Liiv SANDBOX should win with at least two maps to spare.

?DWG KIA and T1 have made it to the LCK 2021 Summer finals as two of the strongest Korean LoL teams. T1 had to make it past Liiv SANDBOX (3-0) and Gen.G (3-1), while DWG KIA only had to face Nongshim RedForce (3-0).

DWG KIA’s performance metrics over the regular season show 4% Average Gold Spent Percentage Difference (GSPD), 0.38 Gold Percent Rating (GPR), 52.7 Early Game Rating (EGR), 14.7 Mid-Late Game Rating (MLR), and +337 Gold Difference at 15 min (GD@15). In comparison, T1 numbers show 3.5% GSPD, 0.74 GPR, 58.6 EGR, -1.7 MLR, and +1065 GD@15.

If we look at only the figures from the playoff matches, DWG KIA have managed 8.5% GSPD, 1.98 GPR, 80.6 EGR, 19.4 MLR, and +2574 GD@15, while T1 produced 1.7% GSPD, 0.91 GPR, 56.6 EGR, 29.1 MLR, and +940 GD@15. Even though DWG KIA’s metrics include only three games, we have to keep in mind that they have been gaining serious traction for a few weeks now.

DWG KIA seem like the most likely victors, largely due to their improvement in the latter stages of the season, but we wouldn’t bet on them at the offered LoL betting odds. Instead, we like T1 on the first blood (FB) market across all five maps at $1.94. This is an excellent price, considering T1 have averaged the highest FB% in the league at 68%, while DWG KIA’s is at only 47%.

?100 Thieves outperformed Cloud9 in the LCS 2021 Summer regular-season; however, they have yet to impress during the playoffs. So while we have to praise them for beating Evil Geniuses and forcing Team Liquid to five maps, 100T could have done much better in their last two series.

On the other side, we have Cloud9, who have had quite a few slip-ups this season, most notably their 1-3 loss against Team Liquid in the 2021 LCS Championship opener. However, the boys in blue have since improved quite drastically and seem to have found their stride just in time to compete for another LCS title.

Individually, there is not a lot to set these two teams apart, so it will all come down to their players’ clutch factor. And that is where Cloud9 should have an edge, largely thanks to Luka “Perkz” Perkovi?.

It could be a close match, and there is a solid chance we might see five maps, but if we had to pick a side, Cloud9 are a better bet.

?Fnatic achieved what many believed was impossible and made it into the LEC 2021 Summer playoffs lower bracket finals. It is a miracle run of sorts, but it wouldn’t be fair to say that Fnatic don’t deserve to be where they are.

Many will be quick to point out that Fnatic needed five maps to win their playoffs bouts, which might make you believe that Fnatic were only slightly better than Team Vitality, Misfits Gaming, and G2 Esports. However, that’s not necessarily the case.

Fnatic should have beaten Misfits and G2 Esports with 3-1, yet they – in their own style – threw away massive leads and gave up a map. So, the quality is there; however, you can feel slightly concerned with Fnatic’s over-aggression.

Their next opponents, Rogue, were billed as the main favourites to win the LEC 2021 Summer title, but it was soon made clear that Rogue were perhaps a bit overrated due to their regular-season success. They first struggled against Misfits Gaming (3-2) and then completely fell apart against MAD Lions, who beat them 3-0 on Saturday.

You could argue that Fnatic overachieved; however, you can’t really defend Rogue for what they have produced in their last two playoffs bouts either. Rogue come off as an individually better team and should win as long as they can prevent Fnatic from playing their own game, but as Vitality, Misfits, and G2 can confirm, that is easier said than done.

?T1 aren’t the flashiest team, and we have seen them make some questionable plays before. But as evident from their Gold Percent Rating (0.74) and Average Gold Spent Percentage Difference (3.5%), T1 control their games from start to finish and usually close them out with a healthy gold lead.

Liiv SANDBOX came out of nowhere to finish LCK 2021 Summer in fifth (one win short of Gen.G and DWG KIA), which is quite an achievement for an organisation that managed only a seventh-place finish last term. SANDBOX were very effective as an underdog this season (9-1 against the map spread), which should make you confident about their chances to impress on Thursday.

Unfortunately, Liiv SANDBOX seemed out of character in the latter stages of the split when they underperformed against Fredit BRION (2-1) and KT Rolster (1-2). On a more positive note, they are 2-0 in the head-to-head with T1.

This match will come down to which version of Liiv SANDBOX we will get; however, even if they return to their old form, it’s unlikely that they’ll manage to beat T1 in a best-of-five (Bo5) series. T1 to win is a safe bet at good odds, but we like the value on the map line better.

?LNG Esports enter this match in hot form, having already eliminated Suning (3-2) and Top Esports (3-1) from the playoffs. Last week LNG produced their best statistical performances of the year, so you have to question whether they have figured something out or if they are simply overachieving. The answer is likely somewhere in the middle.

If we look at LNG Esports’ performances across the LPL 2021 Summer season, they were a good team but struggled with objective control. Their Drake, Herald, and Baron Control are at 44.6%, 47%, and 48% respectively – some of the lowest metrics in the league.

In contrast, Royal Never Give Up’s neutral objective control numbers show 50%, 58%, and 60%, which are average figures for the LPL. Obviously, there is more to the game than just killing the neutral monsters, and if we compare these two teams in other performance metrics, RNG are miles ahead of LNG.

Many people will be bullish on LNG following their last two performances, but putting two upset wins on top of a fairly mediocre season doesn’t change the fact that they are fundamentally not as solid as RNG. Chen “GALA” Wei and co. should be able to take care of business.