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

Ninjas in Pyjamas got off to a solid start to their 2024 League of Legends Pro League campaign. In the opening week, they crushed LGD Gaming and Invictus Gaming and looked ready to defeat JD Gaming on Tuesday but fell flat.

It was a tough loss for Song “Rookie” Eui-jin and co. but they had some unfortunate moments in the series, so we shouldn’t overreact to it. Fortunately, that defeat kept the LoL esports betting odds on NiP for this match at an attractive number.

Team WE started the season with a 0-2 loss against Oh My God but got back on their feet with two wins against Anyone’s Legend and FunPlus Phoenix. Not the most exciting results, but that’s to be expected from a team that made several roster changes.

Ninjas in Pyjamas and Team WE still have a long way to go to reach their full potential, and while WE are good enough to compete with any team, they’re still a bit too shaky to defeat top-tier squads like Ninjas in Pyjamas.

Ultra Prime enter their final match of LPL 2024 Spring Week 2 with a 0-3 record and defeats against Invictus Gaming, LGD Gaming, and Royal Never Give Up. According to the latest LoL esports betting odds, they won’t have a much easier time on Friday.

FunPlus Phoenix weren’t expected to do well early into the season, and they’ve not surprised anyone with two losses against Team WE and Anyone’s Legend and one win against Oh My God. Their record isn’t perfect, but FPX have shown some good qualities over the three series, which explains why they’re priced as favourites with top esports betting sites.

Ultra Prime are in a rough spot and look like the worst team in the league so far. Still, as $3.73 underdogs with GG Bet, they’re worth a look. FunPlus Phoenix, while a stronger team, have looked a bit shaky at times, suggesting Ultra Prime could steal a map.

Anyone’s Legend are 1-2 ahead of their final LPL 2024 Spring Week 2 match, with one victory against FunPlus Phoenix and losses against Team WE and Bilibili Gaming. Despite winning just one game, Anyone’s Legend look like there are some things to be positive about.

LGD Gaming picked up back-to-back wins against Ultra Prime and EDward Gaming following their 0-2 loss against Ninjas in Pyjamas and seem to be in a good spot. They’ve looked better than expected, and their mid-top side has proven to be pretty solid.

LGD Gaming still have a lot more to prove, but they’re in good form. With the momentum on their side, LGD are a solid bet to defeat Anyone’s Legend.

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Royal Never Give Up won their first match of the season against EDward Gaming but then lost against Bilibili Gaming. Those were expected outcomes, and while RNG got outclassed by Bilibili Gaming, they showed some good qualities.

Like many other LPL teams, Royal Never Give Up swapped out some players and, overall, looked like a better team. But are they good enough to be priced at $1.11?

At the offered betting odds, Ultra Prime is given roughly a 16% implied probability of winning the match, which is a very low number. However, they’re also one of the weakest teams in the league.

They got swept by Invictus Gaming last week and lost to LGD Gaming in three maps on Saturday. Results like that don’t inspire much confidence and indicate that UP will struggle against any team they face. Expect dominant wins from RNG on both maps.

LGD Gaming kicked off the 2024 season with a 0-2 loss against Ninjas in Pyjamas, which was expected. LGD had their moments in that series and looked solid in the laning phase, but as soon as the match transitioned to the mid-late game, LGD looked completely lost.

LGD Gaming managed to bounce back by beating UltraPrime 2-1 after that abysmal showing, reigniting some hope. Admittedly, UltraPrime isn’t the strongest team in the LPL, but LGD Gaming played better on Saturday.

EDward Gaming will field a much different and weaker roster this season. They had a solid showing against Royal Never Give Up, thanks to Hu “Ale” Jia-Le’s carry performance, but they still came up short. That loss proved that while EDG still has some solid pieces, they aren’t as great as a unit.

Edward Gaming has a lot of things to work on and will need more time for the new arrivals to adapt to playing at the top level. Although they’re better than most bottom-table teams, EDG are too short at the offered betting odds.

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However, the reigning champions of The International 2023, Team Spirit, might miss out on the competition due to roster issues.

Dmitry “Korb3n” Belov, Team Spirit’s manager, recently revealed that one of their players plans to take a break until January.

While Team Spirit is open to attending ESL One Kuala Lumpur 2023, their participation hinges on the tournament’s rulebook.

The exact number of substitutes required for Kuala Lumpur remains uncertain because it’s unclear how many Team Spirit members will take a break.

Most Dota 2 tournaments typically allow only one stand-in, with a maximum of two if valid reasons are provided.

In a now-deleted Twitch stream, Yaroslav “Miposhka” Naidenov expressed his desire to take a break without considering retirement.

He stated that he wasn’t planning to “go anywhere” but needed a break before the new season.

Aside from Team Spirit, Gaimin Gladiators, LGD, and Azure Ray also received invitations to the event.

Our #ESLOne Kuala Lumpur direct invites are LOCKED IN!

Welcome @team__spirit, @gaimingladiator, @LGDgaming and Azure Ray!

The remaining 8 teams will be decided via the Open/Closed Qualifiers (12th-18th Nov)

Grab your tickets now!
https://t.co/3c3IlcLkKf pic.twitter.com/IJBfKtxzQI

— ESL Dota2 (@ESLDota2) November 7, 2023

With the Dota Pro Circuit no longer in place, professional teams are starting the new competitive season earlier than usual, with a major event right at the outset.

While Team Spirit could choose to skip this tournament, they prefer not to do so because ESL tournaments are a crucial pathway to the Riyadh Masters, which boasts the biggest prize pool in Dota 2 since the reduction in The International 2023’s prize pool.

Kuala Lumpur is quite a distance from Eastern Europe, making it an exhausting journey for Team Spirit’s players who recently claimed the Aegis of Champions in Seattle.

However, no invited team has declared their rosters for ESL’s Kuala Lumpur event yet, and they may wait until after the regional qualifiers to determine their stand-ins.

ESL One’s return to Malaysia at the end of the year has excited Dota fans in Southeast Asia.

The tournament is scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur from December 11 to 17, 2023, with a total prize pool of $1,000,000 USD up for grabs.

12 elite Dota 2 teams from around the world will gather in Malaysia to kick off the event, competing for one of the eight available spots in the playoffs.

The playoffs will be held live at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) from December 15 to 17.

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This landmark announcement was made during The New Global Sport Conference in Riyadh, where the country expressed its intention to position itself as a global epicenter for gaming and esports.

The Esports World Cup initiative is designed to replace the previous Gamers8 event, which took place earlier this year and featured a substantial prize pool of over $45 million distributed across various esports tournaments.

We are future-hosting, world-racing

The key highlights of the Esports World Cup that has been shared
through #NGSC2023 pic.twitter.com/41e2D5P6gT

— ??????? ??????? ???????? ??????????? (@Saudi_Esports) October 23, 2023

Saudi Arabia has been making significant strides in the esports and gaming realm in recent years.

This includes the development of NEOM, a futuristic city, which some view as part of the government’s efforts to improve its international image.

The Western world has criticized the country for its human rights issues and anti-LGBTQ+ laws, making these initiatives part of a broader strategy known as “sportswashing.”

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sees the Esports World Cup as a “natural next step” to establish Saudi Arabia as the premier global hub for gaming and esports.

“The competition will enhance our progress towards realizing the Vision 2030 objectives of diversifying the economy, growing the tourism sector, creating new jobs in various industries, and providing world-class entertainment for citizens, residents, and visitors alike,” Salman said.

In addition to announcing the Esports World Cup, Saudi Arabia introduced the Esports World Cup Foundation, which aims to make a lasting impact on the gaming ecosystem.

Ralf Reichert, Chairman of ESL FACEIT, has been appointed as the CEO of the foundation.

While the specific lineup of games for the Esports World Cup has yet to be revealed, the event is expected to feature major esports titles.

Several prominent organizations, including G2 Esports, Team Vitality, Ninjas in Pyjamas, 100 Thieves, Guild, LGD, and Falcons, have already committed to participating.

Notably, major publishers such as Ubisoft and Take-Two Interactive attended The New Global Sport Conference, suggesting a high level of industry support.

Further details about the event are anticipated to be disclosed in the coming weeks.

This ambitious esports endeavour aims to draw global attention and catapult Saudi Arabia into the forefront of the esports landscape.

As the Esports World Cup takes shape, it will be closely watched for its potential to significantly impact the esports world while simultaneously addressing broader economic and tourism objectives.

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FunPlus Phoenix and LGD Gaming are two leading favourites to win LPL 2023 Summer wooden spoon, making this match much more important for both squads. LGD Gaming are 1-7 ahead of Friday’s affair, while FunPlus Phoenix are 2-5, but both teams have won their last outings.

LGD Gaming’s sole victory of the split came against Anyone’s Legend (2-0), which is hardly worth celebrating, but LGD looked good in that game. So even though LGD are not very strong nor in good form, they have the highest ceiling out of all LPL bottom-feeders.

FunPlus Phoenix defeated Invictus Gaming on Tuesday as 2.15 underdogs, which looks very good. Considering how inconsistent Invictus Gaming are – due to constant roster changes – that victory doesn’t improve our ranking of FPX, who are one of the worst macro teams in the league.

As a clash between two struggling squads, this can go either way; however, LGD Gaming have better players and the potential to achieve something by the end of the split.

As the defending LPL and Mid-Season Invitational champions, JD Gaming enter this top-of-the-table matchup as $1.44 favourites with the best esports betting sites. However, it’s easy to be blinded by JDG’s achievements over the year and ignore how good Top Esports have looked this split.

Top Esports have not lost a game since going down 2-1 to LNG Esports in the opening week of LPL 2023 Summer, beating EDward Gaming (2-1), Ninjas in Pyjamas (2-0), ThunderTalk Gaming (2-1), Weibo Gaming (2-1), FunPlus Phoenix (2-0), and Royal Never Give Up (2-1). They hold the same 7-1 record as JDG and enter this crunch clash on a seven-game winning streak.

Comparing the performance metrics, JD Gaming are slightly better than Top Esports, but the gap isn’t as big as the latest LoL betting odds might suggest. So even though JDG should be favoured, $1.44 is way too short of a price.

If Top Esports get side selection, expect the odds to move in their favour.

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Team WE picked up two massive wins last week when they stomped Ultra Prime (2-0) and swept Invictus Gaming (2-0), improving their record to 6-7. WE looked like an entirely different beast in Week 8, and their win against IG suggests they might’ve finally found some traction following a somewhat unconvincing start to this LoL split.

LGD Gaming are 5-8 and enter this match following a shock victory against Top Esports (2-0) on Saturday. It marked only their second victory from their last four games, but over that stretch LGD had to face Weibo Gaming (0-2), Bilibili Gaming (2-1), EDward Gaming (1-2), and Top Esports (0-2), so a 50% win rate isn’t that bad.

This is a crucial match for the teams and their quest to reach the playoffs, and they’ve both shown improvement over the last two weeks. Still, Team WE look stronger on paper, and LGD might have overperformed a bit, but we don’t expect this to be one-sided.

Over 2.5 maps looks like the right play, but we’ll take a correct score prediction on Team WE winning 2-1.

Royal Never Give Up scored a big victory over Weibo Gaming (2-1) last week, proving that they can go toe-to-toe with the top teams in the LPL. But that win doesn’t change the fact that RNG are 1-3 over the last two weeks, which includes two concerning losses against Bilibili Gaming (1-2) and Anyone’s Legend (1-2).

Ultra Prime enter this match on a five-game slide, having not won a game since they upset OMG in Week 6. UP haven’t produced much over the last couple of weeks, but it’s not like we’ve seen them perform well once this split.

They still look better than Anyone’s Legend and are arguably a bit better than FunPlus Phoenix, but that’s about everything positive we can say about Ultra Prime. The only thing going for them in this match is that Royal Never Give Up can be a bit inconsistent, but with the talent on RNG’s roster, we don’t expect to see any surprises on Thursday.

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?LGD Gaming enter this match off a shock 2-1 victory against RareAtom on Monday, yet their chances of entering the LPL Spring 2021 playoffs remain slim to none. Their next opponents, Oh My God, are already eliminated from the playoff race, and it would be hard to argue they deserve to be placed higher than where they are.

OMG have managed only two wins in 13 games and hold a -15 map differential (8-23), which is good for 14th-place on the ladder. They looked decent last week when they forced Team WE to three maps (1-2), but outside of that, they have not shown anything worth mentioning.

While we don’t believe LGD are as strong as their fluke win against RareAtom might suggest, they are still playing cleaner LoL than OMG. At these odds, siding with LGD is a no-brainer.

It is very difficult to find a reason to bet on Victory Five for this match. Even though the underdog odds at online bookmakers are very appealing, siding against Top Esports in the form they are in now would be like throwing money out of the window.

Since Top are not immune to dropping maps against weaker opponents, we will look beyond the map handicap in this contest. V5 to secure at least 7.5 kills is paying $1.77, which seems very generous considering they have averaged 9.5 kills in their losses and at least 8.0 kills in all but two of their last six maps.

What’s more, V5 boast the highest drake (57.4%) and Baron control (67.5%) percentages in the league, so there is some value in backing them to secure the first drake as well. The first Baron bet might seem appealing, but we predict V5 will fall too far behind before the 20-minute mark to be able to contest it.

LGD Gaming had a few flashes of greatness this season, but it seems like those were more a byproduct of their opponents’ mistakes rather than LGD’s own work. Although LGD look better than expected, they are still the same team as last season, with the same coaching staff and worse individual players.

After losing their first two games of the season against Suning (0-2) and Rogue Warriors (1-2), Top Esports picked up their first win last Friday, when they crushed RareAtom. The game was not particularly clean, however, it was fairly obvious Top were just there to have a good time and to flex their individual player quality and we expect much of the same here.

Some esports betting sites offer $1.76 on the bout lasting less than 31 minutes, which is a good bet largely because LGD don’t have the tools to stretch this game out.

FunPlus Phoenix secured their second win of the split on Tuesday when they bested Rogue Warriors 2-0. Even though FPX won both games in sub-26 minutes, they did not impress us with their poor decision making and somewhat underwhelming early-game.

What’s more FPX enter this match with jungler Zhou “Bo” Yang-Bo as a replacement for Gao “Tian” Tian-Liang, who has decided to step away from the competitive LoL due to personal issues.

Suning haven’t looked too sharp so far this season either and after seeing them loose to RareAtom (0-2), it’s only fair to doubt their quality. Suning’s biggest weakness seems to be their inability to be proactive and while we still believe this will be a good team in the long run, they need to make some adjustments in order to succeed.

Given Suning’s recent struggles, FPX come off as a better pick, but they are by no means invincible. Both teams to win one map is a safe pick with good odds.