The day kicks of with KSV Esports clashing with Kingzone DragonX and it promises to be a bumper battle with the World Champs clashing with the LCK champs.
Our LOL LCK Korea expert Kosta has cast his eye and given predictions for Saturday’s matches.
KSV ESPORTS vs. KINGZONE DRAGONX
The world champions meet the LCK champions in a rematch of their first games this split. And while KSV won the first duel, things are looking much different now.
Kingzone have clear win conditions in their strong early game, which KSV is notoriously inept at, and their aggressive jungler who could run rings around Ambition, who still prefers to play more of a herbivore style. Khan is also in much better shape than his bitter rival CuVee, and winning both top lane and the ganking game could mean a very early end for KSV. The world champs will likely, as usual, focus on getting bot lane ahead, but against Pray and Gorilla it will be a very difficult job. KSV are known to pop off in hard games and they absolutely have a chance of beating KZ again, but Kingzone are probably too hard to beat right now.
Best bet: Kingzone to win, paying $1.25 at GG Bet.
ROX TIGERS vs. JIN AIR GREEN WINGS
At the start of this match, we will likely know if it has any competitive meaning, or if Jin Air are out and ROX are in playoffs. If both teams still have a chance, this might be the biggest bloodbath of all.
Jin Air’s strategy of getting Teddy fed might work in this matchup, because however good the synergy between Sangyoon and Key is, they were never a proficient laning duo. Youngsters Lava and Grace will have a very interesting battle of talent in the mid lane, which could go either way. ROX’s good drafts might be an important factor in this matchup, as well as in the jungle, where SeongHwan has recently been showing much more than UmTi.
Both teams have a very real chance of winning here. If I had to name a favourite, I’d say ROX, purely because their synergy and teamplay seem much more refined.
Best bet: Rox Tigers to win, paying $1.65 at GG Bet.
]]>In the LCK, playoffs are formatted differently than in most of the other regions. Only 5 out of 10 competing teams reach the knockout stage, which is played in a gauntlet format: the #4 and #5 teams battle in a BO3 match, and the winner is pitted against the #3 team. The winner of that BO5 plays the second place team, and the regular season winners will play the winner of that match. So, in a nutshell, even a difference of one spot can mean the world to the playoff teams.
In addition to Kingzone, Afreeca Freecs and KT Rolster are locked into the playoffs, but will fight for the possession of the #2 spot, while the #4 and #5 spots will be decided by four teams: KSV, ROX Tigers, SK Telecom T1, and Jin Air Green Wings. The better of MVP and bbq Olivers will have the last safe spot in the league, while the other will be heading to relegations to fight against the best Challengers teams.
WATCH: LEAGUE OF LEGENDS LCK
ESB LOL LCK expert Kosta gives his free predictions for Week 9 LCK Wednesday matches
KSV Esports vs Rox Tigers
Time: 7PM (GMT+9)
This match is the first direct duel between playoff contenders. If KSV win, they’re in; meanwhile, ROX have to win both of their matches to have a guaranteed playoff run.
If there was an award for the most inconsistent team in the world, KSV would probably get it. The reigning world champions have been hot and cold the entire split, occasionally smashing the opposition, but also often losing to much lesser teams. ADC Ruler is the sole consistent carry on the team, and KSV seem to completely rely on him and enable him as much as possible.
ROX are probably the most pleasant surprise of the split, and have reached their first real playoff chance since 2016. Lava has developed into a very potent mid laner, and he is the most likely win condition for the Tigers, considering Crown’s disappointing recent form. This is a tough match to predict, but just based on team cohesion, ROX might have a very slight edge in this matchup.
Best bet: While Rox is the underdog at $2.41 at GG Bet, we think an upset is on the cards.
Kingzone DragonX v Jin Air Green Wings
Time: 10PM (GMT+9)
Kingzone are smashing their fellow competitors so hard that it’s pretty safe to consider them the best team in the world at the moment. Jin Air desperately need a victory to keep their playoff dreams alive, but it will be extremely hard against the Dragons.
In short, Kingzone are firing on all cylinders this split. New jungler Peanut fit the team like a glove, and reunited with his former botlane is a joy to watch. His great form will be an obvious upper hand on Jin Air, whose jungler UmTi isn’t playing great at all. Teddy and Wraith form a good bot lane, but they are unlikely to win lane against PrayRilla and get Teddy rolling, which is basically the only real strategy Jin Air have been using this split. If Jin Air’s bot lane gets a lot of jungle help, that would mean that the talented, but still not very reliable SoHwan is left alone against the best top laner in the world.
Best bet: Kingzone will win this match, you can get $1.11 at GG Bet.
]]>Maybe it’s because they stuck with the Bo3 (Best of 3) match format, or maybe the EU and NA LCS just aren’t stacking up anymore, but we’ve found the Korean competition this year a whole lot more interesting to watch.
Here are our top picks for week 3 of the LCK 2018 Spring Split.
LCK Spring Split – Parlay of the Week with Bovada.lv
- Kingzone DragonX to beat ROX Tigers 2 – 0: -130 ($1.77)
- Afreeca Freecs to beat BBQ Olivers: -210 ($1.48)
- Jin Air Green Wings to beat KT Rolster: +225 ($3.25)
- SK Telecom T1 to beat MVP: -450 ($1.22)
Kingzone DragonX vs. ROX Tigers
Day 2 on Wednesday, January 31, 3am EST / 8am GMT
Kingzone DragonX head into Week 3 in form after smashing former LCK three-time world champions SK Telecom T1 in a quick and dirty 2 – 0 sweep.
KDX have found their groove in calmly locking down objectives and promptly shutting down lane griefers, only hitting opponents hard once the right amount of gold and proper buffs are at their disposal.
It’s been fascinating to watch them bide their time, even when teams like SKT score First Blood and seemingly secure a crucial lead, only to be overwhelmed with KDX’s deadly long-game coordination.
ROX Tigers secured their own surprise win against Kongdoo Monster last week, but have rightly faced criticism for their sloppy 5-6 game record.
It’s clear they have struggled to take out equally troubled opponents as efficiently as Kingzone and we’re far from convinced they can pull an upset against the leaderboard champions.
Kingzone DragonX to beat ROX Tigers 2 – 0 : -130 ($1.77) at Bovada.lv
Afreeca Freecs vs. BBQ Olivers
Day 2, Wednesday, January 31, 6am EST / 11am GMT
Two middling teams with a ton of issues in the shot-calling and team-fighting departments makes for an interesting mid-week clash.
We’re backing Afreeca Freecs to have a mini comeback here, given the potential of top laner Kim ‘Kiin’ Gi-in and jungler Lee ‘Spirit’ Day-yoon, both securing some solid KDA (Kills, Deaths, Assists) and baron steals throughout the series.
BBQ Olivers play aggressively enough but lack a vocal leader to make proper plays and effectively counter organized teamfights, such as the embarrassment they suffered last week against a resurgent KT Rolster.
Afreeca Freecs to beat BBQ Olivers: -210 ($1.48) at Bovada.lv
KT Rolster vs. Jin Air Green Wings
Day 3, Thursday, February 1, 3am EST / 8am GMT
The most competitive match of the week given their week-to-week improvements, but which of SK Telecom T1’s rivals can outdo the other?
KT Rolster’s top laner Song ‘Smeb’ Kyung-ho has improved dramatically in the aggro and shotcalling department and played a key role in guiding his team to victory over Afreeca last week.
However, the rest of the line-up were a little too dependent on Smeb’s guidance and let themselves get torn through crucial team-fights whenever he was not around.
In contrast, Jin Air’s AD carry Jin-seong ‘Teddy’ Park stole the show once more with his 16/1/7 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) and objective domination over previous opponents MVP.
But top laner Kim ‘SoHwan’ Jun-yeong also impressed in his new role, beating back MVP’s top laner veteran Kang ‘ADD’ Geon-mo effortlessly, and the rest of the team have displayed great coordination and support for each other without the need for excessive hand-holding.
After their earlier historic victory over SK Telecom T1, we’re more confident than ever Jin Air can make the transition to the top 3 and take down the inconsistent KT.
Jin Air Green Wings to beat KT Rolster: +225 ($3.25) at Bovada.lv
SK Telecom T1 vs MVP
Day 3, Thursday, February 1, 6am EST / 11am GMT
SK Telecom T1 have suffered some heart-breaking defeats this Spring Split and obviously aren’t the same world champions team they were in preceding years.
However, even with the paradigm shift, it’s hard to see them suffer another upset at the hands of MVP, who have failed to win even one game and have been outmatched at every turn.
With AD carry Bae ‘Bang’ Jun-sik and mid-laner Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok carrying the team, SK T1 have more than enough fire-power to at least avoid this embarrassment.
]]>There were some spectacular upsets and unorthodox strategies on-show in the opening week skirmishes, with SK Telecom T1 the only one of our favourites to pull through as predicted, while the likes of Kingzone, KT Rolster and MVP failed to secure an early lead against much weaker opponents.
While the EU LCS and NA LCS have proven entertaining so far, the South Korean League of Legends Champions continues to show why they’re the best professional players in the world.
Here are our top picks for week 2 of the LCK 2018 Spring Split.
LCK Spring Split – Parlay of the Week with Bovada.lv
- Jin Air Green Wings to beat MVP: -225 ($1.44)
- SK Telecom T1 to beat KT Rolster: +140 ($2.40)
- Kongdoo to beat ROX Tigers: -125 ($1.80)
- KSV to beat Afreeca Freecs 2 – 0: -110 ($1.91)
Jin Air Green Wings vs. MVP
Day 2, Wednesday, January 24 3am EST / 8am GMT
Jin Air Green Wings made history last week with their gruelling, but hard-fought victory against SK Telecom T1, which was the longest professional League of Legends game ever played.
The roster changes Jin Air made in preparation for the 2018 season have paid off, with bottom-laner Ji-min ‘Wraith’ Kwon more than earning his keep against the high-regarded SK T1 bottom lane crew.
But it was AD carry Jin-seong ‘Teddy’ Park that stole the show, single-handedly carrying Jin Air into the late-game and holding off their opponents with Sivir for over 60 minutes before using his record-breaking creep score to push Jin Air through the siege and take the game in an astounding upset.
Coming off such an amazing performance leaves little contest here with MVP, who were swept by Kongdoo and KT Rolster 2 – 0. They had zero kills, dragons or towers in their first match against Kongdoo and while their back-line comp improved against KT, the same lack of team cohesion and communication from last season is more than apparent.
Jin Air Green Wings to beat MVP: -225 ($1.44) at Bovada.lv
kt Rolster vs. SK Telecom T1
Day 2, Wednesday, January 24 5am EST / 11am GMT
KT Rolster enters week 2 a little bloodied and a little battle-hardened after their disastrous defeat against Afreeca Freecs and subsequent redemption tour against MVP.
Their defeat to Afreeca was certainly unexpected and discipline and coordination problems remain apparent. Top laner Song ‘Smeb’ Kyung-ho played far too aggro for our liking, losing his position multiple times throughout their second game against MVP. His attempt to take on four of MVP’s players as mini-Gnar can only be described as dumbfounding. Some other poor plays ruined their chances of securing a baron and both matches went far longer than they needed to.
SK Telecom T1 closed out its match against the ROX Tigers last week with some interesting placement of their star players, shocking viewers when they put support superstar Lee ‘Wolf’ Jae-wan, a two-time LoL World Champion, in the jungle for the first time in his career.
They had some panic with Wolf playing too aggressively with Senjuani and losing first blood, but he would ultimately be awarded MVP honors and AD carry Bae ‘Bang’ Jun-sik and mid laner Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok’s were solid enough to secure the game in half an hour.
If it wasn’t for their heart-breaking defeat to Jin Air Green Wings, SK T1 would be the only predictable favourite in the LCK right now. Still, their consistency and synergy as a team and the effort they put into taking Jin Air right down to the wire still makes us more confident in their ability to pick apart KT’s frequent overextending line-up for an easier win this week.
SK Telecom T1 to beat KT Rolster: +140 ($2.40) at Bovada.lv
ROX Tigers vs. Kongdoo Monster
Day 3, Wednesday, January 25 3am EST / 8am GMT
The closest match-up on paper this week is Rox vs Kongdoo, but we think the latter have shown a lot more promise in their opening week to take home the win.
Kongdoo mid laner Lee ‘Edge’ Ho-seong and top laner Kim ‘Roach’ Kang-hui provided the best shut-out plays so far against the ill-prepared MVP last week, but the duo weren’t enough to counter bbq Olivers’ versatile new jungler. Still, they put up an extremely hard fight and the team clearly has a lot of communication and coordination to back up their individual skill, compared to some of the competition so far.
ROX Tigers did deliver a solid second game against SK T1, securing a win in just over half-an-hour without giving up any barons, dragons or towers, but were sloppy thereafter. Expect a closer game decided by Kongdoo’s superior top-lane play.
Kongdoo to beat ROX Tigers: -125 ($1.80) at Bovada.lv
KSV Esports vs. Afreeca Freecs
Day 3, Wednesday, January 25 5am EST / 11am GMT
KSV have proven to be the LCK team to beat after their comfortable opening 2 – 0 sweeps of Kingzone and Jin Air Green Wings, echoing a surprise upset in last year’s World Championships.
Afreeca Freecs did also defy expectations last week after smashing KT Rolster, the one team they haven’t been able to beat since the 2016 LCK Summer Split. Top laner Kim ‘Kiin’ Gi-in and Jungler Lee ‘Spirit’ Day-yoon did well with some unexpected baron steals and solid KDA (Kills, Deaths, Assists).
However, KSV’s discipline and coordination is something else and they play the best long-game in the League. Korea’s most popular mid-laner Kang ‘Ambition’ Chan-yong proved just that last week with his shot-calling, clutch decision making and varied strategies that put Kingzone on the back-foot, first with an all-out dive comp and later with immensely clever split-pushing.
We fully expect KSV to put Afreeca firmly in their place with a comfortable 2 – 0 win.
]]>As the premier League of Legends esports league in Korea, LCK features 10 professional LoL teams battling every other opponent twice over the course of the Spring Season.
With the tournament’s double round robin, Bo3 (Best of 3) match format still intact compared to rival leagues which have experienced major revamps to their structure in 2018, the competition for the LCK will continue to duke it out in significantly longer matches than their EU and NA counterparts, though equally hard-fought and well-earned.
This ranked season, LCK players will be playing in one of the most diverse metas in LoL history with the introduction of the new rune system, which will allow champions across all types to become viable options for each role, instead of whole sub-classes being ignored due to the lack of an item or ability to pull off a certain strategy. The only champions that will continue to be passed over in the LCK will be those that are individually weak.
Here are our best bet picks and predictions for Week 1 of the 2018 LCK Spring Split.
LCK Spring Split – Four-fold Accumulator of the Week with Betway.com- Kingzone DragonX to beat KSV Esports: 1.72
- MVP to beat Kongdoo Monster: 1.45
- KT Rolster to beat Afreeca Freecs 2 – 0: 1.40
- SK Telecom T1 to beat ROX Tigers: 1.15
Betway Four-Fold Accumulator pays $4.03
Kingzone DragonX vs. KSV Esports
Game 1, Tuesday, January 16 3am EST / 8am GMT
Kingzone DragonX (formerly Longzhu Gaming) absolutely smashed the competition in last year’s LCK regular season and playoff, with a well deserved first place standing in each. Meanwhile, KSV Esports (formerly Samsung Galaxy) floundered into third and fourth place, respectively, before finding late redemption with their Summoner’s Cup victory late last year.
Longzhu’s shock loss at last year’s World Championships hurt, but they have been a well-oiled team from the very beginning and they will only continue to improve their amazing upper-lane play with the newly formed Kingzone brand. New managing coach Yeon ‘Sin’ Hyeong-mo, a former pro jungler known for his stellar Lee-Sin play, will be able to guide the re-united trio of fellow jungler Han ‘Peanut’ Wang-ho, AD’er Kim ‘PraY’ Jong-in and support Kang ‘GorrilA’ Beom-hyeon and put their well-proven team synergy to proper effect.
The Kingzone line-up overall looks too powerful in the current meta to drop their first-match back – we’re predicting a hard-fought, highly entertaining opening match.
Kingzone DragonX to beat KSV Esports: 1.72 at Betway.comMVP vs. Kongdoo Monster
Game 2, Tuesday, January 16 from 5am EST / 11am GMT
Perhaps the least exciting match-up in the first week, both MVP and Kongdoo Monster are at the bottom of the pack when compared to their competitors in the Spring Split. MVP’s roster has been together for many years with team synergy on display whenever they play, but their predictability and weak individual top-laners landed them in 8th place last year.
Meanwhile, Kongdoo finished dead last in the 2017 Spring Split, before promptly getting relegated back to challengers series with a lucky qualifiers round win to return to the LCK after the summer split. Any promise they showed was squashed when they were demolished by a challengers team at the KeSPA Cup to become the first team eliminated.
With a lack of leadership on both sides, we still feel MVP is the better pick based on Jeong “Max” Jong-bin’s support carries and MVP’s occasional ability to come-back in the late game.
MVP to beat Kongdoo Monster: 1.45 at Betway.comkt Rolster vs. Afreeca Freecs
Game 3, Tuesday, January 17 from 3am EST / 8am GMT
KT Rolster had one of the best rosters last-year, but individual talent means nothing if the team can’t synergise. They secured second place in the regular season and third in the playoffs, always losing to KSV (Samsung Galaxy) or SKT whenever they needed the win. For their sloppiness, they didn’t make it to World Championships for a shot at the Summoner’s Cup, despite having the super-star talent on board that should have got them there.
While the head coach departed, KT’s roster mostly stays the same this year and the team has genuinely worked on their composition as a unit while adding Lee ‘Rush’ Yoon-jae and Son ‘UcaL’ Woo-hyeon to bolster their ranks. Their recent performance in scrims and the KeSPA Cup seem to indicate the changes have worked for them, which we think will give them the momentum they need to crush the middling Afreea Freecs in their first match-up for the season and live up to the favourite reputation their line-up once held.
kt Rolster to beat Afreeca Freecs 2 – 0: 1.40 at Betway.comSK Telecom T1 vs. ROX Tigers
Game 4, Tuesday, January 17 from 5am EST /11am GMT
SK Telecom T1 secured second place in last year’s LCK play-offs, MSI Champions and Worlds, with some inconsistent bottom-lane play (not to mention lack of team-work) from Bae ‘Bang’ Jun-sik and Lee ‘Wolf’ Jae-wan letting them down during the summer split. The previous six-man roster strategy didn’t exactly work as smoothly as intended, either. While this year’s meta isn’t as favourable to SKT’s marco tactics, which allowed them to tank most of the damage and start dominating over-confident opponents in the late-game, a few of their players like Bang have already been seen ironing out their early-game aggro in solo queue to work on their previous weaknesses.
Combined with the fresh additions of Park ‘Jungle’ Beom-chan, Lee ‘Effort’ Sang-ho and Park ‘Thal Kwon-hyuk, their top-lane will wreck ROX Tigers’ Lindarang, a weaker replacement player for the retirement of Park “Shy” Sang-myeon, their most competitive player in the past. While other teams improved their rosters or covered major departures in the off-season, it appears a little too late for ROX to do the same.
SK Telecom T1 to beat ROX Tigers: 1.15 at Betway.comSee also:
]]>