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League of Legends — Worlds Preview

With the Play-in having been completed in Mexico City, the full schedule is now known for the Group Stage, and the definitive beginning of the League of Legends Worlds. Kicking off this week, the tournament is attracting plenty of betting attention already at online casinos and betting sites, and with a strong field, there are several among the field of 16 who have a realistic chance of walking away with the title.

The contest is split into four groups of four teams, with matches taking place between the 7th and 16th of October at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater. Generally an arena dedicated to the performing arts, the theater will certainly see plenty of drama across the next fortnight, with two teams from each group advancing to the quarter-finals which will be held at the same venue between the 20th and 23rd of this month. Then it’s off to Atlanta for the semi-finals on the 29th and 30th before 5th November sees the last two teams play off for the honour of becoming World Champions in League of Legends.

Who are the teams fighting for the title?

The groups have been drawn as follows:

Group A: T1 (Korea), Cloud 9 (USA), Edward Gaming (China), Fnatic (Europe)
Group B: JD Gaming (China), G2 Esports (Europe), DWG KIA (Korea), Evil Geniuses (USA)
Group C: Rogue (Europe), Top ESports (China), Gam Esports (Vietnam), DRX (Korea)
Group D: Gen G (Korea), CTBC Flying Oyster (Taiwan), 100 Thieves (USA), Royal Never Give Up (China)

Each team will play the others in their group twice: once between 7-10 October, and then again between the 13th and 16th. The winners from each group will play a runner-up from a different group in the quarter-finals, with sides from the same group being kept apart until the final.

Who are the top contenders?

Current favourites with most bookmakers are Korea’s Gen G, who have been drawn into a relatively forgiving group, with CTBC Flying Oyster and 100 Thieves deemed to be among the outsiders. There’s not a lot to choose between them and JD Gaming or Top Esports, though, with the Chinese teams both hard to find for odds much longer than +200. Edward Gaming, who are defending their title won last year in Iceland, are generally seen as fifth in the list of potential winners, and a lot will ride on their Group 1 showdowns with T1, who are narrowly ahead of them in the betting. The sides were also paired in the group stages last year, and both meetings ended in 1-1 ties.

The consensus is that the title will stay in Asia, and more specifically in either Korea or China - the eight teams from those nations are the top eight in current betting, with Europe’s G2 considered the closest contender from outside the region, and a lengthy +4500 at that. Cloud 9, America’s strongest hope, is generally available at +5000.

Which are the matches to look out for?

Certainly, as already indicated, T1 and Edward Gaming will play significant matches on the 7th and 13th of the month, with the latter being the final game in Group 1 and likely deciding who will take the top spot and an easier potential route to the final. Gen G’s meetings with Royal Never Give Up could also be pivotal. The Korean team is hotly tipped to at least make the final, but RNG could make life uncomfortable for them if they win or even split the difference across the 7th and 16th.

DWG and JD Gaming will also have some intriguing contests to look at. Prior to the semi-finals in 2021, DWG didn’t lose a single game, let alone a match. This time, they face one of the favourites and will be pushed from the start. In any group, though, the smartest tip is to look out for the matches between Korean and Chinese teams, as these are likely to have the biggest say in deciding the final classification.