Bet Early on the League of Legends Worlds Play In Stage Matches
The largest and most anticipated League of Legends tournament is upon us, with the Worlds starting on September 25. The best teams will play the opening matches in the first week of September, but the play in stage begins one week before the main event. LGD and MAD Lions are the main favourites doing this phase of the event, but competition is strong and there are several teams capable of challenging them.
LGD and MAD Lions Have the Best Claim at the Worlds Trophy
Leading bookmakers have already published the odds for the outright winners and LGD and MAD Lions head and shoulders above their peers from the plane stage. They have defeated the best teams in their region during the regular season, including some that are now among the favorites to win League of Legends Worlds. During the playoffs, these two teams were responsible for crashing the dreams of some of the strongest teams in their regions, including 2018 champions Invictus Gaming.
LGD is priced at 34/1 by Betway and MAD Lions get odds of 14/1 at the same bookie. Each group features five teams and the winners will qualify directly to the main event, an objective that is within the grasp of LGD Gaming and MAD Lions. The differences between these two teams are rather small, but the difference in odds derives from two main factors. LGD has an easier schedule in the players and can only play in Group A or C in the main event, which are slightly easier than B and D.
Team Liquid and MAD Lions Play the Group A Derby
MAD Lions have the potential to win Group A and advance directly to the main event. They will have to overcome the most important obstacle on opening day, when they take on Team Liquid. The North American squad has more experience at this level, but for the first time in recent years it has to go through the play in stage. That’s why the LoL Worlds betting odds offered by ArcaneBet on Team Liquid to win stand at 11/10, whereas Europeans are favorites with odds of 7/10.
Team Liquid lost arguably the most important player, after DoubleLift decided to go back to TSM. Even without him, Team Liquid made a deep run in the playoffs and have a decent chance to advance from Group A. Finishing second is a reasonable target, but the Americans are not known for settling for second best. These are two teams that play aggressively in the early stages of the game, but struggle to wrap up games. That’s why punters should also consider a bet on a lengthy match and many kills to be scored, with bookmakers such as Unikrn and GG.bet offering plenty of such special markets.
LGD Gaming and PSG Talon Clash for Group B Supremacy
LGD Gaming is expected to cruise through the play in stage and win Group B without breaking a sweat. They were lucky to avoid Team Liquid, which is arguably the strongest second seed during this phase of the competition. Instead, their strongest competitors will be PSG Talon from the PCS region, one of the most impressive teams during the regular season. They are strong candidates to finish second, but the chances to win the group are rather slim. This is reflected by the LoL Worlds odds of 1/5 on LGD Gaming to defeat them in the opening match, whereas PSG Talon are priced at 4/1 by Buff.bet.
The Chinese organization has an exceptionally strong early game and it is the kind of LoL team that can snowball an advantage. They don’t have much experience in tournaments of this magnitude, yet had plenty of opportunities to train against the best in the world. PSG Talon dominated their region, but they will now take on an opponent that is vastly superior to any team they faced so far. By comparison, LGD Gaming played the entire season against exceptional adversaries and are unlikely to be surprised by anything PSG Talon can throw at them. The only danger here is to underestimate the opponent.
