This is what every team has been playing for over the last nine months. The 2019 League of Legends World Championships will get underway on Saturday, October 12, with 12 teams from around the world in action. The LCK and the LPL are sizable favorites to produce the winner of this competition, but European fans will have a team to cheer on this time around in G2. After winning the Mid-Season Invitational, hopes are high for G2, and Europe is optimistic they can deliver the continent its first true World Championship.
2019 League of Legends World Championship GroupStage Day 1Betting Odds
SK Telecom T1 -270
Fnatic +207
The three-time World Champions are once again one of the teams to beat. SKT did the unthinkable by losing to a Western team after falling in five games to G2 at MSI, and they are out to make sure that doesn’t happen again.
Fnatic’s only path to victory in my eyes is by doing something unexpected. SKT has a massive advantage in terms of individual talent, and we have seen Rekkles completely fall apart against Korean teams. Teddy has been sharp on marksmen and he will outduel Rekkles if both players select marksmen, and I have immense faith in Faker to beat Nemesis in the top lane. Other teams can beat SKT by selecting a non-marksman for the bottom lane, but I don’t see it for Fnatic.
Royal Never Give Up -430
Clutch Gaming +337
Kudos to Clutch Gaming for making it to the Worlds Group Stage. However, they are almost certain to be the odd team out in Group C. They just don’t have the strength in the bottom lane as other teams, and Huni can be countered by teams like RNG that have dominant top laners. Uzi could have a massive game against Clutch, so I expect the LPL squad to roll.
Invictus Gaming -650
Ahq Esports Club +431
The LPL has repeatedly raided the LMS for talent over the last few years. That led to the LMS underperforming at 2018 Worlds and 2019 MSI, but Ahq is one of two teams from the region that can make some noise. While Ahq probably won’t make it through the Group Stage, LMS teams have historically done well on the first few days of international tournaments, and Invictus Gaming have been a roller coaster of a team this season. At this price, it’s worth betting on Ahq to pull the upset.
DAMWON Gaming -175
Team Liquid +151
While I’m tempted to take the upset here as well, DAMWON Gaming showed their incredible brilliance in the Play-In Stage. DAMWON overcame some jitters and early game mistakes to cruise to the Main Event, and the bottom lane of Nuclear and BeryL improved with every game. Liquid are certainly a live dog given their experience, but I’ll put my faith (and money) on the individual skill of DAMWON’s players.
FunPlus Phoenix -700
J Team +456
I like J Team at this price for the same reasons as Ahq. J Team and FunPlus Phoenix are better teams than Ahq and Invictus Gaming, but the same principle still applies. This is FunPlus Phoenix’s first appearance on the international stage, and none of these players have been to Worlds as a starter in the past. FunPlus are in a relatively easy group, so they can afford a loss and still finish atop Group B.
Splyce -170
GAM Esports +148
This might be the most entertaining match of the day. Splyce and GAM have completely different playstyles, and that typically makes for excitement. GAM personifies the violent early game that embodies the VCS, while Splyce are arguably the slowest, most methodical team at Worlds. European teams have had a tough time matching the pace of Vietnamese teams in the past, so I’ll take GAM as a slight underdog.
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