Team Liquid won a record fourth consecutive LCS title last summer, and they have another record in their sights this season. Two more split titles in 2020 would tie Liquid with Team SoloMid as the most successful League of Legends team in the history of North America, and Liquid are even money to win the 2020 LCS Spring Split title in April. They appeared to get even stronger in the offseason with the addition of Broxah in the jungle, but there is some reason to doubt the defending champions.
League of Legends 2020 LCS Spring Split Regular Season Betting Odds
Team Liquid +100
Cloud9 +401
Team SoloMid +601
Counter Logic Gaming +1002
Evil Geniuses +1602
FlyQuest +2400
100 Thieves +2504
Dignitas +2804
Immortals +2804
Golden Guardians +4006
Signing Broxah away from Fnatic was a coup for Liquid, but it will take some time for Broxah to make it to the United States. There have been delays when it comes to acquiring a work visa for the talented jungler, and there is no timetable on when he will be able to join the team.
To make matters worse, fellow jungler Shernfire and coach Cain are also experiencing problems with their visas. None of the three individuals are expected to be in Los Angeles for the start of the season next week, forcing Liquid to adapt on the fly.
Former mid laner Pobelter was expected to be Liquid’s strategic coach this year, but he will be forced into the jungle for at least a couple weeks. Pobelter has no experience as a jungler, only playing as a top laner and mid laner during his extensive professional career, so it is hard to know what to expect with him in the lineup. That’s why it’s smart to stay away from Liquid at this price…for now.
Cloud9 are seen as having the best chance of knocking off Liquid. C9 have the best strategic mind in North America in Reapered, and they did improve in the offseason. While losing Zeyzal as a support hurts, they signed Zven to replace long-time bottom laner Sneaky, and that should give this team three lanes where they can win in 2020. As beloved as Sneaky is in the scene, the game had passed him by, and he was clearly a hindrance to his team against strong bottom laners in 2019.
Licorice is one of the best top laners in the region, but the key will be the continued development of Nisqy. Nisqy proved that he was more than just a placeholder by shining on assassin picks over the second half of last year, and that gives C9 fans hope that he can outduel superstars like Jensen and Bjergsen.
Speaking of Bjergsen, Team SoloMid’s superstar flirted with the idea of leaving TSM, but he decided to stay after receiving partial ownership of the team. He is the best mid laner in the history of the LCS, and his presence alone makes TSM a contender.
They brought in veteran Dardoch to hopefully provide some consistency in the jungle after poor play at the position plagued TSM all throughout 2019, but the bottom lane will be key. Zven never worked out as expected for TSM, yet there is optimism that another Danish import will pay off at the position in Kobbe. Kobbe has never been extremely flashy during his career, but he has been consistent and doesn’t make the mistakes that plagued Zven at times.
Many will claim that the best longshot on the board is Evil Geniuses, but they brought in names rather than players that have performed at a high level recently. Instead, I’ll put my faith in Papasmithy and go with 100 Thieves as the underdog to watch in 2020. Ssumday is an underrated top laner and Cody Sun is one of the better bottom lane players in the region. The mid lane is a major concern with untested ry0ma leading the way, but Papasmithy showed he had an eye for talent while broadcasting the LCK.
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