The 2020 League of Legends Pro League (LPL) is in its ninth year of professional League of Legends competition in China. In the spring season, 17 teams face off in single round-robin format over ten weeks, with the top eight teams advancing to the playoffs. For those of you are using eSports betting to take the place of your regular sports betting and are wondering just what League of Legends is, it is a video game that is like a much more high-tech (and violent) version of Capture the Flag. Teams square off in an attempt to destroy the opponent’s Nexus, which is a base that they establish somewhere in their own territory. Players take on the avatar of a “champion” that has distinct abilities and fight as a team against another squad. As we enter Week 7 of the spring season, take a look at the standings as well as our thoughts on Tuesday’s matches and League of Legends Odds.
eSports: League of Legends LPL Matches: April 14
Standings (through Week 6 and one day of Week 7)- Invictus Gaming 11-2
- eStar 11-4
- FunPlus Phoenix 10-3
- JD Gaming 9-4
- Top Esports 9-5
- EDward Gaming 8-5
- Royal Never Give Up 8-6
- Oh My God 7-7
- Team WE 6-6
- Rogue Warriors 6-7
- Vici Gaming 6-8
- LGD Gaming 5-7
- Suning 5-9
- Bilibili Gaming 5-9
- Dominus Esports 5-9
- LNG Esports 4-10
- Victory Five 0-14
Rogue Warriors (4.37) vs JD Gaming (1.2) (3:00 am ET)
These two sides have met seven times in the past, with JD Gaming winning five times and Rogue Warriors winning just twice. Rogue Warriors have won three of their last five, while JD Gaming has dropped just one in their last five. Over their last ten matches, both teams have played well, but Rogue Warriors has a way to go to catch JD Gaming, as they have won seven of ten but JD has won nine of ten.
The teams last faced one another in LPL Summer 2019, in the Week 6-11 group stage. Rogue Warriors rolled to a 2-0 sweep, but JD Gaming won four head-to-head matches in a row before that one. Rogue Warriors come in on a two-match winning streak in LPL play, taking down Vici Gaming on April 8 and then beating Royal Never Give Up on April 11. Royal Never Give Up is in the top half of the LPL table right now, while Rogue Warriors remain a half-game out of the final playoff position at this point.
JD Gaming has won four in a row and has not lost since March 27, when they took a 2-0 beating from Royal Never Give Up. Since then, they have beaten Suning, LNG Esports, eStar and Invictus. The first two wins came over bottom-dwellers in the LPL, but by knocking off the top two teams in the standings in the last two weeks, JD Gaming has made a major statement about their prospects. I see them carrying that momentum against Rogue Warriors.
Final Prediction: JD Gaming wins, 2-1
Vici (1.46) vs Suning (2.66) (5:00 am ET)
Vici and Suning have met seven times, with Suning holding a commanding 5-2 lead in the series. However, Vici has played better than Suning in recent matches, winning two of five and six of ten, to just one in five and two in ten for Suning. These numbers have a lot to do with Suning coming in as the underdog despite having controlled the series against Vici in the past.
Vici’s two wins in their seven matches against Suning both came in December, as they won, 1-0, in a pair of matches at the Group Stage of the Demacia Cup Championship. Vici beat FunPlus Phoenix a week ago in LPL Group Stage play but before that had not won since April 1, when they took down eStar, giving them one of just four losses for the second-place team.
Suning has lost two LPL matches in a row, falling 2-0 to Oh My God oh April 8 and then losing 2-1 to Dominus Esports on April 12. These are not playoff contenders right now, and the poor form that Suning has shown has Vici trending upward right now. Despite the lower value, I like Vici to take advantage of Suning’s struggles.
Prediction: Vici wins, 2-1
LGD Gaming (1.76) vs Bilibili Gaming (2.04) (8:00 am ET)
LGD Gaming leads Bilibili Gaming by a match in the standings right now and has two matches in hand, but neither team is in the top eight of the LPL standings right now. The teams have played five times in the past, with Bilibili winning three of the matchups. Both teams have dropped three of their last five matches, but Bilibili has split their last ten, while LGD has won just four times. LGD has not beaten Bilibili since August 25, 2018, in LPL Summer play. Bilibili had the upper hand in January, in LPL Spring 2019, and again in August, in LPL Summer 19, sweeping in both Group Stage matches.
LGD Gaming has won three LPL Spring 2020 Group Stage matches in a row, beating World Elite, Royal Never Give Up and Oh My God. World Elite is in ninth place in the standings right now, and the other two teams are in the top eight right now, so LGD’s quality of play appears to be heating up at just the right time.
Bilibili beat Dominus Esports and Top Esports before losing to Invictus last week. Losing to Invictus is nothing to be ashamed of, as they lead the standings, and Top Esports is in fifth place right now, making that a quality win. However, LGD has the better record and the better streak coming in. I like them to stay on their streak.
Prediction: LGD wins, 2-1
