LCS Summer Season Teams Odds and Overview
The top League of Legends teams from North America have returned into the spotlight, as the LCS resumes mid-June. Cloud9 crushed competitors during the Spring Split and are the main favorites for the Summer Season starting on June 12. They’ve missed the opportunity to test their quality against the best South Korean, Chinese and European teams, as the Mid-Season Invitational was canceled. Esports betting fans can wager on the 2020 League Championship Series at traditional bookmakers or try fantasy esports.
The Complete LCS Summer Split Schedule
The League Championship Series resumed on June 12 and it will continue at an accelerated pace. This year, the Summer Season will be shorter, but the same number of matches will be played. This is great news for the League of Legends fans and punters, as they will have more betting opportunities over a shorter period of time. Few changes were made to the LCS Roster 2020, but the few additions to the top teams could make a difference and make esports betting more exciting.
There are also a few changes to consider, with the most important one being the fact that eight teams will qualify for the playoffs. Otherwise, the opening stage will still consist of best of one series, with a double round robin. No teams relegate, but with more playoff slots available, the bottom pack will have a better chance at making it to postseason. The top two LCS teams will advance straight to Round 2, followed by the next three who will join them in the winners’ bracket.
Cloud9, Team Liquid and TSM – LCS Podium Favourites
LCS Summer Season matches will always have a clear favorite when Cloud9 plays. This is by far the best North American League of Legends team and the only one that looks capable of surviving the group stage at the Worlds. Following their success in the Spring Split, where they only lost one match in the playoffs, they are the overwhelming favorite at all betting sites.
Team Liquid was the biggest disappointment in summer and they failed to qualify for the playoffs. The addition of Broxah wasn’t enough to give them a fighting chance against the top NA LCS teams. They will have their star player available from round one, which should help them reversed their fortunes. On the other hand, DoubleLift is no longer with the team and his absence will be missed in bottom lane.
Team SoloMid is one of the teams to watch for this summer, after a rather inconstant performance during the Spring Split. The addition of DoubleLift is expected to strengthen their performance in early game, while also giving them an edge in the later stages. TSM is the only team to have claimed a victory over Cloud9 in the regular season, but they will need to play their best to replicate that performance.
Try Fantasy Esports at Draftkings:
Watch Out FlyQuest and Evil Geniuses
Things look pretty grim and the bottom of the NA LCS, where we find the likes of Counter Logic Gaming. They looked pretty hopeless throughout the spring season and without PowerOfEvil they have a difficult task of qualifying for the playoffs. Dignitas, Immortals and Golden Guardians are doing slightly better, but they were unable to win many consecutive games. One of these teams will fail to qualify for the playoffs, while the other two will need a miracle to advance to the second round.
At the opposite end of the spectrum we have FlyQuest and Evil Geniuses, some of the most exciting teams of the 2020 League Championship Series. FlyQuest were a pleasant surprise in spring and fully deserved to qualify for the final act of the playoffs. They have the experience, consistency and courage to challenge the top teams in the LCS. Evil Geniuses are not yet quite there, but with a talented midlaner such as Jiizuke they’ve got a decent chance at causing an upset and finish on the podium.
How to Improve your LCS Summer Season Performance?
There are plenty of things to consider when betting on the NA LCS matches and a couple of tips that can help you improve your performance. When it comes to classic esports betting, some of the most profitable wagers are those placed on underdogs. The League Championship Series can look like one of the more lopsided leagues, but that’s mostly because of Cloud9’s dominance. With the exception of this formidable team, pretty much any other squad can cause an upset on any given day. That’s why it is definitely worth considering any odds exceeding 3/2 on the underdog to prevail, as long as they don’t play against Cloud9.
In-game events can also produce spectacular winnings, if you know how to pick them. One of the best betting options this season is on over 12.5 towers to be destroyed, at odds that routinely exceeded 13/10. That’s because matches frequently crossed the 30 minutes threshold and teams play aggressively in the early stages. The losing team often destroys four towers or more, so the ratio at which this bet wins exceeds 50%, while the odds are about even value.
Other tempting special markets for NA LCS involve the first tower and Dragon. The latter is another shining example of smart underdog betting, as first dragons have lost much of their meaning in recent months. Teams are more interested in capturing the Rift Rival, which can be used to destroy the first tower and earn extra goal. Basically, it pays off to bet on the favorites to destroy the first tower and claim the first Rift Rival when this market is available, while betting on the underdogs to kill the first Dragon.
Take your chances with Esports Fantasy LCS
The League Championship Series is popular all over the world, but not surprisingly it has most of its fans in the US. Unfortunately for esports betting fans, this type of gambling isn’t legal in some states so they can’t spice things up. This is where Esports Fantasy LCS comes in, providing a legal way of enjoying the thrills of North American League of Legends. You can read our Draftkings review to learn exactly how to enjoy the best that fantasy esports has to offer on the biggest platform.
The good news is that the same set of skills and knowledge useful for esports betting can be put to good use in fantasy LCS. One has to assemble the best possible team to fill up those seven starting positions that include top and mid laners, jungler, AD carry and support. During the drafting phase, you also have to choose a flex player, and one Team, with these decisions determining the outcome. At the beginning of each week, you can operate changes to your roster based on what happened during the previous round.
If you choose to take a leap of faith with fantasy esports on DraftKings you get to choose between different types of games. Head 2 Head, 50/50 game and Fantasy LCS tournaments are played by slightly different rules, which provide the much-needed diversity. The payouts also differ, but generally there is a clear connection between the size of the stakes and the potential winnings. Instead of real currency, you will be earning DK dollars if you choose to play for free, or you can make a real money deposit.
You can watch all the decisive League of Legends Championship Series games live on Twitch:
