2020 LoL KeSPA Cup Odds to Win, How to Watch, Schedule, & Prize Pool
- The 2020 KeSPA Cup is the first major League of Legends event since Worlds 2020
- All ten teams competing in the 2021 LCK Spring Split will be participating
- T1 and DAMWON Gaming are co-favorites to win at +275
The 2020 KeSPA Cup begins on December 21st and is a precursor to the 2021 LCK Spring Season. The ten invited teams will be the ten teams participating in LCK Spring, and this preseason tournament will be our first look at a lot of new rosters.
The group stage will take place from December 21st to the 24th, and the bottom two teams from each group will be eliminated. The round of 6 starts on Christmas Day (December 25th) with the grand final taking place in the new year on January 2nd.
The first big League of Legends tournament since Worlds can be watched at KeSPA’s YouTube channel.
2020 League of Legends KeSPA Cup Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| T1 | +275 |
| DAMWON Gaming | +275 |
| Gen.G | +375 |
| Afreeca Freecs | +600 |
| Hanwha Life Esports | +700 |
| Liiv Sandbox | +1400 |
| Nongshim Red Force | +1800 |
| KT Rolster | +2500 |
| DRX | +2800 |
| Fredit BRION | +3300 |
Odds taken Dec. 17 at bet365
Worlds 2020
Ever since Worlds 2020, a lot has changed. After a two year drought, the LCK finally had a team regain the Worlds trophy thanks to DAMWON Gaming.
However, the League of Legends off-season is incredibly active, and a lot has changed amongst LCK teams. Although the 2021 LoL World Championship odds are already being looked at, we’ve still yet to see how any of these new-look teams will perform.
The 2020 KeSPA Cup is our first chance to gauge the strength of the LCK teams. Although a lot of the rosters are still new and not too practiced, the prize pool of $131,684 USD guarantees hard fought competition.
The Defending World Champions
It’s important to note that historically the most dominant LCK team at the end of the year hasn’t always gone on to win KeSPA Cup. Last year’s tournament was won by the Afreeca Freecs, who finished fifth in the LCK in 2019. So don’t go crowning DAMWON just because they’re the World Champions.
This team is also missing one of their most dominant parts. Nuguri left DAMWON in free agency and elected to go to China and play for FunPlus Phoenix. To fill the void in the top lane, DAMWON acquired Khan – a player who was once dominant in his own right.
Although we’ve seen Khan take over the rift before, he appears to be a step down from Nuguri. It’ll take some time to get him incorporated into the team as well. DAMWON could very well be in the conversation to win Worlds 2021, but we’ll hold off on them taking home the 2020 KeSPA Cup.
A New Support
Right up there as co-favorites with DAMWON is T1. Obviously, T1 has Faker, which always helps elevate their odds.
However, the biggest reason why T1 is viewed so strongly right now is the exciting acquisition of support player Keria. He made a lot of noise on DRX last year playing with Deft, and now he enters his second year in the LCK playing with T1.
As big of a signing as Keria is, T1 is filled with questions at other roles in their roster. They have multiple top laners, junglers, and AD carries signed which gives them flexibility down the stretch. Early in the season though, it’s that much harder to build chemistry and find the best combination to put out there. I’d fade both favorites at the KeSPA Cup.
Dark Horses
There are a couple of teams that are in the running just because of some strong off-season acquisitions. The Afreeca Freecs are an intriguing team after picking up Bang and Lehends. Hanwha Life will also be a team to watch as they signed both Chovy and Deft.
Sticking Together
Going into the first tournament of a year, I always look at which team has changed the least. For the 2021 KeSPA Cup, that team is Gen.G. They’ve already proven their strength by making the quarterfinals at Worlds 2020. Now is their chance to finish in first as the other teams with rotating rosters work towards building chemistry. Gen.G already has that, and it should pay off.
Pick: Gen.G (+375)
Growing up, Matthew was in love with sports. So, following his undergrad, it only made sense to dive head-first into the world of sports media. Rather than sticking to traditional sports, Matt found his way to eSports and gaming. He also produces, edits and serves as an analyst for SQUAD.
