Griffin & SK Telecom T1 Early Co-Favorites to Win 2019 LOL World Championship
- Can China claim back-to-back World Titles?
- Will Korea once again sit on top of the International Throne?
- Value picks to win the 2019 World Championship
The League of Legends World Championships are a long way away, but it’s never too early to take a look at what teams may be a threat to win Worlds in 2019.
2018 Worlds Champs, Invictus Gaming, come in with the third-best odds to win again, with two Korean squads taking the number one and two spots.
2019 League of Legends World Championship
| Teams | Odds to Win 2019 League of Legends World Championship Outright |
|---|---|
| SK Telecom T1 | +400 |
| Griffin | +400 |
| Invictus Gaming | +500 |
| Gen.G | +800 |
| Royal Never Give Up | +1000 |
| KT Rolster | +1400 |
| DAMWON Gaming | +1400 |
| Afreeca Freecs | +1400 |
| Kingzone DragonX | +2000 |
| Fnatic | +3000 |
| G2 | +3000 |
| Liquid | +3000 |
| EDward Gaming | +3500 |
| Hanwha Life | +4000 |
| Vitality | +4000 |
| Cloud9 | +6000 |
| Flash Wolves | +10000 |
| TSM | +25000 |
Korea’s Chance at Redemption
The LCK is coming off of a disappointing season that saw no Korean team reach the top two at Worlds for the first time since 2011.
Griffin and SKT T1 currently head the odds to win Worlds this year, both of which deserve to be placed that high.
Can SKT Claim a Fourth World Title in 2019
Faker, the best LoL player of all-time, heads into the 2019 season with redemption on his mind. After failing to even make the World Championship in 2018, SKT went out and assembled an all-star lineup around their star mid-laner.
He finally has the pieces to compete with the World’s best, and early on in the LCK Spring Split, it looks like they will be a force to be reckoned with come later in the year.
Teddy is an absolute monster at ADC, and alongside Mata at support it will be hard to outclass their bottom lane of the map.
They’re my best bet at +400 right now.
Griffin Looking to Win Worlds After Missing Last Year
After a crushing end of the LCK Summer Split for Griffin, that saw them lose in the playoffs and then lose again in regionals, they’re coming for blood in 2019. They were probably the best team in the LCK last year, and would have excelled in Worlds had they made it there.
This season they should come out with the fire knowing that had they been at the World Championships in 2018, there was a solid chance they would have been the ones to win.
Early on in the LCK Spring Split, it looks like that’s exactly what happening.
They absolutely destroyed KINGZONE Dragon-X in week one, with a dominant performance coming out of their star Jungler, Tarzan.
If they are able to improve on what we’ve seen in week one of the LCK consistently throughout the year, then Griffin is certainly a team that should be looked at seriously to win the 2019 World Championship.
Value Picks to Win the 2019 World Championship
Now there are a few other teams that I believe can contend for the title in 2019, some of which come into 2019 with surprisingly good odds.
Europe’s Only Hope
The first team I would highlight as a potential upset pick would be G2. After falling short to eventual champs at last years Worlds in the semifinals, G2 acquired Caps from Fnatic and shifted Perks from the mid-lane to the bot-lane.
In the little we’ve seen so far, this looks like it could be devastating for opposing teams. The team comps that G2 will be able to run will give bot-lanes nightmares. In their first game of the LEC Spring Split, they pulled out a Rakan/Zoe combo which shattered the hopes and dreams of Origen.
If they are able to keep improving throughout the year and inviting in diverse team compositions, then G2 may be a pretty big threat to win out in 2019. At +3000, it may be worth taking a look at throwing a few bucks on them.
Can Liquid Finally See Success on the World Stage
Liquid had a very disappointing showing at the Worlds in 2018 after coming in as the favorite to go the furthest out of teams from North America. They were able to sign Jensen in the offseason, and former World Champion support, CoreJJ.
With probably the best North American roster of all-time, it’s now or never for Liquid. If they are able to all play to their highest level and still be a cohesive unit on the rift, then I think there’s a chance that they can find themselves winning it all in 2019.
This is pretty big longshot of a pick, but Liquid certainly has the individual talent. It will pretty much rely on whether or not they’re able to find success together as a team. At +3000, putting a bit down on Liquid may prove to be a good investment come end of 2019.
Zack is a lifelong video game enthusiast that has been in the competitive scene for over 11 years. He currently works at TSN and has an in-depth understanding across multiple esports titles. From PC to console games, first person shooters to MOBA's, one-taps to five-man ult's, he knows it all.
