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LCK Summer 2021 Playoffs Semifinals Odds, Matchups and Picks – DWG KIA Favored Against Nongshim RedForce

Matthew Hempstead

by Matthew Hempstead in eSports

Updated Aug 20, 2021 · 7:28 AM PDT

LCK Summer Playoffs Semifinals odds - DWG KIA
DWG KIA takes on Nongshim RedForce in the LCK Summer Semifinals. Is there an upset looming?
  • The LCK Summer Playoff Semifinals take place on August 21st and 22nd
  • Only four teams remain in the hunt for the grand prize of a trip to Worlds 2021 and 200,000,000 South Korean Won
  • DWG KIA and T1 are favorites going into their respective semifinal matchups

Worlds 2021 creeps closer, and each playoff match gets tougher. The LCK Summer Playoffs are down to the final four, with the semifinals taking place on August 21st and August 22nd. One week later on the 28th, the LCK Summer champions will be crowned. Not only does the winner of Summer Playoffs lock up a spot at Worlds, but they also take home 200,000,000 South Korean Won. Alongside the LCK Playoffs, the LEC Playoffs, LPL Playoffs, and the LCS Championship are all taking place.

DWG KIA received a bye into the semifinals and enter as the favorites against Nongshim RedForce. They’ve also been looked at as the favorites for Worlds 2021 for quite some time.

LCK Summer Playoffs Semifinal Odds

August 21, 2021 Map Handicap Total Maps Moneyline
DWG KIA -1.5 -112 O 4.5 +160 -286
Nongshim RedForce +1.5 -134 U 4.5  -250 +195
August 22, 2021 Map Handicap Total Maps Moneyline
Gen.G +1.5 -200 O 4.5 +145 +120
T1 -1.5 +135 U 4.5 -223 -167

Odds as of August 20th at Betway

An Upset in the Making?

DWG KIA seem to be entering the LCK Summer Playoffs with a stack of impressive accomplishments. They’re the reigning World Champions, and they’re the #1 seed in the Summer regular season. The question is, does any of that matter when they begin their playoff run against Nongshim RedForce. DWG KIA has been the best team in the LCK for over a year now and will be the favorites all the way through until someone is crowned champion. However, if there’s an unsuspecting party who could take down DWG KIA, it might just be Nongshim RedForce.

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During LCK Summer, DWG KIA had a series record of 12-6 and beat every team at least once in the double round robin. Well, every team except for Nongshim RedForce. The sixth-place finishers in Spring improved during the Summer Season and also finished with a 12-6 series record. Against DWG KIA, Nongshim was able to win both matches 2-1, proving that the first best-of-three was far from a fluke.

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To further pump the tires of Nongshim, they took down Afreeca in the quarterfinals 3-1 to advance to the semis. Despite all of that build up for Nongshim, when DWG KIA were picking their semifinal opponent, they still elected to choose Nongshim RedForce. DWG KIA has the confidence to overcome those subsequent losses and the danger is that DWG KIA now has an entire playoff series to scout and plan from. The reigning World Champs should be able to shake up Nongshim’s game plan, and ensure that ‘deokdam’ doesn’t get to run wild on Aphelios.

I was tempted to take Nongshim, but it’s tough to go against the top team in the LCK.

Pick: DWG KIA (-286), O 4.5 (+160)

T1 Goes Back to Teddy

In week 5 of LCK Summer, ‘Gumayusi’ took over as T1’s starting AD Carry. With ‘Gumayusi’ on the starting roster, T1 went 7-2 heading into the Playoffs. That’s when ‘Teddy’ returned to the line-up and delivered an incredibly impressive performance in their quarterfinal sweep of SANDBOX. You’d never know that Teddy hadn’t seen the Rift in over a month as he stepped right in and impressed with his Ashe, Aphelios, and Varus.

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So now T1 has two excellent AD Carry’s to decide between, but this is more of a luxury than anything else. If one player is under-performing mid-series, T1 has the option of going to their sub. Aside from the switch to Teddy, it was a great team showing overall. Game three was a little rocky but over the series, we saw dominance from each, and every T1 member. Especially the legendary mid laner himself, ‘Faker’.

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Gen.G will be a tougher test for T1 however, T1 won both series against them during LCK Summer. T1 has that look of a dangerous team and I don’t think Gen.G has what it takes to stop them.

Pick: T1 ( -167), U 4.5 (-223)

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