League of Legends LCK Summer 2019 Odds & Picks: T1 & Griffin Stand Above Field
By Zack Bowker in eSports
Updated: April 1, 2020 at 11:54 am EDTPublished:
- LCK Summer Split kicks off June 5th
- Can Faker lead his new squad to back-to-back titles?
- Will Griffin reclaim their spot as the top team in Korea?
The LCK is historically the most dominant region in League of Legends, and it’s set to kick off their second and final split of the year on June 5th. After being knocked out of MSI by the eventual winners G2 in the semifinals, SKT T1 lead the odds for the team to claim the second LCK title of the year in Korea.
SKT has already found success this year in the LCK after winning the Spring Split in rather dominating fashion over Griffin, who many considered to be the best team in the world for the better part of a year. Will they be able to replicate that same success in the Summer Split? Or will Griffin exact their revenge on the Korean titans?
LCK Summer Split Odds
| Teams | Odds |
|---|---|
| SKT T1 | +160 |
| Griffin | +175 |
| KT Rolster | +900 |
| Kingzone DragonX | +900 |
| DAMWON | +1200 |
| Sandbox | +1400 |
| Gen.G | +3300 |
| Hanwha Life | +3300 |
| Afreeca Freecs | +3300 |
| Jin Air | +5000 |
*Odds taken 05/30/19
Back on Top and There to Stay?
For a long time SKT T1 was not only considered the best team in Korea, but the best team in the world, though in 2018 they took a major step back. The three-time world champs were not what they used to be. Disappointing performance after disappointing performance seemed to be the story all year long which lead them to miss Worlds for the first time since 2014.
The Korean powerhouse were in need of a shakeup and that is exactly what happened. Keeping only their star mid laner, Faker, they signed a completely new roster to play around the GOAT which was nothing short of a super team.
2019 SKT T1 New Roster!
Coming Soon!Trailer ▶️ https://t.co/yNj2FKfdMJ#Khan #Crazy #Haru#Clid #Teddy #Mata pic.twitter.com/eojU4MlpzU
— T1 LoL (@T1LoL) December 10, 2018
They started out a little slow in the Spring Split, but once they found their stride they were full speed ahead from there on out. They cruised through LCK Spring playoffs with a perfect 6-0 record after beating KingzoneDragonX and the consensus world number one in the finals, Griffin.
It was the matchup that all League of Legends fans were waiting to see, as SKT was now in form and Griffin had been stomping pretty much every team all year long. What was expected to be a five game classic of a series turned out to be a 3-0 sweep, ending in just over 90 minutes on the rift with SKT once again claiming their spot as the best team in Korea.
They head into MSI as the favorites to hoist yet another international trophy for the storied franchise, but they ended up falling just short in the semifinals to G2 who went on to win the tournament. It was honestly their series to lose, as they went up 2-1 and ended up making a few key decisions that inevitably cost them the game, series, and chance at hoisting yet another trophy.
Heading into the LCK Summer Split SKT T1, will be firing on all cylinders and will undoubtedly be at the top of the standings throughout the entire split.
Heading into the LCK Summer Split SKT T1, will be firing on all cylinders and will undoubtedly be at the top of the standings throughout the entire split. They have just too much talent, and after the adjustment period of playing with an entirely new roster the team chemistry looks like it’s on point.
Can Griffin Take Back Their Number One Spot?
They looked like the team to beat all year long up until they started to falter a little bit throughout the later part of the season, dropping games to Gen.G, Afreeca, and Kingzone. Still, many considered them to be the best team in Korea, and were expecting them to meet up with SKT in the finals of the LCK Spring Split.
This ended up being the case but when they finally squared up with the SKT they got smoked. I expect the same result this time around in the LCK Summer Split. I think Griffin will stay near the top of the table all season long and still be put into the conversation as one of the premier teams in the LCK, but I just don’t see them getting it done against SKT T1 when it’s all on the line.
Get the brooms because Faker and his boys are coming for the sweep.
Pick: SKT T1 (+160)
See our other League of Legends coverage:
eSports Writer
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.
