Odds Fade on G2 and FunPlus Phoenix After Group Stage of League of Legends World Championship

• Eight teams remain at the League of Legends World Championship as the tournament advances into the knockout stage
• The knockout stage begins on October 26th and the field will be whittled down to four by the end of the weekend
• G2’s odds have plummeted after a couple of tough losses to Griffin to close out the group stage

The LoL World Championship odds have once again changed drastically now that the group stage has come to an end. The Knockout stage takes place on October 26th and 27th as the remaining eight World contenders will compete in best of fives to determine who advances to the semifinals.

Odds to Win the LoL World Championship

*All odds taken 10/21/19

Are G2 Still Europe’s Best Hope?

It wasn’t that long ago that G2 Esports were right up near the top of the betting tables. For a while they were considered near favorites alongside the Korean titans of SK Telecom T1.  All of a sudden, their odds of winning the 2019 World Championship have faded back to +900. That kind of drop could be alarming, but it could also be an excellent opportunity to cash bigger than before.

There are two main reasons for their drastic drop in the odds. First off, G2 had looked dominant in the group stage and had a perfect record going into their final game. Then they went head-to-head with Griffin for the second time. G2 had a convincing win in their first match-up but this one quickly went in the favor of Griffin.

One loss to the second seed out of Korea shouldn’t have rang any alarm bells. With both teams now at 5-1, they played a rematch in an ensuing tiebreaker. The result was identical as Griffin once again swiftly knocked off the number one seed from Europe.

The second reason for G2’s descent is that they find themselves on the same side of the bracket as SK Telecom T1. That’s why five teams have higher chances of making the finals than G2 Esports. They’re all of the teams on the other side of the bracket, and of course SKT. G2’s quarterfinal match comes against DAMWON Gaming, which is no easy test. However, G2 have excelled in best of five situations as proven in their LEC final matches against Fnatic.

Fnatic showed that SKT is beatable. To destroy G2’s odds of winning because of two poor games seems harsh and I still believe that G2 will win this World Championship.

A Tough Group for FunPlus Phoenix

If not for being on the easier side of the bracket, FunPlus Phoenix would have more worse odds at the moment. FPX was supposed to easily push through the group stage as their group was by far the easiest of the four. Instead, FPX stumbled all the way through. They lost their very first match to J Team before dropping a game to Splyce.

They narrowly advanced as the number one seed out of Group B by taking down Splyce in a tiebreaker match. When this team is rolling on all cylinders, they’re tough to overcome. Their inconsistencies will likely come to haunt them and they have a history of struggling in the big moment.

A lot of people had thought that their choking issues subsided after winning the LPL in the 2019 Summer but after looking weaker than expected at Worlds, those weaknesses might still linger. Their quarterfinals opponent is Fnatic who played incredibly on the final day of Group C play and FPX will have no room for error against them. I’d stay away from FunPlus Phoenix at this point. Even if they get past Fnatic, I don’t see them making the finals.

Pick: To Reach Finals – G2 (+500) & Griffin (+125), To Win – G2 (900)