SK Telecom T1 Now Favored to Win 2019 League of Legends World Championship After Rolling Through LCK Playoffs
- The League of Legends World Championship kicks off in the Fall
- SKT has risen in the table quite a bit, but are they the right choice?
- Is there any other option than the Korean Super team?
At the beginning of the year when SKT T1 announced their new roster everyone was hyped to see Faker surrounded by an all-star supporting cast. The expectations were high for the new squad, and many were already chalking up 2019 as a clean sweep for the Korean titans.
They did come out a little slow though, dropping games to Sandbox and Griffin, but they did start to find their stride later on. SKT T1 rolled through the LCK Playoffs with ease capped off by a dominating 3-0 performance over Griffin, which bumped them up in the League of Legends odds table to win the World Championship from +600 at the beginning of the year all the way to +200.
2019 League of Legends World Championship Odds
| Team | 2019 League of Legends World Championship Odds |
|---|---|
| SKT T1 | +200 |
| IG | +300 |
| Griffin | +400 |
| Royal Never Give Up | +800 |
| KING-ZONE DragonX | +800 |
*Odds taken 04/24/19. Click on the link in the table above to see odds for all teams.
Are the Kings of Korea Back for Another Long Reign?
For the longest time SKT T1 was the best team in Korea, which was the best region in the world by quite a large margin. They were a team that everyone feared matching up against, as they would more or less roll over every team non-Korean team they played. SKT managed to win three World Championships in four years, and it looked like there was no slowing them down.
SKT managed to win three World Championships in four years, and it looked like there was no slowing them down.
That was until last year where they managed to have their worst season ever finishing fourth in the LCK Spring Split and seventh in the Summer Split, missing the World Championship for the first time since 2014. They rebuilt their entire roster bringing in four new players to play alongside the GOAT of LoL, Faker. The hype was real, but it remained to be seen how the new team would play together on the rift.
Turns out, they were pretty damn good. Faker looks like he’s getting back to his old ways, mechanically outclassing his opponents and getting back to playing carry champs that he has been known to dominate with. Teddy, the new ADC has been an absolute freak all season long. Mata has shown that he deserves to be in the conversation for the best supports worldwide. Clid has played phenomenally throughout the Spring Split, and Khan has a beast in the toplane.
More or less, each player on their team could at least be in the argument for the best player at their role in the entire world. When you have that much skill on one team, and every player is on the same page of winning no matter the cost, there’s going to be a lot of winning going on.
The boost they’ve received in the odds table is totally justified as they truly look like they could take down anyone right now. They 3-0’d Griffin who many were saying for the better part of the Spring Split were unbeatable, and they did it in rather convincing fashion, especially in games two and three. It looks like the kings are back, and out of any team they stand the best chance of taking home the 2019 League of Legends World Championship.
Pick: SKT T1 (+200)
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.
