We have more esports betting previews for five League of Legends matches from our esports betting expert Michael Lee, who takes a look at two LPL 2022 Summer and one LCO Split 2 matches on Monday, August 1. Today he provides us with his picks and thoughts on Anyone’s Legend vs Royal Never Give Up, Ultra Prime vs FunPlus Phoenix, and Chiefs Esports Club vs Pentanet.GG.
Esports Betting Tips: Monday, August 1st
Anyone’s Legend vs Royal Never Give Up
LPL 2022 Summer
Anyone’s Legend are the prime example of a middle-of-the-table team. They will win games here and there, but there is nothing Anyone’s Legend are very good at. With a 7-5 record, you can’t really call AL a bad team, and they aren’t. Still, I wouldn’t expect them to compete for the LPL title or come even close to it.
LPL has been very strange this season compared to previous years when there was a massive gap between the top teams and the rest. Perhaps top LPL squads struggling to perform in the current metagame led to a lot more parity in the middle of the table than we’re used to seeing.
This also explains why Anyone’s Legend are just three wins short of catching up to Royal Never Give Up (10-2) – which isn’t something anyone expected to see. Now, we have to ask ourselves whether Anyone’s Legends are good enough to upset RNG?
Perhaps, but I don’t see it happening. The only thing going for Anyone’s Legend is side selection, but even that likely won’t be enough to defeat the MSI champions. Royal Never Give Up are on a six-game winning streak, which started a bit weak with 2-1 wins against WE and LNG, but RNG have since demolished Bilibili Gaming, EDward Gaming, Rare Atom, and even JD Gaming.
I don’t like taking favourites to sweep mid-table teams, but Royal Never Give Up to cover the map handicap at 1.83 is a good bet.
Royal Never Give Up -1.5 maps
$1.83 (2 Units)
Ultra Prime vs FunPlus Phoenix
LPL 2022 Summer
With their defeat against Invictus Gaming last week, Ultra Prime might have established themselves as the worst team in the league. That might sound strange to say, considering they’re 3-9, which is still better than LGD Gaming (2-9), Rare Atom (2-10), and Team WE (0-11), but their performances on the Summoner’s Rift are just as poor if not worse.
Maybe they’re better than Team WE, but even that is very optimistic to say. UP are not good at anything they do in the game, except for their Herald Control and early game gold accumulation. Long story short, I wouldn’t expect much from Ultra Prime, but at least they have side selection for this match and are going against one of the most overrated teams in the league.
I have nothing against FunPlus Phoenix, but their public perception is a bit too high. People love FunPlus Phoenix, but the reality is that there are still a lot of holes in their game. Still a talented squad, but piecing all the talent together is something FunPlus Phoenix have been struggling with this season.
I’m not a big fan of either of the two teams, but considering how inconsistent FunPlus Phoenix can be, I wouldn’t be shocked if we’re in for a match that will be much closer than expected. At 2.10, over 2.5 maps is a solid choice.
Over 2.5 maps
$2.10 (1 Unit)
Chiefs Esports Club vs Pentanet.GG
LCO 2022 Split 2
Chiefs Esports Club are on the verge of a perfect season as they head into the final two weeks of LCO 2022 Split 2 regular seasons with a 17-0 record. Their record alone should be a good enough indication of how good the Chiefs are, but they’re not unbeatable.
Their next opponent, Pentanet.GG are 10-7, so they’re not yet locked in for the playoffs, but barring any shock results over the next two weeks, Pentanet.GG should enter the title race. They last met with Chiefs at the start of July, when Chiefs won in just over 35 minutes, with a 28-15 score and +9.3k gold lead.
Chiefs Esports Club have since not cooled down, but Pentanet.GG did head up, which promises a bit closer affair on Monday. Pentanet.GG enter this match on a three-game winning streak, having beaten Kanga, MAMMOTH, and ORDER. And not only have Pentanet.GG won against ORDER, but they’ve completely demolished their regional rivals, with 16-2 and an 11.4k gold lead.
Pentanet.GG have been improving at a scary rate and look like one of the best teams in the league. They might not be at the Chiefs’ level just yet, but they’ve done enough for me to believe they have a chance to cause an upset. A kill handcap bet on the underdogs is an interesting choice, but the value is with Pentanet.GG to win at 3.40.
Pentanet.GG to win
$3.40 (1 Unit)
