Michael Lee returns with his esports betting previews for three League of Legends games this week. Today he looks at a clash between SK Gaming and Excel in LEC 2023 Summer Groups on Monday, July 17, and two LoL Champions Korea (LCK) 2023 Summer games on Wednesday, July 19.
Check out our expert previews and betting tips below, and make sure to head over to Picklebet – Australia’s #1 esports betting site.
Esports Betting Tips: Monday July 17th & Wednesday July 19th
SK Gaming vs Excel Esports
LEC 2023 Summer Groups (Monday)
SK Gaming caused a massive upset in the first round of LEC 2023 Summer Groups when they defeated Fnatic (2-0). It was a surprisingly good performance from SK Gaming, who moved around the map very efficiently and were always there to punish Fnatic’s mistakes.
Individually SK Gaming didn’t disappoint and played like a good team, but you have to wonder how that game would’ve ended had Fnatic played as well as they could. That doesn’t take away from SK Gaming’s success, but we have to consider that Fnatic didn’t play well.
Excel Esports also caused an upset in the first round of LEC 2023 Summer Groups when they crushed MAD Lions (2-0). It wasn’t that much of an upset, but Excel Esports did enter the match as the underdogs, which didn’t sound right.
SK and Excel looked good in the first round, but if I had to pick a side, Excel Esports would be an easy choice. SK Gaming haven’t impressed me with their performances throughout the season; one good game doesn’t make them a great team. Excel Esports weren’t surprisingly good either, but they have been far more consistent in their performances, which makes their win against MAD Lions seem more lika deserved outcome than a fluke.
Excel Esports to win
$1.88 (1 Unit)
Dplus KIA vs KT Rolster
LCK 2023 Summer (Wednesday)
Dplus KIA have truly come into their own. After struggling to find consistency throughout most of the regular season, Dplus KIA fixed their issues and now look like a legitimately good team. They enter this match on a four-game winning streak with wins against Kwangdong Freecs (2-0), DRX (2-0), Liiv SANDBOX (2-0), and T1 (2-0) and are 8-4, three wins below KT Rolster.
KT Rolster are a legitimate top-three team in the LCK, and while I could say the same about Dplus KIA, KT Rolster have looked like title contenders throughout this entire split. With a 10-game winning streak, KT ROlster haven’t lost a game since the opening week of LCK 2023 Summer, which is impressive, and even that loss was a close 1-2 against the current undefeated Gen.G.
KT Rolster, as the more consistent team, look like the clear favourites to win on Wednesday, but Dplus KIA have looked better lately, so there’s a good chance this turns into a competitive series.
Over 2.5 Maps
$1.90 (1 Unit)
Liiv SANDBOX vs Hanwha Life Esports
LCK 2023 Summer (Wednesday)
Liiv SANDBOX have won just three games this split and have to start winning now if they wish to make it to the playoffs. This, however, is much easier said than done.
Liiv SANDBOX were on a six-game losing streak before their win against Kwangdong Freecs, which was a much-needed victory, but it doesn’t prove anything, and it doesn’t signal that Liiv SANDBOX can compete with Hanwha Life Esports.
HLE are 7-5, which puts them in a good position, as they’re four wins clear of the bottom four and three behind KT Rolster in second. I wouldn’t count on HLE to achieve much this season besides reaching the playoffs because they’ve yet to defeat a good team in LCK 2023 Summer. But as we know, they’re very good against bottom teams.
Bet365 has Hanwha Life Esports priced at 2.20 to sweep Liiv SANDBOX, which doesn’t seem right and could be a bit of an overreaction to Hanwha Life Esports’s close 2-1 victory against BRION. But if we compare what Hanwha Life Esports and Liiv SANDBOX have produced this split, it’s not tough to imagine a clean 2-0 sweep for the favourites.
Hanwha Life Esports to win 2-0
$2.20 (2 Units)
