League of Legends action never stops, and neither does our esports expert Michael Lee, who is back with three betting predictions for LoL matches on Tuesday, August 2. Today he looks at two Pro League (LPL), and one Circuit Oceania (LCO) matches in Rare Atom vs Invictus Gaming, Bilibili Gaming vs Victory Five, and Dire Wolves vs ORDER.
Esports Betting Tips: Tuesday, August 2nd
Rare Atom vs Invictus Gaming
LPL 2022 Summer
Rare Atom are on a six-game losing streak, with defeats against Victory Five (0-2), JD Gaming (1-2), Bilibili Gaming (1-2), Top Esports (0-2), Royal Never Give Up (0-2), and EDward Gaming (0-2). Losing six games in a row isn't great, but I wouldn't overreact to that number.
We have to look past the 0-6 record and consider that over the six outings; Rare Atom had to face four of the top teams in the league and the defending world champions EDward Gaming. The only loss that isn't excusable came against Bilibili Gaming, yet even losing against BLG isn't as bad as it may sound.
Whether you like Rare Atom or not, you have to admit that there is nothing wrong with their losing streak, as they weren't expected to win a single of those six series regardless. Now Rare Atom have to prove that they are good enough to fight against other bottom teams.
Invictus Gaming are 3-9, which is a poor record but not necessarily reflective of their performances. Invictus Gaming have been playing well, yet they have been fairly inefficient in actually winning games.
Comparing the performances of the two teams, I would prefer Invictus Gaming, but I don't like them enough to pay 1.53. This should be a close match, so I have no issues backing Rare Atom at 2.37.
Rare Atom to Win
$2.37 (1 Unit)
Bilibili Gaming vs Victor Five
LPL 2022 Summer
People expected much more from Bilibili Gaming this split, and I had as well. But the team heads into the regular season's penultimate week with a 5-8 record and a 15-20 map difference.
As evident from those figures, BLG have been struggling to win games, and I can easily see why. Their macro play is terrible, and the decision-making is not quite at the level needed to compete for the title. But they have been improving, so perhaps Bilibili Gaming might step up now that their playoff spot is in danger.
Victory Five are one of the elite four teams in the LPL, but also a team that has lost their last two games against JD Gaming and OMG. Losing against JDG isn't a problem, but their defeat against OMG raises some questions.
It was a rough series for V5, who couldn't match OMG's aggression, and while the series might suggest that V5 have lost their strife, I would not overreact to one shaky performance. OMG are a tough team to beat due to their all-in approach, and it's not like V5 is the only top-tier team that struggled against them.
Unlike OMG, Bilibili Gaming don't have as much upset potential, even though I would argue that they have enough talent to compete for a top-7 finish. Talent, however, hasn't helped Bilibili Gaming this split, and it won't make a difference until they improve their macro.
Victory Five -1.5 maps
$2 (1 Unit)
Dire Wolves vs ORDER
LCO 2022 Split 2
Just one point separates Dire Wolves and ORDER on the LCO 2022 Split 2 standings, but that's going to change on Tuesday. Dire Wolves hold a slight lead above ORDER with an 11-7 record, albeit the two Australian LoL squads are 1-1 in the H2H.
Dire Wolves won the first meeting in June, while ORDER got their revenge last month with a very dominant performance in Week 6. Given their success last time out, it should make sense to see ORDER priced as favourites, but I don't agree with the offered price.
At 1.50, ORDER are very overrated, and I have a hard time finding a reason why this is not a 50-50 match. Even though Dire Wolves lost to Kanga last week, it's not like ORDER have been perfect of late. On the contrary, ORDER are on a two-game losing streak with defeats against Pentanet.GG and Chiefs Esports Club.
While I must admit that ORDER field slightly more talent, the overall team performance is hardly better than that of Dire Wolves. This is a coin-flip match, so I have to take Dire Wolves at 2.50.
Dire Wolves to Win
$2.50 (1 Unit)
