As we head into the dog days of summer, we also head into the final few games in the regular season in the League of Legends LPL. There are leagues played all over the world in regional formats, but it is the LPL, which is the Chinese variant, that is arguably the biggest of all. Before we get into looking at the games on the Friday calendar, it might be worth taking a closer look at the format of the LPL, just in case some of you have not been following along this season. In all, there are 17 teams taking part, all of whim play in a single round robin format, which mean that each team plays a 16 game season. The matches are played as a best of 3, so when we talk about stats, we will mention the overall win/loss record, as well as the total games won and lost, which could be used as a tiebreaker. It is the top 8 teams who move on to the playoffs, with those games played as a best of 5 single elimination. There are some games to be played before we know who is in and who is put and how everyone will be seeded, so let’s jump into the Friday games, along with their League of Legends odds.
League of Legends LPL Odds for July 31st Matches
Royal Never Give Up (-666) Vs Dominus Esports (+355)
The first game of the day, which is set for 5 AM EST, is essentially meaningless, as neither of these two teams are going to be part of the playoff picture. Technically speaking, Royal Never Give Up could win all three of their final games and find a way in, but they would also need a ton of help. It’s a scenario that really doesn’t hold up when given a closer look. Right now, they are sitting at 5-7, which has them down in the #10 spot and 3 wins back of the final playoff berth. This is a disappointing showing for a team that went 8-8 in the spring and who made it into the playoffs, albeit only to lose in the first round.
Less surprising is the performance of Dominus Esports this season. At 6-10 in the spring, they were down near the bottom of the pack. It has been even worse for them this time around, though, as they are dead last and have just 1 win on the season, with their record sitting at 1-12.
Two teams in the midst of disappointing seasons here, but it is Royal Never Give Up who look like the team to bet on in this one.
Vici Gaming (+125) Vs LGD Gaming (-185)
The second and final game of the day, which is set to begin at 7 AM EST, looks to be much more of a competitive matchup. Both teams are in the hunt for a playoff spot and could really help their cause with a win here. It is fair to suggest that Vici Gaming needs this one more, as they are currently sitting just below the playoff line with a 7-6 record. That is exactly where they ended up in the spring season, finishing 7-9 and out of the playoffs.
This has been a fantastic turnaround season for LGD Gaming, who finished 5-11 and down near the bottom of the league in the spring season. This time around, they are 8-5 and could clinch a playoff spot with a win here.
With a shot to clinch, it’s tough to imagine LGD Gaming letting this one pass them by, so I am taking them to win.
