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The LEC (League of Legends European Championship) is entering a new decade starting with the inaugural Winter split. From team rosters to an all-new tournament format, the league will be seeing much more competition.
The LEC (League of Legends European Championship) is entering a new decade, with all-new teams bringing even more of the region’s classic mayhem. From up-and-coming team rosters to an updated tournament format, the league will be seeing much more competition. Keep reading to get yourself started on LEC betting in 2024.
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The LEC welcomes bettors from all over the world, seeing EMEA’s top teams competing to be the region’s best. With so many regions represented, it’s easy to see why LEC betting is so popular in LoL esports.
To get started with betting on the LEC, simply follow the steps below:
There are many different LEC betting markets, ranging from moneylines to prop bets. We have broken these and other popular options down below:
Available before the tournament starts or during the season, here you bet on which team you think will be crowned champions of the League of Legends EMEA Championship. However, do note that the odds will heavily change depending on which team starts doing well in the LEC Spring split.
In moneyline bets, simply known as match winners, you simply wager on which team you think will win a match. In the LEC, matches are best-of-one in the regular season, best-of-three during the group stage, and best-of-five in the playoffs. And, as you might already know, a team wins a match when they destroy the enemy nexus.
So, do your due diligence by analysing and researching teams that have upcoming matches to help you predict how they will perform. As always, correctly guessing underdog wins will get you even better returns as they will have better odds.
Handicap betting is when teams are given an advantage or disadvantage to balance the odds between two teams with seemingly mismatched skill levels. In League of Legends, this “handicap” comes in the form of maps or kills added or deducted to the match’s result.
To illustrate, a +1.5 map handicap in a best-of-three means that the team you’re betting on needs to win at least one game. Meanwhile, a -1.5 bet means that your team is favoured to win, needing a straight 2-0 to win your bet. The same theory applies to kill handicaps, where a -4.5 kill handicap means your team needs to at least be five kills up on the enemy team when the game ends.
This market is perfect for when the match has a strong favourite. If you believe a team will win by a large margin, you can take advantage of the handicap market, which will have much higher odds than markets like Match Winner. For example, in the LEC Winter 2023 semifinals, MAD Lions managed to beat former champs KOI 3-1, meaning any handicaps bets on MAD would have been very profitable since they were the underdogs.
Then, we have total betting, otherwise known as under/over betting, where you predict if a certain in-game stat will go over or under a preset number set by the bookie. In LEC betting, this can refer to total maps played, dragons or barons slain, or even game duration.
One fun market to bet on can be the total number of kills being odd or even. A little like flipping a coin, most operators offer this market and can make games very exciting, as every kill matters. This is only but one of the many bets you can place in total betting.
Finally, there’s propositional or ‘prop' betting, which allows you to wager on the occurrence or non-occurrence of particular outcomes on the Rift. This is great for those more seasoned fans who enjoy flexing their knowledge of the game and teams competing.
A few examples when LEC Betting of prop betting markets would be Team to Get First Blood or Team to First Slay Baron Nashor. The First Blood market is quite simply who gets the first kill in-game. It is important to do your research for this market, as some teams are known for playing a fast-paced early game which will, of course, lead to plenty of opportunities for dealing the first blow.
Meanwhile, the Baron Nashor is the most powerful monster that comes into the game at the 20-minute mark. The Baron buffs champions, giving them the ability to push faster which makes it easier to destroy the opposing team's nexus. As such, this usually requires a lot of commitment and determination, as it is one of the most important things to accomplish in-game.
The LEC is entering a decade renewed with all-new regions joining their territory. As we have seen in the league’s inaugural Winter split, competition has been tougher across the board with teams like SK Gaming and Astralis upsetting big names in the region. But as the year goes on, it is going to be a question of whether teams can stay consistent across each split.
The LEC announced that it will be expanding to include Turkey, CIS, and MENA to its competing regions. This totals to 13 regional leagues that are under the Western region. Among its franchised teams, there are 10 esports organisations competing in the LEC in 2023, two of which are new:
Acquiring the spot of Misfits Gaming, Spain’s Team Heretics has joined the league from the LVP. Then, another Spanish team from the LVP in KOI will be joining forces with late Summer champions and Worlds 2022 quarter-finalists Rogue.
Odds for the outright winner of the LEC Spring 2023 taken from Unibet, March 11, 18:00 CET:
For the coming spring split, the LEC looks like a free-for-all where anyone can win at any given day of the season. But at the end of the day, there can only be one king of Europe. So, we have put together the Top 3 teams who we think will be the top contenders of the LEC 2023 Spring season.
G2 is back on top with their dominant 3-0 win in the last 2023 Winter finals over MAD Lions. This Spring, we expect the super team to continue their winning ways with carries Caps and Hans Sama back on form. Hans has been a force to be reckoned with on champs like Draven, and the meta shifting towards hyper carries is only good for the team. Meanwhile, Caps has been running amok in the mid lane with his diverse champion pool. He continues to prove his mastery of the game with tanks, bruisers, assassins, and mages in his arsenal, allowing G2 to play as flexibly as they want.
DRAVEN + @HANSSAMA = PENTAKILL! #LEC pic.twitter.com/4lujYuMMGv — LoL Esports (@lolesports) March 11, 2023
DRAVEN + @HANSSAMA = PENTAKILL! #LEC pic.twitter.com/4lujYuMMGv
— LoL Esports (@lolesports) March 11, 2023
It is worth noting, however, that the organisation has already qualified for the 2023 MSI. This means that they have the leeway to experiment as much as they want in Spring to prepare for the upcoming international tourney. Nevertheless, G2 still is a top contender for the Spring championship.
SK Gaming has outperformed expectations with a Top 4 finish in the 2023 Winter split. In the offseason, many had already written off the team seeing that their roster was made of rookies from the LFL and second-rate players from mid-tier teams. But much to everyone’s disbelief, each player on the team has risen to the challenge in 2023.
Top of the league. #LEC #SKWIN pic.twitter.com/fzf2JyMij6 — SK Gaming (@SKGaming) March 14, 2023
Top of the league. #LEC #SKWIN pic.twitter.com/fzf2JyMij6
— SK Gaming (@SKGaming) March 14, 2023
Their bot lane Exakick and Doss have been able to go toe-to-toe with the best duos in the league, despite just newly entering the LEC. Meanwhile, you have their solo laners Irrelevant and Sertuss playing very well, proving that their performance thus far has not been a fluke. With their unbreakable mental, impressive team spirit, and ability to play from behind, SK are hoping to continue their momentum in spring and challenge the status quo in the LEC for the first time in years.
Team Vitality is looking to prove their weight in gold after yet another disappointing finish in the Winter split, having reinvented themselves alongside new recruit Upset. The former Fnatic bot laner is returning to the LEC with a new vengeance after being turned away in the offseason. Pair that with the experience the novice team gained in winter, and you have a Vitality that stands a better chance in the coming season.
Currently deathless in the #LEC: Upset – 44 KDA (21/0/23) Bo – 44 KDA (17/0/27) pic.twitter.com/BuzMs76kM5 — LEC (@LEC) March 14, 2023
Currently deathless in the #LEC:
Upset – 44 KDA (21/0/23) Bo – 44 KDA (17/0/27) pic.twitter.com/BuzMs76kM5
— LEC (@LEC) March 14, 2023
But to get to a finals win and a ticket to MSI, Vitality’s top-jungler duo in Photon and Bo need to improve their play in clutch moments. This is even more so true because the team finished first place in the regular season and failed to qualify for the playoffs last split in what many considered another classic Vitality ‘choke’. As such, Team Vitality have a lot to prove given all the praise their players have gotten individuality and the potential they could reach if they pull their bearings together.
The League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) is one of Riot Games’ franchised, major regional leagues for professional League of Legends esports. It was first established in 2013 and brings together the top 10 teams from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) with seasonal splits in Winter, Spring, and Summer.
Introducing the new era of competition in EMEA! #EMEA23 ▶️ https://t.co/zg9oLx4gm1 pic.twitter.com/9j10vVuh8D — LEC (@LEC) November 18, 2022
Introducing the new era of competition in EMEA! #EMEA23
▶️ https://t.co/zg9oLx4gm1 pic.twitter.com/9j10vVuh8D
— LEC (@LEC) November 18, 2022
The professional esports league is recognised as the best region in the West, having seen better performances in international esports tournaments than its North American rival, the LCS. This is due in part to the meta-disrupting gameplay of teams like G2 Esports and Fnatic who challenged the status quo. Players such as Caps, Perkz, Huni, Xpeke, and Diamondprox all made their mark in history by changing how the game is played.
In the 11th season of the LEC, the league shifted to three month-long regular splits, played out in one round robin of best-of-ones. In the Winter split’s regular season, former heavyweights like Fnatic and KOI were beaten by rookie teams like SK Gaming, Team BDS, and Astralis. However, come groups, the old guard were able to prove their status in best-of series as G2, MAD, and KOI were able to qualify for playoffs.
For the rest of the year, the inaugural winter split made it clear that no team can be overlooked in the LEC.
The LEC was once a part of the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) which was made up of North America (NA LCS) and Europe (EU LCS). The EU LCS was formed in 2012 and had eight teams competing in Spring and Summer, which would later expand into the ten-team format we know today.
Before the EU LCS, Fnatic were the team to watch in Europe as they won the first-ever World Championship, where Xpeke’s famous backdoor on Kassadin took place. So, when the region finally had its own regional league, Fnatic were the first to dominate the competition from 2013-2015.
From then onwards, misfits G2 Esports qualified for the league and ran everyone over throughout 2016-2020. In this period, the iconic five-man of Wunder, Jankos, Caps, Perkz, and Mikyx rose to prominence and put Europe on the map internationally.
Between that period, the EU LCS would rebrand into the League of Legends European Championship (LEC) with the league’s shift to franchising in 2019. In the past two years, the LEC has seen new champions take home the league’s trophy, with Spain’s MAD Lions takeover in 2021 and Rogue representing the region in Worlds 2022.
In 2023, the LEC would rebrand once again into the League of Legends EMEA Championship as it now shifts to a three-split league including the regions of Turkey, CIS, the Middle East, and North Africa.
New level of the competition: Check out the changes we are making to our ecosystem! #EMEA23 pic.twitter.com/YrC0RLS2Dr — LEC (@LEC) November 18, 2022
New level of the competition:
Check out the changes we are making to our ecosystem! #EMEA23 pic.twitter.com/YrC0RLS2Dr
With all-new teams like KOI and Team Heretics joining the fun, the league will be seeing much more competition this season.
Entering a new decade of competition, the LEC is changing its tournament format with the introduction of three separate splits: Winter, Spring, and Summer. Each split will take place across six weeks of competition further divided into regular season, group stage, and playoffs.
A new era of the #LEC – check out the format overview for 2023! pic.twitter.com/Y89Eq3SOrj — LEC (@LEC) November 18, 2022
A new era of the #LEC – check out the format overview for 2023! pic.twitter.com/Y89Eq3SOrj
In the regular season, teams go head-to-head in the first three weeks competing in a single round robin of best-of-ones. Then, the top eight teams advance to the group stage where they face in a best-of-three double elimination format over the course of two weeks. Lastly, the top four teams face off in double elimination best-of-five series until one champion is crowned.
By August, the three split champions and the top three teams with the highest championship points will compete once again in the Season Finals. These six teams will compete in best-of-five series with double elimination to see who will be crowned the all-new LEC champion.
Compared to previous years, the LEC will now have much shorter, dynamic splits than before, which will be sure to up the competition in the region moving forward. The LEC 2023 Spring split started last March 11 and will continue until April 23, just in time for the Mid-Season Invitational. Its complete schedule for the regular season, group stage, and playoffs is as follows:
The Winter split started last January 21 and went all the way till the end of February. Then from August to September, the Season Finals will determine the LEC’s one and only champion.
Winning the most competitive league in the West is no easy feat, simply because of the amount of talent that the region enjoys from all its subregions in EMEA. With players all over the continent fighting for a spot to be on the top 10, placing at least in the top four in the Winter, Spring, or Summer split will result in a cut from each split’s €80,000 prize pool, as listed below:
Alongside the money and the prestige, the top teams will likely have a chance to represent the LEC in the Mid-Season Invitational and Worlds. In the Season Finals, the top six teams will each be taking home a piece of the even bigger €160,000 prize pool, as outlined below:
To help you out, we have rounded up our top three bookmakers below who we think are perfect for beginner and veteran punters looking to start betting on the LEC.
Betway is one of the most popular betting platforms in Europe and deservedly so. The bookie offers a generous welcome bonus of €30 in free bets, as well as of the cleanest looking user interfaces around. But more than that, there's a diverse range of betting lines per game with totals, handicaps, and the most complex prop bets. These include First Blood, Most Kills, and even game to have a quadra or pentakill. Livestreaming is also available, allowing you to place smarter and more accurate live bets. In a nutshell, Betway truly has you covered when it comes to LEC betting!
If you prefer a more classic and traditional sportsbook, head on over to bet365. The long-time bookmaker has equally diverse betting offerings with moneylines all the way to prop bets. Just like Betway, bet365 has all the bases covered for esports betting and shares a similar overround, pre-match, in-play, and futures markets available, together with livestreaming options.
Last but definitely not the least, we have Pinnacle – one of the oldest esports betting platforms in the business. Although the site does not offer esports betting bonuses, it does have the most competitive odds in the entire market. As such, you know that you are getting the best value for every bet you place.
Aside from that, Pinnacle offers in-platform livestreaming, a diverse array of betting markets, and even a dedicated blog where you can get up-to-date news and features on esports – all of which should allow you to place more informed bets of any kind on the LEC.
Coming into the LEC, where up-and-coming talents are a dime a dozen, it's best to do an in-depth job researching all the competing teams every season. Look into their rosters, past form, and playstyles as a side heading into the LEC 2023 season. Rely on cold, hard facts on stats platforms, listen to high-level analyses from pros, and always stay up to date on the league’s developments. Doing your research and checking teams' form is always beneficial when you decide to start betting.
It is only then that you should start looking at the odds available to you from our recommended bookmakers. Bear in mind, though, that prices vary from operator to operator, so always be sure to compare and contrast different sites carefully, as well as betting markets.
Last of all, it is imperative that you always have a strategy when betting. You have to manage your bankroll and set limits for how much you are willing to bet. As a rule of thumb, never bet anything you’re not willing to lose. Most importantly, never chase losses and be ready to accept that losing is a part of betting. With enough practice, though, you will only improve and before you know it, you will be a pro at getting your esports predictions right on the money!
For those who want to watch games in the LEC Studio, you can attend the matches live in Berlin, Germany. Follow LoL Esports for further information on how to purchase tickets and to stay up to date with what's happening – don't forget to check out their Instagram or Twitter either.
As you may already know, the LEC is the most culturally diverse leagues with players from over 13 different regions and even more countries. Those at home can stream all the games live on their official Twitch, YouTube, and Trovo channels. Depending on your chosen language, you can tune into the following broadcasts to watch the LEC live:
A new decade of LEC means all-new action, storylines, and mayhem. With Turkey, CIS, and MENA joining the region, that means even more talent is joining the LEC in the years to come. The Winter split was proof enough that competition in the region is only going to go up from here. While old timers like G2 Esports, KOI, and MAD Lions still are top contenders in Spring, up-and-comers like SK Gaming, Astralis, and Team BDS look like they have a fighting chance to sit on the throne.
As we have seen Fnatic miss playoffs for the first time in the organisation’s history last Winter, anything can happen. Any player or team that we count out might just be this year’s LEC champion. So do your research and get started on LEC betting through any of our partnered bookmakers!
The LEC 2023 Spring split begins on March 11 and will run for around five weeks until April 23. Regular season ends on March 27, with the Group Stages starting on April 8.
Our favourites would have to be Betway, Pinnacle, and bet365. These bookmakers have extensive markets with excellent customer support.
There are many betting markets for the LEC, with the most popular being moneylines or match winners. However, if the match seems uneven, handicap markets can also be very popular.
Right now, it is tough to say which team will come out on top in the heavily competitive Spring split. But if we had to choose, our top three teams would have to include G2 Esports, SK Gaming, and Team Vitality.
The LEC can be streamed from a variety of official channels with languages from English all the way to Russian. For general audiences, you can stream the games live on Twitch, YouTube, and Trovo.
Through our in-depth guides and reviews, we are focused on providing the best insights into esports betting.