The series between Dplus KIA and KT Rolster will feature the current second- and third-placed teams in the LCK Summer standings, with both putting lengthy win streaks on the line.

Dplus KIA sit in third place with an 8-4 record, with a four-win streak pushing them above both Hanwha Life Esports and T1. Dplus ended the first half of the summer split with dominant wins over Kwangdong Freecs and DRX, and they made it four straight 2-0 victories with wins over SANDBOX Gaming and T1 in week six.

KT Rolster, meanwhile, are seeking to win their 11th-straight victory and trying to avoid their first defeat since week one of the LCK Summer split. KT have only lost five maps this split, with two of those coming in their 1-2 loss to Gen.G Esports in week one.

The first meeting between these two ended in a 2-0 victory for KT Rolster, but when you consider that KT took three maps to defeat DRX in their most recent series, we expect this match to go the distance.

SANDBOX Gaming picked up their third win of the split last time out against fellow strugglers Kwangdong Freecs, defeating them 2-0 in quick fashion. Before winning that series, SANDBOX were on a six-game losing streak, which had them sitting in the bottom two in the LCK standings.

Considering only one player has left this roster in between the spring and summer splits, it is hard to pinpoint why this team has been so poor – especially after strong performances in the previous two splits, finishing third in LCK Summer 2022 and sixth in LCK Spring 2023.

Hanwha Life Esports have put themselves in a position to ensure a playoff berth, after taking care of business against three of the bottom five teams over the last two weeks. With HLE currently sitting in fourth place, holding a 7-5 record, they are now three wins clear of sixth-placed Kwangdong Freecs, with three more winnable games coming up over the next two weeks.

All three maps were played the last time these teams met, with Hanwha Life Esports taking the series 2-1, and we don’t expect anything different this time around.

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The first series on Saturday will see the sixth-placed SANBOX Gaming clash with fifth-placed Hanwha Life Esports, with the winner of this series taking fifth place on the table and the loser finishing in sixth place. The last time these two teams met SANDBOX took the series 2-1 in the opening week of the spring split.

The second half of the LCK Spring split for 2023 hasn’t been great for SANDBOX Gaming as they have been beaten in four of their last seven series, with those defeats coming at the hands of T1, Kwangdong Freecs, KT Rolster, Gen.G. With SANDBOX dropping from third to sixth in the final four weeks of the split, the form slump could not have come at a worse time. This series against Hanwha Life Esports will be the battle between the two teams who come into the playoffs with the worst form, as HLE have lost their last four series.

As we mentioned above, Hanwha Life Esports come into this series looking for their first win in five matches, after losing to Dplus KIA, KT Rolster, T1 and Gen.G in consecutive series. Although HLE can’t be knocked out of the playoffs, there is very little reason to think that even if they win this series, that they will be a serious threat in the playoffs. HLE are the only team to defeat T1, but when you look at how dominant T1 has been since and how poor HLE have been, it looks as though T1 had an off day.

We were surprised to see SANDBOX Gaming open as the outsiders with BetOnline in this series, so we are more than happy to back the outsiders to take out their final series of the regular season.

With the third-placed Gen.G taking on second-placed Dplus KIA, the second series on Saturday sets up to be the biggest and most exciting series on the final weekend of the LCK Spring split. Dplus has a record of 12-4 with a map difference of +16, Gen.G has a record of 11-5 with a map difference of +13, so Gen.G will need a 2-0 victory to jump Dplus and take second spot on map difference. However, if KT Rolster wins their last two series, which they are expected to do, they could take second place on their own with a record of 13-5, superior to both of these teams.

The last time these two Korean powerhouses met, Gen.G dominated and took out the series 2-0, as they were in the midst of a six-game win streak. Gen.G have won three of their last four series, with their only loss coming at the hands of Kwangdong Freecs, where they went down in a very tight three map series. This series is a must-win for Gen.G, as they need to win to put themselves in the conversation for second position on the table, which would see them avoid T1 in the second week of the playoffs.

Dplus KIA have found form at the right time of the split, recording six wins in their last seven series, with their only defeat coming to T1 in their most recent series on Wednesday. Although, Dplus have played the bottom four teams and won against all of them, winning form is good form. With a 2-0 win over Gen.G in this series, Dplus will take second place and KT Rolster won’t be able to overtake them, even if they win both of their remaining series 2-0.

This series should be a cracking clash between two juggernauts of the LCK, therefore, we will be backing the overs in the total maps market.

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Hanwha Life Esports have won five of their last six series since the start of week three, with their only defeat coming at the hands of Dplus KIA at the end of week four. This new HLE roster is finally starting to click and reach the heights that the organisation would have hoped for when they signed the likes of Kim “Clid” Tae-min, Park “Viper” Do-hyeon and Kim “Life” Jeong-min from top-tier teams in the LPL and LCK. With matches coming up against BRION, Kwangdong Freecs and Nongshim RedForce, before facing Dplus KIA again, these next two weeks set up as a chance for HLE to keep the pressure on the top four and potentially push for a top two finish, as KT Rolster, Gen.G and SANDBOX Gaming all sit one win above them on the table.

BRION are in a similar position to that of their opponents for this series as they currently sit in seventh place, two wins behind Hanwha Life Esports and Dplus KIA. However, there is little hope for BRION to make finish in the top six and make playoffs as they will face HLE, DRX, T1 and Gen.G in their next four matches, with only one of those teams sitting below them on the table. The last time BRION faced HLE, they were able to take a map off them but still went down 1-2 in week four. However, the difference between HLE in week four to week six is huge, so they will have to step it up again if they want to take this series.

Hanwha Life Esports will come into this series as heavy favourites and it is well-deserved as they are making a run for a top-two position. HLE look the goods in this match, so we will be taking them at the map handicap.

T1 have once again proved that they are best team in the LCK, taking their record to 9-1 through their first 10 matches, with their only defeated coming at the hands of Hanwha Life Esports in week three. Since that loss to HLE, T1 have been much better in their four series against BRION, DRX, SANDBOX Gaming and Gen.G, flexing their muscles against the two teams that many were predicting to challenge them for top spot. T1, led by their star player and one of the greatest League of Legends player of all time, Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, have continued to build through their split and have all but cemented their spot at the top of the table.

SANDBOX Gaming have been very consistent throughout their LCK Spring split, defeating all of the teams that sit below them outside of Dplus KIA, who they have lost to once. However, SANDBOX did beat Dplus KIA in their last series 2-0 after going down 1-2 in a tight series with T1. With a confidence building win against Dplus KIA and tight loss to T1 at their most recent match-ups, we expect to see a better SANDBOX Gaming in this series and we could be in for a cracking series between two of the better LCK teams.

T1 will be heavy favourites for another of their series, which comes as no surprise to us; however, this series is going to be a close one. We will be taking the overs in the total maps market at the generous odds of +100 with BetOnline.

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Below are ESB’s best bets for Friday, when Hanwha Life Esports take on BRION and SANDBOX Gaming go up against DRX. Odds displayed are courtesy of the best online betting sites in your region.

The first game on Friday will feature sixth-placed Hanwha Life Esports and seventh-placed BRION in a series that could see either one of these teams push into the top four with a convincing series win.

Hanwha Life Esports are currently on a two-game win streak after beating T1 and DRX in consecutive three-map thrillers, taking their record and map differential back to even at three wins and three losses, as well as eight maps won and lost. HLE were one of the organisations that made sweeping roster changes, and even though they got off to a slow start, things started to click last week in those two wins. With their two star signings, Park “Viper” Do-hyeon and Kim “Zeka” Geon-woo, starting to find their groove, HLE can start to rattle off a few more wins and push their way up the LCK table.

BRION have started to go in the opposite direction. They have lost three of their last four series, with their only series win coming against DRX. After getting off to a hot start with victories against Kwangdong Freecs and Nongshim Redforce, BRION ran into Gen.G and SANDBOX Gaming, leaving them with a 2-2 record. However, as we now know that Redforce, Freecs and DRX are the bottom three teams, BRION’s three wins have lost their weight and could see them go on to lose a few more matches in the coming weeks.

This series sets up as a must-win for HLE, and when you consider the form of the BRION of late, Hanwha should be taking this series in relatively comfortable fashion.

The second series of the day will feature fourth-placed SANDBOX Gaming and eighth-placed DRX. While the former team needs a win to stay in contact with the top two, the latter is desperate to put space between them and the bottom two teams.

SANDBOX Gaming have won two of their last three series, with their one defeat coming at the hands of the Gen.G last time out, going down 1-2 in a tight contest. SANDBOX have been very good during the LCK Spring split as they currently have a 4-2 record and sit even with Dplus KIA in fourth position on the table, just one win away from a top-two spot. With a series that many predict SANDBOX to win, the LoL betting sites have them as very short favourites; however, DRX have shown that they can take a map off of anyone, and SANDBOX will still have to be at their best to win this series.

The LCK Spring split was destined to be a tough one for DRX after they lost four of the five players that won them the 2022 League of Legends World Championship, but no one could have predicted them to be 1-5 after their first six matches. DRX have lost their last two series against BRION and Hanwha Life Esports, although they were able to take the series to three maps on both occasions. DRX are no easy beat this split, but they haven’t been able to win two maps in a series outside of their win against Kwandong Freecs, so it is hard to tip them with any confidence at the moment.

Both teams have played three maps in seven of their 12 series, and this one looks destined to become number eight. We are getting great value in the total maps market, with the over 2.5 currently +100 with BetOnline.

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CYCLOPS athlete gamng are 4-1-0-0 with 14 points, which sits them atop the standings, two points ahead of SANDBOX Gaming with a 4-0-0-1 record and 12 points. As a game between the only two teams who seem to have a realistic chance to compete for the top spot, this will be a critical match, neither squad can afford to lose.

While both very talented teams, it’s hard to doubt CYCLOPS, especially after their recent showings. Last round, they demolished Spear Gaming (7-1) and were just as convincing at the start of the month when they took down FAV gaming (7-3). As a team, CYCLOPS are playing well, but we must mention Takuma “SuzuC” Nakajima, who had an insane performance last week, posting a 1.69 rating and 100% KOST against Spear Gaming.

SANDBOX also showed some strength last round, defeating Fnatic (7-4), despite trailing 1-4 in the first half. But while it was an impressive performance from the Korean Rainbow Six Siege esports team, it was mostly Fnatic choking.

SANDBOX Gaming are a solid team, but they’re not at CYCLOPS athlete gaming’s level. So we’ll side with the favourites to cover the 1.5-round handicap.

FAV gaming are already eliminated from the Winter Major contention with a 0-1-1-3 record, but they played an extremely solid game last week when they edged past DAMWON Gaming (8-7). The Japanese squad even had to make a mid-game substitution, bringing in Ken “K-RAISER” Takazawa to replace Naoki “Yura” Takamoto, who had technical difficulties.

K-RAISER even had a solid performance considering the circumstances, going 4-1 in the first four rounds, but finished the game with a 7-9 KD and a 0.82 rating. Their next opponents, REJECT, are still on course to qualify for the Major, but they have been quite wobbly of late.

Last round, REJECT nearly lost to Talon Esports but edged out an 8-7 victory, leaving them with a pretty easy schedule as they only need to beat FAV gaming and Spear Gaming. That might sound like an easy task, but REJECT will have to show far better performances to take wins from the resilient FAV.

On paper, REJECT look like strong favourites, but at the offered R6S betting odds, it’s hard not to take a shot with FAV. The underdogs might be out of the tournament, but they’ve proven to be tough to beat, making them a great choice on the round handicap market.

Fnatic attacking woes returned last round, in a key match against SANDBOX Gaming, with the Japanese team taking a 4-1 lead on the defence, only to fall apart after the switch. Admittedly, SANDBOX played well enough to steal the win from Fnatic, but that fixture mostly showcased how flawed and inconsistent Fnatic can be.

Before that slip-up, Fnatic have collected three straight victories against REJECT (7-4), FAV gaming (8-6), and Gaming (7-4), and they even had solid offensive performances in some of them. So the question for this match is which version of Fnatic will we get.

Talon Esports can no longer compete for a ticket for Sweden following their narrow (7-8) defeat against REJECTS last week, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Talon have been fairly competitive at this stage. They forced SANDBOX Gaming to 12 rounds (7-5) in round four, crushed Spear Gaming (7-3) in the second round, and played a solid game against CYCLOPS athlete gaming on day one.

Admittedly, Talon Esports aren’t good enough to compete with the best APAC R6S teams, but they can take advantage of the situation if presented. And knowing how inconsistent Fnatic can be, it’s not too crazy to believe that Talon can force a close game on Wednesday.

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