Betting on esports, and League of Legends in particular, has become incredibly popular recently, with the majority of the biggest bookmakers integrating it into their systems alongside traditional sports.
As with those sports, you can expect to find a wide variety of things to wager on in League of Legends. The most popular options are usually things like a simple moneyline, but there are also a ton of unique options that offer excitement and more betting possibilities.
Before we dive into League of Legends prop bets, make sure to check out our guide on the game and familiarize yourself with the basics, if you haven’t already.
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What are League of Legends Prop Bets?
Prop bets, also known as proposition bets, are wagers based on certain events in a game that may not even affect the outcome of the match.
In traditional sports, this might be something like how many rebounds a player will grab in a basketball game or how many strikeouts a pitcher will have in a baseball contest. Things are a bit different in League of Legends, however, and it can be difficult to understand all the different props, especially if you’re new to the game.
League of Legends ‘First Team To’ Prop Bets
First Team To bets are an incredibly popular prop option for League of Legends bettors. These are wagers where you pick which team will get the first dragon kill or first baron kill, destroy the first tower or destroy the first inhibitor.
Generally, the favored team overall will be the favorite for all of these options, but the odds are usually relatively close, as either team could realistically accomplish any of those firsts and it may not even affect the outcome of the game.
Here’s what a selection of First Team To bets could look like:
Destroy a Tower - Team SoloMid -139 | Evil Geniuses +100
Destroy an Inhibitor - Team SoloMid -152 | Evil Geniuses +110
Slay Dragon - Team SoloMid -125 | Evil Geniuses -111
Slay Baron - Team SoloMid -125 | Evil Geniuses -111
Team SoloMid is the favorite for all the options here, but the odds aren’t too massive either way, as it’s very easy for the underdog to sneak away from an objective first.
The odds also depend on the team’s play style. For example, a team that focuses on helping the bot lane succeed would likely have a better chance at the dragon, as the objective is near that lane, and securing an early kill there can secure the dragon kill.
League of Legends Kills Prop Bets
Kills props are another popular proposition wager option in League of Legends. In addition to objectives, player kills provide teams with large advantages that they can then turn into wins.
There are generally a few options for kills wagers, including totals, first blood, most, and race to a specific number of kills.
League of Legends Kills Handicap Props
As you can imagine, kills handicaps are just like handicaps in any other sport – one team is given a negative handicap and another a positive. Here’s what this may look like:
Team SoloMid vs Evil Geniuses: Map 1 - Kills Handicap
-4.5 Team SoloMid -125
+4.5 Evil Geniuses -111
Generally, the favorites should be winning the match and thus getting more kills, but this isn’t always the case. Sometimes a team will dominate in kills but lose one key fight in the latter stages of the match and lose the game. Additionally, some matches play out very slowly, meaning a big handicap may not even be reached – it’s not uncommon for a match to see 10 or even fewer kills.
League of Legends Kills Totals Props
Once again, Totals are what you’d expect – the total number of kills. It doesn’t matter which way the kills go, as long as the total number of kills ends up being OVER or UNDER the number you picked. An LoL kills total bet will generally look something like this:
Team SoloMid vs Evil Geniuses: Map 1 - Kills Total
OVER 22.5 -120
UNDER 22.5 -120
This means that if the match goes to 23 or more kills, the OVER wins, while 22 or fewer kills means the UNDER bet wins. The number of kills differs wildly from game to game and depends on many factors, including the teams, the champions picked and the flow of the game.
League of Legends Most Kills Props
Most is another simple one – which team will get the most kills? Once again, this generally goes to the favorite, but either team can win this bet and still lose the game overall. A most kills wager will usually look like this:
Team SoloMid vs Evil Geniuses: Map 1 - Most Kills
Team SoloMid -152
Evil Geniuses +110
As you can see, the favorites Team SoloMid are also favored to get more kills, as they should be winning the match and thus killing their opponents. However, the odds are not crazy high, as it could go either way.
League of Legends First Blood Props
The first kill of each game, known as first blood, gets its own section in LoL betting props. While the first kill is important as it gives teams a small boost, it’s not vital to the outcome of the game and it’s really one that could go either way.
Once again going back to the TSM vs EG example, here is what a first blood prop looks like:
Team SoloMid vs Evil Geniuses: Map 1 - First Blood
Team SoloMid -120
Evil Geniuses -120
Team SoloMid has been the favorite for all the kills props so far, but both teams come in as even for this one. This is because there are so many factors to the first kill that it is very difficult to know who will get it. Generally, this type of bet makes the first few minutes of the game more exciting, but some teams do prioritize and focus on first blood, so it may take some research if you want to take advantage of this prop.
League of Legends Race To Number Of Kills Props
Last but not least comes the race to a number of kills prop. This one is fairly straightforward, as you pick a team that you think will get to a certain number of kills first. This is what a race to number of kills prop looks like:
5 - Team SoloMid -139 | Evil Geniuses +100
10 - Team SoloMid -152 | Evil Geniuses +110
15 - Team SoloMid -164 | Evil Geniuses +120
20 - Team SoloMid -175 | Evil Geniuses +125
The favorites TSM are once again the favorites for all the options here, with five kills being slightly higher than the rest. This is mainly due to the fact it’s a lot lower, and thus easier to reach than the rest.
Now that you know all of the popular League of Legends props, you’re ready to make some exciting new bets. If you’re uncertain which sportsbook to use, make sure to check out our list of the best esports betting sites.
