The new year brings a new competitive League of Legends season and the Chinese Pro League is the one to start us off, with their spring season beginning on January 10. As usual, the LPL Spring Season will see 17 teams battling it out for regional glory, playoffs spots and championship points. There is, however, a touch more excitement around this season than usual, with it being the 10th anniversary of the league, making it a major milestone.
Visit Our Best Esports Betting Sites
Since we’re getting back into the action after the offseason, make sure to refresh yourself on how to bet League of Legends, and let’s dive into the juicy details of the LPL Spring Season.
What’s New In The LPL?
Each year, the spring season brings sweeping changes to every LoL league, and it’s no different in 2022. There are new faces, sweeping roster moves and even some major team rebrands.
This year saw two of the biggest teams completely change face, with Rogue Warriors rebranding to Anyone’s Legend, while Suning became Weibo Gaming. Of course, that’s just scratching the surface – the real juicy changes come in terms of roster moves.
The biggest moves come out of FunPlus Phoenix, who lost their two superstars, Nuguri and Doinb, during the offseason. Both players were considered to be among the best players ever in their role and their departure came as a shocking move for any FPX fan.
Similarly, Invictus Gaming also made two massive changes, with their superstars TheShy and Rookie heading out, being replaced by two academy starlets. We also saw a couple of moves from JD Gaming and LGD Gaming, while a few of the favorites like Royal Never Give Up, LNG and Edward Gaming opted to retain the majority of their rosters.
Overall, there have been some changes for almost every team, ranging from swapping out one player all the way to shaking up the entire core. With that in mind, it’s definitely looking like another exciting and competitive season for the LPL.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Royal Never Give Up | +350 |
| Top Esports | +350 |
| Edward Gaming | +400 |
| LNG Esports | +400 |
| Bilibili Gaming | +700 |
| Weibo Gaming | +1200 |
| Ninjas In Pyjamas | +1200 |
| FunPlus Phoenix | +1800 |
| Rare Atom | +3300 |
| Team WE | +3300 |
| JD Gaming | +4000 |
| Oh My God | +5000 |
| Invictus Gaming | +5000 |
| Ultra Prime | +6600 |
| Anyone’s Legend | +6600 |
| LGD Gaming | +8000 |
| TT Gaming | +15000 |
Odds as of January 7 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]
Royal Never Give Up Look To Continue Regional Dominance
Royal Never Give Up were the most regionally successful team in China last year, securing the No. 3 seed in the LPL, winning the spring season and the Midseason Invitational. All eyes were on them at the World Championship, and they were only barely defeated 3-2 by eventual winner Edward Gaming.
See Odds Shark’s Top Esports Sites
Going into 2022, RNG has retained four of their five players, making only a change in the top lane, bringing in Bin for Xiaoxu. The change was definitely a welcome one for fans of the team, as it patches up the main weakness we saw from RNG last year.
As such, bookmakers put them as slight favorites in what is looking to be a very competitive season. RNG’s roster is bolstered and all the players have shown they have what it takes to win in the spring. The question is whether they can do it again?
Edward Gaming Retain World Championship-Winning Squad
Edward Gaming made somewhat of an unorthodox move in League of Legends, retaining their entire roster in the offseason. It may seem strange to be surprised that a world championship-winning roster would stay together, but teams generally shake things up every year, almost regardless of performance.
In League of Legends’ entire history, only one team has managed to win back-to-back world championships and that squad saw a few changes in between events. As such, staying together is generally not favored, although we’ll have to see how EDG manages to perform.
Generally, regional competition is a bit more forgiving than the Worlds stage, but the LPL is likely the most competitive team in the world. This means that despite overcoming the odds internationally, Edward Gaming will have to evolve and grow if they want to take home the spring season trophy.
Can Doinb Take LNG To The Next Level?
LNG Esports were the surprise of 2021, coming from a middling side to securing a top-four spot and a place at Worlds in just a few short months. The team of young guns completed upset after upset in a tense summer playoffs, overcoming the likes of Suning, Top Esports and Royal Never Give Up in what was a true Cinderella story.
Their great summer led to the players earning a huge amount of respect and the team being touted as one of the next LPL greats. Since their amazing run, they’ve also strengthened the squad, bringing in mid lane superstar Doinb to add not only one of the world’s best players, but also some vital championship experience to the squad.
Bet On LPL Spring Season Odds Now
With Doinb leading LNG from the mid lane, the team is looking like one of the strongest in the region, boasting both young exciting talent, as well as an experienced superstar and a top-tier backroom staff. The main issue for the team will be handling the pressure of entering the LPL season as one of the favorites and sustaining their incredible level of performance.
