T1 Faves To Win League of Legends KeSPA Cup

League of Legends fans rejoice – top-level LoL competition is finally back! 

With the World Championship wrapping up back in October, there’s been no real League action. Players have been enjoying their breaks, teams have been reorganizing and rosters have been shuffled. 

However, that all changes on December 21, as Korea’s famous KeSPA Cup kicks off, with the best of the best Korean teams competing. We’re set to see some amazing games and, of course, finally get into some wagering action. 

Who’s Playing at The KeSPA Cup?

All 10 teams that are set to participate in the 2021 League of Legends Championships Korea will be battling it out in the KeSPA Cup. This includes world champions DAMWON, fan favorites T1 and DRX, as well as some fresh faces in hyFresh Blade and Team Dynamics. 

However, there is a bit of a twist. While we know the team names, we don’t know the exact players. Rosters are unconfirmed until the event kicks off and each team is able to bring multiple players per role and shuffle them around. 

We’ll of course see the likes of Faker representing T1, but with some huge transfers already hitting the scene, everything’s up in the air. DAMWON’s superstar top laner Nuguri has yet to re-sign with the team, and DRX saw four of their starting roster depart in early November. 

This means the event may be a good preview to the LCK’s spring season, but judging teams based on their performance at the World Championship may not be the best idea. 

You can check out each team and their odds to win it below:

Odds to Win League of Legends KeSPA Cup

Odds as of December 15 at Sportsbook

The KeSPA Cup Underdog Magic

One of the most notable things about the KeSPA Cup is its unpredictability. Despite featuring the best of the best in Korea, the cup is almost never won by the strongest team in the region. In fact, it’s only been won once by a team that would go on to win the regular season, back in 2016.

Since then, we’ve seen underdog win after underdog win, so it’s very possible that it’ll happen again here. Of course, it’s difficult to tell who’s going to end up being the best team of 2021, but at the moment all signs point to the likes of DAMWON and T1.  

Regardless, considering the history of the cup, it may very well be worth taking a risk at some higher odds.

T1 Emerges as Early Favorite

We can’t talk about a Korean League of Legends event without talking about T1. Historically, they’re one of the best teams ever and they feature the strongest candidate for the title of LoL greatest of all time – Faker. 

Their 2020 wasn’t ideal, with the team barely missing out on a World Championship place as they were marred by mixed results throughout the regular season. Regardless, they enter as the favorites here and their squad looks primed to get it done. 

Other than switching supports to Keria, the roster remains the same, meaning they’ll have a leg up over the other teams when it comes to team synergy. Additionally, they still feature some very strong players who will definitely be looking to start 2021 strong. 

Why are World Champion DAMWON’s Odds so High?

Even if you’re an avid League of Legends fan, you may still be shocked by DAMWON’s odds. The team dominated Korea in 2020 and even became world champions – surely they should be favorites. 

However, this is not the case and there are actually a few reasons. First of all, one of the team’s best players, and the best top laner in the world, Nuguri, has still not re-signed and rumors suggest he is making a move to the Chinese league. 

The team also lost their head and assistant coaches after they played a very key role in the team’s success. From strategy-building to some of the best training methods in the world, DAMWON’s coaching staff truly elevated the players and allowed them to reach their peak. 

Without one of the best coaching duos and the best top laner in the world, DAMWON is a big question mark going forward.