The first-ever LCS Lock-In tournament is right around the corner, which is about as good of a start to 2021 as we could’ve hoped for! There’s nothing on the line but a sack of cash and some bragging rights, but that’s far from a bad thing — teams will compete without fear or pressure, which should, in turn, result in some pretty darn entertaining League of Legends. Well, that’s the goal, at least.
The groups have been drafted, and the schedule set. Check out the full LCS Lock In schedule on https://t.co/o0axpMkfjg pic.twitter.com/LR2EARFjNi
— LCS (@LCSOfficial) January 8, 2021
Ten teams split into two groups of five will compete over the next three weeks. One quick glance at the official schedule is all we need to get hyped for what’s to come! If you’re looking to bet on the inaugural LCS Lock-In tournament, we’ve got you covered! Down below, we’ll go over the biggest favorites along with a high value dark horse that might upset, should the stars align.
But before we delve any deeper, we need to mention one hugely important thing:
With that oh-so-important PSA out of the way, let’s begin!
2021 LCS Lock-In | Biggest Favorites
Cloud9
The team with the best odds of winning the 2021 LCS Lock-In tournament is none other than Cloud9. They’re stacked with talent from top to bottom and have some of the best players the West has to offer, including Luka “Perkz” Perković and Jesper “Zven” Svenningsen. Just those two legends alone are enough for C9 to go deep and ultimately leave a mark. With the best jungler in North America by their side, and a Top 2 support as well, they’ll have all the right tools to not only contest for a spot at the top but even win the whole thing.
The only problem with C9 is that there are certain question marks that have yet to be resolved. Sure, they’ll have one of the best Western mid laners in the history of the game to lead the charge, but no one can guarantee that Perkz will perform up to expectations right from the very get-go. After all, this’ll be the first time in his career that he’ll represent a team not called G2 Esports. He also had to move across the Atlantic, which is definitely a change in scenery that requires a bit acclimation time. And sure, he’ll have the right support, but no one should be overly surprised if Perkz doesn’t start the season off all that well.
Zven and Philippe “Vulcan” Laflamme have also regressed performance-wise as 2020 went along, and no one’s quite sure why. They’re undeniably talented, but they’ll have to step up if they intend to once again hoist the LCS trophy. The same goes for Robert “Blaber” Huang, one of the most aggressive and talented junglers in North American history. He’s not exactly a coin-flip kind of player, but his unrelenting aggression isn’t always channeled the right way. When it works, he looks like an absolute beast; when it doesn’t, he’ll fumble and fail every step of the way. Finally, Cloud9 will enter the 2021 season with a brand-new top laner: Ibrahim “Fudge” Allami.
Fudge looked downright fantastic during his stint in Academy, but playing on the LCS stage is a different beast entirely. And sure, he’s talented and has shown a ton of promise, but it’ll take a bit of time before he can actually trade blows with the who’s who of the LCS. He’s definitely their weakest link, not because he’s inherently bad or insufficiently talented, but rather because the rest of the team is so darn good (and are known quantities).
In any case, there’s a lot to like with this Cloud9 line-up, and seeing how all of their players are already stationed in Los Angeles, they won’t have to deal with any pesky visa issues. That alone will provide them with a noticeable upper hand right out of the gate!
Team Liquid
Next up, we have Team Liquid. Unfortunately, they won’t be able to start with Lucas “Santorin” Tao Kilmer Larsen, and will instead have to play with Jonathan “Armao” Armao (formerly known as Grig). The difference in skill and experience between the two is as wide as the Grand Canyon. That’s not to say that Grig doesn’t have his own strengths, but they pale in comparison to his more seasoned (and successful) colleague.
Santorin’s visa issues are supposed to be resolved by the second or third week of play, but that’s also far from guaranteed. In any case, Team Liquid will have to do with Armao for the time being. How big of an impact that’ll have on their play still remains to be seen, but temper your expectations.
100 Thieves
With Team Liquid entering the 2021 LCS Lock-In tournament with a weaker line-up than expected, 100 Thieves have arguably become Cloud9’s biggest threat. In the eyes of many, Team Liquid was the only team that had the firepower to compete with C9 on even footing, with 100 Thieves coming in at close second.
Right now, however, the roles have reversed.
They’ve already been playing together for months, and they know each other’s playstyles inside and out. They’re already on the same page even though the season hasn’t even begun, which is as big of a benefit as a team can hope for.
There’s really no reason to doubt their potential. Now, whether they’ll harness it correctly is anyone’s guess at this point, but they’ve earned our benefit of the doubt, especially after their spectacular showing in the 2020 Summer Split playoffs. They’ll face an uphill battle, but they have all the right tools for the job. If Team Liquid doesn’t show up in full force, 100 Thieves will immediately go from a “potential dark horse” to a “bona fide challenger.”
2021 LCS Lock-In | High Value Dark Horses
Team SoloMid
Finally, we have a very peculiar dark horse: TSM. This age-old North American titan is entering 2021 with a fairly fascinating line-up, one that will either reach immense heights or crash and burn should things go awry. And to make matters even more interesting, no one’s quite sure which of the two will happen; it’s a 50/50 kind of thing.
The roster TSM will field in 2021 is at once both fantastic and also somewhat underwhelming.
Their mid laner and support have earned the hype they’ve been getting — they’ll be the ones who’ll probably hardcarry the most. Their jungler and marksman, however, still have lots to prove. Mingyi “Spica” Lu looked downright incredible last playoffs, but that wasn’t always the case.
- Did he just overperform, or was it a sign of the things to come?
- Lawrence “Lost” Sze Yuy Hui has also shown great promise, but playing in the LCS is a lot different than Academy. Will he be up to the task?
- Lastly, Heo “Huni” Seung-hoon’s coin-flip nature is still as present as ever. TSM needed a rock-solid top laner who’s as consistent as they come — exactly the opposite of Huni. Will they be able to tame his aggression?
- Will he still have those dreadful games in which he feeds like there’s no tomorrow, or will he step up, now that he’s been given a shot at redemption?
We’re all dying to find out, that’s for sure.
If things pan out as best they could, TSM will definitely be able to trade blows with the who’s who of the LCS. But many things need to go their way, and the odds are definitely stacked against them. Regardless, they’re the biggest dark horse of the 2021 LCS Lock-In, and they should not be underestimated.
Outright Betting on the 2021 LCS Lock-In
The 2021 LCS Lock-In betting options include outrights, so if you’re in the mood for making big predictions (and potentially winning big as well), then you’d be wise to place your bets as soon as possible!
Team | Odds |
Cloud9 | +140 |
Team Liquid | +200 |
Team SoloMid | +500 |
100 Thieves | +700 |
Evil Geniuses | +1000 |
FlyQuest | +1800 |
Counter Logic Gaming | +2500 |
Immortals | +2500 |
Dignitas | +6600 |
Golden Guardians | +6600 |
Cloud9 would be your best and safest option at this point, but if you’re looking for a low-stake high-reward kind of deal, then go for 100 Thieves at +700! As mentioned above, they have the most synergy out of all competing teams, and that could end up making a world of difference.
And, if you happen to be looking for betting websites that cover competitive League of Legends, we’ve got you covered!
Closing Remarks
The first-ever 2021 LCS Lock-In tournament is bound to deliver in all the right ways. You can expect a slew of fiestas as well (an unavoidable part of the LCS, one might add), but that’s far from a bad thing! In any case, because this is a three-week-long tournament, outright bets make a lot more sense than individual ones, primarily because there’s bound to be a lot of chaos early on. Still, by the end of it all, the biggest favorites should end up on top.
The 2021 LCS Spring Split will start right after the LCS Lock-In concludes, so make sure to check out our full event preview!
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