It’s time for the business end of the League of Legends tournament. The top eight seeds have been drawn into their brackets for the quarterfinals after a fiercely competitive group stage. There are seven matches to go in the tournament, and in just over two weeks, we’ll have a new LoL world champion.

All four representatives from the Korean LCK will appear in the quarterfinals, along with three from China’s LPL. Top Esports were knocked out in the group stage in a shocking twist, but given how the tournament’s gone so far, it’s unwise to assume there won’t be any more surprises. Rogue Esports are the only team from Europe to make it to this stage.

JD Gaming vs Rogue

Prediction: JD Gaming

Odds: 1.08

Betting Site: Thunderpick Esports

When: October 20th, 23:00 CEST

Despite how well Rogue have done to get to the top eight, JD are the overwhelming LoL Worlds favorites here. After their incredible season at the LPL, they’re one of the teams most backed to win the World Championship too.

JD Gaming

Every single one of the players in JD’s roster is world-class and could walk into just about any team in the world. 369, Kanavi, and Yagao have all been at the top of their games this tournament – the world’s most formidable trio of carry players by a considerable margin. And let’s not leave out Hope either, who’s been sensational in the bot lane. JD have been the most attacking team this tournament, averaging nearly 18 kills per game, easily the highest in the league. They’ve paid the price with a heavy death toll too, quite high at 13.4, but their offensive strategy has worked out really well so far.

Rogue Esports

No one can dispute that there’s not a single team that can usurp Rogue in the European region – or anywhere else in the world apart from China and Korea, really. However, they’re in a different league now and have to sit at the same table as some of the giants of the world. While they finished as second seed in their group and even managed to beat Top Esports in the first round robin, they haven’t looked too convincing since. A kill-death ratio of 1.02 at this stage is a little troubling for a top eight team, and while Comp’s 5.2 KDA and 4.7 kill-rate is excellent, knocking over JD Gaming is going to be an insurmountable task.

T1 vs Royal Never Give Up

Prediction: T1 to win

Odds: 1.42

Betting Site: Thunderpick Esports

When: October 21st, 23:00 CEST

This match is a little harder to call. While the LoL Worlds quaterfinal betting odds are leaning towards T1, there’s no doubt this is going to be a mouthwatering contest between two titans of the game.

T1

The Korean juggernaut have won the world championship three times before, and are now in the running for a fourth. It’s been over five years since they played in a LoL Worlds final and six years since they brought home the title, so they’ll be looking to change that. They dropped just one game during the round robin, a totally unexpected loss to Fnatic, but have charged into the next round guns blazing. Since that loss, they’ve been on a four-win streak, and it will be tough for RNG to break it.

Royal Never Give Up

RNG finished second in their group, on a four-win streak, until dropping their final round-robin game against Gen.G. They’re coming off a disappointing summer after a 5th-6th place finish at the LPL, but this is their chance to turn things around. RNG’s first-blood rate is the lowest in the league at 28%, but T1’s isn’t much higher currently at 33%. Both teams like to start out slow and accumulate gold and turrets before going in for the kill, so it’ll be interesting to see their strategies against each other.

Gen.G vs DWG KIA

Prediction: Gen.G to win

Odds: 1.26

Betting Site: Thunderpick

When: October 22nd, 23:00 CEST

DWG are the underdogs in this all-LCK clash lined up for Sunday. LCK’s fourth seed is up against its winner, and it’s going to be hard to put one past the superteam Gen.G that just seems to get better and better all year.

Gen.G

Aside from JD, Gen.G are firm favorites to bring home their maiden World championship. Their kill-death ratio of 2.37 is phenomenal, the highest in the tournament in addition to a creep score of 34.1. They have the lowest death rate in the tournament, 7.0, and average kills per game around 16.6 is the third best. GG are infused with confidence after their maiden LPL title this year, and very little stands in the way of bringing home their first Worlds title too.

DWG KIA

DWG were in the same group as their European rivals G2 Esports, which began back in 2019 when G2 knocked them out of the Worlds quarterfinals. G2 are long gone now, and DWG have a chance to repeat the magic of 2020 where they secured their first and only Worlds title. They seeded second in their group, and their highlight of the tournament so far has been how they demolished powerhouse JD gaming early on in the group stage. They’ll need some to show some of that spunk again to get past the title favorites GG.

DRX vs Edward Gaming

Prediction: Edward Gaming to win

Odds: 1.52

Betting Site: Thunderpick

When: October 23rd, 23:00 CEST

Last year’s LoL Worlds winners EDG are up against the resurgent DRX, who’ve been in sensational form ever since the start of the tournament’s play-ins. The odds are leaning toward EDG, but if DRX are on song, it’s fifty-fifty.

DRX

It’s been a pleasure to watch Zeka right from the play-ins onward, and if any player ever deserved to win the Worlds based on their individual performances alone, it’s him. He averages 5.3 kills and 1.3 deaths per game, and a healthy KDA of 6.6. DRX have been the wildcard entry this tournament. The way they’ve gone from underdogs to genuine title contenders is incredible.

Edward Gaming

EDG didn’t have to go through the play-ins, but still had to contest for their spot in the LPL’s regional playoffs. This seems like a bit of ignominy for the reigning champions, but the important thing is that they’re here, and they’ve looked pretty good aside from the two occasions they’ve crumbled against T1. they’ll have to get past an in-form and confident team to get any further, though, and it’s going to be a tight contest.

Odds are subject to change.