It is week six in South Korea's LCK Summer Split 2022, which remains one of the most polarised of all of the League of Legends major regional divisions.
Gen.G Esports and T1 have taken the initiative at the top end of the table and will already be thinking about the LCK Summer Split playoffs and beyond.
At the other end of the standings, meanwhile, Fredit BRION and Hanwha Life Esports, who both have 1-9 win-loss records, are pretty much just playing for pride.
At the end of the LCK Summer Split regular season, six teams will progress to the playoffs with the division's top two advancing directly to the competition's semi-finals and it is becoming clearer by the week who could be involved.
Thursday will feature the next batch of week six matches with highflyers T1 and struggling Hanwha Life Esports among the teams involved.
What | T1 v Kwangdong Freecs, LCK Summer 2022 |
| Where | South Korea |
| When | 04:00 Thursday 21st July 2022 |
How to watch | LCK Global Youtube channel & Twitch |
| Odds | T1 -800, Kwangdong Freecs +450 |
T1 expected to show class again
T1 romped to a 3-1 win over Gen.G Esports in the final of the LCK Spring playoffs earlier this season and they have carried that form into the summer event.
They have won nine of their ten matches in the LCK Summer regular season - Gen.G are above them but have the same series record - and in their most recent contest at the end of week five, T1 rolled over a decent DRX team 2-0, wrapping up game one in only 25 minutes.
They have been completely dominant in the Split once again with six of their nine victories coming by a 2-0 scoreline and that enhances appeal about backing them at -1.5 on the handicap at -175 when they lock horns with Kwangdong Freecs.
Kwangdong Freecs are in the mid-table positions going into week six and are still on course to emulate their performance at the LCK Spring, in which they just managed to secure a playoff berth despite having a negative game differential (19-22).
Any hopes they have of climbing the ranks or causing a shock in this match will surely come down to bot laner Park "Teddy" Jin-seong, who was in contention for the MVP award at the LCK Spring, but they will more than likely fall short.
Pacesetters T1 have been particularly impressive in terms of their kill counts recently too, having recorded at least eight more kills than their opponents in two of their last three matches.
With that in mind, they could also be worth a bet at -7.5 on the kill handicap at -120 against Kwangdong Freecs, who have lost back-to-back matches in the LCK Summer against KT Rolster and DWG Kia.
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Hopeless Hanwha Life Esports set for more misery against KT Rolster
What | Hanwha Life v KT Rolster, LCK Summer 2022 |
| Where | South Korea |
| When | 07:00 Thursday 21st July 2022 |
How to watch | LCK Global Youtube channel & Twitch |
| Odds | Hanwha +200, KT Rolster -275 |
KT Rolster have a 5-5 win-loss record in the LCK Summer Split standings but that does not tell the full story.
Four of their wins have come in their last five matches across weeks five, four and three with the team in a rich vein of form right now.
KT Rolster were especially dominant in their latest triumph over Kwangdong Freecs, winning the overall kill count in the match 33-13 and coming out on top 20-7 in terms of towers.
Mid laner Lee "VicLa" Dae-kwang, who joined the team ahead of the LCK Summer, believes the team can at least secure fourth spot and advance to the playoffs this season, although he warned against complacency in their clash with Hanwha Life Esports.
But it really is difficult to look beyond Hanwha's poor numbers.
They have a 1-9 win-loss record in the LCK Summer standings, having lost 19 of their 26 games in the process, and that follows an LCK Spring Split campaign in which they also finished rock bottom.
They won only three of their 18 matches on that occasion too and, made up mainly of Challenger and Academy players, do not stand much of a chance in this one.
They managed to take a game off T1 in their opening match of week five but only courtesy of game-breaking bugs which forced restarts and disrupted rhythm in that contest and their inferiority was still clear to see.
Only four of their losses have been by 2-0 margins this season by KT Rolster are a team in great form and can assert their superiority, so consider backing them at -1.5 on the handicap at +120 or simply to win the match at -275.
