After one team from China - JD Gaming - made the semi-finals of the League of Legends World Championship last season, the LPL region is determined to improve in 2023 and the first split of the season is already well underway.
The LPL Spring 2023 is into week five and already it is becoming clear which teams could lead the way in the playoffs and which have no hope whatsoever.
Heading into week five it was Invictus Gaming who were top of the pile and they are in action on Tuesday, taking on fellow highflyers Top Esports in a key game so early in the season.
And in the second match taking place on Tuesday, mid-table ThunderTalk Gaming lock horns with a tricky Weibo Gaming team.
There are two matches per day in the LPL Spring up until Friday this week before triple-headers on both Saturday and Sunday.
At the end of the LPL Spring 2023 regular season, the top 10 teams in the division will move on to the playoffs with the eventual winners and runners-up qualifying automatically for the Mid-Season Invitational - one of the most prestigious international events on the circuit.
Top-of-the-table clash should not disappoint
| What | Top Esports v Invictus Gaming, LPL Spring 2023 |
| Where | China |
| When | Tuesday 14th February 2023 |
| How to watch | LPL Twitch/Youtube channels |
| Odds | Top Esports 2/5, Invictus Gaming 7/4 |
This is a crunch clash at the top of the LPL Spring 2023 standings and cases can be made for both Top Esports and Invictus Gaming winning this one.
Invictus Gaming have been the early surprise package at this year's LPL Spring, posting a 5-1 win-loss record after six matches and winning 85 percent of their maps (11-2).
Their only defeat of the split was a 2-1 loss to ThunderTalk Gaming back in week three but otherwise they have been untouchable.
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Top Esports are not exactly far behind them with a 4-1 win-loss record to their name and their only defeat of the campaign came back in week two against plucky Weibo Gaming.
That said, punters may be surprised to see Top Esports as short as 2/5 to win against divisional leaders Invictus, who have not done a lot wrong in 2023 so far.
Ultimately, it likely comes down to roster quality and tournament pedigree.
Invictus Gaming missed out on the playoffs in both the LPL Spring and LPL Summer splits last year, recording 5-11 win-loss records in each of those events.
Top Esports, meanwhile, were fifth in the LPL Spring and then topped the LPL Summer standings, while they also reached the League of Legends World Championship at the end of last year.
Both teams are going well and it is a matter of whether punters want to side with reputation or form but it is probably best to swerve the match result markets and go for over 2.5 maps in this one at 1/1.
Weibo Gaming could snap ThunderTalk Gaming’s winning streak
| What | ThunderTalk Gaming v Weibo Gaming, LPL Spring 2023 |
| Where | China |
| When | Tuesday 14th February 2023 |
| How to watch | LPL Twitch/Youtube channels |
| Odds | ThunderTalk Gaming 5/2, Weibo Gaming 2/7 |
Not a lot separates these two sides at this early stage in the LPL Spring 2023 season but Weibo Gaming are fancied to beat ThunderTalk Gaming at 2/7 on Tuesday.
Weibo Gaming certainly enjoyed decent preparations for the LPL Spring this year, winning their namesake Weibo Cup 2022 in the offseason.
And in the split itself, they look like a team with a point to prove, having already recorded wins against Top Esports, FunPlus Phoenix and JD Gaming, who won the LPL Summer last year and made the final four of Worlds.
They slipped to a 2-1 loss to Bilibili Gaming in week two but that was their only defeat of the split so far and has clearly not fazed them.
That said, ThunderTalk Gaming will not just be swept aside - they have won each of their last three matches on the spin and are the only team to have beaten pacesetters Invictus Gaming in this split.
Weibo Gaming look the best bet overall but this could be tight so a bet on them to win 2-1 could be the way to go at 21/10.
