Things are heating up in South Korea's LCK Spring Split 2023 with the playoffs approaching and the regular season reaching its conclusion.
Ten teams began the LCK Spring regular season but only six could progress to the playoff stage and we now know which six teams will be advancing.
T1, Dplus KIA, Gen.G, KT Rolster, Hanwha Life Esports and Liiv SANDBOX are all through to the playoffs, whereas for Kwangdong Freecs, BRION, DRX and Nongshim RedForce, their journey will end in the regular season.
The regular season is close to finishing - Week Nine is the final one before the playoffs - but there is still a fair amount to be decided, such as which team will secure second spot and consequently receive a bye in the playoffs like table-toppers T1.
The LCK Spring playoffs begin next Wednesday with the remaining six teams competing in a double-elimination bracket from round two onwards and the top two teams in the playoffs will secure places at the coveted Mid-Season Invitational 2023, which takes place later this year and features the best teams from across the globe.
Dplus KIA aim to strengthen grasp on second spot against pacesetters T1
| What | T1 vs Dplus KIA |
| Where | South Korea |
| When | 08:00, Thursday 16th March 2023 |
| How to watch | LCK Twitch / Youtube channel |
| Odds | T1 4/11, Dplus KIA 2/1 |
As they did last season, T1 have attracted plenty of attention in this year's LCK Spring 2023.
The LCK juggernauts, who finished last year's Spring Split with a perfect record and made the final of the League of Legends World Championship, show no signs of stopping and have posted a 15-1 win-loss record in the regular season.
They cannot be caught and have already secured top spot in the LCK Spring regular season, meaning they will start the playoffs from round two and have two bites at the cherry from the start.
They will likely not need that with Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok's side capable of overpowering any team in the world on their day, although the fact they lost the LCK Summer final and the Worlds final will fill some of the other big hitters with confidence.
One of the teams who will be looking to unsettle T1 in the playoffs will be Dplus KIA, who are in second spot in the LCK Spring with a 12-4 record but have Gen.G Esports snapping at their heels.
An extraordinary run of form has propelled Dplus KIA into this position - they have won each of their last six games - and, away from T1, they are the form team in the division right now.
With the likes of Kim "Deft" Hyuk-kyu and Heo "ShowMaker" Su in their ranks, they are a tough nut to crack and they have incentive on their side, whereas T1 could be forgiven for resting on their laurels with nothing to play for in their remaining regular-season contests.
T1 are a winning machine, though, so backing Dplus KIA could be bold. Instead, opt for over 2.5 maps at 11/10 with this match having the potential to go the distance.
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Hanwha Life Esports should give highflyers Gen.G a game
| What | Hanwha Life Esports vs Gen.G |
| Where | South Korea |
| When | 10:30, Thursday 16th March 2023 |
| How to watch | LCK Twitch / Youtube channel |
| Odds | Hanwha Life Esports 13/8, Gen.G 4/9 |
Both Hanwha Life Esports and Gen.G are through to the LCK Spring playoffs and it is easy to see why.
Gen.G are an experienced unit who made the finals of both LCK splits last season, finishing runner-up in the Spring before pipping T1 to the post in the Summer.
They also had a good go at it in the League of Legends World Championship, reaching the semi-finals.
On the other hand, you have Hanwha Life Esports, who are new to LCK success but nonetheless look a threat.
Hanwha Life Esports are the only team to have beaten T1 in the LCK regular season this year and their roster features 2022 Worlds winners Hwang "Kingen" Seong-hoon and Kim "Zeka" Geon-woo.
That goes some way to plugging the experience gap between these two sides and punters may not want to rush to back Gen.G at 4/9.
Gen.G prevailed 2-1 when these teams met in Week Two of the LCK Spring and another tight tussle is expected with both looking to strengthen their positions before the playoffs, so go for over 2.5 maps at 1/1.
