LPL 2026 Split 1 betting tips – Thursday, January 15

The first week of League of Legends Pro League (LPL) 2026 Split 1 reaches its third round of action on Friday, January 16, when LNG Esports will play their first match of the season against Ultra Prime, followed by a Group Perseverance clash between Team WE and EDward Gaming.

Esportbet have prepared free League of Legends betting previews for the two fixtures, along with our top betting picks for the day.

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  Fast Payouts

LNG ESPORTS vs ULTRA PRIME

Ultra Prime have entered the new season with a new top laner, mid laner, and ADC player.

While replacing the majority of the roster is not always a bad idea, UP’s changes seemed very odd, and it mainly showed that they decided to go with a more budget option for 2026.

Things could work out better than expected for UP, but considering their 0-2 loss to LGD Gaming on Thursday, it is hard to feel overly optimistic.

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  The bookies' bookie

Priced as -400 favorites on the best LoL betting sites, LNG Esports are expected to start their campaign with a comfortable victory.

Despite being seeded in Group Nirvana, LNG Esports are arguably one of the top five teams in the league, having made some inspiring lineup changes.

With Xu “sheer” Wenjie in the top lane, Kim “Croco” Dong-beom in the jungle, Lee “BuLLDoG” Tae-young as a new mid laner, and a Li “1xn” Xiunan – Lou “MISSING” Yunfeng bottom lane, LNG have a nice blend of veteran and young players.

Ultra Prime have a huge mountain to climb.

TEAM WE vs EDWARD GAMING

On paper, Team WE and EDward Gaming look fairly equal, quality-wise.

Team WE have retained the top-side trio, added a new coach and a new bottom lane with ADC Moon “About” Hyeong-seok and support Bi “yaoyao” Haotian.

This indicates that Team WE are building around their jungler, Wang “Monki” Mengqi, and forming an aggressive team that should work well in the current fast-paced meta.

EDward Gaming enter the new season with only one new player, Hu “Leave” Hongchao, who will take over as the starting ADC.

While EDG do not have any flashy names on their roster, this lineup is well-built and has the potential to surprise.

The top side is known to be volatile, but when things fall into place, EDward Gaming can be competitive, and the added continuity will help early in the season.

Roster continuity is likely the main reason why EDward Gaming are priced as favorites for this clash.

While not a wrong assessment, Team WE’s upside makes them a more appealing bet at plus money.