LoL EWC 2026 Day 1 Betting Predictions – Wednesday, July 15

League of Legends Esports World Cup 2026 is set to kick off on Wednesday, July 15, with the first eight games of the group stage, when 16 elite LoL teams will start their campaign towards the lion’s share of the US$2,000,000 prize pool.

Esportbet brings you free LoL betting predictions and expert picks for the opening day of play at the EWC, with odds courtesy of the best bookmakers for esports punters.

• 

  Fast Payouts

---

Gen.G are one of the main favourites to win the EWC, which presents an excellent opportunity for the Korean titans to bounce back and gain some momentum before the summer split.

After starting the season strongly, Gen.G failed to reach the expected heights in the spring split, when they finished LCK Road to MSI in third place and missed out on the tournament.

• 

  Live Betting Odds

However, the third-place finish does not show the whole story, as Gen.G were still very competitive and qualitatively up there with T1 and Hanwha Life Esports.

Karmine Corp crashed and burned at the Mid-Season Invitational, losing to T1 and Team Liquid. Despite holding the tag of Europe’s second-best team, KC’s performances in South Korea do not inspire any confidence that they can challenge Gen.G.

---

Team Secret turned many heads with their performances at MSI, where they upset Top Esports and showed some life in their loss to Hanwha Life Esports.

While many view their win over TES as a fluke, Team Secret showed good things and proved they can be competitive on international stages.

• 

  The bookies' bookie

Sentinels are an unproven team internationally, and considering their fifth-sixth-place finish in the LoL Championship Series Spring, they do not appear as a serious threat for the EWC trophy.

LYON’s miracle run at MSI suggests that the LCS is stronger than anticipated; however, the gap between the top contenders and mid-table teams such as Sentinels is not small.

The best LoL bookmakers have Team Secret priced as -188.68 favourites, which is a very appealing offer. Sentinels, until proven otherwise, are one of the main candidates to crash out of the group stage.

---

MSI 2026 finalists Bilibili Gaming are -833.33 favourites to defeat Movistar KOI on Wednesday. Considering BLG’s success this season, which includes two LoL Pro League titles, that assessment seems fair.

However, BLG will be travelling to France fatigued, so it is fair to question how ready and motivated they are to perform. That is something to consider as Bilibili Gaming clash with Movistar KOI, who are no pushovers.

While Movistar KOI have not looked great domestically, most of that has to do with their lack of consistency. But while KOI’s floor is low, their ceiling is high enough to challenge anyone.

The best-of-one format benefits underdogs by design, and considering MKOI have enough talent to put up a fight, they are an excellent outsider pick.

---

T1 slipped at MSI, finishing fifth-sixth after a tough loss to G2 Esports. Despite that defeat, T1 remain a threat to win the Esports World Cup, purely because this is one of the most experienced and talented rosters in the world.

GAM Esports used to be a known name in international LoL events, but this past split was not as successful for them, showing a decline in GAM’s quality.

Even though the LCP is a competitive league, GAM were weaker than Deep Cross Gaming, who proved to be a few tiers below T1 at MSI.

If GAM Esports failed to keep up with DCG and Team Secret domestically, their chances of stopping T1 are slim to none. As the latest odds suggest, this is T1’s game to lose.

---

AG.AL and Dplus KIA both had disappointing runs through the spring split, as neither came close to qualifying for the Mid-Season Invitational.

Both squads had their moments, but they ended their splits as good, not great teams, sitting somewhere in the middle of the pack.

Given their volatility and mixed results in the spring split, it is hard to compare the two teams. However, the eye test suggests that LoL Champions Korea is a stronger league, with a better understanding of the current meta.

Purely off that, Dplus KIA come off as a more appealing pick. While somewhat volatile, Dplus KIA have a stable mid-to-late game, and they rarely fall behind early.

AG.AL, on the other side, rely heavily on gaining early momentum and, much like other LPL teams, tend to stumble around with their macro.

---

G2 Esports are still licking their wounds following a shock defeat to LYON at MSI. While it was a deserved loss, G2 have also proven they can play at a high level, with victories against Top Esports and T1, so the quality is there.

The big question with G2 is how they will do with Luka “Perkz” Perković, who will make his debut as a coach at EWC. However, the addition of Perkz should be a good thing, as it could motivate G2 to perform and give their former player a strong debut.

FURIA featured at MSI, but only briefly, quickly proving they do not have what it takes to compete at the top level.

While the best-of-one format could benefit them here, the quality gap is too big to take their side in this contest.

---

The reigning MSI champions, Hanwha Life Esports, might not be fully motivated to win the Esports World Cup and could instead focus more on the upcoming LCK summer split.

However, that makes them no less of a threat for MIBR, who will have their work cut out for them on Wednesday.

The quality difference in this game is significant enough to say that anything less than an HLE victory would be the biggest upset of the season.

While MIBR were competitive in the Brazilian league, they were still a tier below FURIA, who struggled badly on the international stage earlier this month.

Expect a quick and one-sided victory for HLE.

---

LYON came out of nowhere and nearly reached the Mid-Season Invitational final after beating G2 Esports and forcing Hanwha Life Esports to five maps in the lower bracket final.

It was a monstrous performance from LYON, who proved they can dance with the best. However, as with other teams that made a deep run at MSI, LYON’s motivation to give their all at EWC is questionable.

JD Gaming enjoyed a strong start to the season, with a silver medal from LPL Split 1 and a semifinal run at First Stand.

They were not as successful in LPL Split 2, after losing some momentum in the playoffs, but that does not take away from JDG’s high ceiling.

JD Gaming have the tools to emerge as one of China’s top teams, and while it is unclear how they will do in the current meta, they are an excellent bet at the current prices.