Match Prediction: Dplus KIA - T1 | LoL

Welcome to EGamersWorld.

The LCK Spring 2024 playoffs are heating up. The strongest League in modern competitive LoL is nearing its conclusion.

At the time of writing this betting thread there are 4 teams left in the race for the championship, but very soon there will be 3. After the match between T1 and Dplus KIA someone will leave the tournament one step away from making it to the Mid-Season Invitational 2024.

We will try to figure out who will be stronger in this match and will advance to the next stage of the championship, where they will play against the loser of the Gen.G - Hanwha Life Esports pairing.

Let's go.

T1 Form.

We open the match breakdown with an analysis of T1's match form. In this match, the 2023 World Champions will be playing as favourites with odds to win at around 1.3.

T1 won the LCK Spring 2022 and then three consecutive top-2s: MSI, LCK Summer and Worlds 2022.

The curse of top-2s carried over to the 2023 season as well. At the Long Run of the Year, Faker and company took 2nd place at LCK Spring 2023, and then finished third at MSI 2023.

• T1 line-up: Zeus, Oner, Faker, Gumayusi, Keria.

LCK Summer 2023 was a real challenge for T1. The team made it to the play-offs, but did it with difficulty, taking 5th place in the group stage with the score 9-9.

There were problems for the main protagonist - Faker. The legendary mid laner injured his hand and it obviously affected the overall playing conditions of T1. But now Faker is kind of back on track.

The Faker factor has played out. T1 defeated a serious opponent in the person of Dplus and made their way to the next round, where their opponent will be KT Rolster. The latter, by the way, chose T1 as their opponent.

Next up was no less capable opponent than Dplus. Faker and company played against KT Rolster and won that match with a score of 3-2.

The opponent in the match for the play-offs for T1 was Gen.G. The first tried, and even started the game with the score 2-1, but it didn't work out: Gen.G camebacked, and Chovy was better than Faker.

In the grand final match T1 almost lost to KT Rolster after an excellent Long Sogpeg 2-0. They were saved by Gumayusi, who pulled it off on the 5th map with his Xayah.

However, it didn't allow them to win the final. T1 faced their nemesis Gen.G, where they crushingly lost 0-3.

T1 opened Worlds 2023 with a game against Liquid. Being the clear favourite of the series they closed the match against Liquid in their favour, but it was not an easy win: Liquid held on for 36 minutes and Ledge only 1 kill. Everything was decided in the final midlane brawl, after which T1 closed the series.

In a 1-0 basket, T1 ran into their own kryptonite - Gen.G. Faker and company started great, but the first LCK team was the first to adjust the pace of the game to their own and eventually win the match.

Next up, T1 faced Cloud9. Perhaps, it was the most defeated match of all that I had the chance to watch on this Worlds. Naturally, it ended in T1's favour.

After trampling Cloud9 T1 started to beat Bilibili Gaming, and they succeeded. T1 easily defeated the vice-champions MSI 2023 with the score 2-0.

In the play-offs, T1 played against LNG. Scout, who was not unreasonably named the best player of Worlds 2023, was like that until the 5th of November: T1 wiped LNG out, closing the series with a score of 3-0.

In the Worlds 2023 semi-finals, T1 faced arguably the top contender to win the championship, JD Gaming. As formidable as the Chinese were, they were unable to outplay the experienced T1. As a result, Faker and company won the match with a score of 3-1 and T1 for the sixth (!) time made it to the grand finals of the most important League of Legends tournament. And then won it for the 4th time, which is an absolute record in competitive League of Legends and in esports in general.

After an excellent Long Cоrnеg regular season, LCK Spring 2024 T1s slipped a bit in the regular season, finishing 15-3 and in third place. T1 started the championship playoffs with a match against Hanwha Life Esports and surprisingly for me, they blew the game wide open, losing it 0-3.

Most Popular T1 Champions

Fiora (5 matches, 60% wins) was the most often sent to the top line. There was also Jax (3 games, 100% wins), Camile (2 matches, 100% wins), Irelia (2 matches, 100% wins).

In the forest Maokai (7 matches, 85% wins), Sejuani (4 games, 75% wins), Viego (2 matches, 100% wins).

The centre line was occupied by Azir (5 matches, 80% wins), Sylas (3 games, 66% wins), Kassadin (2 matches, 100% wins), Ryze (2 games, 50% wins).

Shooters: Varus (4 games, 50% wins), Lucian (4 games, 100% wins).

Sapports: Nami (3 games, 100% wins), Ashe (3 games, 0 wins), Varus (2 games, 100% wins), Miss Fortune (2 matches, 100% wins).

Form DPlus KIA

We continue the match analysis with the analysis of DPlus KIA's form. In this match, they are playing as a number two, with win odds around 3.

In the season before last, Dplus were still DAMWON, but it does not change the essence of the matter. Back then, Korea's top team finished top 3 at LCK Spring 2022 and top 4 at LCK Summer 2022.

Thanks to a win at LCK Regional Finals 2022, the team went to Worls 2022. The World Championships ended with a play-offs loss in a colourful match against Gen.G with a score of 2-3.

After rebranding, Dplus put together a new roster. There was an attempt to make some sort of "super" team, but that story doesn't work too well in LCK.

• Dplus roster: Kingen, Lucid, ShowMaker, Aiming, Kellin.

Reigning world champion Deft didn't help Dplus much at the first tournament after the rebranding. At LCK Spring 2023, Dplus finished in the top 5, which is not good.

At LCK Summer 2023, Dplus made it to the play-offs in 4th place, 11-7. That's better than T1.

However, LCK Summer 2023 Dplus KIA did not stay in the play-offs for long. In the first round of LCK Summer 2023 Playoffs Dplus Ledge and T1 with the score 1-3, leaving the main stage of the prestigious championship early.

The team made it to Worlds 2023 thanks to a second place finish at the South Korean regional finals. To do so, they first outplayed DRX (3-0) and then HLE (3-1).

Dplus opened up Worlds 2023 with a match against G2 Esports. The titular Koreans were weaker than the best team in Europe and went into the set 0-1.

There, Dplus played their fellow countrymen from KT Rolster. And again Worlds 2022 champion Deft and their distinguished colleagues lost: now Dplus had 0-2.

After falling into the relegation zone, Dplus finally got their act together and showed their game. They knocked BDS out of the tournament and now continue the arduous march to the play-offs. They later outplayed GAM Esports and came out on top 2-2, but in the final match Ledge or KT Rolster, thus forfeiting their chance at the play-offs.

After a somewhat dismal Worlds 2024, DPlus KIA took the top 5, closing out the LCK Spring 2024 regular season with a score of 9-9.

In the first play-offs match, DPlus pulled off a mini-sensation. They defeated their more title contender KT Rolster in a very difficult bo5. Next was a match against Gen.G, which Dplus almost won, but still fell short on the fifth map and eventually lost 2-3.

DPlus' most popular champions

On the top line the team chooses KSante (4 matches, 50% wins), Renekton (3 games, 33% wins), Gnar (3 matches, 66% wins).

In the forest all the same, more or less standard: VI (7 games, 57% wins), Maokai (3 games, 66% wins), Poppy and Sejuani 2 matches and 0 wins each.

On the centre line with no deviations. There are Azir (4 matches, 50% wins), Ryze (4 games, 50% wins), Syndra (2 games, 50% wins), Cassiopeia (2 matches, 50% wins).

The championship among shooters is held by Lucian. Champion appeared 5 times, but won only 2 matches. Tried to Zeri, but failed: 0-3 in three appearances.

Among the supporting champions, Nami was a success. She was picked up 5 times, and her winrate was 40%. Yummi (3 games, 0% wins) and Ashe (3 games, 66% wins) were also picked.

History of head-to-head meetings between T1 and DPlus KIA

The teams have played each other 5 times in the last year and only once DPlus won.

Predicted result of DPlus KIA vs T1 at LCK Spring 2024

In this match I expect a close game from the two teams, as this play-offs LCK Spring 2024 dictates its own conditions and the teams, seemingly outsiders, show a very strong League. DPlus KIA have a good chance of taking the series if T1 continue to play with their sleeves down and take all sorts of Sion's for Keria and TF on the top line. If they play stupendously, purely on mechanical skill, they should take it.

Bottom line: 3-1 win for T1.