China's League of Legends Pro League Summer Split has reached the halfway stage with week five already under way and there is still plenty to be decided.
Victory Five have taken the initiative at the very top and are closely followed by Top Esports and JD Gaming, while at the other end of the standings Team WE are winless.
In the middle of the table, though, teams are closely packed together and it remains to be seen who will snatch a top-ten berth and a consequent place in the LPL Summer playoffs.
| What | FunPlus Phoenix v LGD Gaming |
| Where | China |
| When | 04:45am ET Wednesday 6th July 2022 |
| How to watch | LPL Twitch channel |
| Odds | FunPlus Phoenix -334, LGD Gaming +240 |
They may have crashed out in round one, but FunPlus Phoenix made the playoffs in the LPL Spring Split earlier this year and they are still in with a chance of progressing to the knockout phase in the LPL Summer.
FunPlus started the LPL Summer with five straight defeats, but picked up wins against Rare Atom and JD Gaming in week four to move within a few places of the playoff spots and they will now be looking to string together positive results.
There is still uncertainty about who operates as their top laner out of Ping "Xiaolaohu" Xiao-Hu or Park "Summit" Woo-tae but either way they should have too much for LGD Gaming, who look about right at 12/5 to win this encounter.
LGD are in the lower echelons of the LPL Summer Split with a 1-4 win-loss record, having fallen to defeat in both of their matches against LNG and Oh My God in week four and they are worth opposing.
Back FunPlus Phoenix at -1.5 on the match handicap at a decent price of +110.
| What | Victory Five v Rare Atom |
| Where | China |
| When | 7am ET Wednesday 6th July 2022 |
| How to watch | LPL Twitch channel |
| Odds | Victory Five -600, Rare Atom +350 |
Victory Five are the LPL Summer Split's only unbeaten side, having won all six of their matches and dropping only two individual games in the process.
Earlier in the year, they reached the semi-finals of the LPL Spring playoffs, losing 3-1 to Top Esports in the end, but have looked even sharper this summer.
That is perhaps surprising given Victory Five have been operating with a substitute mid laner in Tan "Dream" Wen-Xiang but the rookie has put in some top performances this term.
Rare Atom look beaten across all areas of the game against Victory Five with their brightest talent Chen "Strive" Liang likely to find himself up against the in-form "Dream".
Four of Victory Five's six wins in the LPL Summer have been by 2-0 scorelines and for that reason, backing them at -1.5 on the game handicap at -138 makes plenty of appeal.
| What | Team WE v OMG |
| Where | China |
| When | 04.45am ET Friday 8th July 2022 |
| How to watch | LPL Twitch channel |
| Odds | Team WE +333, OMG -500 |
It is quickly becoming an LPL Summer Split to forget for Team WE, who are rooted to the foot of the standings with no wins to their name, and next up for them are Oh My God, otherwise known as OMG, on Friday, with no Summer Split matches taking place on Thursday.
Their LPL Spring Split was not great - they finished with a 4-12 record - but this summer they have regressed even further, having lost all five of their matches so far.
The fact that OMG are 1/5 to win this one despite being in the mid-table positions emphasises how poor Team WE have been this summer and it is hard to envisage anything other than a defeat for the basement boys.
OMG have a mediocre 3-4 win-loss record in the LPL Summer Split standings and this is a great opportunity for points.
If they fluff their lines against Team WE, then they could risk missing out on a playoff berth this season, especially as they have a tough week six ahead with matches against FunPlus Phoenix and Top Esports to come.
With that in mind, expect no holding back from OMG, who are another good bet at -1.5 on the game handicap at -125.
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