Despite a tumultuous split in the LCK, Dplus KIA made it to the final of the Esports World Cup Korean Qualifier to face T1. The World Champions have become strong again, but their games still aren’t clean. Against them is the least consistent team in the LCK’s top five. Who will be the first team to claim an LCK spot at the EWC 2026 in Paris?
Betting tips: Given the nature of both teams, this is a risky bet. That said, DK has fallen off in recent weeks while T1 is looking more and more in form. Surprises are likely to occur here, but T1 is the favorite.
My Dplus KIA vs T1 pick: Over 4.5 maps at 2.53 odds at GG.BET.
| Match | Dplus KIA vs T1 – Esports World Cup 2026 Online Qualifier: Korea |
|---|---|
| Kick-off | May 25, 2026, at 9am CET / 12am PST |
| Top pick | T1 to win, over 4.5 games |
| Best price | GG.BET live odds |
| Betting favorite | T1 |
This is a crucial match for both teams. In other regions, the teams who fail to qualify through this bracket still have a chance to play at the EWC by winning their respective Spring Split playoffs.
However, Road to MSI takes the place of Spring playoffs in the LCK. Road to MSI is a king-of-the-hill bracket with an upper qualification match between the top two teams. The winner of that match is considered the LCK champion and claims the resulting first seed for EWC. That means that only a team that finishes the LCK Rounds 1-2 in top two can receive that spot.
DK is already locked out of the top two, and T1 is unlikely to make it as well. Their fate isn’t in their hands, and odds are that either one of Gen.G or Hanwha Life Esports will finish second. Granted that Gen.G is already qualified for EWC as the title defender, meaning that DK or T1 could qualify through the LCK should Gen.G win the upper match.
As for this matchup, the fate of the series will squarely depend on T1’s form. Around their peak, they can’t lose to DK. Naturally though, T1 rarely is around their peak.
DK was one of the teams who benefitted from the best Korean rosters falling off at the start of the split. Now that the top four is back into place, they lag far behind. DK’s main asset here is Heo “ShowMaker” Su, but that’s up against five T1 members who can each carry the game on their shoulders.
This is DK’s strongest chance to qualify for the Esports World Cup. Image source: Riot Games
| Market | Odds |
|---|---|
| Dplus KIA to win | 2.89 |
| T1 to win | 1.38 |
| Over 4.5 maps | 2.53 |
| Under 4.5 maps | 1.48 |
LoL betting odds via GG.BET, 1am CET May 23, 2026
When those two teams met two weeks ago, T1 won 2-0, and there’s no reason to expect this match to go any other way. Even though a Bo5 means that T1 has higher odds of trying to pick the champs they perform poorly on, they should still beat DK.
Featured Image Source: Riot Games
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