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Esports Betting / League of Legends betting — How to get ahead in 2025 and boss it

League of Legends betting — How to get ahead in 2025 and boss it

Our guide to League of Legends betting

Last Updated on 16/05/2025
Fact checked by: James Leeland

League of Legends is one of the biggest esports in the world. The game was released in 2009 and the MOBA (multiplayer online battle area) has been going strong ever since.

On this page you will find all the betting guides that Strafe has available for the game as well as some helpful LOL betting tips that you can start using straight away to immediately improve your betting. This esport is really worth your while, it is competitive, engaging, and most importantly, great to bet on.

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Five core tips for any LoL punter

1. Understand the meta 

This might sound a bit confusing but understanding the meta details of League of Legends is hugely important to betting on the game. Riot Games, the developers of League of Legends keep tinkering with the game, making changes to the second to second gameplay.

This is their way of keeping the game feeling as fresh as possible. We wouldn’t still be playing the game 12 years later if they didn’t find some way to keep it relevant.

These changes may seem small, but one minute shift in the gameplay may affect a pro player's strategy that they had been working on for months. These shifts in gameplay can cause huge upsets in the competitive scene. Top teams that relied on a strategy that is no longer possible may find themselves on a losing streak, or teams at the bottom of the leader board may see huge improvements in their play.

If you make sure to keep up to date on the changes to the League of Legends meta, you will be able to change your approach on how to bet on League of Legends and make sure you aren’t caught off guard.

2. Stay up to date on the League of Legends competitive scene

It seems obvious, but if you don’t watch any games, how can you understand what you are betting on? You wouldn’t waltz into a bookmaker and place a bet on a football game without at least checking out a few games.

That same can be said for any eSport. If all you have to go one is team names, you will be out of luck and out of cash pretty quickly.  You should be able to check up on the latest results, roster changes, match history, upcoming tournaments and, even more important in 2025, delays. These are very important to understand and should be in every League of Legends betting guide that you read.

It’s as simple as checking out the game on Twitch. At any given moment there will be thousands of gamers streaming League of Legends. Make sure you check out the tournament schedules and watch some pro level games. The skill that goes into competitive eSports is crazy and if you are up to date on the changes in the scene you will have a better chance when it comes to betting on the eSport. Check out the following websites for up-to-date League of Legends competitive information:

  • Lolesports.com
  • Liquipedia.net
  • Gol.gg

3. Team Focus: 

Like many other eSports, different competitive teams will have different tactics and approaches to the game. What different teams focus on and how they work against or with one another is an important facet to understand when preparing to bet on a League of Legends game.

Teams can either focus on the early or the late game.

If a team focuses on the early game, they will draft aggressive champions. These teams want to make plays early in the game, act aggressively and push forward as much as they can as soon as they can. The aim for teams that focus on the early game is to create such a big lead early in the game that it will be impossible to catch up and the other team will be left in the dust.

Teams that focus on the late game will draft defensive champions to survive the early game and not exhaust their resources quickly. If they are successful, they can mount a counterattack in the late stages of the game and overwhelm a resource poor team.

Teams that focus on the late game but still maintain an aggressive edge are almost always the most dangerous and tough opponent. These are some of the ways that League of Legends betting can be explained.

4. Understand the match format: 

It is very important for bettors to understand the format that competitive matches use. The standard formats for most League of Legends games are either Best of 1, Best of 2, Best of 3, or Best of 5. In many circumstances this can lead to a long drawn-out event with teams playing game after game and in many circumstances they can be affected by burnout.

In the EU, they typically use a best of 2 format for the League of Legends European Championship Tournament. However, in the US, they use a best of 3. In all playoff events, they operate using a best of 5 format, this applies to every region.

The safest formats to bet on are the best of 5 and best of three. If given the chance, the best team comes out on top. Smaller formats introduce a lot more randomness into the events and can often cause upsets and affect odds.

If you don’t mind the risk and want to inject some fun into your betting, the most exciting games to bet on are best of 1. A single match that lasts from 15 minutes to an hour, it will have you on the edge of your seat the whole time. Unfortunately, most major tournaments have phased it out.

5. Play Style: 

Perhaps another obvious suggestion, but you should always be aware of your favoured teams play style.

There are currently two major schools of thought when it comes to League of Legends competitive play. Aggressive and LCK.

Aggressive teams are able to start getting into major fights in only a few minutes. This allows them to overwhelm the other team and shoot to victory as quickly as possible. These teams are often very successful and interesting to watch.

Teams that follow the more traditional LCK style of play will focus on the macro gameplay and want to draw out the match for as long as they can. They want to set up plays that will come into effect in the late game. This sort of play needs really amazing teamwork and if they can’t make it work, they will often fold to the aggression of the other team.

If you are betting on a match between two aggressive teams, it will often simply come down to the raw talent of the individual players. If it is aggressive versus LCK you will need to do some work to understand the team's abilities on each lane.

ESports Bookmakers to Try your League of Legends Strategies

There are plenty of betting operators that offer odds on League of Legends and not all of them are created equal. Like it or not, some of them operate in the black or grey markets or simply take advantage of the consumer.

We here at Strafe work hard to make sure you know what you are betting on, and help you find the best sportsbooks for eSports bettors as well as provide you with a League of Legends betting guide.

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When you are looking for the best bookmaker to suit your tastes, you should pay attention to the features that they offer. Which website you choose could depend on the odds that they offer. Every site will offer bets on match winners but if you feel confident enough and want to expand your betting possibilities you might have to search a bit harder.

If you are a new bettor, you should check out websites that make the onboarding process as simple as possible as well as offer the nicest looking and simplest user experience this can be a great way to learn how to bet on League of Legends.

You should look at the size of the welcome bonus or League of Legends promo code, the deposit methods that are available to you, and most importantly, is it available in your country?

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Strategies that DON’T pay when betting on League of Legends

If guides that claim to be League of Legends betting explained begin with these sort of strategies, you should exit the page quickly because they are playing fast and loose with your money. The first and most obvious bad betting strategy is the Martingale System. This might be one of the most dangerous betting strategies out there. It is often called the “loss recovery system” and it entails betting a fixed amount at first and if that initial bet loses, you double your next stake amount.

By doing this, they say that you will recover the losses you made on any previous bets. In principle, this would allow bettors to make small amounts of money over a long period of time. In practice, this will not happen.

For this to work, you will need to have some pretty deep pockets. If you start with an initial bet of $15 and you lost 9 times in a row, by the 10th bet you would have to be placing a bet of $7680. You have to have a big bank account and a small brain to try this system. If this appears as a valid strategy in a League of Legends betting guide, stay away.

Make sure not to bet on emotion or pop culture.

This means that you should avoid being swayed by popular opinion. For many years in the League of Legends scene, it was common knowledge that European and North American teams could never stack up to teams from Asia.

Teams like Cloud9 and Fnatic were stereotyped as the best in their region but not the best globally. This changed in 2018 when the EU and NA teams began to skyrocket to the top of the leader boards. Most people were stunned and those that liked betting on the underdogs came out of that year with a lot of cash.

Don't get emotional

Finally, make sure not to follow your emotions. Many of us that write about, or just watch eSports have a favourite team. But just because they are your favourite, it doesn’t mean that they are the best. You could throw good money after bad by betting on an underdog that you have been following for years in the hope that they pull off the impossible. All that will end up happening is you losing a bunch of money and will not teach you how to bet on League of Legends.

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Pre-match Betting Strategies for League of Legends

League of Legends betting explained includes pre-match betting. There are three main pre match betting options for League of Legends outside of the simple match winner bet.

First Blood:

This is one of the most popular bets available for the game. It works just like it sounds, you place bets on which team you believe will make the first kill of the game. This is a great one to place as it really draws you into the game and it usually resolves itself in the first 10 minutes of the match.

This sets up the rest of the game and is often a good predictor for the overall winner of the watch. The wagering is very straight forward, and it is often a binary A or B choice. You can get a lot more granular on certain sites by selecting individual players. This is a lot harder to do but if you are willing to spend the time with your nose in some stats, it can become a lot easier. Overall, this can be a risky bet but if you make sure to understand the difference between aggressive and LCK play you could make some good bets here.

Match Duration:

Unlike certain eSports that have set time frames, League of Legends games last until a team is defeated. Matches can last from anywhere between 15 minutes to an hour.

Since the game is objective based you can bet on the time it will take for the game to end and one team to complete the objectives.

There are two ways that betting sites handle this sort of bet:

  • Totals: Sites can give you a set time and you bet on whether the match duration is longer or shorter than the given time. This is a simpler bet, another binary choice and one that can be more easily predicted. If they are both LCK teams it is safe to assume that the match will last a long time.
  • Intervals: You can place bets on intervals like 20 to 20 minutes. This is a more risky bet.

First to take Baron:

Another “First” bet. This option gives bettors the chance to bet on the team you believe will kill the first Baron of the match.

Baron Nashor is a very important global objective for League of Legends games. The buff that it gives can make or break a match in the late game. This sort of bet requires a good understanding of each team's Baron strategies and will take a lot more work than simply looking up stats for previous wins.

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Live-betting strategy for League of Legends

Live League of Legends betting explained. Live esports betting (sometimes referred to as in play esports betting) has one main difference compared to regular esports betting: it’s happening live. That means all betting markets are offered between after the start of the match until it ends. You can bet on options like money Line and LOL Handicap betting.

Things to Consider with LOL Live Betting

There are plenty of things bettors must consider in terms of live League of Legends betting:

  •  You will need to narrow your focus and bet only on a small variety of options.
  •  You do not want to spread yourself too thin.

Make sure you have a good knowledge of hero matchups, teams/players record with heroes and any relevant grabs in the pick phase. This information is not available to bettors before the beginning of the game and it cannot affect pre-match betting. You cannot predict everything in a game with a League of Legends betting guide, but you have far more info after the game begins.

Once you have this extra information, it is up to the bettor to determine the best course of action. You should understand the match ups between champions and teams. I would advise you to at least try out the game before betting like this. You will get a good understanding of each champion's strengths and weaknesses.

Lane Match Ups and Swaps

During the game you should be keeping a close eye on the lane matchups or swaps, the impact of early kills/objectives and how swings in gold and experience could change the final result. There are often peaks and valleys in a game of League of Legends. Try to avoid making panic bets early in the game. If a team has good reserves and a well-balanced defensive team, I would advise bettors to wait as long as they can to place a bet. Make sure you can tell how the tide is turning.

You should also be aware of lag. This is important not just for the live feed on the betting site but also the lag of the actual match as it is being streamed. Approach live betting with patience and be aware that the feeds may not update immediately and hold off until you are certain you will get the best odds.

Key takeaways — 5 tips to improve your League of Legends strategy

1.Stay Up to Date

Make sure you stay up to date on the League of Legends competitive scene. It’s as simple as checking out the game on Twitch and reading a few websites on the subject. You should be able to check up on the latest results, roster changes, match history, upcoming tournaments and, even more important in 2025, delays. These stats and game information will help you make more informed decisions about your betting.

2. Choose a bookie that suits you

Make sure you choose the best betting operator for your tastes. Every site will offer bets on match winners but if you feel confident enough and want to expand your betting possibilities you might have to search a bit harder. You should look at the size of the welcome bonus, the deposit methods that are available to you, and most importantly, is it available in your country? At Strafe, we strive to provide you with the best information on esports betting options so you can make a safe and informed decision which will impact how to bet on League of Legends.

3. Keep it simple

Don’t go into League of Legends betting with a thousand different strategies in your head. Make sure that you make your decisions with a level head and some good information. Just because you have a favourite team, doesn’t mean you have to bet on them. Stay away from the Martingale System, you will just be throwing good money after bad and end up getting disillusioned with the whole experience.

4. Don’t just bet on the underdog

Pre match betting requires a lot of information beyond simple odds. Don’t go for the underdog simply because you want a big pay-out as soon as possible. If you take your time and understand the two teams facing each other, you will have a better chance at winning your bets. Take some time before you place your first bet and stick your nose in some stats. If you do it will pay-out in dividends.

5. Betting live pays off

Live betting options provide you with a whole host of information that you did not have before the match began. This is even more important for league of Legends. You should make sure you have a good knowledge of hero matchups, teams/players record with heroes and any relevant grabs in the pick phase. Before gameplay begins you have a wide variety of extra information. Don’t be hasty, make sure that you practice patience and bet only when you believe it is a lock.

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LOL Betting FAQ

🎮How can I get better at LoL Betting?

Stay up to date on the League of Legends competitive scene. It seems obvious, but if you don’t watch any games, how can you understand what you are betting on? You wouldn’t waltz into a bookmaker and place a bet on a football game without at least checking out a few games.

That same can be said for any esport. If all you have to go one is team names, you will be out of luck and out of cash pretty quickly.  You should be able to check up on the latest results, roster changes, match history, upcoming tournaments and, even more important in 2025, delays.

🥇How shouldn't I bet on League of Legends?

Make sure not to bet on emotion or pop culture. This means that you should avoid being swayed by popular opinion. For many years in the League of Legends scene, it was common knowledge that European and North American teams could never stack up to teams from Asia.

Teams like Cloud9 and Fnatic were stereotyped as the best in their region but not the best globally. This changed in 2018 when the EU and NA teams began to skyrocket to the top of the leader boards. Most people were stunned and those that liked betting on the underdogs came out of that year with a lot of cash.

Stay away from the Martingale system. This might be one of the most dangerous betting strategies out there. It is often called the “loss recovery system”.

✅What bets can you place on League of Legends?

There are three main betting options for League of Legends outside of the simple match winner bet.

First Blood: This is one of the most popular bets available for the game. It works just like it sounds, you place bets on which team you believe will make the first kill of the game.

Match Duration: Unlike certain esports that have set time frames, League of Legends games last until a team is defeated. Matches can last from anywhere between 15 minutes to an hour. Since the game is objective based you can bet on the time it will take for the game to end and one team to complete the objectives.

First to take Baron: Another “First” bet. This option gives bettors the chance to bet on the team you believe will kill the first Baron of the match.

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