Rift Rivals 2019 NA vs EU is right around the corner! This LoL esports tournament kick-starts on June 27 and sets the stage for the battle between the best teams from Europe and North America. Both regions will fight for fame, glory, and bragging rights that come with beating their long-standing rivals, making for a great environment for League of Legends gambling. With that in mind, here are 3 Rift Rivals betting tips to make the most out of this event!

1. Map Out the Terrain

No general would start his campaign without mapping out the battlefield. Gambling is no different. So if you want to engage in Rift Rivals betting, you need to get familiar with the participating teams and tournament format. For starters, this competition features the top-3 Spring Split teams from the LCS (TSM, Cloud9, and Team Liquid) and LEC (Fnatic, Origen, G2 Esports). Each and every single one of these lineups is a household name in the LoL esports scene, so this might very well be the most stacked Rift Rivals to date.

June 27 and June 28 will be devoted to showmatches, group stage games, and a mini 2v2 tournament. Now, showmatches and the 2v2 tournament are side-events, so even if some bookmakers release the markets for them, it will be nigh impossible to predict their outcome. With that in mind, it’s much better to focus on group stage games. The Rift Rivals group stage follows a single round robin format, meaning that every European team will play one game against every North American team, so you can expect 9 exciting best-of-one matches at the start of the tournament.

However, the group stage is merely an appetizer for the relay race finals on June 29. This is a collective best-of-five between Europe and North America, and each of the participating teams has to play at least once over the course of the series. On top of that, the region with the best group stage record can pick the team order for the first three games of the finals, making for a much higher chance of securing a favorable matchup.

2. Know Your Regions

Rift Rivals betting is all about finding the stronger region. It might seem like a no-brainer to claim that Europe is better than North America—after all, a European team, G2 Esports, did win the 2019 Mid-Season Invitational—but we’d advise you against arriving at hasty conclusions. Sure, G2 Esports will likely be the best team at the tournament, but the same can’t be said about Fnatic and Origen.

Fnatic are still in the process of learning to play through their solo laners and working out the kinks in their macro game, and while Origen are a strong team in their own right, their measured playstyle mirrors that of the best North American lineups. Combine that with the fact that G2 can only play a total of two games of the relay race finals, and Europe isn’t the overwhelming favorite that it seems to be.

In a similar fashion, don’t be quick to dismiss North America. Team Liquid might’ve lost 3-0 to G2 Esports in the 2019 MSI finals, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a credible expert that doesn’t think they underperformed. Remember, this is the same team that took down Invictus Gaming in a best-of-five series, and considering TL will have the home turf advantage, they might very well pull the rug from under their enemies’ feet.

TSM and Cloud9 are no pushovers either. The former have some of the strongest solo laners in North America as well as the aggressive mindset to push this edge to the absolute limit. Meanwhile, the latter have exceptional synergy and a plethora of playstyles at their disposal. Now, that doesn’t mean they will automatically win against their European counterparts, but when you take into account that most bookies tend to provide high odds on LCS teams at international tournaments, Rift Rivals betting on North America isn’t as crazy as it sounds. In fact, consider putting your money on NA lineups on the first day of the group stage whenever they’re facing anyone other than G2 Esports.

3. Follow Expert and Public Opinions

In the end, Rift Rivals is a race against the clock. A lot can happen over the span of a short 3-day event, and there’s simply not enough time to gather meaningful data and find accurate statistics—at least not on your own.

Fortunately, you can always lean on other people! The LoL esports scene is filled with knowledgeable experts and analysts that will help you navigate the Rift Rivals waters. Personalities like Azael, MarkZ, Vedius, and LS built their entire brands on breaking down League of Legends matches, so their takes will certainly come in handy when studying the playing field.

Experts aren’t the only ones you should follow. Public opinion can also bring a lot of value to the table, and you can always visit the official League of Legends subreddit to learn the community’s thoughts on particular teams, players, and matchups.

Last but not least, keep track of statistics. A platform like Oracle’s Elixir can be a godsend if you want to find out player KDAs, kill participation percentages, or CS differences at the 10-minute mark. And while numbers aren’t everything, they can provide a solid basis for your predictions.

Verdict on Rift Rivals Betting

Rift Rivals betting is a game of chance. Gambling on international tournaments can be unpredictable, especially when you’re dealing with such a volatile event. With that, you should always aim to add more structure to the betting process. And it’s your ability to analyze data and draw logical conclusions that will ultimately determine the success or failure of your gambling strategy.