2026 LCS Lock-In outrights betting: Best odds, top picks
After Riot’s experiment with the LTA faced severe backlash from its fans, the LCS is back this with its 2026 Lock-In event and a lineup of the best pro League of Legends teams in North America, and our outrights betting preview will bring bettors the best odds and picks for the event.
While some teams performed much better than others last year, this year is a chance for every team to make its mark anew, and everything starts with the 2026 LCS Lock-In split. With a spot in the 2026 First Stand tournament on the line, the eight competing teams will want to give it their all to start the new year strong. It’s safe to say that most eyes are on FlyQuest and Sentinels, but for very different reasons.
Event | 2026 LCS Lock-In |
|---|---|
| Start date | January 24, 2025 |
| End date | March 2025 |
| Teams | 8 |
| Venue | Riot Games Arena, Los Angeles |
2026 LCS Lock-In outright odds
Even though Cloud9 wasn’t able to qualify for the 2025 League of Legends World Championship, the team is still a strong 2026 LCS Lock-In outrights betting favorite by the odds. After the addition of the former Team Liquid mid-laner APA, the team’s most recent performance in the 2025 Kespa Cup was certainly impressive. Cloud9 won against teams such as Gen.G and Freecs, and gave the likes of Hanwha Life Esports and NS Redforce a legitimate run for their money.
Keeping this same energy in the 2026 LCS Lock-In should give C9 a good chance to dominate the other domestic teams in North America.
Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Cloud9 | 4 |
| LYON | 4.5 |
| Shopify Rebellion | 5 |
| Team Liquid | 6 |
| FlyQuest | 7 |
| Sentinels | 12 |
| Dignitas | 17 |
| Disguised | 26 |
LoL betting odds via GG.Bet as of January 11, 2026, @ 5:10 PM.
C9 player Blaber – Image credit: Cloud9
LYON is another strong betting favorite for this first LCS split of 2026. The team didn’t qualify for any of the international tournaments it was eligible for last year, but it revamped much of its roster near the end of the year and is looking stronger now than ever before.
Players such as Berserker, Inspired, and Isles bring much-needed potential to the team, especially with most of the previous weak links not being part of the active roster anymore. Inspired was considered the best player in the LCS last year and possibly the best jungler among all Western teams, and his impact on LYON could be huge.
Best team to bet on at LCS 2026 Lock-In
While it isn’t a betting favorite by the outright odds, Sentinels has a real possibility of causing a major upset in the LCS 2026 Lock-In split, especially with the greater return potential offered by its lesser odds.
This will be the first split the newly-created Sentinels team participates in. While this would usually cause experience problems, the team’s roster mostly consists of proven veterans who have real experience playing on the professional stage.
With the current state of North American teams being as uncertain as it is, there’s a real chance that a new team like Sentinels could swoop in and shock its opponents during the year’s first LCS split. In particular, the team’s jungler HamBak is one of the most promising young pros in the region, and that may be exactly what Sentinels needs to win.
LYON and Cloud9 are the clear favorites here, but Sentinels offers longer outright odds for the LCS 2026 Lock-In, making it an interesting team to side with if it’s able to utilize its veteran-filled roster to unlock its rookies’ potential.
Our LCS 2026 Lock-In betting pick: Sentinels to win via GG.BET.
LCS 2026 Lock-In schedule
The LCS 2026 Lock-In split will start on January 24 with the Swiss Stage, where teams will compete in best-of-three matches. Teams with three wins will get the chance to choose their opponents among the middle-ranked teams, while the bottom three will be eliminated.
Swiss Stage
The Swiss Stage will consist of three rounds. The stage will end with a final last-chance tie-breaker to determine which teams move to the playoffs.
Round 1 (January 24-25)
- Cloud9 vs Team Liquid – January 24 @ 4 PM ET
- Sentinels vs Disguised – January 24 @ 7 PM ET
- FlyQuest vs Shopify Rebellion – January 25 @ 4 PM ET
- LYON vs Dignitas – January 25 @ 7 PM ET
Round 2 (January 31-February 1)
- Cloud9 (1.63) vs LYON (2.21) – January 31 @ 4 PM ET
- Sentinels (1.71) vs Dignitas (2.08) – January 31 @ 7 PM ET
- FlyQuest (1.3) vs DSG (3.36) – February 1 @ 4 PM ET
- Shopify Rebellion (1.73) vs Team Liquid (2.05) – February 1 @ 7 PM ET
Odds via GG.BET as of January 29, 2026, @ 9:12 PM.
Feature image credits: LYON
Hannan Mundia is a lifelong gamer. Don’t believe us? Just ask him. But don’t ask how many hours he’s spent playing. He’s been gaming since the age of three, and much of his live revolves around video games and the video game industry. Whether it’s a classic Legend of Zelda game from Nintendo, the newest Bethesda RPG, or something else entirely, you can bet that Hannan is ready and willing to play it.
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