Betting on League of Legends Dragons

Dragon is one of the major objectives in LoL. In this article, we will discuss the impact it can have on games and how bettors can bet on Dragons in League of Legends. Read on to find out more.

What is Dragon in League of Legends?

The Dragon, also known as Drake, is a monster that inhabits an alcove (Dragon pit) in the lower half of Summoner's Rift in League of Legends. There are four different Elemental Dragons that can spawn in the Dragon pit: Mountain, Ocean, Infernal and Wind.

A random Elemental Dragon will spawn five minutes into the game with subsequent Dragons appearing five minutes after a Dragon is slain.

Elemental Dragons are a crucial part of professional competition and are a major objective to secure to win a match.

Each Elemental Dragon gives a specific buff to the team that slays it. Mountain Dragon gives Armour and Magic resistance, the Ocean Dragon gives Health Regeneration, the Infernal Dragon gives Attack Damage and Ability Power and the Wind Dragon grants Ultimate Cooldown Reduction.

Six minutes after a team kills their fourth Dragon, the Elder Dragon rather than an Elemental Dragon will spawn in the Dragon pit. The Elder Dragon has additional properties compared to its counterparts, giving players burn damage and the ability to execute enemies below 20% health.

Elemental Dragons and Elemental Rift

Alongside the specific buffs that slaying an Elemental Dragon grants, slaying them will also influence the attributes of Summoner's Rift. Before the third Elemental Dragon spawns in the Dragon pit, Summoner's Rift is given the Elemental attribute of the Dragon that is about to appear.

Cloud Rift: Air currents flow throughout the area around Blue and Red buff jungle granting a speed boost to everyone that passes through it.
Infernal Rift: Areas of the jungle are burnt down to create new paths and fewer brushes for opponents to hide in.
Mountainous Rift: New rock formations are created in the area around Blue and Red buff posing additional obstacles for opponents to consider.
Ocean Rift: Providing growth on Summoner's Rift, additional brushes are created in the jungle and the area around Dragon pit.

Betting on Dragon - Team to Slay First Dragon

Like many of the unique markets that Pinnacle offers, there are a number of factors that can influence whether a team is more or less likely to slay the first Dragon. One of the most important factors to consider is whether a team is starting on the Blue side or Red side of the map.

The team starting on Blue side will have a higher probability of slaying the first Dragon, due to the proximity of the Dragon pit to the bottom lane where the AD Carry and Support on the team typically play. In a best-of-three (Bo3) game of LoL, the higher seeded team will typically have the benefit of selecting the side they wish to start on.

For bettors looking to inform their bets on Dragons, data aggregation site oracleselixir.com tracks the first Dragon rate (FD%), as well as overall Dragon control rate (DRG%) of professional teams around the world. These two data points, alongside the additional metrics available on the website, are invaluable for those looking to make an informed bet.

In the LEC Spring 2020 Regular season, Fnatic had the highest FD% in the LEC, sitting at 67%, while their North American LCS counterpart, Cloud9, topped their league with 83%. Generally, if a team is able to achieve a high Dragon control rate, the likelihood of the team winning the overall match increases.