As I look at this match, there is only one thing that can realistically happen and that is a complete stomp by the side of Cloud9. Both EG and C9 have dropped from the upper bracket LCS playoffs, interestingly enough after losing to the same opponent (FlyQuest). While Evil Geniuses played a much closer series with FlyQuest (2-3) compared to C9 (1-3), that result alone does not tell us a lot about the team’s strengths.
C9 have been slumping a bit as of late, but that does not take away from the fact that this is a well-rounded team that has shown before what they’re capable of when they find their rhythm.
Given that C9 are not playing at their peak as of now, there is a chance we could see them hit their ceiling this game, whereas, the story with EG is completely different. This team has already hit their ceiling and it did not look too good. There are arguments to be made EG can look better if only Huni can be more consistent, however, he was nowhere near consistent this split, so I would not count on any special resurgence in form from EG.
C9 are overall much more consistent and a better team than EG, who can have their flashes of greatness, but their occasional solid performance won’t help them in a Bo5 series, where you need to show a bit more. C9 are priced as the underdogs and I have no problem with that, however, I still feel like the odds are a bit too high as it does not take into account just how dominant C9 can be and how volatile EG are.
Prediction: Cloud9 -2.5 maps – 2.78 at Pinnacle
