Rogue vs Misfits
Misfits looked very solid against Fnatic and to be fair they should have won, but Rekkles had other plans and with his Baron steal turned a game completely around. Nevertheless, I was impressed with Misfits’ performance in game one and I can’t praise Kobbe enough. Although he is still not at the level he was before he left for LCS, he played exceptionally well and as long as Misfits can play around him, this team will be able to achieve great things.
Rogue on the other side showcased a lot of quality against Excel, where despite being outdrafted they delivered and won a clean game. Having said that, Excel did not perform as well as we had expected. Excel usually have a very solid plan, which is expected as they have one of the best coaches in the league, but the execution… well that’s not optimal, as they seemingly still lack the needed quality.
Rogue’s first real test will come against Misfits, who will test them and their ability to stop Kobbe. Although Hans Sama played well, it’s not hard to look good against Excel. Additionally, he is also prone to having iffy games, which something to keep in mind as we head into this match. Nevertheless, Rogue looked very solid in their game and while Misfits had an exceptional game, having Rogue priced as such underdogs makes no sense. Rogue have very strong side lanes and considering this team is capable of playing very smart and organized, they will likely force a late game and come out ahead.
Prediction: Rogue to win – 2.00 Pinnacle
MAD Lions vs Excel
MAD Lions lost their game against G2 in what was a very one-sided affair, but how much criticism do they deserve for losing against the undisputed champions of LEC? In my book not much. This is still a very strong team, but it’s very easy to look weak against one of the best teams in the world. As for Excel, they have shown they lack quality. Their gameplan and the idea which they have entering the game is very solid, but the execution is just not there.
Until we see more from Excel’s rookies, this team will struggle and they are likely to suffer another quick defeat at the hands of MAD Lions who will be hungry to bite off their first W of the split.
Prediction: MAD Lions -6.5 – 2.00 Pinnacle
Vitality vs Fnatic
Vitality played a very solid game against Schalke, however, that win does not tell us a lot since Vitality not only outdrafted their opponents, but also played against a team that played very poorly. Fnatic have shown why they are regarded as one of the best European teams and while their win was somewhat lucky and arguably undeserved, they’re still far above Vitality in all aspects of the game.
As mentioned, the current meta is all about the bottom lane and if you have Rekkles facing Comp, the winner is very obvious. I am a bit concerned about Hylissang’s poor performance against Misfits, but even if he underperforms again, Fnatic are just way too good for Vitality.
Prediction: Fnatic -7.5 – 1.81 Pinnacle – Best Bet
G2 Esports vs Origen
G2 Esports started their Summer campaign with a bang. Their win over MAD Lions was just a joy to watch and if that game was any indication, G2 won’t have any issues winning the LEC Spring title. Having said that, talking about a title so early and after just one game is not really smart neither does it help with anything. Nevertheless, G2 Looked exceptionally good and with Caps back in the mid lane and Perkz at the bot, this team looks stronger than ever.
Origen will enter this match after a humiliating defeat against SK Gaming, albeit we can give them some slack as they were outdrafted. Nevertheless, losing to SK with a roster like Origen has is not only worrying but also a massive blow to their morale. Picking up a win against G2 would help them address the morale issue, but is this team really ready to take on G2 this early? There were many problems with Origen’s performance in their game one and while one game alone does not tell us a lot about how Origen will perform as the season progresses, they are nowhere near at the level needed to face G2.
Prediction: G2 Esports -6.5 kills – 1.91 Pinnacle
