Betting-Previews.com brings you betting tips and predictions for the final day of the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) 2021 Summer regular season. Here are our picks for five games, played on Sunday, July 31.
LCS Summer Week 9 – Day 3
When: Sunday, August 1 – 13:00 – 17:00 PDT
Number of Games: 5
The final day of LCS 2021 Summer regular season is here and we still don’t know which team will fill in the eighth and final spot for the playoffs. FlyQuest lead Golden Guardians by one win, meaning a win for the today would secure them a seat in the playoffs, whereas a loss could see the two sides play a tiebreaker.
On the other end of the league table, TSM and 100T secured their spot in the second round of the 2021 LCS Championship, while Cloud9, Evil Geniuses, and Team Liquid still battle for a top-four finish, all tied at 27-17. Immortals shockingly lost against FlyQuest yesterday and are thus guaranteed to finish the season outside of the top-six, effectively fiving Dignitas a free pass into the upper bracket.
Teams’ motivation to deliver will play a big role for the final day of action, especially in games between sides that need a win and those who have already sealed their fate. That doesn’t mean some squads will underperform knowing that their seeding is finalised; however, it usually inspires better showings from teams that still have something to fight for.
Today’s previews will be slightly shorter, and there are no bets I will be taking. That said, there are a few positions worth considering, which I have mentioned below.
Dignitas vs TSM
Sunday, August 1 – 13:00 PDT
Dignitas and TSM enter this match not caring how it will end. They have both already locked in their spot in the playoffs and only need to play out this game as a formality.
That makes this match hard to predict. TSM should obviously win more times than not, but they’re also a team that can lose to anyone – especially when they don’t need to try.
While an exciting narrative to follow, I wouldn’t bet on a team solely because I expect their opponents will not try to perform well. There is a strong chance that this game turns into a clown fiesta, and I don’t want to get involved in it.
That said, TSM are not exactly the type of team that would clown around – like G2 Esports would – so they are likely to take this game seriously and deliver just to keep their wheels spinning for the playoffs.
Immortals vs Golden Guardians
Sunday, August 1 – 14:00 PDT
It’s a do-or-die situation for Golden Guardians, who need to win this match and hope that FlyQuest slip against Counter Logic Gaming. On the other side, Immortals don’t care whether they win or lose since they’re already guaranteed a lower-bracket seed.
Obviously, Golden Guardians will be far more motivated to deliver here, but Immortals themselves need to bounce back after losing two in a row – no teams want to enter the playoffs on a three-game losing streak.
I expect a close game that can go both ways. You could back Golden Guardians here and feel good about it, but I just don’t see how GG are a better team than Immortals – disregarding the motivation factor. If you’re looking to bet on this match, GG to claim the first Herald is the best one to take due to their style of play and IMT’s poor herald Control (37.5%).
Team Liquid vs Cloud9
Sunday, August 1 – 15:00 PDT
This is a crucial match for both teams, as they battle for a top-three finish in the league. The team that finishes third in the league will face off against Dignitas in the playoffs, while the fourth- and fifth-played teams play each other.
Team Liquid have had some weird games of late, but they are improving, and you have to show some respect to the quality of players they have. Even when teams like Liquid struggle, you have to have a good price on offer to fade them, simply due to their high ceiling.
Like Liquid, C9 have been improving, but it remains to be seen whether they’ve improved enough to take on Liquid, who are now back with their old roster. On a more positive note, C9 have Luka “Perkz” Perković, who usually “pops off” in must-win situations.
I expect a highly competitive match, and while I’m leaning more towards Liquid, the price isn’t right for me to take this bet.
100 Thieves vs Evil Geniuses
Sunday, August 1 – 16:00 PDT
100 Thieves have already locked in a top-two finish, and since they can’t overtake TSM regardless of whether they win or lose tonight, they have decided to play out this game with their academy roster.
Reading this would make you bet on Evil Geniuses in a heartbeat, but I would be careful not to undervalue 100T’s academy team. 100 Thieves’ secondary team is actually very good, and I would argue that all of those players deserve a spot in the LCS.
What’s more, Evil Geniuses have no film on 100T academy team, which will make it extremely difficult for them to come up with a plan against a roster that will be hungry to prove themselves.
EG are 4-1 up in the head-to-head with Cloud9, but 2-3 down against Team Liquid. If Cloud9 defeat Liquid and EG win against 100T, they will end the season in third, which is a goal they must achieve. If EG end up third, they will face off against Dignitas in the first round of the 2021 LCS Championship and then meet with 100T in the second round.
Obviously, Evil Geniuses will be motivated to win, but I would much rather stay away from this game due to the situation with the roster swaps. If I had to pick a side, I would go for 100T at 2.40 (Pinnacle).
FlyQuest vs Counter Logic Gaming
Sunday, August 1 – 17:00 PDT
This is the final game of the LCS 2021 Summer regular season. If Golden Guardians win their bout, FlyQuest will need to defeat Counter Logic Gaming, who are essentially here only to play spoiler.
FlyQuest are in a “must-win” position, which would suggest that they will step up; however, this team is comprised of young players who might crumble under the pressure of needing to deliver. Whether they will deliver or not is up to debate; however, at 2.08 (Pinnacle), I wouldn’t recommend a bet on CLG purely off the speculation that FlyQuest might choke.
The problem with predicting how this game will go is that we don’t know how Golden Guardians’ fixture will end. I wouldn’t bet on this match now, but I might take a position after seeing how GG goes against Immortals. If Golden Guardians end up losing, I would consider a position over 25.5 kills.
Betting Odds are correct as of Sunday, August 1 at 19:20 CEST
