For the first time since 2011, we will have a Western team in the World Championship Finals as either Fnatic or Cloud9 will make it through to take on either G2 or Invictus Gaming. Fnatic have been here before, winning the first World Championship back in 2011 (although with none of their current roster), while this is Cloud9’s first appearance in the semifinals.
Fnatic were moderate favorites to get here. They were the lone favorite that pulled through last weekend, beating Edward Gaming 3-1 to earn their place in the semifinals. However, it wasn’t easy. Fnatic were wiped in Game 1 by EDG, and they were incredibly fortunate to win Game 3.
Cloud9 were much more convincing with their win over the Afreeca Freecs. C9 won the first two games in under 30 minutes and outlasted Afreeca in a bloody Game 3 to earn the series sweep and punch their ticket to the semifinals.
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2018 League of Legends World Championships Semifinals Betting Odds
Fnatic -229
Cloud9 +184
Let’s break this one down tale of the tape style by looking at all of the individual match-ups
Top Lane
Licorice is probably the best top laner in North America at the moment. He has been fantastic as a rookie, and you can make the case that he is the most valuable person on the team. He has largely played tanks at Worlds, but he has also surprised us with picks like Singed, Poppy, and Hecarim, picking up wins on all three champions.
Fnatic have alternated Bwipo and Soaz in the top lane this year. Both players have mostly played tanks, but Fnatic did some interesting things earlier in the summer by playing them both at the same time and subbing out Rekkles. That is very unlikely to happen at this stage, but it’s something to keep in mind. Bwipo has gotten the last seven starts, so he is likely to be the one matched against Licorice.
Edge: Cloud9
Jungle
Broxah is the best jungler that Europe has to offer. He might be better at stealing Baron than anyone else in the world, and he has turned things around for Fnatic numerous times this season. He played tank champions more often than not in Europe, but he has selected nothing but early game pressure champions at Worlds and has gotten his team out to leads.
The jungle position has been the weak point for Cloud9 throughout the year. They have alternated playing veteran Svenskeren with Blaber over the last few months, but neither one has been particularly great. Svenskeren has looked better at Worlds, and he has gotten the lion’s share of the starts, yet Cloud9 will be at a disadvantage here.
Edge: Fnatic
Mid Lane
This will be one of the battles that everyone keeps an eye on. Caps has staked his claim as the best mid laner in the West with his play all season long, but he looked dreadful at times against Edward Gaming last week. He had just one good game during the series, and he was simply outplayed by Scout for long stretches. Caps is still probably the best mid laner in the West, and he is going to be given another chance to prove it against Jensen.
Jensen is cut from the same cloth as Caps. Both players are mid laners known for aggressive solo plays where they try to style on opponents, but both players have also become more utility-based this season too. At Worlds, Reapered has unleashed Jensen to great effect though, as he has played a power champion in his last seven games. His play on Zilean has been superb throughout the year, and the champion must be kept out of his hands.
Edge: Even
Bottom Lane
The battle in the bottom lane will be absolutely fascinating to watch. Rekkles and Sneaky have been two of the best AD Carries in the West for some time, and they have looked deadly at times this season. However, both players have just a few picks they are very comfortable on in this meta, so using target bans might work. I think the advantage here has to go to Rekkles though.
At support, I give the edge to Zeyzal over Hylissang. Zeyzal’s flanks and initiations have been on point all throughout Worlds, and he has been incredible to watch. He posted at least 10 assists in each of Cloud9’s three wins over Afreeca Freecs per Games of Legends, and he has been more reliable than Hylissang.
Edge: Even
Prediction
Fnatic has the more talented players, but the skill gap between the two sides isn’t that big. That’s why I’m going with Cloud9 due to their drafting and team compositions. Reapered has put this team in great spots continuously during this run, playing to C9’s strengths and his opponent’s weaknesses. I think he’ll have a few tricks up his sleeve to get C9 to their first final ever.
At BookMaker Sportsbook, our team of writers breaks down every betting matchup on the wagering board. eSports are exploding in popularity and we at BookMaker have you covered for all of your betting needs.
From League of Legends to CS:GO, BookMaker has all of the eSports betting lines you can hope for. Open an account and get in on the action today!
