It’s Cloud9’s world, and everyone else is just living in it. After finishing the regular season 17-1, Cloud9 steamrolled 100 Thieves in the first round of the playoffs 3-0. C9 were barely tested in that series with an average game time of just over 27 minutes, and they are massive favorites per the League of Legends betting odds this weekend against Evil Geniuses. The winner of that series will automatically advance to the Spring Split Finals, while the loser will drop to the lower bracket where they will face either Team SoloMid or FlyQuest for the right to reach the finals.
April 11
Evil Geniuses +678
Cloud9 -1261
All five members of Cloud9 were named First Team All-Pros this split, and it’s hard to argue with any selection since this team won seven more games than any other team in North America. Top laner Licorice was the most questioned pick of the bunch, but his dominant performance against Ssumday last week erased any doubt that he was the best at his position in the region.
Licorice has a major advantage over Evil Geniuses’ top laner Kumo. Kumo posted the best KDA (7.0) on EG in their first-round series against FlyQuest, but he had a team-low 2.4 KDA in the regular season per Games of Legends. His success in the postseason was largely due to FlyQuest allowing him to select power picks like Ornn and Sett, and Cloud9 won’t allow him to have two of the most powerful champions in the game for free.
Evil Geniuses’ jungler Svenskeren was a huge difference maker last weekend. His play on Gragas and Pantheon was superb, and that helped his laners with ganks and also gave EG an edge in teamfights. He will need to be sharp again this weekend for the Geniuses to pull off the upset.
The bottom lane will be the matchup to watch in this series. Bang and Zeyzal have been the playmakers for Evil Geniuses throughout the season, but they have a tough challenge in facing Zven and Vulcan. Zven just put together one of the best seasons we’ve ever seen from a bottom laner in North America, and he has excellent synergy with Vulcan.
Cloud9 smashed EG in the two previous meetings between these teams during the regular season, so I expect them to win this series 3-0 or 3-1.
April 12
Team SoloMid Check Back Later
FlyQuest Check Back Later
There have yet to be League of Legends betting odds released for this series, but TSM will be the favorites despite finishing with a worse record. TSM are the most popular team in North America, and their fans will flock to bet them.
However, this storied team has underachieved mightily this split. TSM finished the regular season 9-9, and they were pushed to the brink by 100 Thieves on Wednesday. If not for some heroic performances by mid laner Bjergsen, they would have probably lost that series, but the long-time veteran carried them over the finish line.
FlyQuest have a mid laner that can match Bjergsen in PowerOfEvil. POE was brilliant against Golden Guardians on Tuesday, and his mastery of assassin champions like LeBlanc and Kassadin must be accounted for at all times.
The bottom lane matchup will be an interesting one as former TSM AD Carry WildTurtle looks to upend his former team. He has had a decent split, but he has a history of coming up short in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, it’s anyone’s guess as to what to expect in the top lane. Broken Blade has been very inconsistent, while FlyQuest are juggling V1per and Solo.
If FlyQuest are +300 or more, they are the play, but if TSM are -200 or less, it’s smart to take them at this price. If the odds are somewhere in between, pass on this series.
At BookMaker Sportsbook, our team of writers breaks down every betting matchup on the wagering board. Esports are exploding in popularity and BookMaker has you covered for all of your betting needs. From League of Legends to CS:GO, BookMaker has all the Esports betting lines you can hope for. Open an account and get in on the action today!
