League Championship Series Week 8 Predictions

In our LCS Week 8 Predictions, we look at the second to last week of the LCS in order to have a better understanding of where teams will be stacking up for playoffs. This week we could see a couple of teams be eliminated from playoffs and others secure their spots.

Saturday, March 16

Optic Gaming vs CLG

Brandon: OpTic. CLG, though only one game behind OPT, are less convincing in their wins. OPT is able to utilize both Dardoch and Meteos, and with Crown’s mid lane expertise they look to be the victors.

Manny: OpTic. Sadly, this feels like a one team affair as CLG have yet to find any sort of consistency. If CLG do show up, I could see this being a much closer matchup but with likelihood of that happening being low, I see an ever-improving Optic taking the victory in this one.

Major: OpTic. OpTic have been playing quite well in the second half of the split. Their roster mania seems to have quieted down, although they continue to make changes. As long as Crown can remain calm in mid, the rest of the team will follow his lead. CLG, on the other hand, have looked largely inconsistent, and OpTic should take advantage of that.

Ibriz: CLG. I’ve been CLG faithful since season 2, and if I made it through last season I can definitely make it through this one, too. OpTic are OK but nothing that CLG can’t beat if they show up on the day.

Clutch Gaming vs Team Liquid

Brandon: Team Liquid. This prediction is a no brainer. TL, with their most recent victory over C9, have solidified themselves as the best team in the league. CG don't have much going for them and will likely be an easy win for the NA super team.

Manny: Team Liquid.  It is clear that Team Liquid is by far the best team in the league and even though some of their games have been on the closer side it feels that they can consistently get it done. Clutch might be part of the Clump but unless they pull off some sort of miracle they should be just another number in the win column for TL.

Major: Team Liquid. Team Liquid is the clear winners here. Clutch Gaming, though, are on the bubble for playoffs, so expect them to fight hard in this one. The battle of the SKT has-beens in the top lane will be the deciding factor: will we see 2017 Huni or 2019 Huni?

Ibriz Team Liquid. I love upsets but this one seems too far-flung unless Piglet gets Irelia, and Cain/Dodo have some of the most intelligent drafts in the league.

Echo Fox vs Cloud9

Brandon: Cloud9. Though they're not in the conversation for first anymore C9 are clearly the second best in the LCS. FOX sit at the bottom of the standings, and with only a few games left, their playoffs hopes are grim.

Manny: Cloud9.  Cloud9 wants to keep their distance to TSM and make sure that they are able to get a playoff bye and for that to happen they need to win the games they have against the weaker teams of the league. Echo Fox have been very uninspiring but Rush will want to take revenge against his former squad.

Major: Cloud9. Cloud9 should have the win in this one. While the odds of them taking first from TL are slim, they should be confident in their achievements thus far. Echo Fox have been struggling in comparison, and C9 will likely have an easy time against them.

Ibriz Cloud9. Echo Fox still have issues in the jungle role, and whilst Panda is… not good, Rush’s academy performances have been uninspiring so far. I hope our kind boy comes back in form, however!

TSM vs Golden Guardians

Brandon: TSM. TSM experienced quite a resurgence this split and are poised to challenge both C9 and TL. GGS has good players, but TSM has better ones and is much more coherent as a squad.

Manny: TSM.  Golden Guardians had the opportunity to take a victory over a diminished TSM side. Since TSM has looked like a possible title contender and will be seeking revenge on the GGS side. Hauntzer versus Broken Blade will be one of the key matchups when it comes to this clash.

Major: TSM. Golden Guardians win for this week isn’t going to come against TSM. They’ve looked good recently, but TSM are still TSM. Despite some shaky performances early, TSM has dispatched every other opponent with relative ease. While GGS aren’t the same team as last year, TSM can secure the win if they remain true to themselves and play smart, clean League of Legends.

Ibriz GGS. Froggen and co. can take down the returning giants, I’m sure of it – and TSM have looked inconsistent at times. Utilization of Hauntzer’s return to form can result in an abuse of Brokenblade if Contractz shows up. Ban Sejuani vs Akaadian.

FlyQuest vs 100 Thieves

Brandon: FlyQuest. FLY are looking to take back their third place spot, and that’'ll be easier with a 100T match coming up. 100T disappointed many fans so far this season, and it doesn't look like it'll stop any time soon.

Manny: FlyQuest. With the way the Thieves have looked so far this season, it is hard seeing them beat anyone aside from Echo Fox. FlyQuest did slump in the past few weeks but have looked like they are regaining form and are favored to win this match.

Major: FlyQuest. I desperately want to say 100 Thieves will win, but I doubt anyone else believes that either. Flyquest are sitting squarely in 4th, and this win is as good as theirs against a team that has looked abysmal.

Ibriz FlyQuest. 100 look incredibly inconsistent, whilst Fly have been on an upswing. Santorin completely outclasses Anda, and Pobelter is the premium NA resident mid laner – so Soligo is going to have to bring his A+++ game if he wants to match up versus the 200iq prodigy.

Sunday, March 17

Golden Guardians vs Clutch Gaming

Brandon: Clutch Gaming. This prediction might be a bit bold, but CG's pairs up favorably against GGS's. GGS prefers to play with scaling picks, while CG is fast and bloody. CG can pick up a much-needed win by using their unique flex picks and their early game focus.

Manny: Golden Guardians. This Golden Guardians side is a whole different beast than the one everyone else remembers from last year. Clutch Gaming has left a lot to be desired and I believe that GGS will be able to clean this game up in 33 minutes.

Major: Golden Guardians. The Guardians have been resurging somewhat. They’ve gone 4-4 since week 3, but that’s enough to put them in the top 6. Clutch will be coming off a likely loss to Liquid, and just as likely their playoff hopes will be crushed. The Golden Guardians can take this one for certain, if they bring the type play that has been winning them games.

Ibriz Golden Guardians. I want Clutch to win for tiebreaker purposes, but pouring all of my faith into GGS gives CLG a better shot at sneaking into playoffs – likely over Clutch, Fox, 100, and OpTic.

Cloud9 vs Optic Gaming

Brandon. Cloud9. It's hard to get against C9 at this point, with their World's semifinal roster. OPT has struggled to come together as a team, and with C9’s great mid game shot calling, it's unlikely they can pick up a win here.

Manny: Cloud9. Cloud9 have already the only teams that had a chance at beating them and will be playing against teams that are much lower in the standings. Crown can hope he can pull off an upset in this game, but sadly OpTic don’t seem to have the quality in any of the other roles.

Major: Cloud9. OpTic are looking good, but Cloud9 is looking dominant. Nisqy has slotted right into the mid lane and hasn’t missed a beat. Cloud9 won the day the last time these two teams met, and they should win this time as well. OpTic won’t be worried though: they’ll still be tied with GGS, and should still have a good shot at playoffs going into week 9.

Ibriz Cloud9. I need Optic to lose for CLG’s sakes. Logic accounting, C9 looks a lot better across the board – especially bot lane.

100 Thieves vs Echo Fox

Brandon: 100 Thieves. In the battle between the bottom teams, who knows what will happen. The main deciding factor here is 100T's strong individual talent, which should be enough to triumph over the also struggling FOX.

Manny: 100 Thieves. When you look at the bottom two teams it will usually be unpredictable to know what will really happen. I guess just by looking at the squad I have faith that 100 Thieves can pull off an important win against Echo Fox.

Major: 100 Thieves. I’m only picking 100 Thieves because they surely cannot gift a game to Echo Fox can they? Of course with 100T anything is possible, but the team needs a win, both for their confidence and to not finish tenth. This game is going to be an absolute fiesta, I’m calling it now.

Ibriz 100 Thieves . If FOX play Rush, maybe they can do it. Otherwise, I assume 100Thieves can finally use Bang effectively and calm Aphro’s nerves.

Team Liquid vs FlyQuest

Brandon: Team Liquid. TL is the most dominant team in the region and FLY shouldn't be an obstacle for them. FLY isn't necessarily a weak team but they have quite a harrowing journey if they want to bring down TL.

Manny: Team Liquid. Last time these two teams met we saw an the best two teams take each other on. A lot has changed since then and the one thing that is consistent is that Liquid   still on top the world and the likelihood of that changing is not big especially against a side like FlyQuest

Major: Team Liquid. FlyQuest may be 4th, but Liquid is Liquid. They have the best players in nearly every role, and can use that overwhelming power to win easily. FlyQuest are likely to put up a strong fight, but Liquid is on another level.

Ibriz FlyQuest. Get ‘em, Santorin. On a serious note, Doublelift and CoreJJ should smash bot lane, but Viper’s prowess on carries can probably take advantage of Impact if TL decides to draft Jayce or something similar again.

TSM vs CLG

Brandon: TSM. TSM is finally returning to form, while CLG is still in their rut. CLG has shown some improvement but TSM is definitely the favorite for this matchup, as they can exploit Darshan and outclass their mid and bottom lanes too.

Manny: TSM. TSM is the clear favorite for this game and that can be dangerous when Facing Counter Logic Gaming. Regardless of the possibility that CLg pulls off an upset, it is clear that TSM is the overall better team even if they have shown inconsistencies in the past few weeks. When you are winning, while being inconsistent like TSM has been doing it is clear that when you iron out the finer details you will be able to succeed just as much.

Major: TSM. Counter Logic Gaming’s woes are going to continue, unfortunately. TSM has gotten a lot out of the players they brought in. Broken Blade has been strong from day one, Akaadian looks like a much more confident player, and Smoothie has improved quickly. Maybe TSM is so good because Bjergsen no longer has to carry by himself. Either way, CLG isn’t going to be a problem for them.

Ibriz CLG. Go for it, boys. Darshan outclasses Brokenblade so far this split when the draft permits; if CLG can sort their draft issues they can dismantle TSM. Mid and Support look like the main strengths for both of these teams this split, and I think it will fall towards who secures Galio and/or Tahm Kench.

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