In this esports betting preview for the 2020 League of Legends World Championship, we will turn our attention to the opening three Group C fixtures, scheduled for Saturday.
While most other groups at the tournament already produced clear favorites to advance into the playoffs, Group C – which was billed as the "group of life" – features three teams in Fnatic, Gen.G, and LGD Gaming who are entering the final round of the competition tied for first place with 2-1 record.
As we look towards the next and final round, the question remains: Which two teams will lock in the ticket for playoffs, and can Team SoloMid bounce back from their 0-3 record?
Fnatic vs. Team SoloMid
Fnatic are renowned for delivering when it matters. While many people doubted their strength heading to Shanghai, China, the European second seed silenced all the doubters last Tuesday when they humiliated Gen.G.
Team SoloMid, on the other side, continue to struggle with their performances, and while they hardly can be regarded as the weakest team at Worlds, they’re definitely looking like the weakest team in Group C.
Since 2020, LoL Worlds produced more than a few upsets, so it’s fair to question whether we are in for another shock result here. That, however, seems highly unlikely largely due to one key characteristic of Fnatic.
Unlike their regional rivals (G2 Esports), Fnatic are far less volatile with their performance. That might earn Fnatic fewer upset wins, but it helps them to consistently punish weaker sides that are not as decisive when making calls on the map, which is exactly what TSM lack.
We don’t expect any surprise results here. Fnatic looked extremely solid in their win over Gen.G, and if they can show even half of what they did last Tuesday, Fnatic should come away with a convincing W.
MyBookie Free Prediction:
Fnatic -5.5 kills | Bet on the Team Now!
LGD Gaming vs. Gen.G
The betting odds suggest Gen.G should win this match, and usually, we would have to agree with that. Having said that, Gen.G’s star ADC Park "Ruler" Jae-hyuk has reportedly caught an ear infection right before Gen.G’s game against Fnatic, which, as we have seen, affected his performance negatively.
Despite LGD Gaming’s uninspiring performances in the Play-In stage, the Chinese squad looked much better on the main stage. Their only loss so far came against Gen.G; however, even that bout was very tight, so it’s fair to assume we are in for another close affair.
If both teams play at their peak, it’s fair to say Gen.G are much stronger both individually and as a unit, but the Koreans have yet to hit their ceiling this tournament. With Ruler’s health concerns, it’s hard to imagine they will.
LGD is looking better with each passing game, and while they are still a slight underdog here, the betting odds offered on them are far too high.
MyBookie Free Prediction:
LGD Gaming to win | Bet on the Team Now!
Team SoloMid vs. Gen.G
It’s hard to say what kind of form will Gen.G show in the final round of the group stage since they still need to play LGD Gaming straight before this match. This also raises some concerns about a possibility Gen.G will be slightly fatigued and not as efficient when facing TSM.
To say TSM will manage an upset win here seems a bit too optimistic. While they have the individual pieces to do so, their performances as a unit left a lot to be desired. Additionally, TSM’s drafts are outright bad and usually play a pivotal role in their inevitable losses.
In their first meeting, TSM managed to keep Gen.G relatively close in kills (6-9) but were heavily outclassed in macro play, which eventually earned Gen.G a convincing win. Since Gen.G’s macro play is far superior to that of TSM, we can safely expect another win for the Koreans.
But since LCK teams are renowned for a more slow-paced and controlled playstyle, it makes sense to bet on the NA squad to keep this match within eight kills.
MyBookie Free Prediction:
Team SoloMid +8.5 kills | Bet on the Team Now!
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