CLG vs Evil Geniuses

Let's get one thing straight: this game is nigh impossible to predict. There's just no other way to put it. On paper, Evil Geniuses are better in every which way and should, by all means, be able to get the "W" and further separate themselves from the rest of the pack standings-wise. In actuality, though, there are no favorites in the LCS these days. Top-tier teams have been dropping games left, right, and center, and the bottom-dwellers (of which there are many) have been trading blows with the upper echelon of North America like their lives depend on it.

Immortals have improved quite a bit, and the same goes for the Golden Guardians who've managed to get a couple of very solid wins on the board. Neither of the two will be upsetting the LCS status quo any time soon, but they're definitely making things a lot more interesting than anyone could've expected.

By the same token, Counter Logic Gaming have been... truly counter logic. After getting beaten to a pulp game after game, they came out swinging yesterday and outclassed 100 Thieves without giving them a single kill. Let that one sink in. What a truly perplexing twist, one that is wholly worrying for the LCS cream of the crop. There's no consistency whatsoever, and it might be time to sound the alarms — teams have been playing together for months, so it stands to reason that they should have some semblance of cohesion at this point. Unfortuantely, that doesn't seem to be the case for whatever reason.

Evil Geniuses are favored in this one and it's easy to understand why. They're arguably better in every way, shape, and form, although that heavily depends on how well they prepare and, perhaps above all, how well they can execute in the moment. Whenever they go for their tried-and-true split-push team comps, they tend to do a lot better — doubly so if Jiizuke is given enough agency and a pick on which he can truly shine on. Still, their lows have been downright dreadful, and it's impossible not to be a bit worried whether they'll slip-up against CLG in much the same fashion as 100 Thieves yesterday.

If you're looking for a safe bet, a match-up that is easy to predict, then you'd best look elsewhere. No one can predict whether they'll get out the gates swinging, or if they'll implode in their well-known, patented ways. By the same token, no one could've foreseen the fervor with which CLG fought yesterday, so it's fair to expect a supremely competitive, skirmish-heavy game that'll be determined by the slimmest of margins.