Misfits vs MAD Lions

Next up, we have a rather fascinating clash between MAD Lions and Misfits Gaming. Frankly speaking, whenever MAD Lions step foot on stage to compete (regardless if it's in person or in an online-only setting) there's a reason to tune in. They're so incredibly strong and cohesive, it doesn't even make sense given the amount of time they've been playing with each other. Still, they almost always find a way to win and they look darn good in the process as well.

Today, they're up against Misfits Gaming. Gauging Misfits' overall strength and long-term potential is downright impossible, especially in today's LEC climate. There are so many upsets happening and there's very little logic or reason behind it all. Betting, therefore, has become incredibly complicated as there are no true favorites at this point in time. It all boils down to who makes the fewer egregious mistakes early on -- nothing more, nothing less. Teams are separated by the slimmest of margins and sometimes just a single play can end up being the determining factor between victory and defeat. It's not even about individual skill as the current meta favors skirmishing and team comps that excel at team fighting, so if a bottom-tier dweller drafts well and executed early on, they definitely stand a chance of winning as their lead will often be insurmountable. This is why everyone has a chance to reach the playoffs. Their odds vary, of course, but the point still stands.

Misfits Gaming, in particular, have been the quintessential LEC gatekeepers this year, and they've had both incredible games and those they'd love everyone to forget. They go from mind-blowing to abysmal in the span of just a couple of minutes and you never really know which shade of MSF will step foot on stage to compete. That's quite a problem as they need to step up big time and find a bit of consistency if they intend on reaching the playoffs. They need to win all three games in order to reach Top 6 and it's going to be a tall order, to say the least.

Tonight they'll face MAD Lions, and they're the underdogs for a reason. The Lions are not perfect, but even in defeat, it's easy to see what went wrong. This is incredibly important as it allows them to go back to the drawing board and fix their flaws in a couple of days' time. With Rogue dropping a game to Vitality, MAD Lions have a chance to lock in first place here. Again, they're prone to going a bit too far with their drafts and engages, but they've definitely earned our benefit of the doubt. Either way, expect a chaotic, skirmish-heavy affair that's bound to entertain.