League of Legends LCS Week 7, Day 2 predictions

OpTic (7-6) vs. TSM (8-5)

Even though they are higher in the standings, I’d venture to say that this game is more of a “must-win” for TSM than OpTic. With the two teams directly above them playing, a win over OpTic would assure their position in third – or potentially second. However, a loss would mean that TSM would be completely out of the race for a first-round bye or a game behind both C9 and CLG.

OpTic is riding high after beating Echo Fox in a sub-24-minute beatdown on Saturday, whereas TSM needed a throw from Golden Guardians to win their game, so from a momentum perspective OpTic should actually be favored. A big tilting point in the game could be the top lane because Broken Blade has struggled recently whereas Dhokla looked good on Saturday. But if Broken Blade can use his aggressiveness to prey on the normally weak Dhokla, TSM may shift the odds in their favor.

Prediction: OpTic

Clutch Gaming (5-8) vs. 100 Thieves (5-8)

For both teams, their playoff hopes hang in the balance. After both teams suffered losses on Saturday, taking a 0-2 with only two weeks remaining in the LCS season would all but end that team’s playoff aspirations. The winner, though, would likely enter a tie with Golden Guardians (assuming they don’t pull the miraculous upset) for that last playoff spot.

Each team should be looking to play off their team’s strongest point on the map. For 100 Thieves, that’s obviously been Bang and Amazing in recent weeks, but for Clutch it’s a bit harder to say. Both Huni and Cody Sun have been too volatile to be trusted in such a crucial game, while Damonte and Lira haven’t shown a lot of ability to carry games.

Prediction: 100 Thieves

Echo Fox (3-10) vs. FlyQuest (4-9)

At this point, both these teams are playing for pride. Neither can end the split with a winning record and so it’s entirely possible that we see some Academy players get subbed in for today’s action. Because of that possibility, I won’t make a prediction with regards to match-ups, but I’ll make my game prediction based on what I saw from yesterday’s action.

Prediction: FlyQuest

The LCS play resumes today at 3 PM EST on Twitch.tv/RiotGames.