For the 2nd weekend of the LCS playoffs, we preview the matchup between Evil Geniuses and 100 Thieves.
Last weekend Evil Geniuses took care of Dignitas with relative ease barring the 2nd game. This time around, they will be facing a team in 100 Thieves that has improved compared to the last split. Let’s talk about the series and how the teams match up against one another.
- Read More: G2 Esports vs MAD Lions Preview
The Series
Evil Geniuses versus 100 Thieves went 2-1 in EG’s favor during the Split. For both teams, a win is crucial to possibly secure a spot at Worlds. Let’s talk about the teams starting with 100 Thieves.
100 Thieves
100 Thieves are improved from the last split with the additions of Repeared as Head Coach and Abbedagge as their new mid laner. From that boost, they have gotten better as a team by improving in one lane and in drafts as well. However, this team still has a lot of problems.
The main problem of 100 Thieves is the top lane. This is Ssumday’s worst year as a pro and he is struggling a lot in this split as well. Teams have taken advantage of Ssumday this split and it’s been rough for 100T to address that. Statistically, Ssumday is down on every statistic and his laning has been pretty bad. To be fair, he has had the rare pop-off games but what 100T needs from Ssumday is to be a consistent player.
Huhi has had those games those problems as well. His consistency is a problem and that is impacting the bot lane. FBI is still a solid ADC player but his laning along with Huhi’s needs some fine tuning. Abbedagge has been consistent in his first split in the LCS and Closer is still a solid jungler.
With the introduction of Abbedagge and their last split, the early game for 100 Thieves is still pretty good. Their objective control is very good in the early game and it helps when they transition later on. However, the inconsistencies for their players are a problem. Ssumday being down in the top lane can spell trouble, especially against EG. 100 Thieves has to shore up their problems and then we can see how far 100 Thieves can go.
Evil Geniuses
We explained about EG during their first series against Dignitas. They are a solid team with the x-factor to make something happen. All of their players buy into the style of going in and making a fight happen. Against Dignitas, it was nothing less than that. Barring Game 2 which was very scrappy, the other games looked in EG’s control and they took the series with a 3-1 record. This team is very well oiled and understands what to do. All the players are on the same page and it shows during their games.
The only thing they have done is playing Contractz in the last split. Given how Contractz played against Dignitas, we expect him to play against 100 Thieves as well. His engages were solid and he roamed around to make sure his lanes were fine. It will be very interesting to see EG against a stronger team.
The Match Up
This will be an exciting series to watch as a fan. Both teams have their strengths and weakness however EG matches up well against 100 Thieves. Impact has been all around one of the best top laners in the LCS. Against Ssumday who has had consistency issues, Impact could run away with this match up. Furthermore, Impact does not get many resources from the team so he holds his own for most of the game and makes an impact during teamfights. So in that aspect, EG has the advantage.
For 100 Thieves to get an edge in this series, they have to either attack the top lane really hard or focus on getting the bot lane ahead. Abbedagge is a very good laner and can hold his own against Jiizuke and Contractz could hover around mid and bot lane to make sure they have win conditions there. Both teams have very good early games and it will be up to the team that makes the proactive plays to come into the mid game with a lead. EG plays very well with a lead so 100 Thieves will want to get a lead early on.
The x-factors for both teams are their mid laner. Jiizuke vs Abbedagge will be a fun lane to watch and drafts will play a major factor for this lane. Overall if EG draft well and play how they have played against Dignitas, we expect EG to take this series 3-2.
In Conclusion
We will have a fun series on our hands for Sunday as EG vs 100T kicks off then. This series will determine who secured Worlds while the loser has to play through a stacked losers bracket. For that reason, this series is hype, and hopefully, you will tune into the series on Saturday.
To look at the schedule, following this link as LCS starts on Thursday featuring Immortals and Dignitas.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to get all the latest Esports, Gaming, and Entertainment news.
