The 2018 EU LCS Summer Split is coming to its conclusion! We’re in for some wild games in the third-place match between Team Vitality and Misfits Gaming and the EU LCS finals series between Fnatic and FC Schalke 04. With that in mind, our experts will be making a number of betting predictions to help you make the most out of your money!
Team Vitality vs Misfits Gaming
Before we get to the EU LCS finals, let’s take a look at the third-place match! The regular season has been good to Vitality and they looked set to make a deep playoffs run. However, their semifinals series against FC Schalke 04 revealed just how much they rely on Kikis. If they can secure a good mid/jungle matchup and use it to set up aggressive invades, Vitality look like the best team in the EU LCS. But take that away, and the entire lineup falls flats on its face.
Still, there’s no denying that this team has a ton of firepower. Atilla and Jactroll are putting an absolute clinic in the bot lane, and it’s common to see them scoring 2v2 kills against top-tier duos. The same could be said about Cabochard who’s holding the line in the top lane. Unfortunately, all of these pieces fail to come together in teamfights, so Vitality need to find early leads to have a fighting chance in this series.
Meanwhile, Misfits are on the opposite trajectory. The end of their regular season was nothing short of disastrous but they really picked up the slack in the playoffs. This team is renowned for its ability to prepare for Bo5s. With that, there’s a good chance Misfits will study the Vitality vs Schalke series and arrive at the right conclusions on how to play against their opponents.
To make matters worse, Misfits have the talent to set their plans in motion. For starters, Maxlore has the perfect combination of brains and brawn to challenge Kikis in the jungle, and while Sencux isn’t exactly a mid lane powerhouse, he won’t lose lane to Jiizuke. Combine that with strong side lane pressure from Alphari and Hans Sama, and Misfits have what it takes to challenge Vitality in the early game. And once they get past the 15-minute mark, they’re infinitely better at finding objectives and navigating the map.
BETTING ADVICE: Vitality won’t go down without a fight, but as long as Misfits don’t let the series devolve into a bloodbath, they should have this match in the bag. You can bet on Misfits scoring a 3-1 victory for odds of 5.50 at EsportsBetting. Alternatively, you can place a wager on Misfits winning the series for odds of 1.65 if you wish to minimize the risks.
Fnatic vs FC Schalke 04
Alright, time to break down the EU LCS finals! Few European teams have been as dominant as this Fnatic lineup. Whether it’s setting up dives, securing objectives, or navigating teamfights, Fnatic always seem to be working together as a single unit. Still, macro is far from their strongest suit.
Their individual strength is downright overwhelming, and the likes of Rekkles, Hylissang, and Broxah could very well act as franchise-level players on a different team. But put them together, and you get one of the most explosive squads in the EU LCS. On top of that, Caps made a solid claim to being one of the best LoL players of all time, so as long as he’s performing, Fnatic always have an ace up their sleeve.
But Schalke wouldn’t make the EU LCS finals if they didn’t have a fair share of talent either. In fact, Nukeduck might be one of the few European mid laners who has the mechanics to stand up to Caps’s aggression. And while Upset and Vander aren’t the most dominant laners, they can overshadow the enemy bot lane in teamfights and skirmishes. Still, we can’t help thinking Amazing will struggle to keep up with his Fnatic counterpart, and Schalke will be stuck playing catch-up.
Of course, they could fall back on their late game. But even though they might be able to outmaneuver Fnatic around the map, we just can’t see them pulling ahead in 5v5s. And ultimately, every professional League of Legends match is decided by teamfighting.
BETTING ADVICE: You can bet on Fnatic winning the EU LCS finals with a 3-1 score for odds of 2.95 at Betway. You can also explore the first Baron market (odds of 1.60 per map) since Fnatic have the best Baron control in the league.
