2018 NA LCS Summer Split Predictions – Week 1

Posted on June 14, 2018

The NA LCS Summer Split (2018) start date was finally announced—and it’s on June 16! With that, we’re doing betting predictions for all week 1 matchups. We’ve accounted for a wide range of factors like roster moves, recent showings, team identities, and League of Legends balance changes. Keep in mind, though, that this is the very beginning of the tournament, so things might get volatile.

NA LCS Match Predictions – Day 1

100 Thieves vs Team Liquid

TL are still recuperating from the MSI loss, but they have what it takes to remain at the top of the NA LCS Standings 2018. Doublelift is the best AD carry in the league, and while the meta shifted away from bot lane marksmen, he will definitely find another way to make his presence known. The support—Olleh—is a bit of a wildcard, but he complements Doublelift well with his playmaking. As for the remaining members, they set a solid foundation for the early stages of the game. Combine that with the fact that this squad has veterans in every single role, and Team Liquid is a very scary lineup to face.

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100 Thieves also prefer to focus on the bot lane. However, Cody Sun and Aphromoo just don’t measure up to the opposing duo. And while other 100T lanes are quite balanced, they lack the necessary firepower to blow Team Liquid out of the water. Usually, they would be able to make up for it with late game shot calling. But considering the current high-tempo meta, it would be unwise to base your NA LCS Summer Split predictions on 100 Thieves stalling long enough to reach that point.

BETTING ADVICE: You can bet on Team Liquid winning the match for odds of 1.70 @Betway.

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TSM vs CLG

Ah, TSM. The North American powerhouse has once again set its gaze on the NA LCS Summer Split finals. Their failure in spring acted as a wake-up call, and TSM won’t make the same mistake of underestimating domestic competition. With that, franchise-level players like Hauntzer, Bjergsen, Zven, and Mithy will be looking to kick-start their comeback.

Few teams will be able to put a stop to their momentum in the NA LCS Summer Split 2018. And CLG certainly isn’t one of them. Granted, they did find a confident leader in Biofrost, and their coordination looked much better toward the end of the previous split. However, Darshan and Huhi are still prone to bizarre decision-making errors. And even though Reignover’s early pathing is formidable, he tends to become a non-factor after the first five minutes of the game.

BETTING ADVICE: In the end, TSM are the heavy favorites here. Bookmakers seem to share this notion, as Betway is providing odds of 1.45 on TSM taking the W. Of course, this offer isn’t exactly generous, but it’s as close to a sure thing as you can get.

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Clutch vs Cloud9

Clutch exceeded expectations in spring, but they’re about to come down to earth in summer. That’s not to say they’ll become complete pushovers. Febiven is far too dominant in the mid lane, and Apollo and Hakuho are a force to be reckoned with in the bot lane, so Clutch can definitely break into the NA LCS playoffs 2018. But first, they will have to cover Solo, who doesn’t have the right champion pool for the current meta. And even that might not be enough if LirA keeps underperforming in the jungle.

C9 NA LCS Predictions

Meanwhile, Cloud9 will be looking to redeem themselves. Putting all eggs in the Licorice basket didn’t work out for them, so they’ll be changing up their playstyle for the NA LCS Summer Split 2018. That said, they did announce they’re replacing Jensen, Sneaky, and Smoothie for Goldenglue, Keith, and Zeyzal. With that in mind, C9 will be much more volatile than expected, so Clutch actually have an edge in this matchup.

BETTING ADVICE: You can bet on Clutch crushing Cloud9 for odds of 1.78 @ArcaneBet.

Go to ArcaneBet»

FlyQuest vs Echo Fox

If you were following the NA LCS Summer Split 2018 roster changes, you know that FlyQuest overhauled their lineup. And yet, these moves won’t be enough. Santorin and KonKwon are past their prime, so they won’t add much apart from veteran insight. And while Keane can hold his ground in the mid lane, he won’t carry FlyQuest to victory. With that, only Flame and WildTurtle can put this team on their backs, but if past showings are of any indication, it’s not going to be enough.

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Meanwhile, Echo Fox are aiming for another deep NA LCS playoffs 2018 run. Their bot lane is nothing to boast about, but it’s the other parts of the maps that you have should look out for. Huni is a force of nature that can single-handedly take over entire games. And even if FlyQuest somehow shut him down, Dardoch and Fenix have enough firepower to overwhelm them with early aggression.

BETTING ADVICE: You can put a wager on Echo Fox finding their first win of the NA LCS Summer Split (2018) for odds of 1.27 @ArcaneBet. As you can see, the value is quite slim, so it’s reasonable to skip this bet. However, you can work around this by placing a wager on the game to be over under 32 minutes for odds of 1.82 @ArcaneBet. Echo Fox are known for their fast-paced style—and the current meta certainly favors it too.

Go to ArcaneBet »

Golden Guardians vs OpTic Gaming

Even though we set out to make NA LCS Summer Split Predictions, this matchup is quite hard to forecast! Golden Guardians are the bottom feeders of the league, and acquiring a good mid laner in Mickey isn’t suddenly going to change that. Their macro has also taken a hit since they lost their shot caller. Even so, the Deftly/Matt duo has decent potential. And if Golden Guardians manage to unlock it, they might turn into a formidable lineup.

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OpTic Gaming find themselves in the same boat. Their roster revolves around Arrow and PowerOfEvil, but these carries just don’t have the necessary support to start taking over. OpTic seem to be aware of this issue, which is one of the reasons why they brought in Dhokla and Big. Neither of these newcomers blows us away, but they should still act as massive improvements over the likes of Zig and LemonNation. And in the end, that might be just what OpTic need to climb the NA LCS Standings 2018.

BETTING ADVICE: OpTic Gaming have a more well-rounded roster, so they should be the favorites. You can bet on them stealing the win for odds of 1.67 @Betspawn.

NA LCS Match Predictions – Day 2

TSM vs FlyQuest

This is definitely a rough NA LCS Summer Split 2018 schedule for FlyQuest! TSM hold an overwhelming on an individual level, and their teamfighting and shot calling are quite fearsome as well. FlyQuest’s best bet is playing around Flame in the top lane. Still, someone as experienced as TSM Hauntzer won’t be caught off guard by this game plan, so FlyQuest might have to pull out some cheesy tactics if they want to stand a chance.

BETTING ADVICE: Unfortunately, bookmakers don’t offer great odds on TSM’s victory. But if you can place a bet on the match ending under 32 minutes @ArcaneBet, be sure to take it. After all, it’s hard to imagine TSM having a hard time closing this one.

Go to ArcaneBet »

Team Liquid vs Golden Guardians

Here’s another matchup of an overwhelming favorite against a clear-cut underdog. The NA LCS Summer Split 2018 schedule pits Team Liquid against Golden Guardians, and the former towers above the latter. Every single TL lane is stronger, so they are set to take over from the first minutes of the game. And considering how well they usually press early advantages, it’s not looking good for GGS. The only way Golden Guardians can hope to look competitive is if Mickey has a standout game. But even then, they will have a hard time keeping up with TL’s momentum.

BETTING ADVICE: This looks like a free win for Team Liquid, which they will definitely appreciate on the way to the NA LCS Summer Split finals. Unfortunately, this means odds aren’t good enough to place a match winner bet in their favor. Even so, look out for that match ending under 32 minutes wager @ArcaneBet since TL tend to stomp weak opponents.

Go to ArcaneBet »

CLG vs 100 Thieves

This will be a close one! On the surface, it might seem like 100 Thieves are the obvious favorites. And indeed, they’re a much more well-rounded team that has a good grasp of its strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, their roster is filled with rock-solid veterans like Meteos, Ssumday, and Aphromoo, so they are one of the most resilient lineups in the league.

However, 100 Thieves would definitely prefer for the NA LCS Summer Split 2018 start date to be pushed back a few weeks. They’re very by-the-books. And they need as much time as they can get to make sense of the current chaotic meta. Meanwhile, CLG thrive in uncharted territory. Huhi and Darshan are renowned for their creativity, and they’ll be sure to push 100T out of their comfort zone with unorthodox picks. Plus, their coach—Zikz—is one of the smartest minds in League of Legends. This is one of our bolder NA LCS Summer Split predictions, but we’re going to go with an upset.

BETTING ADVICE: You can bet on CLG defeating 100 Thieves for odds of 2.07 @Betspawn.

Clutch vs Echo Fox

If you’re searching for a blatant stylistic mismatch, look no further than Clutch vs Echo Fox! Don’t get us wrong, Clutch aren’t a bad lineup. And if they were playing against someone else, our NA LCS Summer Split predictions would be much more generous. But their current opponents aren’t going to give them any breathing room. Echo Fox are in the perfect spot to target the main weaknesses of Clutch Gaming—their jungle and top lane. Of course, Clutch will try to do the same in the bot lane. But even if Apollo and Hakuho somehow succeed, they will be hard-pressed to find answers to Huni and Dardoch.

BETTING ADVICE: You can bet on Echo Fox dismantling Clutch Gaming for odds of 1.57 @Betspawn.

Cloud9 vs OpTic Gaming

The final match of week 1 of the NA LCS Summer Split 2018 is Cloud9 against OpTic Gaming. If it weren’t for the recent roster moves, this wouldn’t even be close. However, the temporary addition of Goldenglue, Keith, and Zeyzal to C9’s roster makes things more interesting. Still, they held on to Svenskeren and Licorice who are the spearhead of their offensive, and the newcomers do have a lot of LCS experience, so don’t expect C9 to be complete pushovers.

Of course, OpTic also made some NA LCS Summer Split 2018 roster changes to strengthen their lineup. With that, they will be looking to pressure the enemy bot lane with Arrow and Big while hoping Dhokla can hold off C9’s onslaught in the top lane. and challenge Sneaky and Smoothie in the bot lane, they will spend the entire game on the back foot. It’s going to be close, but in the end, we’re predicting Cloud9 to take the match.

BETTING ADVICE: You can bet on Cloud9 edging out a win for odds of 1.75 @Betway.

Go to Betway »

Gianfranco Capozzi Avatar
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Gianfranco Capozzi

Gianfranco works as Esports Editor-in-Chief and Head of Esports at Catena Media. He is specialized in Growth Hacking and Digital Marketing, with over 10 years of experience. Passionate about Overwatch, Fortnite, League of Legends, and esports industry news and regulations.

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