Few matchups are as anticipated as the SKT vs Griffin battle—yet that’s exactly what we’re going to get on March 8! Join us for an in-depth breakdown of the seventh LCK match of the week of the 2019 Spring Split! SKT T1 are gaining momentum. They found a good way to enable the top side of the map and ramp up the aggression in the early game. Combine that with the existing pressure from their main carry threats as well as their natural knack for macro and teamfighting, and SKT have a solid claim to being the best team in South Korea.
For now, though, the LCK throne belongs to Griffin. This is a team of immense firepower, and its players consistently crush their foes in the early game. However, Griffin’s main strengths emerge later on. Their coordination is on point, and they seamlessly tear through their opponents in teamfights and skirmishes. They’re also the undisputed kings of the LCK macro, and it’s common to see them several steps ahead of their opponents.
SKT vs Griffin – LCK Match Breakdown
Top Lane Matchup
The SKT vs Griffin top lane is much closer than it seems at first glance. With a 3.1 KDA and 8.8 CS per minutes, Khan may be the weakest member of the SK Telecom T1 roster, but he’s still pretty damn good on carries and splitpushers. His laning is strong, and you can count on him to do everything in his power to push his opponent into a corner.
Sword is a bit more measured in comparison. Sporting a 7.6 KDA and 8.9 CS per minute, he’s far from being the main threat of Griffin’s lineup, but he has a good sense for punishing mistakes and working together with his teammates. Both of these players perform similar roles on their teams, however, we’d have to give the edge to Sword for being a more consistent top laner.
VERDICT: GRF Sword takes the lead in the top lane.
Jungle Matchup
If there’s one thing to be said about the jungle matchup, it’s that things are going to get volatile! Holding a 4.5 KDA and 5.1 CS per minute, Clid is the main playmaker of SK Telecom T1’s lineup, and his Lee Sin and Jarvan instill fear into the hearts of his enemies. That being said, he didn’t show much variety on the Rift, so Clid might have a hard time if he doesn’t get his trademark picks.
Tarzan is much more flexible in comparison. With a 15.2 KDA and 5.8 CS per minute, he’s the pathing mastermind that always finds a way to set up Griffin’s laners for success. His mechanics aren’t too shabby either, and we fully expect him to match Clid in 1v1 fights and river skirmishes.
VERDICT: GRF Tarzan claims the jungle as his own.
Mid Lane Matchup
There’s no denying that Faker is impressive. Sporting a 3.8 KDA and 9.1 CS per minute, SKT’s superstar mid laner spent a lot of time on supportive picks and utility champions, but it looks like he’s finally going back to playing carries. That said, he’s a far cry from being the #1 mid laner in the LCK.
In fact, he’s about to face the man who took this title from him. Holding a massive 27.8 KDA and 10.3 CS per minute, Chovy is a mechanical prodigy that seamlessly takes over teamfights and pulls off spectacular outplays. His playstyle revolves around relentless aggression, and even a player of Faker’s caliber will struggle to stand up to him.
VERDICT: GRF Chovy breaks open the mid lane.
Bot Lane Matchup
The bot lane matchup is going to get wild! With a 5.7 KDA and 10.7 CS per minute, Teddy is a top-tier marksman that uses traditional AD picks to overwhelms his enemies in lane and outside of it. His dominance is reinforced by the playmaking of his support Mata (3.4 KDA), who always finds a way to set his lane partner up with a winning 2v2 skirmish.
Their enemies are no pushovers either. Sporting a 12.5 KDA and 10.5 CS per minute, Viper is a young and hungry bot lane player that has a wide selection of carry picks in his arsenal. His support Lehends (11.4 KDA) also has a number of pocket picks at his disposal, although he tends to get carried away with his aggression. We’d still give the edge to Teddy and Mata, but it’s not as big as SKT would’ve hoped for.
VERDICT: SKT Teddy and Mata take over the bot lane.
SKT vs Griffin – LCK Match Prediction
SKT T1 might be able to match Griffin individually, but they will struggle to keep up as a team. Their synergy is rough around the edges, which leaves them wide open to Griffin’s sweeping macro moves. And while they won’t go down without a fight, we’re going to have to predict a 2-1 victory in Griffin’s favor!
You can bet on Griffin winning the SKT vs Griffin LCK match with a 2-1 score for odds of 3.35 at ArcaneBet.
