We’re mere weeks away from the 2022 LCS Spring Split, and, needless to say, we’re all hyped beyond measure for it to begin! Betting on the North American region might not seem like the most sensible thing in the world because of its many fiestas but, believe it or not, there’s a method behind the madness.
Predicting the outcome of an average LCS game is often easier than one would expect — we’re talking about a very top-heavy region here. We know who’s good and why and can often use this information as guidance. Regions such as this one have very firm hierarchies. In other words: the status quo rarely changes (if ever).
This, in turn, means that everyone competing on North American soil has a part to play — a role, if you will. We have the veritable giants, the mid-tier gatekeepers, and a bunch of bottom-dwellers who’ve never left a mark (and probably never will). These roles are seemingly fixed and unalterable. And, because of that, we can easily predict what’ll happen, when, and in what fashion. But more on that below!
2022 LCS Spring Split Betting | Teams to Watch
Hoisting the LCS trophy is what everyone dreams of. The reality of it all, however, is that it’ll remain a dream for the vast majority of those competing in North America. The LCS throne is basically “reserved” for a handful of teams and organizations, mostly those who have seemingly endless budgets.
Money can’t solve all your problems, but it sure does go a long way when it comes to assembling a championship-worthy line-up!
The 2022 competitive season will be an interesting experiment in that regard as multiple top-tier orgs have decided to take the “path less traveled.” In other words: everyone’s trying their own thing and is hoping for the best.
The Biggest Frontrunners — 100 Thieves, Team Liquid
These two orgs have gone with the “tried and true method;” they’ll employ players with stacked pedigrees and a proven track record. Simply put: this approach has historically yielded the absolute best results.
100 Thieves will enter 2022 as the defending LCS champions and, frankly, it’d be ludicrous not to consider them as the absolute biggest favorites.
All five players (who are now LCS champions) will “reprise” their roles; this, in turn, means they’ll have more than enough synergy to run circles around their less cohesive peers. This one fact cannot be overstated.
Team Liquid, on the other hand, have made three changes to their starting line-up and all three can be considered upgrades. And while they will have to rebuild synergy from the ground up — and conjure up an identity to call their own — at least it’ll be worth it as they stand so much to gain; their potential is astonishing.
Whether they’ll be good enough to take down 100 Thieves and once again claim the LCS throne still remains to be seen, but one could argue that they’re the better, more capable line-up “pound for pound.” The gap between them might not be immense and insurmountable, but it exists nonetheless.
These two behemoths are the biggest frontrunners to leave a mark and, potentially, go the “whole nine yards.” With that being said, they’ll face a series of dangerous challengers, all of which will pose a different kind of threat. In other words: it won’t come easy.
A Most Dangerous Dark Horse — Evil Geniuses
If there’s one team that could easily wreak havoc and upend the status quo, it’s Evil Geniuses. Their line-up is immensely interesting and, well, tremendously talented, too! They have all the potential in the world, but there’s also a bunch of ways in which things could go awry.
There are some question marks, of course. Their new mid laner is incredibly young and, therefore, inexperienced. Plus, he’ll face some of the best players the West has ever produced so there’s a very real chance he won’t be able to exert as much pressure and perform as well as he did back in Academy.
If they can find a common ground and get on the same page they’ll definitely wreck house and deliver. If not, they’ll probably still finish in the Top 5 and put up a respectable (albeit ultimately unsuccessful) fight.
A Question Mark — Cloud9, TSM FTX
This is where things get a lot more interesting: the line-ups these two age-old giants will field are wholly enigmatic. They’re also experiments that may or may not backfire in the most spectacular of ways. Cloud9 has a lot more to gain should things go “according to plan,” but their approach is also more dangerous.
Swapping their most consistent player to mid and importing three players from Korea, only one of which is a known quantity? That’s pretty much a recipe for disaster! There’s obviously a bigger plan behind it all — one that came straight from the mind of Nick “LS” De Cesare — but a part of us thinks that Cloud9 might have gone a bit too far on this one.
Then again, if ever there was a team that could pull it off, it’s Cloud9. So, color us intrigued! Much of the same can be said for TSM FTX as well, although their upcoming journey is by no means as treacherous as Cloud9’s. Then again, they don’t stand to gain as much either, so it all evens out.
Predicting how well the boys in black and white will do is nigh impossible at this point in time. They have some potential, but ranking them any higher than, say, fifth place would be a bit too optimistic. They could definitely make us eat our words, but we just don’t see it happening.
Welcome Chawy to TSM as our LCS Head Coach for 2022! #TSM
We sat down with @ChawyWong to get an insight into who he is, what he's building, his vision….and he might be introducing our new mid-laner and support. pic.twitter.com/Om9jLqfwDa
— TSM FTX (@TSM) December 9, 2021
A solid (albeit far from spectacular) mid laner from the LDL and a talented substitute support from FunPlus Phoenix aren’t exactly hype signings. The latter performed pretty darn well in his few outings on the LPL stage, but it’s not like he didn’t have some of the very best players in history by his side.
Great results could potentially come further down the line, but in the short term this line-up is all but guaranteed to struggle in the face of some mighty stiff opposition.
Surprisingly Solid — Immortals, Golden Guardians
Labeling these two as gatekeepers just doesn’t feel right (even though they’re only marginally better). They’re good, is what they are, and will surely play at a very respectable level. Unfortunately, that’s about all they’ll be able to accomplish. Every single team listed above has a better shot at making history and, frankly, it’s not even close.
These two are more flawed and nowhere near as well rounded. Their weaknesses are more pronounced and, therefore, more exploitable. They’ll get a few wins on the board, make a few great plays and perhaps even go on a short-lived winstreak, but once the dust settles they’re all but guaranteed to end up in, say, sixth/seventh place.
And, frankly, there’s no shame in that. Both organizations have made some truly stellar roster changes and will enter 2022 with a much bigger shot at leaving a mark than any of us have expected.
They’re not going to ascend the LCS throne any time soon (if ever) but will nonetheless put on a show and, hopefully, make their fans proud.
The Gatekeepers — Dignitas QNTMPAY, FlyQuest
This is the group no one wants to be a part of. The word itself is basically a pejorative. It means you’re good at what you do but nowhere near good enough for it to matter. You’re not abysmal but are far from great and will never really accomplish anything worthy of mentioning.
Dignitas’ line-up is an absolute mess — there’s very little rhyme or reason behind the way it has been assembled. It’s not the worst roster in the LCS, but it’s not far off either. There’s just no saving grace or something we could highlight; it’s nigh impossible for us to conjure up some kind of scenario in which they leave a mark in the grand scheme of things.
FlyQuest are only marginally better in that regard. Their line-up has at least been assembled with some plan in mind, even though its outlines are scarcely visible. Still, with a capable jungler, a mighty potent bottom lane duo, and a promising young mid laner, they might be able to do some damage. Here’s hoping!
The Sole Bottom-Dweller — Counter Logic Gaming
Finally, at the very end, we have none other than Counter Logic Gaming. Are they really the worst? That’s up for debate, but they won’t be pulling off any miracles, that’s for sure. So, with that in mind, it really doesn’t matter if they end up in tenth or, say, eighth place.
They’re a bottom-dweller through and through, but at least this time they’ll be able to justify their mediocrity: this age-old organization has opted for a thorough restructuring and has made a series of signings with the long-term picture in mind. In other words: don’t expect anything from Counter Logic Gaming in the near future as they won’t be able to deliver — and that’s by design.
These players aren’t even all that bad but will nonetheless find themselves in hot water once they feel the might and power of their more capable peers. In time, though, they might be able to accomplish something worthy of mentioning, so we’ll just have to exercise patience and hope for the best.
Closing Remarks
If betting on the 2022 LCS Spring Split is something you’re interested in, just know that things will start off in the most chaotic way imaginable; that’s pretty much a given. No one’s all too sure of what the best and most optimal way of playing the game is, which means we’ll witness a metric ton of experimentation.
The very start of the season is when the biggest upsets tend to occur, so if you’re feeling adventurous, now would be as good a time as any to put your money on the underdogs and hope for the best!
The LCS returns to action on January 14th, so make sure to mark your calendars!
