EG vs. 100 Thieves is an incredibly interesting match-up and its outcome will no doubt leave an indelible mark on the LCS standings (and, by proxy, the playoff picture); as far as predictions go, most folks will surely side with the defending champions, but they’re nowhere near as consistent as we thought they’d be which means that an upset is very much possible.
Betting on their games has been an absolute nightmare. There’s really no other way to say it. They have the tools, the players, and the “weapons” which are necessary to outclass the vast majority of their peers, but for some odd reason they haven’t been able to perform on the LCS stage ever since 2022 began.
They’ve at least been able to lock down sole possession of third place, so not all is grim. Still, there’s no excuse for their dreadful play, and we’d be quite surprised (if not even shocked) if they end up defending their throne. Both Cloud9 and Team Liquid have been far more dominant, and one would simply have to give them the edge, regardless if it’s a Best of 1 or a Best of 5.
That, of course, doesn’t mean that 100 Thieves won’t put up a fight (they very much will) but rather that they lack the refinement and precision which are necessary to truly stand a chance. Their individual talent and pre-existing synergy haven’t resulted in them having any sort of upper hand (surprising, to say the least), and if they’re this flawed and volatile mere weeks before the playoffs, it’ll be mighty hard for anyone to deem them as any kind of favorite coming into those highly anticipated Best of 5s.
We’re not writing them off completely, but we don’t think they’ll accomplish anything of note in the forthcoming postseason.
And, well, that holds true for Evil Geniuses as well, a team that, while undeniably stacked and capable, simply hasn’t come together in the way we thought they would. And we’re very sad to say it, too.
EG — Not There Yet
On a base level, 100 Thieves and Evil Geniuses share many commonalities. They have a similar gamut of strengths but also weaknesses, too. They’re also mighty inconsistent and have been underperforming for weeks. Granted, 100 Thieves have at least managed to mount an offensive (right in time, too), but the gap between them (talent- and performance-wise) is by no means as large as the odds would lead you to believe.
Talking about either of these two teams is quite a challenge because we never really know whether they’ll come out the gates swinging or implode at the first sign of trouble. And that, in short, hasn’t changed, despite the fact that they’ve had numerous weeks to shore up their biggest and most egregious flaws.
100 Thieves are at least in the Top 3 so they’ll be able to play without as much pressure. Evil Geniuses, on the other hand, cannot afford any more mistakes. To them, each and every single game going forward will be a “do or die” kind of affair, and it’s a stressful position to be in, no doubt — one that is bound to affect their performance.
Fortunately, their last three opponents are all flawed and, therefore, exploitable: FlyQuest, Golden Guardians, and Counter Logic Gaming are all feity but they’re neither as good nor capable as the EG bunch. Still, that gap isn’t nearly as insurmountable as EG would like, and it’ll be mighty interesting to see whether any of them will be able to pull off an upset.
If that happens, EG could find themselves on the brink of missing out on the playoffs. Talk about a high-stakes series of games!
A win and we take sole possession of third place on the LCS table. #100T pic.twitter.com/BRUpYhbFn6
— 100 Thieves Esports (@100T_Esports) March 13, 2022
2022 LCS Betting | EG vs. 100 Thieves Predictions — Reasons to Watch
Despite their current position in the standings, these are some of the best teams that the LCS has to offer — and they’re mighty capable, too, if thoroughly flawed and inconsistent. Still, they have a penchant for skirmishing and are more than talented enough to leave some kind of a mark once all is said and done.
These two are the biggest threats to Cloud9 and Team Liquid, and while they’re nowhere near as dangerous as their higher ranked peers, they can still pack a punch and could, potentially, challenge for the LCS throne.
As for this clash, specifically, we’re not quite sure who’ll get away with the way. 100 Thieves are obviously favored and, well, with good reason, but their losses have thus far been so darn disappointing that we’re always wary of them dropping the ball. Something’s gone awry, and we’re not quite sure whether they’ll be able to fix it in time for the playoffs.
Now, granted, they are on a three-game win streak but we’re still not fully convinced that they’re back in form. A statement win over EG would, however, dispel most of our doubts. Will they be up to the task? Probably, but by no means is a win here guaranteed.
