by The long-awaited LCS Summer Split finals will kick off on Sunday, August 25 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
Around 22,000 live spectators and hundreds of thousands of viewers will tune in to watch the clash of two NA heavyweights, Team Liquid and Cloud9.
Both teams have already secured their spot in the 2019 LoL World Championship, but there is still $100,000 prize money and the glory of the title on the line.
Team Liquid odds
-303.03 at BetOnline
One of the strongest teams in the history of North America’s League of Legends esports scene, Team Liquid have set the high-water mark over the past two years.
While winning three consecutive LCS titles is impressive on its own, TL further extended their dominance on the international stage when they became the first-ever North American team to reach the Mid-Season Invitational finals back in May.
Team Liquid did not have smooth sailing to the finals, however, as Jang “Cain” Nu-ri and his men had to fight their way through a tough semi-final bout against an impressive Clutch Gaming side.
Nonetheless, TL’s experience and their unorthodox draft in the fifth map proved to be enough to push them through into the finals, where they will face their toughest test yet.
Cloud9 odds
+225 at BetOnline
We have criticised Cloud9 about their consistency before, yet they impressed with a dominant 3-1 win against Counter Logic Gaming to earn their spot in the decider.
The upcoming fixture will serve as a rematch of 2018 LCS Summer Split finals, which Cloud9 don’t have fond memories of.
It has been almost one year since that dreadful Sunday when C9 kneeled down to Team Liquid, who took away their shot at direct promotion to the 2018 LoL World Championship.
While Cloud9 eventually climbed their way into the Worlds via regional finals that year, they will enter the 2019 LCS finals eager for revenge.
Team Liquid vs Cloud9 betting predictions
There is not a lot to separate the two teams ahead of the grand finals, which was the case in the spring season as well.
Back in March, the two sides finished the regular season tied as the top seed in the standings. This split, however, TL (14-4) finished two wins ahead of C9 (12-6).
Despite holding a better record, Team Liquid failed to defeat C9 in both of their summer meetings, which gives the latter side a huge confidence boost ahead of the third clash of the split.
This match could go either way. Both teams possess immense quality in all lanes, yet they are so different in their playstyles.
TL approach their games calculated and slow, whereas C9 do the complete opposite, which is the main cause of their inconsistency.
Cloud9 are known for taking huge risks and approaching games aggressively, which could work in their favour here as TL struggled against Clutch Gaming’s aggressive playstyle in the semi-finals.
It will come down to which side can take control of the early game. Seeing how strong C9 were in the semis, we believe they are more than ready to take Team Liquid to five games.
PREDICTIONS
Over 4.5 maps – +175 at BetOnline
Cloud9 +1.5 handicap – -120.48 at BetOnline
