Week Two of the LEC threw a spanner in the works of the LEC table. Fnatic dropped two matches, G2 hit back with a 2-0 week and Origen finally started to show why people follow them so closely. Rogue and MAD Lions continue their surge at the top, with both sides now at 4-1 ahead of their meeting on Saturday.
At the bottom of the table, Schalke 04 continued to lose matches, whilst Excel Esports finally picked up their first win. Team Vitaly begins to slow down whilst G2 and Fnatic meet in mid-table, ahead of their much-hyped battle on Saturday.
Week Three has some great matchups, with the top two sides MAD Lions and Rogue set to face off. Week three will also see the league’s most dominant sides G2 and Fnatic lock horns.
MAD Lions v Origen (Friday)
MAD Lions has been on a surge in Summer Split. They’ve looked like the real deal, and continue to prove that you can, in fact, win things with kids. MAD started 2020 with a rookie roster and made it to playoffs, they currently sit in joint-first and look good to keep up that momentum. Week three will be a challenge, with matches against Origen and Rogue, but we have them a slight favourite (1/1*) in their first matchup of the week.
Origen, who currently sit in joint-third with SK Gaming, Fnatic and G2 will look to continue their form from week two as they try to leapfrog MAD Lions and get an early run at playoffs. Origen has looked dominant across the map, with ADC Upset and mid laner Nukeduck looking strong. Top laner Alphari continues to shine, even in a meta that doesn’t really suit a carry playstyle. Origen is a good outside bet at (10/13).
MAD Lions v Rogue (Saturday)
Whilst G2 v Fnatic might be “match of the week” there’s an argument to be made, given the current form that MAD Lions v Rogue is the one-to-watch. Both teams go into the match join-first, and whilst MAD has a harder Friday matchup, the two could easily go into their match with first place on the line. For us, MAD are slight favourites at (4/5).
Rogue has been the surprise package this split — an argument could be made for each of Rogue’s players being the top 2 for their role across the league. Rogue could very easily find themselves two wins ahead of any competition come Saturday evening. We have them at (20/21) to take the series, and the game could go either way.
G2 Esports v Fnatic (Saturday)
The “Match of the Week”, the clashing of titans. G2 have taken all three LEC titles so far, and have secured their place as Europe’s top side. Fnatic has been, at least prior to the era of G2. Fnatic went into week two with a 3-0 record, but succumb to two defeats last week as they find themselves in the middle of the pack. G2 go into the match as (20/33) favourites, mostly due to Fnatics dip in form during week two. If G2 brings their A-game, which they usually do against Fnatic, they will likely take the win.
Fnatic has hit a rough patch, and they’ve done so at just the wrong time. It’s an important week, and Fnatic will need their best players to show up. The side tried something different in week two, by putting their ADC Rekkles on Soraka. Whilst the theory around the comp does work, Rekkles is clearly wasted on the champ. Fnatic needs to get back to basics if they’re to beat G2. We have them at (5/4), and depending on what Fnatic shows up, this could be a solid bet. Their series on Friday could be very telling, so watch this space.
*All odds correct at time of writing