Week four was one to forget for G2 Esports. An 0-2 week has seen them tumble down the standings below Astralis and Excel Esports, and as we reach the second half of the split, they need to find the answers soon. At the top of the table, Rogue has matched Misfits Gaming at the top spot.
MAD Lions v Excel Esports
Off the back of a 1-1 week, with a loss to Rogue seeing MAD Lions not quite have the dream week they’d hope for. Week five sees MAD come up against Excel and SO4, an easy week at first glance, however, Excel Esports’ week four heroics saw them pick up 2 massive victories, including one against G2 Esports. While Excel won’t be the favourites, form is important, of course, with Excel’s 2-0 week certainly counting for something.
For Excel, they’ll feel that week four has shifted momentum in their favour and that we’ll finally see them come to the forefront. MAD Lions won’t feel too bad about their 1-1 week, especially given who it was against. It’s not easy going against MAD Lions, however, at 3/1 outsiders, Excel Esports might just be too good to pass up.
Rogue v Misfits
The battle at the top is upon us, and it’s not the two sides many expected. Misfits have held onto the top spot for the past few weeks, but a dropped series against MAD Lions in week four has allowed Rogue to catch them. Having yet another impressive showing, Rogue is looking to atone for their shortcomings in the recent splits by making moves in Summer Split.
This is probably one of the toughest games to call. While we hate to doubt the side that’s been doing the business all season, It’s hard to look past a side like Rogue that’s not only looking on form right now but has been a decent side in the past few splits. At 10/19, Rogue might be the pick of the bunch from this weekend’s matches.
Rogue v G2 Esports
While their first game of the weekend will be a challenge, facing off against the old enemy presents another tough challenge for Rogue. Often Rogue’s achilles heel, G2 Esports hasn’t been good in recent weeks, so Rogue might finally have a chance. As for G2 Esports, it’s hard to say what’s going wrong with them right now. The roster just doesn’t look right, be it the continued online matches or a failure to sync with the meta. What is clear, however, is that G2 Esports needs to find something to change their fortunes, and they need to do it quickly.
Assuming G2 Esports don’t get their act together in time, and likely assuming Rogue beats Misfits Gaming, Rogue are 5/8 to beat G2 Esports. As with any Saturday game, keep an eye on the odds after the Friday matches because odds might change drastically. That said, if all goes well, we think Rogue could take a massive victory here here, and spiral G2 Esports into yet more problems as we approach the playoffs.
*All odds correct at time of writing.