LCS 2022 Spring Split Top Picks, Predictions, Odds March 19

• The LCS rolls on this weekend with another two rounds from week 7
• Cloud9 have claimed sole lead of the LCS and are on an eight-game winning streak
• Team Liquid are hot on their heels with just one win behind in second place

Pick: 100 Thieves (moneyline)

Immortals vs 100 Thieves Predictions

This is a mismatch in every sense of the world as we kick off week seven of the 2022 LCS Spring Split. Immortals can’t remember when they won last. It’s been that long. They have lost five in a row now. Things didn’t look this bleak for them three weeks ago.

But the side from being a mid-table contender to ninth in a 10-team pool has been alarming. They are currently languishing with 4 wins and 5 losses.

100 Thieves on a Roll

100 Thieves started well, slumped and are on an upswing again. Three back-to-back wins have helped them steer clear of a mid-table logjam and are currently placed third, with eight wins and five losses.

The luck of the draw now sees them take on a team that desperately needs an infusion of huge dollops of confidence to stay afloat. The odds favour 100 Thieves, and for good reason. Track record, player-stats, execution and win records have all been factored in by the punters. Immortals are going to have played out of their skins to snap their losing streak.

Sure, you may be drawn in by the lure of bigger profits while backing Immortals, and those of you thinking this way can be optimistic too. Immortals need to look back to earlier in the split when they took down 100 Thieves against the odds. That is enough inspiration going into this contest. That result alone is enough for their opponents to not take them lightly, even if they may be favourites.

Battle of two Junglers

100 Thieves jungler “Closer” has been key to their arsenal since his entry to the LCS fold in 2020. And he continues to be a pivotal member of the side. He hasn’t had a flawless season by any means, his struggle for momentum in the meta a reality as underpinned by his numbers. He’ll be looking for one complete performance here.

Immortals jungler “Xerxe” has been a high-flyer in Europe, but for Immortals, he hasn’t just been the same player he was. Before their giant losing streak, Xerxe had some terrific impact on the map. And he’ll be itching to rediscover his bearings soon enough. Him returning to form will go a long way in Immortals being able to get out of a rut.

Liquid vs Counter Logic Gaming Picks

Pick: Liquid (moneyline)

Liquid vs Counter Logic Gaming Predictions

Team Liquid are only one of two teams to have tacked up over 10 or more wins this Spring Split. They are currently second and breathing down Cloud9’s neck for the top spot. One more win and they would’ve gone level with the toppers, even if they may have three losses to Cloud9’s two at present.

CLG’s Tough Luck Of The Draw

Going into Sunday’s clash, they will be boisterous because they are a side riddled with inconsistency. CLG are joint seventh with five wins and eight losses, but two back-to-back wins have somehow brought them back into playoff contention.

That said, there is still a long way to go before they can dare to dream again. As far as the draw goes, they couldn’t have asked for a tougher job against a top side. If they can upset the apple cart here, it will hold out hope for the others in the bottom half of the points table. All said, CLG are too far behind on the odds. So pick safe, pick well and back Team Liquid to win this one.

Liquid’s Majestic Run

Team Liquid can’t match T1’s majestic unbeaten run in the LCK, but they’re nonetheless a super team capable of beating top sides from around the world. With two weeks to go this spring split, Liquid became the first team to get to 10 wins this split when they beat Evil Geniuses.

Santorin proved to be the most crucial performer for them in the game, preventing the opposition from retaliating by bursting them down. Even though Evil Geniuses spent much time in the mid game reducing the gold lead it wasn’t enough in the end.

TSM v Cloud9 Pick

Pick: Cloud9 (moneyline)

TSM vs Cloud9 Predictions

This contest pits the toppers against the wooden spooners. Cloud9 can’t put a foot wrong, having overcome some early jitters to go on an eight-match winning streak that now has them at the top with a 11-2 win-loss record. TSM have a 2-11 record, the opposite.

Furthermore, losses in both their recent games leaves them with an uphill climb. It is safe to say, you don’t need to really scour through numbers and data to take your winning pick for this one. Cloud9 will probably nick this a lot easier than they would’ve in the other games.

The Summit Factor in Cloud9’s Rise

In one of the most anticipated games of the previous week, Cloud9 took down Liquid, their nearest competitors, in an edge-of-the-seat thriller that left you guffawing at the magnificence and flawed brilliance of both sides.

Now that Cloud9 have a playoff berth sealed, it could free them up to play even more enterprisingly. Much of their success is down to the work of their top laner “Summit” whose move from Livv SANDBOX has yielded the desired results.

He’s been able to dominate any opponent, and his ability to carry top lane champions and to split push have been the hallmark which has made it tougher for the opponents to draft against him. This along with the rest of the pack raising their games by several notches augurs well for C9.

TSM’s Improbable Playoff Chance

Two teams running away at the top have teams at the bottom. TSM are still not entirely out of the playoffs race, even if on form, you’d bet against them miraculously making it there. Here’s what they need to do in a nutshell: go on a bull run to win all their five remaining games for starters.

And if they manage to do that, then they can sit and hope for a slew of other results to go their way to avoid a tiebreak. That’s easier said than done, with games against Cloud9, Immortals, 100 Thieves, CLG, and Team Liquid to come.

Evil Geniuses vs Dignitas Predictions

Pick: Evil Geniuses (moneyline)

Evil Geniuses vs Dignitas Picks

There isn’t much to choose between these two sides. EG have six wins and seven losses to be placed sixth. Dignitas have seven wins and six losses to be placed joint fourth. As far as match-ups go, this is as close as we’ll get to a tight contest this Sunday, purely going by team balance and recent history.

The odds are slightly against Dignitas, but if there’s one game where you can actually have a shot at big profits, you shouldn’t be too perturbed even if you put your money on Dignitas.

Evil Geniuses’ Bold Move

Evil Geniuses were decimated in 27 minutes of Cloud9 last week. Clearly the underdogs going into the game, Evil Geniuses showed they were up for it in putting up a massive surprise by picking Kha’Zix for jungler Inspired to match Blaber’s Volibear pick.

And, throughout the early game, it was a battle between the two junglers exerting their map pressure. The move may or may not have worked, but Evil Geniuses thinking out of the box and preparing for different scenarios to throw the opponents off their rails gave a peek into their mindset.

Dignitas Strategy Flawed?

Last year, they went in for a full North American roster. This time around, they signed jungler River from PSG Talon and Blue from SK Gaming. Yet, they’ve struggled to find a winning combination with several of the players underachieving this season.

They also had a support player in Biofrost, who was signed despite not competing at the highest level since the championships in 2020. Was it a misstep or a calculated gamble? These are some questions the franchise would look to answer looking ahead to the summer split after the spring split has been a patchy show at best.

Let’s be honest: they aren’t the worst team and have shown shades of brilliance. But they’ve been ordinary too. This wild froyo-ing between the sublime and the ordinary is something they’ll want to negate.

Golden Guardians vs FlyQuest

Pick: FlyQuest (moneyline)

Golden Guardians vs FlyQuest Picks

Golden Guardians have been completely sapped of momentum. Four losses in a row leaves them joint seventh with a 5-8 win-loss record. Just when their hopes of a playoff berth were shining bright mid-season, they flickered to play a series of ordinary games that leave their hopes on a thread.

FlyQuest are only marginally better, joint fourth with a 7-6 record.

Like GG, they’re also looking to arrest a slide of sorts, having lost two in a row. GG have the odds stacked against them slightly, but this is yet another game on Sunday where you wouldn’t go wrong picking either side to win. Because they’re so close on every single parameter.

GG Need To Sustain Pressure Better

GG needs to watch for complacency. Last week, even an 11,000 gold lead wasn’t enough to help them stave off defeat against 100 Thieves. Despite the lead, they gave 100 Thieves enough of a break in that helped them open up an inch into an acre.

The game was eerily similar to G2’s bout against Misfits at the LEC Spring Split earlier this year, where G2 fumbled their 13k gold lead to let Misfits come back from the dead to win.

FlyQuest’s season so far has been marred by a conservative style of play. The free-spirited approach has been lacking. They need to find a style that suits them better and do it very quickly.

How to Watch LCS 2022 Spring Split