This article is part of our DraftKings League of Legends series.
GAMES (EDT)
- 5:40 a.m: INTZ vs. Legacy Esports
- 6:30 a.m: LGD Gaming vs. PSG Talon
- 7:30 a.m: Team Liquid vs. MAD Lions
INTZ vs. LGC
Legacy is from the Oceania region, and the teams people are probably familiar with are Mammoth and Dire Wolves. Legacy are led by midlaner Tally and top laner Topoon. Oceania are usually the weakest team going into Worlds, but with how coin-flippy Brazil has been all season, I can see Legacy capitalizing on their mistakes. Legacy will draft scaling champions and and coordinate around their mid laner to side pressure the top side of the map. In previous games, INTZ have had a lot of trouble with their top laner, and if Legacy can control weak-side well this should be their game to take. This should be one of the bloodier games on the slate, so I would target either side of this game.
Prediction: Legacy Win
Legacy Players to Target: Everyone
PSG vs. LGD
The LPL are one of the favorites to win Worlds, and LGD have the easiest draw of the play-ins. LGD have the best early game out of any team in play-ins, but their problem lies in the mid-to-late game. Sometimes when they get these massive leads they tend to forget their macro and objectives, which stalls out the game and lets the other team scale up. Their weakness is LangX, who has been inconsistent all year, and the way to take advantage of LGD is to dive top and snowball
GAMES (EDT)
- 5:40 a.m: INTZ vs. Legacy Esports
- 6:30 a.m: LGD Gaming vs. PSG Talon
- 7:30 a.m: Team Liquid vs. MAD Lions
INTZ vs. LGC
Legacy is from the Oceania region, and the teams people are probably familiar with are Mammoth and Dire Wolves. Legacy are led by midlaner Tally and top laner Topoon. Oceania are usually the weakest team going into Worlds, but with how coin-flippy Brazil has been all season, I can see Legacy capitalizing on their mistakes. Legacy will draft scaling champions and and coordinate around their mid laner to side pressure the top side of the map. In previous games, INTZ have had a lot of trouble with their top laner, and if Legacy can control weak-side well this should be their game to take. This should be one of the bloodier games on the slate, so I would target either side of this game.
Prediction: Legacy Win
Legacy Players to Target: Everyone
PSG vs. LGD
The LPL are one of the favorites to win Worlds, and LGD have the easiest draw of the play-ins. LGD have the best early game out of any team in play-ins, but their problem lies in the mid-to-late game. Sometimes when they get these massive leads they tend to forget their macro and objectives, which stalls out the game and lets the other team scale up. Their weakness is LangX, who has been inconsistent all year, and the way to take advantage of LGD is to dive top and snowball top lane, forcing a side lane open. PSG are a smart team, but I don't believe that their players are anywhere mechanically close to LGD, and with that they should smash PSG.
Prediction: LGD Win
LGD Players to Target: Everyone
MAD vs. TL
This is going to be a fun game to watch, as it is North America vs. Europe in Day 1 of Worlds. On the Gold Card Podcast I stated that I was down on Liquid because of their play-style. They are a team that concedes early game and still try to play lane kingdom games. I'm not sure if they changed that for Worlds, but if they don't then MAD, along with other teams, will run through them. We already know how MAD like to play, and if TL are going to win they need Broxah to be on a carry jungler instead of a normal tank champion. TL will also need to ban assassin champions against Humanoid so he can be forced on a mage champion to ensure Jensen has an advantage mid lane. Everyone else on TL are solid to where they won't get bullied during the laning phase, and if TL can control the early game they can win this. However, I think MAD takes this game because they can show many niche picks and can play weak-side very well. Shadow also has a wide champion pool where he is comfortable playing an aggressive jungle champion to impact the entire map through ganks and his pathing bot side.
Prediction: MAD Win
MAD Players to Target: Carzzy ($7,600), Shad0w ($7,000), Kaiser ($5,400)
