LEC 2022 Playoffs Spring Split Picks, Predictions March 25

• The LEC continues this weekend with playoffs action from Europe
• Rogue will fancy their chances against Misfits Gaming
• Fnatic and G2 expected to be involved in tough, long matchup

It is playoffs time at the end of what has been an exhilarating 2022 LEC Spring Split. As is the norm, the top six sides have made it this far. Out of these, the top four will play in the winners’ bracket, while fifth plays sixth in the losers’ bracket.

The top seeds pick between the third and fourth seeds in Round 1. In this case, toppers Rogue have chosen to play third seeds Misfits Gaming, which is the first of our playoff contests on Friday. Second seeds Fnatic play fourth-deeds G2 Esports.

The loser with the lower seed from the winners’ bracket round 2 plays in losers’ bracket round 2. The loser with the higher seed from the winners’ bracket round 3 plays in losers’ bracket round 3. All matches will be played in a best of five format, with the winner securing an entry to the 2022 Midseason Invitational.

So what’s the path to the finals? Well, teams in the Upper Bracket can qualify by winning just two games in the first round. Teams in the lower bracket will be taking a circuitous route. Yes, you get much more game time and much-needed experience, but you’ll also have to work that much harder to get there. Now that the rules and regulations are out of the way, let us get to the lowdown on the teams.

Rogue vs Misfits Gaming Pick

Rogue (moneyline)

Rogue v Misfits Gaming Predictions

A Contest of Equals

Rogue ended the regular split with the most wins by a team. They ended with a 14-4 record that vaulted them to the top of the leaderboard. Misfits, their opponents, didn’t do too badly either, finishing with a favourable 12-6 record.

They narrowly missed out on the second position owing to a loss in their final league game to SK Gaming. It was quite a comprehensive defeat to a side that eventually finished the spring split with a 7-11 record. Were they complacent? It’s something they would do well to answer.

Slow-starters Misfits Have Pedigree

Misfits struggled right from the get-go and saw SK opening up a slender early-gold lead into a massive one. By the end of it, SK had surged to 63.7k gold even as Misfits managed just 49.6k. This in-turn affected their team fights, with SK landing 30 kills to Misfits’ 13. SK captured 11 towers to Misfits’ 3. This was as clinical as a performance could get from the mid-table jostlers. It proved to be a wake-up call for Misfits. On the positive side, though, that game happened more than two weeks ago. Between then and now, they’ve had enough time to reflect on their spring split and enter the playoffs with renewed verve and confidence. They only need to look as far back as a game prior to that defeat to SK for inspiration. There, they overcame a 13k gold deficit to storm to victory against Fnatic.

Why Rogue Are The Outright Favourites

Against Rogue, who have momentum with them, it ain’t going to be an easy task to replicate this. They entered their final league game needing to beat G2 Esports to finish first. A loss would’ve dropped them to second. It is with this pressure that they entered their final league game and they made quite a statement.

They stormed into the game with two kills before the five-minute mark and dominated the first 10 minutes. Then they held on to the lead superbly. Midgame, G2 attempted a comeback following a successful skirmish in the bot side that gave them the bot lane tower. But Rogue held on to surge to an 8k gold lead at the end of 20 minutes.

From there on, victory was a mere formality. What has stood out for Rogue is their dominating style of play has been dotted with several different plans and they have all been opponent specific. This hasn’t allowed teams to line them up and they have often faltered in the face of their unpredictability. This factor has contributed to several key wins this spring split, which is why they’re outright favourites going into the match

Fnatic vs G2 Pick

 G2 (moneyline)

Fnatic vs G2 Esports Predictions

The Hylissang and Upset Touch To Fnatics

In making the playoffs in the manner they have, Fnatic have bounced back from an ordinary 2021 Spring Split, where they underachieved to finish with a 9-9 record. This year, they fixed the gaps, and mistakes from previously.

There has been a trend over time that is hard to ignore. They are always quick off the blocks, but the early-game aggression has tended to give way to some sloppiness, which have allowed teams breathing space when they should actually be suffocated. This hasn’t helped Fnatic much. If this hadn’t played out, it’s possible they may have won at least 16. That said, teams who put in the hard yards early and take the lead are allowed some leeway. In an intense league such as this, teams are bound to have off days.

That said, they are still a champion team that is capable of winning titles. Maybe this could be the start of a great run. As such, it’s no surprise they finished second this time around with a 13-5 record. Hylissang has been a dominating presence right through the split, having played a part in each of their 13 wins. Upset surged ahead with the best KDA in the European league, leading everyone else in the standings by a considerable margin eight weeks in.

The G2 Journey In A Nutshell

G2 Esports started wonderfully, slumped and then hit the high notes again to finish the regular split strongly. With three weeks to go, G2 saw losses piling up. They conceded a game to SK Gaming and then endured heartbreak against Fnatic. Then, after picking up a solid lead, they contrived to lose a game they should’ve won against Misfits to start week seven. Suddenly, it looked bleak, but a late surge, thanks to wins against Team BDS, where Caps contributed a dramatic Quadra kill, knocked BDS from playoff contention. This gave them momentum going into the final week, where they beat Excel and Vitality.

Yes, they lost to Rogue in their final game but the early momentum helped them finish fourth. The odds clearly favour Fnatic here, but hey, G2 aren’t perturbed by that. They’re willing to maximize your profits by hedging your bets on them. Go for it.

Excel vs Vitality Pick

 Vitality (moneyline)

Excel vs Vitality Predictions

A First For Excel

Excel have made the playoffs for the first time in their LEC history. A creditable fifth-place finish that saw them end with a 9-9 record has mainly come about thanks to the performance of their newly-acquired support Mikyx. He has played a key role in the team’s transformation after being signed midway. Since Mikyx joined, Excel managed to comfortably win more than they lost. Mikyx brings with him experience, multiple trophies from his time with G2, and of course the winning mentality that has served the team well.

Vitality Find Magic At Crucial Times In Tough Season

The season was far from ideal for Vitality, but they somehow managed to scrape through following a dominant win over last-placed Astralis in one of their final match-ups. It was a game where Vitality proved they are head and shoulders above their opponents as their team fighting and coordinated movements were completely in sync with their plans as compared to Astralis.  Their counter-engages were just as powerful with champions like Gnar, Xin Zhao, and Tahm Kench bringing plenty of crowd control and tankiness to survive their enemy bursts.

Perkz and Alphari finished with a combined 17 kills and 23 assists. They didn’t die a single time either, while Labrov had 19 assists and no deaths to boot. It only took Vitality 25 minutes to emerge winners. In coming up with a bruising performance, Vitality ensured MAD Lions were out of the race.

All said, at the start of the season, most fans would’ve expected Vitality to burst through to the top of the leader board with their star-studded roster. Instead, it was a right royal struggle to put together wins. The first half of the split ended with a 5-4 record, but they managed to hold their composure and brought their collective big-game experience to the fore to carry themselves into the playoffs. Now, it’s what happens on the day that counts. Past history, match-ups and other records may not be thrown off the window, but will not hold the most significance.

Vitality holds the aces for this one with the punters favouring them by quite a margin, but don’t expect Excel to keel over. They’re going to give this a royal fight. It’s going to be incredibly hard to predict a winner here.

How to Watch LEC 2022 Spring Split