NRG vs Team Liquid Prediction: Heat in the Lower Bracket Finals of LCS

• In the last playoff match, NRG beat Team Liquid 3-1 and went on to advance through the upper bracket semifinals by beating Golden Guardians before finally losing to reigning champions Cloud9
• On the other hand, Team Liquid fought back through the lower bracket, defeating 100 Thieves, Evil Geniuses, and Golden Guardians to find themselves facing NRG again.
• The two teams will play each other again, for a final shot at LCS Gold, with the winner facing the seemingly unstoppable Cloud9 in the Grand Finals

NRG vs Team Liquid Pick

• Our Pick: Team Liquid to win

NRG vs Team Liquid Prediction

The last time NRG played Team Liquid, they were the underdogs on the odds. However, they were able to put in a decent performance and emerge victorious with a 3-1 scorecard. However, it is important to note that Team Liquid made a few mistakes in the early game that allowed NRG to build up an early lead and make a break for it. Since that loss, Team Liquid has made the right adjustments. In their next few games, they beat 100 Thieves, Evil Geniuses 3-1, and Golden Guardians 3-1.

NRG can make a tempting betting proposition as they have consistently been ranked the underdog throughout the season and still caused upsets to practically every single top-tier team in this tournament except Cloud9. Considering the players from NRG and their past successes in the LCS, they have been consistently a mid-table presence.

In the present season, they’ve quickly capitalized on their opponents’ mistakes and broken away to victory. While this isn’t a knock on NRG, it remains to be seen how they will hold it together against a team that is consistent. As we saw in their match against Cloud9, their strategy quickly came apart, and they lost 3-0. 

With Team Liquid’s newfound stability and consistency, it is hard to see how NRG adapts and finds opportunities when Team Liquid makes a concerted effort to prevent mistakes. However, the odds can tilt in favor of NRG as they will be playing a five-round contest, and as more time passes, it will get harder and harder for Team Liquid to stay consistent and avoid mistakes in the later rounds. 

Previous Meetings

The last playoff match between NRG and Team Liquid held on June 29, 2023, started off well for the former. The first game was 45 minutes long, and NRG, like they have grown accustomed to doing, could capitalize on minor tactical errors by Team Liquid to take the win at the end. Former CLG player Palafox took home MVP honors from the day, as he was crucial in helping NRG get to a 3-1 win. 

In the first match, Team Liquid had a KDA score of 7/21/15, while NRG fared much better with 21/7/62. NRG also acquired 86.4K gold in contrast to Team Liquid’s 75.6. The early strategic errors allowed NRG to destroy a total of 11 towers over the game, while Liquid could only manage three. In the second game, Team Liquid performed much better, with a KDA of 15/20/28, almost on par with NRG’s 20/15/44. Their gold stats were well matched, too, with 62.9K for Team Liquid and 65.9K for NRG. 

The third game from this match is the most crucial one to consider, as Team Liquid took the fight to NRG with a KDA of 20/20/42 to rival NRG’s 20/20/55. Therefore, with gold being the deciding factor, Liquid worked hard to acquire 69.7K gold to get ahead of NRG’s 64K. The deciding factor would be the towers, as Team Liquid destroyed a massive 11, 9 more than NRG’s 2. If Team Liquid is able to apply the learnings from this game in their upcoming match, then getting the win will be a foregone conclusion. 

NRG to Be on Their Toes

Over the course of the entire tournament, NRG has an average of 13.8 kills and 13.7 deaths per game. Additionally, they have a win rate of 62.5% when ahead at fifteen minutes. This speaks volumes to their opportunistic playstyle. If Team Liquid makes even the slightest tactical error, NRG will make them pay for it. On the flip side, if Liquid is able to bring their A-Game, it’s hard to see how the match would not go in their favor.

NRG’s most interesting statistic is their ratio of wins to losses while playing as the blue and red sides, respectively; with blue, they have six wins and three losses, while with red, it’s the opposite, with three wins and six losses. If we’ve learned anything from their last couple of meetings, it’s that towers will be a crucial aspect of the game that cannot be ignored by either side, particularly by NRG, as they can set up the kind of distractions they need to sneak into the lead early.

Team Liquid Looks For Consistency

Team Liquid’s last loss to NRG seems to have shaken things up for them, as they have been on an absolute tear ever since, not losing a single game. Now, they’re in a position to avenge the loss and redeem themselves against NRG.

They are the better team on paper, with an average of 13.2 kills and 9.3 deaths per game. However, their success will be decided by their ability to stick to the game plan over five games and not make any unforced errors. 

How to Watch NRG vs Team Liquid

• Teams: NRG vs. Team Liquid
• Location: USA
• Time: Saturday, August 19, 2023
• How to Watch: Twitch