ESB ProVision: Swiss Stage Preview

With the Swiss Stage commencing, ProVision by ESB is here to discuss some opening games and what we could expect when watching them.

Swiss Stage Preview | League of Legends ProVision

Swiss Stage Explained 

The Swiss Stage consists of sixteen teams. Teams at this stage aim to get three wins before they get three losses, which will see the team advance to the knockout stage. Only eight teams will make it through to the knockout rounds. Each round concludes with another draw for the next matchday because each team must play against another team with the same record. The first draw of the Swiss Stage has given us some great matchups. Let’s dive into a few of them.

Game 1 – HLE VS PSG

HLE is a formidable team. They finished first in the LCK playoffs and were consistent throughout. They only ever lost to GEN.G, who they bounced back against in the finals to win 3-2. This is what saw them qualify as the first-place seed to Worlds.

From the four teams that made it to the Swiss Stage from Play-Ins, it is a fair assumption that PSG will be the toughest for the pool-one teams to beat. Despite losing to MDK during Play-Ins, PSG tends to play to the level of their opponent and can often take games in a series. A great example is MSI earlier this year. They took two games in a series against BLG, eventually losing 3-2. But then, they can be inconsistent and unpredictable. At the same tournament, they were crushed 3-0 by G2.

The Prediction 

For our first Lol Words betting prediction, we expect a HLE win in this match, but PSG could use the momentum from Play-Ins to come out swinging. The odds are stacked in HLEs favour, with current odds of 1/10 across Bzeebet and Betiton. Meanwhile, PSG have odds of 24/5 on both platforms. (Odds are subject to change)

Game 2 – FLY VS GAM

Both teams look set to focus on their top, mid, and jungle players. These players are standout performers for both teams in their regions, so it makes sense to play around them. As a result, we expect an explosive game centred on fast early-game timings. Primarily, it will be 3v3 fights around the void grubs in the early game.

The Prediction 

Our prediction is a FLY victory. They have the stronger individual players and footage of GAM from Play-Ins to prepare better. This will allow them to mitigate threats and losses against this fast-paced GAM team. The odds across Bzeebet and Betiton also back this prediction up currently. FLY has odds of 12/15, while GAM is 3/2 on both sites. (Odds subject to change)

Game 3 – TES VS T1

To date, T1 has had a challenging year. Qualifying as the fourth seed from the LCK is different for them and shows their inconsistencies this year. Their roster remains formidable, with the likes of Zeus and Gumayusi performing well no matter the meta or the performance level of those around them. This year, we have seen Faker and Keria struggle with the meta and perform below their usual standards. Despite this, they are two of the best players in their roles and will likely step up when needed.

TES qualified as the second seed from the LPL. Their roster includes some strong players and previous Worlds winners. Based on recent performances, the LPL MVP Tian will roll over Oner in the jungle. In the mid-lane, Creme has been growing in influence and quality on this TES roster. He may be able to go toe-to-toe with Faker now.

The Prediction 

Each team has a contrasting trend at international tournaments. TES is known for starting well and dropping off in the latter stages, whereas T1 is known for starting slowly but improving as the tournament goes on. We predict TES will win here. The odds across Bzeebet and Betiton expect a close game, with both teams offering the same 17/20 odds (Odds subject to change).

Game 4 DK VS FNC

Coming into this game, there is one area where you can see that DK has a slight advantage. This is when it comes down to team fights; DK has more cohesiveness. FNC often struggle to get on the same page regarding team fights and macro. This could be the primary component that pushes DK to victory, as DK will simply outplay FNC in the side lanes and use these macro advantages to push to victory.

Despite that analysis, FNC are no pushovers and will likely put up a fight in this match. However, it heavily depends on the form of the FNC players. On an individual level, they can match up to the DK players. The recurring issue for FNC is they can only sometimes have all players playing well simultaneously. Any chance of winning will disappear if they can’t do that here. The mid-lane matchup will be a great one to watch. If Humanoid can get an advantage over Showmaker, it could help snowball FNC to victory.

The Prediction

This is the most challenging game to predict. Both teams have similar play and power levels. It could go either way, but despite this, we predict DK will be the safer bet going into this. They are favourites with odds of 25/8 across Bzeebet and Betiton for a DK win. FNC has odds of 21/10. (Odds subject to change)

Final Thoughts 

To conclude, the Swiss Stage has some exhilarating games to entertain and keep you on the edge of your seat. We can’t wait to see what other games it will bring us going forward and who the remaining eight teams that make it to the knockout stages will be.

If you liked the thoughts and analysis on this page, check out our ProVision YouTube channel for more.