LCS 2021 Mid-Season Showdown Winners’ Bracket Round 1 Matchup Odds and Picks – Cloud9 Favored Over 100 Thieves
By Matthew Hempstead in eSports
Published:
- The LCS Mid-Season Showdown begins on March 20th with the grand finals taking place on April 11th
- The six best teams from the 2021 LCS Spring Season are competing for a spot at the Mid-Season Invitational
- Cloud9 and Team Liquid are the favorites in their respective Winners’ Bracket Round One matchups
Following a six week long Spring Season, the LCS Mid-Season Showdown gets underway with a single spot at the Mid-Season Invitational on the line. The Mid-Season Showdown begins on March 20th with Round 1 of the Winners’ Bracket. Cloud9 and Team Liquid are the two strongest NA teams according to the LoL World Championship Tracker, and they’re both favorites in their respective opening playoff matchups.
Let’s take a look at the odds for LCS Mid-Season Showdown Winners’ Bracket below.
LCS Mid-Season Showdown Round 1 Odds
| March 20, 2021 | Map Handicap | Total Maps | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSM | +1.5 -163 | O 4.5 +162 | +137 |
| Team Liquid | -1.5 +120 | U 4.5Â -225 | -188 |
| March 21, 2021 | Map Handicap | Total Maps | Moneyline |
| Cloud9 | -1.5 -110 | O 4.5Â +175 | -250 |
| 100 Thieves | +1.5 -125 | U 4.5Â -250 | +175 |
Odds taken March 19th at bet365
Cloud9 vs 100 Thieves
A month ago, this 100 Thieves versus Cloud9 matchup would have had a lot more intrigue. So much can change in just a few weeks of the LCS. 100 Thieves got off to a perfect 4-0 start and appeared to be one of the top contenders in the 2021 Spring Season. In weeks three and four, they ran into some difficulties, which prompted them to make a swap in the mid lane.
100 Thieves appear to be back in the ‘figuring things out’ phase, while their opponents might have already accomplished that. Cloud9 finished the regular season in first place with a 13-5 record heading into the LCS Mid-Season Showdown. It wasn’t perfect, but they were the most consistent team and have shown the ability to win the game through all three lanes.
Cloud9 has a ton of playoff experience, with players like PerkZ facing the pressure of a World Championship final. In their short time together, this roster has already shown the resiliency needed to compete in best-of-fives. Going back to LCS Lock-In, Cloud9 constantly fell into an 0-2 deficit, only to comeback and force a do-or-die game 5.
You can truly never count Cloud9 out of a playoff series. However, against 100 Thieves, it probably won’t get that far this time around. Cloud9 appears to be a far superior team heading into the weekend. At -250, take the favorites in Cloud9 and expect them to win in three or four games.
Pick: Cloud9 (-250), U4.5 (-250)
Team Liquid vs TSM
The second match in Round 1 of the LCS Mid-Season Showdown presents a lot more intrigue. Team Liquid enters as the slight favorite and they’ve shown steady improvement over the course of the Spring Season. Liquid is 7-2 over their last nine games, and a lot of that can be attributed to further practice with Santorin in the jungle. He’s been able to continuously build chemistry with his solo laners. Especially, Alphari who has been the strongest point for Team Liquid through the regular season.
.@Alphari So honored to have you here at TL and part of the family and team, congrats on this incredible achievement. pic.twitter.com/D3TOMkNt9X
— Team Liquid Steve (@LiQuiD112) March 17, 2021
He’s been an absolute force in the top lane, accruing a gold differential at ten minutes of 493. That’s a massive lead to have just ten minutes into the game, and for the most part, he’s been able to translate that advantage to the rest of the map.
The concern for Liquid is their head-to-head record against TSM during the Spring Season. TSM is 2-0 against Liquid in 2021 Spring, and that includes a nail-biting 40-minute win in week 4.
TSM are the slight underdogs entering this matchup, and a lot of that can be attributed to a couple of losses to weaker teams in the second half of Spring. Both TSM and Team Liquid finished with a 12-6 record, so this series should be close. Given Liquid’s individual strength across their lanes, they should be able to build enough advantages to defeat TSM.
Despite the head-to-head struggles against TSM, I believe that Team Liquid is still an overall stronger team. This one could definitely go the distance but stick with the slight favorites in TL at the LCS Mid-Season Showdown.
Pick: Team Liquid (-188), O4.5 (+162)
eSports Writer
Growing up, Matthew was in love with sports. So, following his undergrad, it only made sense to dive head-first into the world of sports media. Rather than sticking to traditional sports, Matt found his way to eSports and gaming. He also produces, edits and serves as an analyst for SQUAD.
