eSports

Esports: LEC Spring Sunday match previews

bet365 News Team Updated: Mar 26 2023 13:17 Published: Mar 26 2023 13:01

This year the LEC mixed things up a bit by dividing their season into three splits - the LEC Winter, the LEC Spring and the LEC Summer.

The first of those splits has already passed - G2 Esports sank MAD Lions 3-0 in the LEC Winter final - and the LEC Spring is now also gathering pace.

The event has begun with ten teams competing in a single round-robin regular season before the top eight move along to a group stage, separating the remaining sides into two sections of four.

The top four teams from the group stage then move on to the playoff phase and compete in a knockout bracket in best-of-five matches with the overall winners securing a spot at the Mid-Season Invitational 2023 and the LEC Finals 2023.

As it stands, the LEC Spring is in the initial regular season but there are only two more days of gameplay before we discover which eight sides will progress to the group stage.

SK Gaming can heap misery on MAD Lions

What	SK Gaming v MAD Lions
Where	Berlin
When	1PM ET, Sunday March 26
How to watch	LEC Twitch channel
Odds	SK Gaming -138, MAD Lions +100

How the mighty have fallen.

In the LEC Winter 2023 at the very start of the year, MAD Lions were one of the teams to beat, finishing second in the regular season with a 7-2 record and then making it through to the Grand Final in the playoffs, succumbing to G2 Esports in the end.

It was a remarkable run but it now looks as though that may have been a one-off with the team struggling to make a similar impact in the LEC Spring.

Indeed, MAD Lions are rock bottom of the standings with a 2-5 record and are at risk of even missing out on the group stage.

They are on course to nearly double the number of deaths they racked up in the LEC Winter and are on course to finish the split with a death tally of around 150.

As for SK Gaming, another win for them will secure a spot in the group stage, so they have as much incentive as their opponents and, given the current form of these sides, they are the best bet to prevail at -138.

Expect Vitality to ease past Heretics

What	Team Vitality v Team Heretics
Where	Berlin
When	3PM ET, Sunday March 26
How to watch	LEC Twitch channel
Odds	Team Vitality -450, Team Heretics +300

Team Heretics are not enjoying a good LEC Spring campaign, having won only two of their seven regular-season matches so far, but they are just about hovering above the bottom two and are still in contention to make the group stage.

They will more than likely be relying on other results on Sunday, though, as they face a strong Team Vitality team, who are -450 to come out on top.

Vitality have lost their last three matches but they were against strong G2 Esports, Astralis and BDS sides and they can bounce back with a win in this one.

Their match price does not offer a lot of value, though, so punters should look at backing them on the kill handicap at -9.5 on map one at -120.

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Title-chasing G2 Esports the team to beat

What	Fnatic v G2 Esports
Where	Berlin
When	4PM ET, Sunday March 26
How to watch	LEC Twitch channel
Odds	Fnatic +275, G2 Esports -400

Defending LEC Winter champions G2 Esports once again look unstoppable in the LEC Spring, having posted a 5-2 win-loss record this campaign, already securing a spot in the group stage as a result.

They also performed well in the regular season of the LEC Winter but it was later in the campaign that they came to life, topping their section in the group stage and spanking MAD Lions 3-0 in the Grand Final.

They are a force to be reckoned with and that is clear to see in their -400 price to beat Fnatic.

With a 3-4 record to their name, Fnatic have to be careful and will be looking over their shoulder in the LEC Winter regular season, but they are unlikely to make a mark in this game, with G2 Esports a decent bet at -9.5 on the first-map kill handicap at -120.