G2 Esports vs. MAD Lions: 2021 LEC Summer betting analysis

The 2021 LEC Summer Split kicks off with a new chapter in the formative G2 Esports vs. MAD Lions rivalry. 

Fans won’t have to wait for one of the most anticipated matches in European League of Legends. Defending champions MAD Lions and G2 are set to face off, with the former looking to prove that their spring championship was no fluke and the latter looking to reclaim the throne. G2 Esports s expected to enter the split hungry while MAD Lions might have a slower start to the split after the intense schedule of the 2021 Mid-Season Invitational. 

As the teams enter Summoner’s Rift for this match, it will be all about who gets momentum. Both teams are known for being playmakers and there will only be room for one team to dictate the game. G2 Esports will likely try to play through mid and bot while MAD Lions could put its focus pretty much anywhere. After MSI, it was clear that the big decider for MAD Lions is the young jungler Javier “Elyoya” Batalla who can be scary in the opening minutes of the game. 

For G2’s Marcin “Jankos” Jankowski, this means that he has to be put on a comfort champion to keep up. It’s also a possibility that Jankos will pull out a new pick that the team has practiced during the break, which could surprise MAD Lions and interrupt the game plan. After all, G2 has had plenty of time to practice behind the scenes while MAD Lions had to show all its cards at MSI. 

For the bot lane, G2 Esports will likely be as consistent as ever as they were during the spring split. The biggest struggle for G2 was to stay coordinated in team fights, something that has previously been a strength of the team. After acquiring Martin “Rekkles” Larsson, G2 has been without a clear leader to call the shots. This might change this summer with the squad having more time to practice together, which may be a scary prospect for other European teams. 

If everything finally falls into place for G2, fans are likely looking at a very scary team. If not, then teams like MAD Lions and Rogue have another chance at taking a trophy. For this first match between G2 and MAD Lions, anything can happen. G2 will have renewed energy, but MAD Lions might have gained confidence after its respectable showing on the international stage. 

G2 Esports vs. MAD Lions rosters

G2 Esports roster: 

• Top – Martin “Wunder” Hansen
• Jungle – Marcin “Jankos” Jankowski
• Mid – Rasmus “Caps” Winther
• Bot – Martin “Rekkles” Larsson
• Support – Mihael “Mikyx” Mehle

MAD Lions roster: 

• Top – İrfan “Armut” Tükek
• Jungle – Javier “Elyoya” Batalla
• Mid – Marek “Humanoid” Brázda
• Bot – Matyáš “Carzzy” Orság
• Support – Norman “Kaiser” Kaiser

G2 Esports and MAD Lions in a completely even match

Not only is this matchup close on paper, but for bettors it will also be hard to predict which version of each team shows up on the day. For MAD Lions, it will be a question of keeping up its momentum from MSI. After a packed schedule in the first half of 2021, there’s a chance that MAD Lions need a break and can’t perform at full strength. There’s also a chance that a semifinal run at MSI has empowered MAD Lions beyond what fans saw in the spring. This makes the matchup very hard to predict, especially because of G2’s inconsistency during the last split. Usually, G2 would be the clear favorites here but those days might be over. 

A win for G2 Esports gives an odds of 1.84 while a win for MAD Lions gives almost exactly the same at odds 1.86. It’s rare to see odds this close in a best-of-one, so there will be a lot of room for excitement in this one.

The match between G2 Esports and MAD Lions will open the LEC split on Friday, June 11.