Usually, at this point we could talk about which teams will be in the playoffs, and which are out of contention. The only problem is there’s such a backlog of games to play, I think EXTREMITY could come back from the dead and they wouldn’t have lost a step. These predictions are two days late, and none of the matches have even been played. Only one match was played from the last week after the predictions were released.
Or, in other words, it’s following my homework pattern: late, later, latest.
But, that means we have a full set of seven predictions this week, and that can’t be bad, right? (Don't answer that.)
Featured Match
LucK vs. Check-Six – This is the best matchup of “name” teams, but I’m not sure it’s going to be that close. These teams played each other in the eMazing Finals, and x6 won both matches in a best-of-three, 16-7 and 16-8. I’d feel a lot better predicting a close match if those scores were 16-12, or so.
LucK has a new face on the roster, Chris “lakai” Cook, formerly of EXTREMITY. He joins his former teammate, eXigenT, although I’m not sure that both (or either) will play. LucK’s roster has been Allbrook, messiaH, Loosecannon, Gutter, and 5th, usually. Maybe they can fight it out for the last spot, or kick Gutter to the gutter.
It’ll be interesting to see if lakai can give them a little spark, but I don’t think it’ll be enough, in the end. Check-Six is just going to be too much to handle, especially on a map like Train where brawwwr can AWP through train hitches, cracks, corners, nooks, crannies, fences, grates, and probably a straw if you gave him a chance.
x6 > LucK 18-12
Legerity vs. The Real Untouchables – TRU has had some roster troubles recently, and they just picked up two new players: bowser and goostoff. Don’t know much about either guy, except that Bowser has a mean fireball and he likes causing problems for Italian plumbers.
Legerity hasn’t done much this season, but I think they should be okay on Train. It’s a tough map to break in new people, and I think that’ll give them enough of an edge for a small upset.
Legerity > TRU 16-14
electrify! vs. eMazing Gaming – Early in the season, aka when elecrtrify! was somewhat active and eMg was not, this would have been a predicted win for e!. Oh, how the tables have turned! The hunter has become the hunted!
Well, maybe not, but I definitely would have predicted a win for electrify!, earlier. But eMg has been practicing more, and their results have been much, much better. Like the difference between Theo Ratliff and Kevin Garnett.
electrify! is still dangerous; jaywizzle is a good leader and they have solid strats. How much of a threat they are depends entirely on momentum and their chemistry on the map. If they’re good on the map and have natural chemistry, they still have enough talent to pull off the victory. If eMg can keep them down and doesn’t let them get momentum, it could get ugly really quick.
In the end, I think electrify! will drop the match, but it won’t be a blow-out. They’ve still got very talented riflers, even though their primary AWPer is temporarily inactive, and it’ll be those guys that keep it close.
eMg > e! 18-12
CP also lost TerroR, who, while not a super-duper-mega-uber all-star, was definitely a solid player for them throughout the season.
Hyper should take a win pretty easily heading into the playoffs.
Hyper > CP 19-11
Devastation vs. itasamassacre – It’s a massacre!
Dev > IAM 35 - 0.5 (half a point for being nice guys)
I’ve wanted to that since they got moved up, and this might be my last chance. I think they’re the only team in Invite with a name that could double as a whole prediction. A crappy, short prediction, but a whole prediction, nonetheless.
The real score won’t be that lopsided (unless IAM trades in their guns for tasers) but I do think Dev will get the win. Plain and simple, I think they’ve got more talent.
That doesn’t mean IAM is untalented, I just expect Devastation to be in the Finals or very close to it, and IAM hasn’t proven they’re up to that level yet.
Dev > IAM 19-11
recKoning vs. PK – It’s amazing how a couple 24-6 wins will improve your stock in the eyes of a predictor. Trust me, if you want to be predicted for a win, I highly recommend blowing out a couple Invite teams by about twenty rounds. It’s like Miracle-Gro for your Chia Pet.
I trust you can see where this prediction is going.
recKoning has been a little up-and-down this season, to me, but they’re my darkhorse in the playoffs. If we see the team that qualified for CEVO-P, and just ripped off those big wins, they could easily make a run at the championship. If we get the mediocre recKoning, they won’t have what it takes to get past Check-Six, in my mind.
But, that’s a story for another day. For now, they should be able to take PK, a team that’s been basically in the middle of the pack all season.
recK > PK 17-13
Mug ‘N Mouse vs. ajnin – ajnin has been struggling with “roster shifting/revamping”, which means I can say, “welcome to Invite!” You’re not really an Invite team until you go inactive, make major roster changes, or stop scrimming for no apparent reason.
Seriously.
MnM has been good all season, and they’re coming off a 16-14 win over x6 on Train. That doesn’t bode well for ajnin; I think MnM will take the match pretty easily.
MnM > ajnin 19-11
I came to a fork in the road, and I took the prediction less traveled. Along my way, I found good luck to all teams, the predicted winners winning, and the predicted losers proving me wrong.
