Hello everyone and welcome to another article from me talking about our season of BOL Emerald. For those who do not know me, my name is Storm or CTRL ULT ELITE. I will be the main writer for BOL Emerald and am the Top laner this year for Tilt Esports. I have been writing for BOL for several years. I have also written content for The Nameless League, CCS and Aegis, and I have published some Fantasy Hockey and Yugioh articles in the past. If you have any feedback regarding my content, let me know! I am always happy to hear from people.
With just 2 weeks remaining in the regular season BOL Emearld is in crunch mode. In some groups, the top 4 appear pretty clear whereas in other groups it is still up in the air for who claims a post-season berth. In my predictions for every team I am going to talk about how many points they can make and what the last 2 weeks look like for every team. Want to see how things are shaping up? BOLE Points check out this spreadsheet. Without further ado let's get started!
KDA Players of the Week
Name | Team and Role | KDA this week | Overall Team Record |
Synthwave | Top Laner of The Shattered Spire | 10.25 | 4-0 |
NQG Snapback | Jungler of No Quarter Gaming | 7.80 | 3-2 |
EvilZara | Mid Laner of Monkey Fever | 14.0 | 4-1 |
Necro | ADC of TTM Aegean | 28.0 | 2-2 |
SuhPorta | Support of Clown Gaming | 5.0 | 1-4 |
Predictions
Demacia
No Quarter Gaming Vs. The Shattered Spire
My Predictions: The Shattered Spire 2-0
The Shattered Spire are guaranteed a playoff spot at this point in Demacia and all but guaranteed first seed. Just showing up and playing the reminder of the season gives TSS 31 points which is near the maximum that the teams chasing them can receive. Winning just 2 games in these upcoming 2 weeks of matches not a series win a game win gives them 1st seed overall guaranteed in Demaica.
No Quarter gaming needs to be worried as this is the last series they play this season where they get points and they are practically tied in points with 2 teams who both have a lot more options to pick up some points. They are also playing the best team in this group by far so a series win is probably not happening. AKH has the head-to-head over NQG and will make more points if they show up so NGQ is looking for 4th seed in this group. For NQG to make 4th they need a game win tonight and KWM to go 0-4 over the next 2 weeks.
The Shattered Spire(TSS) has looked dominant in the group of life and tonight should be no different than normal. I am expecting TSS to win tonight 2-0. TSS is an undefeated team and absolutely smokes NQG when it comes to team stats. TSS has one of the highest KDAs in BOLE with a team-wide 4.18 compared to the 3.5 of No Quarter Gaming(NQG). TSS gets 6 more kills a game, way more assists a game, kills 3 more towers a game than NQG (TSS has the highest towers taken a game on average in BOLE) and kills more neutral objectives. TSS also makes more gold getting over 250 more gold a minute and is farming more CS a minute.As far as individual players go NQG has no players in the top 25 whereas TSS has 2. The best players this year for NQG has been Muzzrah and Gozer both of which are doing less damage than their respective counterparts(Boostus and Eros). On top of all of this NQG has lost pretty badly in their 2 losses to AK Hearts and The SpireCats two teams that The Shattered Spire easily beat. With Playoff hopes on the line NQG I think is going to go all out and show off any niche picks they have but I think TSS are just a better team and should be able to take this series cleanly.
The Spire Cats Vs. AK Hearts
My Predictions: 2-1 The Spire Cats
The Spire Cats are playing for second in this group with a series win tonight. If everything went completely pear-shaped and Cats went 0-4 there is a chance they finish 4th in Demaic but the Cats almost always ends the season in 2nd place in the group. To catch Shattered Spire it relies on them losing and Cats winning.
For AK Hearts you are nearly a lock for playoffs having the H2H record over NQG and having a point lead. A loss tonight means you are battling for ownership of the third seed against KWM. A win tonight gives you the chance to get second in this division but relies on you winning just as much in week 7 as the Cats.
AK Hearts have started to slide back in the past couple of weeks and do not appear to be the dominant team I thought they would be heading into this season. Florgato and Raijin in particular have been a weakness for this roster which is a major concern when SpireCats have one of the best bot lanes in the league. AK Hearts dropped a game to Niners Esports and they lost their last 2 series giving Kittens a chance to pass them and take the third seed. On the other hand, the SpireCats have not dropped a game since playing TSS in week 1. Every indication points to this series being a stomp but I am holding onto hope for AK Hearts if they can make the series as close as they did against TSS AK Hearts can beat anyone.Team stat wise these two teams are fairly close to one another. The Spire Cats have a slightly higher team KDA(3.76) as they die 3 times less a game as a team but AKH(3.48) gets more kills and assists on average. Both teams make very similar amounts of gold and both tend to play longer games (over 33-minute averages). Where the SpireCats have a lead in team stats is Towers taken a game and Inhibs taken a game.
As far as how the lanes matchup both teams have their strengths and play for completely different lanes. The SpireCats have had most of their success playing through POOPSOCKSBOSSMAN and iBecketti their bot lane. POOPSOCKSBOSSMAN is rated the third best player in BOLE right now with some of the highest KDAs, Kills per game and least deaths all while playing a huge variaty of different ADCs. Jihn is the only pick POOPSOCKSBOSSMAN has played more than once and has popped off on some less commonly seen ADCs like Tristana and Xayah. On the side of AK Hearts the team has been playing through their mid and jungle. Okami the mid laner of AK Hearts is the 13th best player in the league and is second in DPM behind Solo Mason. Soccer25 has been great when they have been able to play picks with carry potential and scaling like Kindred, Wukong and Diana but has not looked the best on Skarner and Sejuani. It will be interesting to see how these teams adapt and choose where to spend their resources. If POOPSOCKSBOSSMAN is left unchecked they will take over this series in front-to-back team fights. But if Okami and Soccer are dominant they have a chance to just kill POOPSOCKSBOSSMAN before he can start impacting team fights with flanks and burst damage. Storm the top laner for CATS was someone I thought was going to be some crazy split threat all season but the Cats have put him on weakside duty just like Sycoghost. Overall I think The Spire Cats should win 2-1 this evening they have a clearer game plan and consistent carry.
Kittens With Mittens Vs. Niner Esports Black
My Predictions: Kittens 2-0
KWM are heating up at the right moment. A bad start to the season starting 0-2 and they are now in playoff contention. With 2 series remaining KWM can easily pass NQG more or less a single game win probably qualifies you for a playoff seed.
Niners Esports with just 13 points cannot make playoffs. At this point, the team is playing for pride.
Tonight The Kittens With Mittens should lock themselves into the playoffs. The worry for KWM is that you have dropped arguably the best two players on your team in Vrang and Pisi. The Niners have won a single game all year and have some truly dreadful team stats. Niners are among the BOLE leaders in deaths a game, make the least gold a minute of every team in BOLE and has taken the least towers of any team in BOLE. For the Niners you need to make sure you are picking a team composition, not individual picks and get some winning lanes. KWM should be less cohesive than normal playing with 2 new players so there is a chance to take some games and show that you guys belong in Emerald.
Fools Five has the Bye
Fools Five is unable to make the playoffs. Rip Solo Mason's back muscles the backpack proves to be too heavy.
Inoina
Omega Wooper Vs. Conduit Gremlins
My Predictions: Gremlins 2-0
Omega Wooper cannot make playoffs. Even with 2 perfect weeks of games(getting Wooper 12 points) they cannot catch the top 4 teams in Inonia.
Conduit Gremlins needs just a few wins to ensure that Enigma can not catch them and they lock a top 4 finish. Just 2 game wins ensures that they are a playoff lock. A series win tonight against Wooper allows the Gremlins to challenge the second seed away from Fever in this group. The Gremlins can make it out of Ionia in first but it requires Reformed dropping a series and beating Fever.
I do not want to beat down on the bad teams in BOL but Wooper Wednesdays may be a cry for help now instead of a celebratory spamming. Wooper has struggled all season with their early game and Gremlins are probably the best early-game team in this group. Solo kills is the name of the game with the Gremlins and I think they will probably smash their way through this series tonight easily claiming a 2-0 and setting up for next week's showdown against Fever.
Dorado Gaming Epsilon Vs. Monkeys Reformed
My Predictions: 2-0 Reformed
Dorado Gaming Epsilon have Enigma hot on their heels sitting in 4th place with 21 points. A win this evening gets you a much-needed safety net in points but you are playing the team most likely to win BOLE tonight. A game win even is huge at this point as it forces Enigma to start getting into the 12-point perfect end-of-season scenarios. To ensure that DOGE locks a playoff spot they need 30 points which means they must win a series in the remaining 2 weeks.
For Reformed you have a guaranteed top 3 playoff spot as of right now. Win 2 games and you lock a top 2 spot. Win a series and you have first place all but locked up.
Reformed is getting an X-0 prediction until the top 8 at the very least. Reformed have shown themselves to be the clear favourites to win BOLE dominating an incredibly hard group and dropping just 2 games. Sorry DOGE but you had to play Reformed at some point ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Team stat wise DOGE has some concerns they are only killing 5 towers a game on average which is less than you need to win. The teams also have the same CS a game scores but Reformed is ending games almost 3 minutes faster. Reformed has one of the highest KDAs in the league they die only 16 times a game compared to the 23 of DOGE. Dorado has been relying on Hybrid Carry and Pola their ADC and jungle to win games this season. I feel PacaPaul and MustForgiveMe are better players their stats certainly are.
The Shadow Cows Vs. Optimal Esports Enigma
My Predictions: Optimal Esports 2-1
The Shadow Cows cannot make the playoffs in BOLE as they have the lowest amount of points of any team in BOLE with 9.
Optimal Esports with 17 points needs every point they can get their hands on and must win their next 2 series to make the playoffs. A win tonight does nothing to guarantee your chances even a 2-0. DOGE are the team it looks most likely for you to catch and you play them in week 7. If DOGE wins against Reformed it forces your team to go undefeated to force a tiebreaker. Catching the Gremlins requires them to go 0-4 over the next 2 weeks as they have the H2H record over OEE.
If OEE cannot 2-0 the Shadow Cows they truly deserve to be made fun of and I will seriously be shaken in my ability to predict good league teams. TSC honestly have had a terrible BOLE season in the group of Death that is Ionia. TSC has a single-game win this season in BOLE and has been getting astro-stomped by enemy teams. TSC lead the league in deaths a game(giving them a terrible team KDA), farms the least CS a minute of any team and have taken the second least amount of towers and inhibs of any team. OEE has also been terrible they somehow are taking less dragons a game than TSC and make less gold a minute despite farming way better. Honestly we need to see how this new OEE roster performs. I have TSC taking a game chaotic fighting is probably not the environment you want for testing out a new roster and TSC I feel can take a game.
Monkeys Fever Has the Bye
With a 4-1 record and 25 points Fever is guaranteed a playoff spot. Even though many teams technically can catch them in points series score is the first ranking set. Playing Conduit next week you are playing for the second seed.
Noxus
Syndicate Crashouts Vs. Maelstrom Esports
My Predictions: Syndicate 2-0
Noxus is the group with the tightest point spread between the teams. For Syndicate their playoff seed is currently locked. Winning this series tonight(or winning next week) guarantees a top 3 finish(and almost always a top 2 finish).
Maelstrom cannot make the playoffs as they have 12 points.
This should be an easy 2-0 Syndicate is one of the few teams I think can win BOLE this season and Maelstrom has been struggling this entire season. The Crashouts have some of the best individual players and laners in this league getting an advantage is what this team does and honestly sounds like Maelstrom's worst nightmare.
Xg Raaoksr Vs. Final Boss Rebirth
My Predictions: XG 2-0
XG has a guaranteed top 3 in the Noxus as they are undefeated having 28 points. Winning a series means XG locks the first seed in Noxus. Winning 2 games also locks XG for the first seed overall. Lose every game XG remains still as the third seed overall in this group they are that far ahead.
Final Boss Rebirth is in a very close playoff race having 19 points. They are currently tied with the Star Weavers(do not have the H2H) and have yet to play two of the other playoff locks. Rebirth simply just needs more points than TFF & the Star Weavers somewhere around the 30-point mark which requires them to go 4-0 or 4-1. They also are trying to do this against the Crashouts and XG so good luck! If Rebirth loses tonight they must have TFF win to catch the Star Weavers. If the Star Weavers win tonight they must lose 0-2 to Alpha for Rebirth to have a chance to advance.
XG has yet to drop a game let alone a series so why would they start now? Rebirth I think is a weak team they have lost every series to the other playoff teams only winning over Maelstrom and Alpha. Stats back this up XG has a 5.36 KDA compared to the 3.1 of FBR. You can list a stat and XG is better at it even Inhibs taken where FBR is 4th(and their only stat in the top 5) XG is ahead of them at 2nd. XG should have an easy 2-0 this evening locking them into first in Noxus and giving them a good draw for the top 16.
TFF Aftershock Vs. Dynasty Star Weavers
My Predictions: TFF 2-0
TFF has 2 points on the teams below them and is 3 points from catching Syndicate. A series win gets you into the playoffs in like 95% of scenarios. Game wins are no real guarantee with how close you all are in points. Playing the two teams that you are competing against means it is all on TFF. 2 wins locks you a top 3 spot obviously but does not guarantee a top 2 finish.
The Star Weavers are fighting for a playoff seed having 19 points. Points are huge at this point every game win is a massive increase in the chance to make the playoffs. 2 game wins make it possible to get playoffs but you need a series win to guarantee anything. Playing Alpha next week means that there is a higher chance of you advancing as that team is not very good it appears.
With Rutledge back in mid-lane and having a dominant performance along with the rest of TFF I think that they easily lock a playoff spot and are going to brutalize the rest of their remaining schedule I honestly think TFF will be the only team to challenge XG in this group. Sure the Star Weavers have looked good recently but the top 3 teams in this group are simply on another level. The stats back this up TFF gets more towers, neutral objectives, and makes more gold despite having a shorter game average. The only place where the Star Weavers have an advantage in stats is KDA where they die a lot less and those numbers for TFF have been rough this year due to their star players being subbed out. Tonight should be TFF showing that Rutledge teams are a playoff lock as always. Wock Warlock the new top laner for TFF also looks quite good being a very strong side-oriented player giving TFF another lane to play towards and letting Keorra play mages like he has enjoyed without over-indexing TFF into magic damage.
Final Boss Alpha
Making playoffs is incredibly unlikely for Alpha. There is only 1 scenario in which Alpha makes the playoffs and it involves them getting in over the Star Weavers and Rebirth. For Alpha to make playoffs they need TFF to win tonight 2-0 over the Star Weavers and Alpha then must win 2-0 over the Star Weavers in week 7. If Star Weavers wins a single game Final Boss Alpha can no longer catch them as their max points possible is 23. They also need rebirth to go 0-4 as well to force a tiebreaker. Alpha cannot catch TFF no matter the scenario.
Freljord
Elysian Thunder Raptors Vs. TTM Aegaeon
My Predictions: TTM 2-1
The Thunder Raptors are currently tied with Mint for 4th and Mint has the H2H record over them. Mint has played more games however so ETR just needs more points overall. A series win gets ETR a playoff spot-locked. Winning games does not guarantee anything unless Mint loses to ICE tonight.
TTM in the third seed currently needs to win just 1 game to lock a playoff spot realistically. A single-game win gives them 25 points guaranteeing them over Mint(as they have the H2H) but technically HydroPump could catch them. Winning a series guarantees it.
Both TTM and ETR are competing for the remaining 2 spots in the Freljord. These two teams probably end the season in third and fourth seed in this group so tonight your matchup is incredibly important as you are playing for third seed to avoid and 1st seed teams in the first round. Both these teams got destroyed by On Ice, beat HydroPump easily but Mint lost to TTM so I think they should be the favorite. TTM has a slight edge in every stat taking slightly more towers(around 0.5 a game more), the two teams both take 2 dragons a game on average, and TTM has slightly higher KDA and CS numbers.
HydroPump Zebra Vs. Tilt Esports
My Predictions: N/A
HydroPump Zebra despite being in 6th has a chance to make the playoffs. It is really unlikely as they need to pick up some serious points and play the best two teams(Tilt tonight and On Ice the next week) in their division but maybe they can get there.
Tilt being 2nd with 25 points has all but guaranteed the second seed in the Freljord Division. Winning just a single game guarantees Tilt second place. If Tilt goes 0-4 they would still be 4th seed as HydroPump does not have enough points to catch them. Tilt to make first seed would be relying on ICE to drop a series to either Mint or HydroPump.
Again I play for Tilt and do not enjoy writing about the teams I play on. My teammates have assured me that we have perfected our communication issues with some new tech. When fighting immediately start braking and growling into your mic like an angry dog. Meowing means that you have backed off. Wolf howls means we are hitting the objective and finishing it. I am unsure how well it will work tonight but will report back next week and hopefully provide clips.
Mint Gaming Mafia Vs. Elysium on Ice
My Predictions: 2-0 On Ice
Mint has 19 points currently and needs to beat ICE this evening to get into the postseason. Losing tonight eliminates them in almost every scenario. Mint even with a win this evening still do not guarantee themselves a playoff spot as TTM and ETR can still pick up more points. The two teams even play each other this week so one is guaranteed to pass you.
ICE has all but guaranteed the first seed in the Freljord. ICE just needs to keep winning and they are the number 1 seed overall.
ICE with their win last week showed that they are the best team in this group and ICE has the elite stats to back this up. Mint has lost to teams that ICE bodied so Mint are the underdogs this week. ICE has the highest team KDA in BOL at 5.58, get the most CS a minute of any team, gets 3.7 Dragons a game and make 4000 more gold a game than Mint despite having a minute shorter average game time. The highest rated player on this mint Team is ranked 92nd. ICE does not have a player below the top 30. ICE should lock first tonight easily and eliminate Mint from BOLE.
Clown Gaming Blood Moon has the Bye
Clown cannot catch any of the teams in the top 4 as they have just 1 series remaining and only 15 points. I wish this team had a consistent roster this year as they won more games than any other 7th seed and are not a free win unlike the other 7 seeds.
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