1907 Fenerbahce are Out to Claim Their Third TCL Title

The TCL does things differently than any other region in League of Legends, so it’s no surprise that they will be the last region to finish up its first split this Monday. Two-time TCL champion 1907 Fenerbahce will take on the Istanbul Wild Cats in the TCL Winter Season Finals, and this match is more even than you might realize by looking at the regular season records. Istanbul finished in fourth place with a record of 9-7, but they swept both Galakticos and Dark Passage to reach the finals. Meanwhile, Fenerbahce blitzed the league in the regular season with a 13-3 mark, yet they needed all five games to get past sixth place Team Aurora in the semifinals last week.

2020 TURKEY TCL WINTER SEASON FINALS BETTING ODDS

1907 FENERBAHCE -175

ISTANBUL WILD CATS +128

The Wild Cats did something peculiar in the regular season. They beat every team in the TCL at least once, but they could only muster a 1-1 record against seven of the other eight teams. Galakticos was the only team they were able to beat twice, and that team finished 8-8 coincidentally enough. That ability to beat any team on any given day is why Istanbul are a short favorite per the Esports betting odds in this series.

TOP LANE

HiRit is the latest Korean top laner to move over to the TCL, and he was Fenerbahce’s biggest damage dealer in the regular season. He was responsible for 28.7 percent of his team’s damage per Games of Legends, and the import player showcased a deep champion pool. HiRit spent more time on Aatrox than any other champion, but he also proved that he could play carries like Akali, Gangplank, and Lucian.

StarScreen wasn’t as much of a damage dealer, but his preferred champion was Aatrox too. He made a name for himself by playing very off meta picks like Tryndamere and Wukong into the top lane, and that versatility will be called upon in this series. StarScreen isn’t as talented as his counterpart, but his pocket picks could make a big difference.

JUNGLE

Istanbul’s Ferret made a name for himself by playing Shaco into the jungle. We have only seen the champion selected 15 times in the last six years of competitive play, and his performance was one of the best with three kills, six assists, and no deaths in a win over Fenerbahce in mid-April. He has been excellent on Trundle in the postseason with no deaths on the champion, and his Graves play has been solid too.

The player with the best name in the TCL will look to make an impact after struggling mightily against Team Aurora in the semifinals. Mojito was not impressive at all in the series, as he was dreadful on Qiyana and ended up playing four games of Sett in the narrow victory. Even then, he could only muster a paltry 9.6 percent of his team’s damage and his 45.2 percent kill percentage is awful for a jungler.  

MID LANE

Blue was electric in the mid lane for Fenerbahce during the regular season. He posted a 5.7 KDA with a 59.1 percent kill percentage, highlighting that he was able to take care of business by himself. His Syndra play was masterful, and he has played well on the traditional mid laners too.

Meanwhile, Serin was a rather unique mid laner this split. He dealt far less damage than a traditional mid laner, but he showed he could play tanks and assassins interchangeably. Serin was superb on Yasuo and Akali, yet he was dreadful on Qiyana, Azir, and LeBlanc, showcasing a boom or bust playstyle. He has been lights out in the postseason with an 11.8 KDA in the playoffs, but he just doesn’t have the same skill as Blue.

BOTTOM LANE

The biggest advantage for Istanbul lies in the bottom lane. Kaori and Pbd were a fantastic duo this season. Kaori dealt over 30 percent of his team’s damage in the regular season, and Pbd was an excellent peel support, ensuring that his AD Carry was safe. These two have ramped it up in the postseason with Kaori going deathless in five of his six matches, and he has showed that you must take fasting Senna away from him.

Bottom lane has been a roulette wheel for Fenerbahce. This team has had three different AD Carries and two different supports, but they may have found something with HolyPhoenix. He has shined over the last few months, yet his champion pool might be limited as we have only seen him play four champions in 13 matches. The support position is still a mess too, so Fenerbahce are just crossing their fingers here.

PREDICTION

For a team that went 13-3 in the regular season, there are a lot of questions for Fenerbahce. That’s why the League of Legends betting odds have moved against the favorites, and the underdog is the best play here.