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Most of the world’s major regions are moving into week eight and ironing out the end of the playoff races.
The best teams have managed to separate themselves from the pack already. For the few teams that haven’t quite made the jump, week eight is likely their last chance to make their mark. The good news is, several of those teams have exactly the right match up to prove themselves this week:
SK Telecom T1 vs. Afreeca Freecs
When: Wednesday, March 15 at 4 a.m. Eastern
How: LCK1
Why: The last time these two teams played, SKT got their only loss of 2017 so far. Along with their two victories against Samsung Galaxy, that makes the Freecs 3-1 against the top three teams in the league. Afreeca Freecs may not win this series, and with the overwhelming amount of talent in LCK it has been easy to overlook any team outside of the top three. But the truth is Afreeca Freecs are likely to be the team the rest of the league wants to avoid early in playoffs and it may be time to start paying a little more attention to them.
H2K vs. Unicorns of Love
When: Friday, March 17 at 12 p.m. Eastern
How: EULCS1
Why: These two teams have had their places in EU pretty firmly planted. The only remaining question is likely to be which is third seed and which is fourth going into playoffs. This series is the last chance for either to prove they deserve the spot. With Unicorns of Love winning the first time, H2K is going to come out with something special for their toughest group opponent.
G2 vs. Misfits
When: Friday, March 17 at 2 p.m. Eastern
How: EULCS1
Why: The two teams H2K and UOL are trailing also play this week. Last time G2 and Misfits played G2 narrowly came out on top. However, since then Misfits has looked better every week. This is likely to be the last shot anyone has at breaking G2’s undefeated streak, and if there is a team to do it, it would be Misfits.
Royal Never Give Up vs. Team WE
When: Saturday, March 18 at 4 a.m. Eastern
How: LPL1
Why: Royal Never Give Up have proven to be a step ahead of their LPL competition. The only team left to compete with them is Group B’s first place Team WE. This series should mark the perfect kick off to move the LPL into its second half.
Team Liquid vs. Phoenix1
When: Saturday, March 18 at 6 p.m. Eastern
How: NALCS2
Why: The sudden addition of Doublelift has shaken up every bit of the North American LCS, but we still don’t know quite how much of a difference the league’s most famous AD Carry will make for Team Liquid. With playoffs looming and still with a less than stellar record, this is going to be a must win game for Team Liquid. Phoenix1 on the other hand are coming in hot from a 4-0 week that put them back in the hunt for a second seed in playoffs.