faze prob 2-0 they'll just ego peek constant and win duels
Added Marshal, Yoru, Reyna tweaks
Maps
It's really difficult to predict what maps will be banned out during this series. I'm assuming Faze will ban out Haven. T1, I'm not so sure. Maybe Bind? They've only played it twice this year but they won both.
I'm pretty confident we'll see Icebox, as both teams are strong there. It will be really close, but T1 have a better track record over the past two months. So, I would give the edge to T1.
Then Bind or Split, depending on who picked Icebox and what T1 ban out. Split looks like a stronger pick for Faze, where Bind should give T1 the advantage, although Bind hasn't been played much by either team.
I think we will also see Ascent, where again both teams are very equally matched. Really could go either way. I'm hoping we see a full series and this map is played last. It should be a really spicy game.
Round Win %
T1 have an impressive average DEF win% of around 80% over their past 5 games. They play really smart and clinical. Their ATKs are pretty impressive too, averaging around 70%. Of course, the only top(ish) tier team they've played recently is C9-B.
Faze have had middling percentages - around 55% for both halves - but they really couldn't perform against the two tier 1 teams they faced (XSET & SEN), where they dropped 35/40% both halves.
Overall, T1 plays a far cleaner game. Their DEF prowess could be exactly what is required to halt Faze's 'shoot first ask questions never' approach to their ATKs.
Faze might well be able to hold T1 at bay when the roles are reversed, although chances look slim.
Player Stats
Average, All-Time player stats favour T1 across the board. They just seem to be playing a tighter game, with particularly impressive player ratings, k/d and kpr scores.
I use a multiplier to account for opponent quality when comparing recent matches, to make up for the fact that Faze hasn't played up through open quals this time. even so, T1 still look likely to top Faze on individual skill.
T1's k/d over the past 5 matches is something to behold, averaging at nearly 2.0 and peaking at a huge 4.67 (Curry vs FYB). They just don't seem to give up free kills! their set-ups and crossfires are so on point. I'm not sure Faze will know how to break those kind of precise fundamentals. That, combined with an equally impressive acs and an adr that matches Faze, I don't see how Faze get by on fragging power alone.
Prediction
Faze can undoubtedly pop off. They come across as being so hard to prepare for, as there style is hard to pin down and analyse. It certainly gives them an edge, of sorts.
Saying that, I think T1 is just the sort of team that, by their very nature, is ready for the unexpected and leave no gaps in the armour. I think T1 come out on top.
T1 2-1 (+Bind)
T1 2-0 (+Split)
T1 is good at setting up nice plays and catching rotations and playing the map beautifully. That's why they are always caught running out the clock and playing very late into the round. However, I think FaZe's sort of PUG energy will destroy T1 much as other teams have in the past, where they just peek and push often and can shut down T1's strategies before they can even get to a place to work.