In the e-sports world, there’s always going to be plenty of attention on Team Liquid, as they’re always contenders and looking to make a statement. However, earlier this month, there was worry that maybe, just maybe they’d suffer a disappointing finish in the LCS Lock-In. Well, for all their nervous fans out there, the good news came in that Team Liquid is still alive in the 2026 LCS-Lock In.
That’s right, last Friday Team Liquid took on Disguised and there indeed was worried that some rough, disappointing news might come in. Instead, the opposite turned out to be the case, as Team Liquid was able to post a victory in dominant fashion, recording the 3-0 win. With that victory, which Team Liquid needed in order to keep things rolling in the right direction, TL will now take on the LYON on February 27.
People can’t wait for that battle to come on Friday. LYON was also on the verge of an exit in the lower bracket, but it was able to overcome things against FlyQuest. Plenty of people thought that FlyQuest was going to be victorious and move on, but now it’s Team Liquid vs. LYON which will be taking place. So, who’s going to end up coming out on top of that one?
According to the Las Vegas odds, Liquid is a small favorite for this one, listed at -110. On the other side of things, LYON holds +125 e-sports betting odds per the top online betting sites, which tells you that things are going to be quite close here. Soon enough, Friday will get here and one of these teams will end up celebrating after advancing. This could go either way, but we’re going with Team Liquid as our pick.
Team Liquid still needs two more wins to reach the Grand Final on March 1
While there’s plenty of excitement coming for this Friday’s meeting between Liquid and LYON, keep in mind that Team Liquid still needs two more wins to reach the Grand Final on March 1. If it does win on Friday, then there will still need to be one more win to get over the line to move on to the next step. That’s of course not going to be easy, but it’s something Liquid’s fans are staying optimistic about.
The lower-bracket final will have a quick turnaround, as it’s all set to take place on Saturday. Soon enough, we will find out who will face off in that one. From our chair, things truly could go either way, in this lower-bracket semifinal dance – both sides have all the motivation in the world to move on and advance, but it’s going to be interesting to see how things play out. Analysts appear to be a bit split on how things will close out.
Looking to get in on the betting action as well? Now is a good time for us to remind you that the local sportsbooks that we work with offer up some fantastic deals for you to check out. This includes the BetOnline bonus codes and promotions, which would be wise for e-sports enthusiasts to check out as they get ready for the LCS Lock-In March 1 Grand Final around the corner.
Back to the matchup between Liquid and LYON, we’re doubling down with Team Liquid as our pick to win and move on. Then, we expect them to move on to the Feb. 28 lower-bracket final, with the hopes of then also showcasing their talents on March 1. Once again, things are not going to be easy there and there’s some extra pressure on Team Liquid to deliver, but they have what it takes to win.
In case you were wondering how things were looking on the other side of things, Cloud9 is already in the LCS Lock-In Grand Final after taking care of business against Sentinels in the upper-bracket final. Because of this, Cloud9 is ready to make a statement come March 1 and they’re going to have a ton of confidence after what it was able to accomplish leading up to things.
Things aren’t over here yet for Sentinels, though, as they’re going to have revenge on their minds. In order for them to meet with Cloud9 once again, they will have to beat the winner of Team Liquid vs. Lyon on Feb. 28. If Sentinels can then post a needed win, it will once again have the opportunity to go head-to-head with Cloud9. Will that end up happening in the coming days?
Overall, Cloud9 is understandably the favorite to win the LCS Lock-In Grand Final, with the winner of this tournament moving on and advancing to the 2026 First Stand Tournament. As you can see, there’s a lot on the line and people can’t wait to see what ends up happening. Cloud9 has a ton of focus on it as well, which will only intensify once the Grand Final gets here.
Braulio Perez is a sports writer with more than 10 years of experience in journalism. He's a graduate of Washington State University. He has covered NCAA, NFL, MLB, NBA and more for multiple publications. Braulio currently resides in New York City.