Here’s how last-place TSM can still make the 2022 LCS Spring Split playoffs

Even despite their two-game winning streak, it's still a tough road to the playoffs for TSM.

Photo by Colin Young-Wolff via ESPAT/Riot Games

TSM have dug themselves into a monstrous hole to start off the 2022 professional League of Legends season. By winning only four of their first 15 games, TSM currently sit in last place in the LCS and have only three games to work with if they want to make the Spring Split playoffs.

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And even despite their historically poor start to the season, TSM are still mathematically able to reach the playoffs, thanks in part to a two-win weekend last week. Here’s how the team can qualify for the spring playoff bracket. 

To reach the spring playoffs, TSM will need to win all three of their final games this split. Should they lose even one game this weekend, they’ll be knocked out of the playoff race. An undefeated super week to close out the split would bring TSM’s record to 7-11. Right now, three teams in the LCS—Dignitas, Evil Geniuses, and Golden Guardians—have seven wins going into the super week, so they’re already at an advantage in comparison to TSM. 

With that in mind, two of those three teams must go winless during the super week for TSM to have a chance at a tiebreaker. EG and Golden Guardians will play each other on Saturday, March 26, and since someone is guaranteed to emerge from that game with their eighth win of the split, they’ll naturally shut TSM out by proxy and leave only one playoff spot left on the table. TSM will need whoever loses that game to also lose their other two games this weekend to have a chance. TSM will have to play two tiebreaker games to secure a playoff berth, according to a Reddit post made earlier today by a user named jnt250

TSM will also need Dignitas to lose all three of their games this weekend. With games against C9, Team Liquid, and 100 Thieves for Dignitas, that doesn’t seem all too impossible. Additionally, CLG and Immortals—who have also not been eliminated yet—must stay below the seven-win threshold for TSM to avoid a potential tie with either of them. 

TSM’s schedule to close out the split features games against 100 Thieves, CLG, and Liquid. Two of those teams—Liquid and 100 Thieves—have already clinched a berth in the playoffs, while CLG sit directly above TSM in the LCS standings. TSM will continue their playoff push when the LCS returns this Friday, March 25. 

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Image of Michael Kelly
Michael Kelly
Staff Writer covering World of Warcraft and League of Legends, among others. Mike's been with Dot since 2020, and has been covering esports since 2018.