Houston Outlaws vs London Spitfire

No one's all too sure what to think of the Houston Outlaws. Coming into 2021 they were supposed to be nothing more than a feisty, mid-tier gatekeeper. Heck, maybe not even that much, based on community perception. But for one reason or another, they subverted everyone's expectations and delivered big time last week. Heck, we're putting it mildly here: the Outlaws blew our minds with some of the cleanest and most commanding Overwatch we've seen thus far in 2021.

Their 3-2 upset win over the San Francisco Shock was, simply put, an absolute masterclass. They weren't perfect, mind you, but they didn't need to be. What they did do, however, was punish and execute at the highest of levels. And boy was it a pleasure to watch. They also have wins over Dallas Fuel and the Paris Eternal, and are currently positioned at the very top of the world with a pretty darn respectable 3-0 record, with a +4 map differential. Now sure, a sample size consisting of just three matches isn't exactly enough for anyone to fully and accurately assess their overall power level and long-term potential, but it's a fairly acceptable amount that has allowed us to position them a bit more precisely amidst the twenty Overwatch League permanent partners. They still have lots to prove, of course, but if their recent performances are any indication, they're definitely going places.

And even if Houston isn't as good as it seems, even if we've all boarded the hype train a bit too soon, they should still be more than capable of beating the London Spitfire — a team without any hype or momentum whatsoever. So, naturally, we're gonna give them our benefit of the doubt on this one although, in theory, it be a lot more competitive than expected. We're still at the very start of the season and mind-boggling upsets are pretty much par for the course, so expect the unexpected!