Chengdu Hunters vs Shanghai Dragons

Overwatch fans rejoice -- OWL is back in action! That said, much like in the recent past, it feels like almost each and every match going forward fails to entertain (at least on paper) as they lack uncertainty -- we're talking huge mismatches and one-sided beatdowns across the board.

2020 hasn't been particularly kind to Blizzard, or to the rest of the world, for that matter. They've been able to salvage things far better than most people thought they would, but it's fair to say that the season itself has lost quite a fair bit of validity and meaning with the many roster swaps, region changes, traveling, and the whole shift to an online-only format. The best teams in the world persevered primarily because they retained the best players. Those who weren't as lucky (the vast majority, to be more exact) failed to adapt in time and are suffering as a result.

This means we have a very clear Top 5, with everyone else fighting for scraps. In other words, we have around fifteen teams that are separated by the slimmest of margins. Some are obviously better than others, but they're all either fairly good or downright abysmal at this point in time. It feels like there's no in between, and with the meta constantly shifting (almost on a weekly basis), the status quo changes as well. Chaos galore.

Still, from a betting standpoint, this isn't such a bad thing after all. On the contrary. We have a very clear idea on who's good and who isn't, which means making educated guesses becomes a whole lot easier.

To start things off, we have a fairly one-sided beatdown: Shanghai Dragons vs. Chengdu Hunters. Despite all the chaos, one thing is very clear: Shanghai is a top-tier team brimming with talent, and they have what it takes to reach the Top 3 (at least) once all is said and done. They've been trading blows with the rest of the Asian teams over the last couple of months and have emerged as the best and most capable challenger, in no small part because of their staggering cohesion and mind-blowing mechanical prowess.

Chengdu Hunters, on the other hand, failed to accomplish much throughout 2020 and have already lost to Shanghai on multiple different occasions in the past. There's simply no reason why they should fare any better this time around, despite the ever-changing meta. Shanghai is better in every way, shape, and form, and they shouldn't have too big of a problem in getting the win in emphatic fashion.