Guangzhou Charge vs Chengdu Hunters

Last week's were quite... eventful, and we mean that in both good ways and bad. We witnessed many tremendous upsets, some of which still happen to be lingering in the back of our minds. The status quo didn't change much (if at all), but the League as a whole *did* seem to get ever so slightly more volatile and, by proxy, unpredictable.

Needless to say, we're not particularly happy for that being the case, especially given the fact that we're so close to the highly anticipated Summer Showdown. What we want is consistency and a simpler state of affairs -- one that is devoid of any huge surprises and twists that would make our lives miserable (to say nothing of our betting endeavors).

Chengdu going up against Guangzhou is, at its core, a wholly lopsided mismatch. There's a tremendous gap between them and, well, everyone knows it, too. Still, if last week's games are anything to go by, we'll probably witness a much more competitive affair than the odds would lead you to believe.

The fact that Guangzhou found a way to beat the Phidelphia Fusion -- a team many times more capable and talented -- speaks volumes. They're still a bottom-dweller, mind you, but they *are* showing signs of life. They have nothing concrete to fight for but are obviously motivated to put on a show, find a bit of redemption and, potentially, take someone down with them. They get to play spoiler which, while not necessarily all that prestigious, is still a wholly enjoyable role -- one that is devoid of any pressure or burden. They get to log in, play some Overwatch, and compete without any fear of the looming consequences. That, more often than not, serves as quite a big boon to a team's performance. Chengdu, on the other hand, still have a goal in mind and will, as a result, be a lot more rigid and tense come game day.

And, well, they, too, are flawed and inconsistent, much like the vast majority of their peers. Only Seoul and Shanghai seem to be somewhat stable, with everyone else dropping games willy-nilly. In the end, though, the only thing left for us to do is side with the favorites -- who are, by all metrics, a vastly superior team -- and hope for the best. Chengdu are currently playing some truly impressive Overwatch, and if they don't implode for whatever reason, they should definitely be able to come out on top once everything is said and done.