Houston Outlaws vs Florida Mayhem

Yet another truly volatile match-up -- one that is unpredictable as it gets!

On paper, there's a pretty concrete gap between these two teams. It's not necessarily insurmountable -- nor is it something that cannot be narrowed through good preparation and immaculate execution -- but one could argue that it exists nonetheless. The Houston Outlaws started things off with a bang by taking down one of the very best teams around: Dallas Fuel.

And, well, it wasn't just a win but a clean sweep, too! That's the most impressive part. Their second outing wasn't nearly as impressive. In fact, it was quite baffling, in all fairness. To beat Dallas and then drop to Toronto simply doesn't make any sense. Still, at least they went the distance so the loss itself is easier to swallow.

Florida looked about the same, with a 1-3 loss to Atlanta (hardly a surprise) and a 3-1 shellacking of Paris Eternal. They're very capable and will definitely pose a concrete threat for the upper echelon of the Overwatch League. Just how good they really are still remains to be seen, but they should not be underestimated whatsoever. In fact, with the playing field being pretty darn leveled, it's fair to say that *both* teams have a shot at emerging victorious.

The Outlaws might have a higher skill ceiling (although that, too, is up for debate) but they're still a long way away from realizing their inherent potential. Their line-up is a somewhat strange but still potent. Dante and Pelican are absolutely amazing but they *do* have many of the same strengths and their hero pools overlap as well. PIGGY is a great tank but he's not as versatile and, depending on how the meta evolves, he might become a weak point. There are so many things and factors and intangibles lingering in the air that it's quite impossible for us to truly (and confidently) make any kind of prediction.

There's still no entrenched status quo at the time of this writing although that, too, will change in a few weeks' time.

The Mayhem are a lot more well-rounded, but one could argue that they don't have as much potential. That's why this particular match-up is so darn frustrating: both teams have a shot and both are well-equipped to come out ahead and get another win on the board.

The odds on Florida upsetting are extremely alluring. So, if you're the adventurous type, you might as well put your money on the underdog and hope for the best. We, for one, still lean towards the Outlaws. They might not be *that* much better than the Mayhem (assuming they're even better at all), but we still think they'll huddle up and put on a phenomenal performance. That being said, there are no guarantees whatsoever at this point in time so just keep that in mind.