Los Angeles Gladiators vs Los Angeles Valiant

For our first match of the day we have an incredibly exciting clash between two Los Angeles teams - the Valiant and the Gladiators.

The last time these two teams met was in Stage 2 and the Gladiators emerged victorious with relative ease. However it was a time when the Gladiators were stringing incredible victories against the upper echelon of the Overwatch League whereas the Valiant struggled to do much - their DPS players were underperforming and their Soon + Kariv duo experiment didn't work as well as they had hoped. (which ultimately led them to finish eight in the standings) They're currently tied 1-1 in their head-to-head matchup with the Gladiators and this third outing won't be just for the bragging rights - it could have serious playoff implications as well.

The Gladiators are just one loss behind the Valiant but it's important to note that they had a slightly harder strength of schedule. (but still comparable) Both teams are entering with a fair share of momentum but the Valiant are favored ever so slightly. They're sitting comfortably at first place in the standings and even though they're tied with Boston in regards to overall win and loss record, they have an incredible lead when it comes to map differential which should be the deciding factor when the playoffs come.

The Valiant made the right changes to their roster and they're reaping the benefits. With Agilities back in the lineup they're very flexible. They have one of the best Genji players in the League along with a very frightening (and highly skilled) Tracer in Bunny who's been performing incredibly well over the last week. He's fairly independent and whenever he gets plugged into the lineup he performs at a very high level. When paired with Soon they rack up the most eliminations per 10 minutes on Tracer and the most damage per 10 minutes on Widowmaker. Perhaps the most impactful thing Bunny does is clear out the opposing backline. He was the deciding factor more often than not last week as he was able to take out both enemy supports, thus leaving his opponents without any healing.

They're incredibly hyped at the moment and with good reason, however they might be a bit overrated. Sure, they outclassed Seoul in week one but after that they never really had a big test. Their 12 map win streak (which ended against Dallas Fuel) was great on paper but it was against bottom tier teams. It's hard to realistically judge just how strong they are but they do have a ton of potential. They have a tough schedule going forward and they know that the Gladiators are vulnerable and that by beating them they will be able to keep their playoff hopes alive, perhaps even get a bye.

As for the Gladiators they're coming off a strong performance against Seoul Dynasty. They were able to overcome adversity and emerge victorious in 3-2 fashion but it's worth mentioning that Fleta was absent due to illness. Taking down Seoul is quite the task but without their biggest performer and catalyst - things get a lot easier. That said, Gladiators' hard work is obviously paying off as they're looking better with each passing week.

This probably won't be a quick match, by any stretch of the imagination. Both teams are incredibly skilled and stacked in terms of overall talent. We're going with the Valiant on this one just based off of their overall strength right now and their new roster additions. Custa in particular brings a lot of shotcalling and leadership to the team and the positive effect it had on the Valiant became obvious straight off the bat. They're far more subdued and calculated but still willing to go for those crazy plays, they're also far quicker to adapt mid series when things go awry and that virtue will surely help them going forward, perhaps even tonight.