Los Angeles Valiant vs Houston Outlaws

The first day of week four will deliver at least in one series - the Los Angeles Valiant versus the Houston Outlaws. After seeing just how well both teams played last week, we're surely in for some high quality, high octane Overwatch.

The Outlaws rebounded with a great 2-0 showing last week after falling flat against both Philadelphia Fusion and the New York Excelsior in two highly competitive five map matches in week two. Even though they don't have the greatest record right now they perform at a very high level overall and even in their losses they were just a decision or a kill away from taking the series.

That said they have a long way towards the playoffs with their mediocre 3W-3L record. They would have to win all of their remaining matches if they want to secure the 7-3 record that is necessary for reaching the playoffs. To be fair their strength of schedule was downright nightmarish as they had London, Boston, Philadelphia and New York all in a row. With so many tough opponents behind them it's not entirely impossible for them to make a run for the Top 4.

With every other Western team improving leaps and bounds as well, there isn't even a single match that they can take for granted. For the Valiant however, they only need two more wins to secure a spot in the Top 4 however it's easier said than done. While a win over the Florida Mayhem on Saturday seems like a no-brainer it's still a tough schedule for their last four matches, with Boston and Philadelphia awaiting in week five.

Overall they looked really good however they mainly faced the easiest opponents which allowed them to build up an insane map lead and a spotless 5-0 record before falling to London last week, and while the impact Bunny, Space and Custa had on this refreshed Valiant roster cannot be denied they're still showing cracks in their armor.

So the question rises - will the Outlaws be able to exploit their weaknesses as London did last week? Probably not. While the LiNkzr + Jake DPS duo still finds ways to shine on certain maps they didn't look straight out incredible last week. While a 2-0 week is a great boost for confidence and momentum it was against the eleventh and tenth ranked team in the League.

In hindsight that loss to the Spitfire could be the best thing that has happened to the Valiant this stage. They've been put on notice - they're strong with a ton of potential but they do have weaknesses, gaps in their gameplay that they need to fix before going to playoffs.

While it surely won't be an easy match it's hard not to give Valiant the benefit of the doubt. They've persevered through quite a lot so far and they only found ways to emerge back stronger. They have a very capable roster and if they prepare for the Outlaws they should by all means be able to take them down, perhaps even in a five map barnburner.