New York Excelsior vs Florida Mayhem

This one could, by all means, end up being a lot more competitive than the odds would imply. The gap between Florida and New York might not be gargantuan, but it exists nonetheless. The only thing we're wondering right now is: will it end up making a difference? Will the Mayhem be able to thrive and "seal the deal" amidst such a malleable (and most flexible) meta?

That's the number one thing on our mind and, frankly, we're not quite sure what's going to happen. On the one hand, Florida have a fair bit more long-term potential along with a much higher skill ceiling. We might end up eating our words further down the line but right now, at the time of this writing, we feel like that's a fairly correct assessment.

Their games thus far have been... acceptable, if a bit inconsistent. A 1-3 loss to the Atlanta Reign can be justified — they're one of the better teams in the Overwatch League, after all. A 3-1 win over the Paris Eternal was a nice way for Florida to bounce back, although it isn't worth much in the grand scheme of things. Ditto for a clean sweep of the Vancouver Titans.

The important thing, however, is that they were able to keep up with the Houston Outlaws — a telling sign of their ability to perform and, hopefully, an indication of their talent and overall potential.

It's still way too early to make any kind of sweeping statement or prediction, but they're a solid bunch that can, by all means, pack one heck of a punch.

The New York Excelsior, on the other hand, only have a single win on the board. Then again, their schedule has been a lot more challenging than that of Florida's. They had to face the Los Angeles Gladiators and the Atlanta Reign in week one, followed by the Vancouver Titans and the San Francisco Shock. Three of those opponents are amongst the very best teams the Overwatch League has to offer. And so, naturally, it should come as no surprise that NYXL failed to move the needle and generate much buzz. They're a capable team, there's no doubt about it, although they *do*, in all fairness, have a somewhat concrete skill ceiling. They're not necessarily limited, but they won't be upending the status quo any time soon. So, if you're an old school NYXL fan, make sure to temper your expectations, lest you end up being disappointed.

In any case, we cannot help but side with the Florida Mayhem on this one. They are by no means a towering giant, but they should nonetheless be able to best New York and, in doing so, improve their (already quite respectable) record even further.