Philadelphia Fusion vs Houston Outlaws

For our third match of the day we have a fantastic clash between the Philadelphia Fusion and the Houston Outlaws. This is an incredibly exciting match-up that never really disappoints. Both teams have fantastic fundamentals but are also able to "think outside of the box" and go for unexpected clutch plays and strategies. They're also somewhat similar in regards to their potential and overall success in the Overwatch League. Both teams reached the playoffs once but failed to make a lasting impact due to inconsistency. While Philadelphia went through some roster iterations over the weeks, Houston never really changed that much. They tried to adapt as best they could to the evolving meta but they didn't succeed that much when it mattered the most. Jake continued having ups and downs but the biggest "X factor" remained LiNkzr. When he's on his game - he is a force to be reckoned with. (flashbacks of him single-handedly shutting down Fleta on Watchpoint: Gibraltar)

However he has dips in performance as well, days when he doesn't feel like he's up to the task and it shows in his gameplay as well. He has some of the best Widowmaker statistics in the League (particularly known as an "anti-Widow Widow") but he's not always on the top of his game. Recently he's taken more to playing Tracer and did admirably well but he's still an unknown quantity going into each match. That said he is far from the main problem as the Outlaws need to step up as a six man cohesive unit and get on the same page because they're in the running for playoffs and the competition is absolutely insane. (especially nowadays with "bottom tier" teams like San Francisco and Florida upping their game)

The Outlaws started off Stage 3 on a high note as they managed to take down London in a five map brawler, thus further improving their record to 3-0 against the Spitfire. That momentum came crashing down almost immediately as they were outclassed by a resurging Boston Uprising. They're entering this week with two very hard matches against Philadelphia and New York, but they're also matches in which they can upset and get back to their winning ways.

The potential within this team is absolutely insane and we've consistently seen glimpses of brilliance, however it never seems to last too long.

As for Philadelphia they failed to carry over their Stage 2 playoffs momentum as they lost their very first match in Stage 3 but it's nothing too dire. They're still a force to be reckoned with when they come prepared and they're also starting with EQO this week as his suspension came to an end. With a full line-up they have what it takes to get back to Top 3 if they play their cards right.

We're going with Philadelphia on this one but it's far from a safe bet. The League has been fairly inconsistent so far and filled with upsets and surprises when it comes to Western teams and this week should be no different. These two teams fight until the very end and with things being so close you can expect this match to go the distance as well.