Toronto Defiant vs Houston Outlaws

Next up, we have the Houston Outlaws facing off against the Toronto Defiant — a fairly interesting match-up that is bound to deliver in all the right ways. Who'll win, however, is a bit harder to predict. The Outlaws are favored, but they're not all that much better than the Defiant. The gap between them is by no means insurmountable, especially if Toronto double down on their strengths put their best foot forward.

Still, they've been pretty darn inconsistent. When they're in the zone they're quite dangerous but it's nigh impossible to predict whether they'll get on the same page and execute to the best of their ability or if they'll implode right from the very get-go. They're flawed challengers, is what they are, and they're fun to watch but it's impossible not to consider their inherent volatility whenever we're putting our hard-earned money on the line. The Outlaws have definitely accomplished a lot more thus far (to say the least), although it's not like they don't have their own exploitable flaws and inconsistencies as well.

Be that as it may, they've earned our benefit of the doubt and are one of the best teams in the Overwatch League right now. Whether they'll be able to retain such a prestigious position still remains to be seen, but the odds are definitely on their side.

The jury's still out on the Defiant, though. Are they good? Absolutely, but just *how* good they are remains somewhat uncertain. They had a couple of great showings (namely against the Atlanta Reign and the Paris Eternal), but they've otherwise struggled against teams most folks deemed somewhat similar in power. Right now, by the looks of it, they're something akin to a gatekeeper: pretty darn good but far from good *enough* to compete at the highest of levels. Their losses to the Washington Justice and the Florida Mayhem means they're still not ready to compete with the creme de la creme and, well, their 0-3 fumble against the Uprising is also a cause for concern.

No one's all too certain which shade of Toronto will come out and play tonight, so we're going to side with the Outlaws on this one as it's the only logical option. Still, we might be in for a much more competitive affair than the odds would suggest!