Overwatch League Picks, Betting Predictions June 2-3

• San Francisco Shock still unbeaten, in fantastic form
• Florida mayhem looking to improve on current third place
• Hangzhou Spark in stellar recent form, winning five of six matches to date

San Francisco Shock

San Francisco Shock vs Washington Justice Predictions

Shock on Cruise Control

Six matches, six wins. San Francisco Shock is cruising high and happy. Each win was as dominating, if not better, than the previous. The top spot has been theirs by a mile so far, but one slip up and teams like Dallas Fuel and Florida Mayhem will be waiting to pounce on their chance. It reiterates the top-heavy nature of the competition, where anyone in the top six, which is separated by two wins, can have a shot at being the pool toppers.

Having rehashed their squad following a poor 2021, there seems to be a clear distinction in roles. Plans have been role-specific, players showing the hunger to roar back. While this isn’t to say this wasn’t the case previously in 2021, the rehash could’ve added external pressure on The group because the spotlight was going to be on them whatever they did. They’re yet to find any cracks this season. Forget cracks, no flutters either.

Justice Struggling in Bottom Half

For Washington Justice, this is an opportunity to regroup and start afresh after an indifferent first part of the season, where they’ve won three and lost three. They are currently placed eighth, having lost two in a row.

It’s a steak they will want to break, but against a formidable Shock, that could be massively difficult. The punters aren’t giving them even an inkling of a chance to do that. The gap is so huge that you’d count a Justice win as a mother of all upsets.

If you were to place a bet of 1 USD on Justice, you could win upto 8X the returns should they win. That is how steep the odds are against them. Don’t let the lure of big returns blindside you, though. There is a reason why the odds are that huge.

Florida Mayhem vs Atlanta Reign Pick

Florida Mayhem

Florida Mayhem vs Atlanta Reign Predictions

Opportunity for Mayhem To Florida Mayhem began with a loss, and then went on two streaks of two wins a piece intercepted by a loss in between. This means they’re currently third on the table with four wins in six matches, with Houston Outlaws and Toronto Defiant breathing down their necks. Atlanta Reign has some work to do.

On paper, they’re just one loss below Florida, but they’ve been found wanting on the consistency front. They have now lost three of their last four matches, so regaining that momentum by making a winning return again will be top priority. But on the basis of their current form, you would back Florida Mayhem to consolidate their position in the top three.

Mayhem Need to Win Back Fans

Florida Mayhem ran into a bit of a controversy when they were forced to replay a game against Paris Eternal. Their use of Symmetra’s Teleporter on top of the wall to bypass was seen as outright “illegal”. While it was an exciting play that led to a quick map completion for the Mayhem, the excitement didn’t last long: the Overwatch League quickly ruled it was an “illegal maneuver” and paused the match after the Eternal’s attack.

This made the issue two-fold for the team. One: they had to overcome their own flaws and ensure their integrity doesn’t come into question again. Two: the simple matter of trying to win over fans once again, those who may have been disgruntled at their tactics that were deemed illegal.

Reign Need to Overcome Rejig

After 2021, Atlanta Reign lost their core talent that had brought them considerable success to other teams. Players like Pelican, who built the foundation for the team, headed elsewhere. Two of their biggest stars have stuck around: Tanks Gator and Hawk are firmly with the team in the present.

While they’re a destructive combine, how they gel with the rest of the newer players could define the season. As such, it’d do gross injustice to judge them this early. They have an entire half to turn things around.

Los Angeles Gladiators vs Houston Outlaws Pick

Los Angeles Gladiators

Los Angeles Gladiators vs Houston Outlaws Predictions

Gladiators Look To Revv Up

Fourth-placed LA Gladiators have all to play for if they’re to get out of the mid-table logjam that has four sides with as many as four wins in six matches. They will be looking to build on their two-match winning streak against a Houston Outlaws team that has also traversed a similar path. After an indifferent start, they have gotten on a roll to win three matches on the trot.

Very little separates these teams on the points table, but LA Gladiators have slightly more favoured odds. All said, this could yet be that one game where you don’t necessarily stick to conventional wisdom and yet have a great opportunity to maximise your return on investments by choosing the underdog.

Outlaws – Comeback Kings

There’s a good reason too. Outlaws have shown propensity for a fight right through. Their losses have all been ones where they’ve pushed the opponents all the way through. They haven’t been blown away.

They will be buoyed by their reverse sweep on Paris Eternal, who took the first two maps. 1-0 on Colosseo and 3-2 on Route 66. Outlaws responded with a 3-1 win on Eichenwalde, 2-0 on Oasis and 1-0 on New Queen Street. That’s a mighty fine comeback that sets them up superbly for the rest of the campaign.

Dallas Fuel vs Toronto Defiant Pick

Dallas Fuel

Dallas Fuel vs Toronto Defiant Predictions

Dallas Fuel began the season with a loss, but have since gone from strength to strength. They’re currently on the back of five straight wins that have vaulted them to second in the points table, just behind leaders San Francisco Shock. Their opponents Toronto Defiant may be sixth on the table but let that not influence you into believing they’re a long way off Fuel.

In reality, it’s just two points/two wins that separate them. A win on Friday will narrow that gap down considerably. Fuel are still favourites by a long way – the experience of one roster, past history and current form all combining to give them the top billing. Technically a Defiant win will go down as a big upset. So you know the drill – go with the conservative choice for this one.

Fuel’s Meta Strategy One Other Teams Looking To Learn From

Dallas Fuel’s biggest win so far has been the manner in which they  have forced the rest of the teams to adapt to the Reaper/Zarya meta they created. This has led them to go on a bull run teams have been looking to emulate. As Dallas Fuel started to show signs of a transformation through their new meta against the Washington Justice and then bud Eoin it by reverse sweeping LA Gladiators 3-2, others began to take note of their change in plans with a keen eye.

When they went head to head against the Toronto Defiant, this change in strategy – of playing in their meta – became  even more evident. The Toronto Defiant knew their best composition revolved around Kim “MuZe” Young-hun’s Winston. So, when Dallas stomped Toronto Defiant on control despite the Defiant’s best efforts, they swapped to Zarya and Reaper.

Hangzhou Spark vs Philadelphia Fusion Pick

Hangzhou Spark

Hangzhou Spark vs Philadelphia Fusion Predictions

From the West Standings, let’s move to the other side. East toppers Hangzhou Spark are currently leading the pack with five wins in six. Three of these have come in their last four matches. In a seven-team pool, the margin for error is smaller than it will be in a bigger pool. This is why every result is that much more significant.

Philadelphia Fusion are currently fourth, but quite far behind in terms of results. A 50% record across the six matches so far leaves them in a vulnerable position. They can ill-afford a loss. The odds are a lot closer than they are for a whole lot of other games; Spark are favourites by a slender margin.

Spark Show Ability to Bounce Back From Tough Positions

The Spark’s win over Fusion in a Sunday marathon four days ago helped them advance from the qualifiers of the Overwatch League kickoff clash as the East Division’s top seeds. The Fusion, who will be the fourth seed from the East in the quarterfinals, jumped to a lead against the Spark with a 2-1 win on Ilios.

But the Spark rebounded with close wins on the next two maps — 6-5 on Route 66 and 2-1 on King’s Row — before the Fusion tied the match with a 1-0 victory on Colossed. This ability to bounce back when pushed to a corner makes them the favourites for this contest too. They have been able to do so consistently, which is also among the reasons why they’ve been favoured to put it past Fusion.

Shanghai Dragons vs Seoul Dynasty Pick

Shanghai Dragons

Shanghai Dragons vs Seoul Dynasty Predictions

Dynasty Can Give Dragons a Serious Run

To wind off our fixtures on Friday, we’ve got second-placed Shanghai Dragons taking on third-placed Seoul Dynasty in an interesting tussle in the East standings. Dragons have five wins in six, Dynasty have four in six.

Dragons are on a roll, having won five in a row; Dynasty’s four-match winning streak was broken in their previous game. This one should be an absolute cracker. The odds ate with the Dragons but don’t count Dynasty out. If there’s one team that can give them a proper run for their money, it’s them.

Write off Dragons at Your Own Peril

Seoul Dynasty swept Fusion, a team that had looked mighty solid in the third week, before Guangzhou Charge took Shanghai Dragons to match point before being reverse swept. Los Angeles Valiant also took the Dragons to match point before the Dragons recovered to win 3-2.

This is enough of a trend to show you teams can write off the Dragons at their own peril. This is something the Dynasty will do well to look out for too

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