Esports may be relatively new, but rivalries are already beginning to take shape. Two of the three teams that entered Week 3 of the Overwatch League undefeated will face off on Friday night, as the Seoul Dynasty takes on the New York Excelsior.
Heading into the week, both Seoul and New York were undefeated, as were the London Spitfire. But two of those three teams, all of whom feature rosters comprised entirely of Korean pros, took their first losses on Thursday.
That began with the Boston Uprising scoring a surprising 3-2 victory over the Spitfire. It was the first time a Western squad had beaten one of the all-Korean teams which had been dominating in the early portion of this first Overwatch League season.
The novelty of Boston’s win didn’t last long, however. Later in the day, the Philadelphia Fusion scored their own 3-2 upset victory over the Excelsior. The Fusion used the ultra-aggressive style that has become their hallmark to pressure New York and largely contain Excelsior superstar Do-hyeon “Pine” Kim.
Seoul Looks to Remain Undefeated
That sets up Friday’s action, with the featured matchup being a battle between Seoul (5-0) and New York (4-1). As the league’s last undefeated team, the Dynasty are favored to hand the Excelsior their second straight loss. At Pinnacle, Seoul is listed as a -220 favorite, while bettors can back New York at +178.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia (3-2) will look to build on their momentum in their match against the struggling Shanghai Dragons (0-5). Oddsmakers have made the Fusion (-1600) a massive money line favorite, with the Dragons being considered a 2.5-game underdog in spread betting.
In Friday’s final match, the Dallas Fuel (0-4) will look to get their first win against the San Francisco Shock (2-3). The Fuel came into the inaugural season of Overwatch League as one of the favorites, but have struggled to find their footing so far.
Langyel Gets First Overwatch League Suspension
The biggest headline made by the Fuel so far had nothing to do with their play. Felix “xQc” Langyel, who plays main tank for Dallas, is currently serving a four-game suspension and was levied a $2,000 fine by league officials after he made homophobic comments towards another player while streaming on his Twitch account.
Despite the suspension, Dallas is still expected to get their first win against the Shock. The Fuel (-265) have been pegged as a significant favorite by oddsmakers, while bettors can get +210 if they think San Francisco will keep Dallas winless for a little while longer.
Should Dallas lose yet again, they’ll have a second chance to get on the board on Saturday, when they take on Boston (2-3). While Dallas is a slight favorite (-115), the Uprising are expected to provide a stiff challenge for the Fuel.
In other Saturday action, The Los Angeles Valiant (3-2) have been made -1200 favorites over the Florida Mayhem (1-4), while their crosstown rivals the Los Angeles Gladiators (2-3) are +167 underdogs against the Houston Outlaws (3-2).
