by Less than a week separates us from the Overwatch League Season 2 Grand Finals between Vancouver Titans and San Francisco Shock, who will duke it out this Sunday at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
On one side we have the Titans, a team that started off from a core of underdogs and evolved into a juggernaut of the Overwatch esports scene.
On the other side we have Vancouver’s long-time rivals San Francisco Shock, who demolished everything in their path in the lower bracket to secure a ticket for the grand finals.
The match will take place at 15:00 EDT on Sunday, September 29.
Vancouver Titans
+138 at BetOnline
Vancouver Titans made a remarkable run through all four stages of the season, finishing among the top two in all but stage four, when they had to settle with fifth.
Despite finishing the season as the number one seed, there were some concerns regarding Vancouver’s performances after the meta shifted in stage four. For that reason, many expected to see them drop out of the title race early into playoffs, yet they made sure to prove doubters wrong.
On the wings of Jang-hyeon “TiZi” Hwang, the Titans cruised through the playoffs with relative ease, dismantling Seoul Dynasty (4-2), LA Gladiators (4-2) and New York Excelsior (4-3) on the way.
Despite their impressive performances in the playoffs, Vancouver will still enter the grand finals as underdogs.
San Francisco Shock
-188.68 at BetOnline
Although San Francisco Shock were not quite as successful as the Titans throughout the season, they ended stage four with a perfect 7-0 score, making it clear that the meta change suits them and their playstyle.
The Shock entered the playoffs as one of the top dogs but soon found themselves on their knees, as they flew out of the upper bracket following an upset loss against Atlanta Reign (3-4) in the quarter-finals.
But it did not take long for San Fran’s wounds to heal, and a dominant run in the lower bracket helped with the healing process. After perfect 4-0 wins over London Spitfire, LA Gladiators, Hangzhou Spark and New York Excelsior, the Shock enter the grand finals as the team to beat.
Frisco’s depth will be tested, however, as star player Namjoo “Striker” Kwon is set to miss the deciding series after suffering a nasty hand injury in the lead-up.
Titans vs Shock betting predictions
The Shock have been remarkable on their road to the grand finals, but the Titans have historically produced high level of resistance when facing the Californian outfit.
The two sides met four times this season and split two wins each, leading us to believe the Sunday’s match could be a 50/50. That being said, it is hard to ignore the superb form the Shock have shown in the lower bracket, where they looked unbeatable.
There is no denying the absence of Striker will put a dint in San Francisco’s overall quality; however, with the immense depth of their roster and the exceptional form of Jay “sinatraa” Won, this is the Shock’s title to lose.
San Francisco Shock to win – -188.68 at BetOnline
