Shanghai Dragons finished the OWL 2023 Summer Stage Knockouts in last place after losing to Sin Prisa Gaming twice, but that was hardly surprising. The Dragons have not looked good this season, and while they had a relatively solid 6-6 run through the Summer Stage Qualifiers, they have been uncompetitive against stronger teams.

Dallas Fuel, meanwhile, are among the best-performing OWL esports teams in the East region. Last month, the Fuel won the Summer Stage Qualifiers and made it to the Summer Stage Knockouts final, where they lost against Hangzhou Spark.

Dallas Fuel might not be as good as the Spark, but they’re up there with the top OWL East teams, and we expect that to show on Friday.

Guangzhou Charge didn’t look amazing a few weeks back when they exited the Summer Stage Knockouts in the first round. In their defence, the Charge only lost against the two Group B finalists, 02 Blast and Seoul Dynasty, but it’s not like they’ve shown much in the 2023 Overwatch season.

Since winning the Spring Stage Qualifiers in May, Guangzhou have not produced anything even remotely as impressive. What’s worse, the Charge have been losing traction since the start of the summer and enter this match on a nine-game slide.

Seoul Dynasty defied all the odds and won OWL 2023 Summer Stage Knockouts. They’ve had very high highs but also low lows, making them an exciting team to watch but also a bit of a risky pick due to their inconsistencies.

Even though the Dynasty can be hit-or-miss, based on what we’ve seen from the two teams, Seoul should beat the Charge, just as they did at the start of September.

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With the 2023 OWL off-season about to end, several teams are disclosing their rosters. Shanghai Dragons announcing their lineup has given fans an idea of what to expect in the squad’s next match.

Fleta’s move from DPS to tank will be the first time fans will watch the player compete in that role. The only times he has been recorded playing a similar role were moments he used Echo’s ult to switch to a Tank Hero.

The multiple OWL MVP winner was not the only change on the Shanghai Dragons’ 2023 lineup. The team brought back Bae “diem” Min-sung, who played with them for several seasons prior to his retirement in 2021. Rather than his hitscan DPS role, diem was made a Support despite not having any recorded experience in the area.

The swap shocked most of the OWL community because Fleta and diem are regarded as some of the best DPS lineups in the league. The duo even won an OWL trophy together, with Fleta bagging an MVP title too.

Fleta and diem’s swap is not the first time a popular DPS player has been placed in a different role. During his move to the LA Gladiators, DPS Dante “Danteh” Cruz was given a tank role despite having no previous experience.

In place of the two former DPS players, the Shanghai Dragons signed veteran player Jeong “Heesu” Hee-su in the hitscan role and made Lee “Viper” Jung-woong the second Damage player. Kang “Gangnamjin” Nam-jin was paired with diem as the second Support player.

Gangnamjin is popular amongst OWL fans, having played in the league since it was created. Prior to signing with the Shanghai Dragons, the player competed under NYXL’s banner.

Heesu previously played alongside Gangnamjin in Florida Mayhem and RunAway and, like the player, has been a part of OWL for years. On the other hand, Viper is much less experienced but gained some recognition during his time on the O2 Blast, San Francisco Shock Academy squad. His performance on Genji helped the group win the 2022 Contenders Pacific.

While most of the players in the Shanghai Dragons are known faces to fans, the team’s decision to swap their roles will likely yield notable differences during their run in the 2023 season. The Chinese lineup will make their debut on the OWL stage on April 26.
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The franchise announced their decision via a Twitter post on their page, welcoming the 33-year old Korean coach back to the fold.

Moon reacted to the announcement of his return to the SHD and shared his excitement about being part of the team again. He expressed his sadness at the release of all the players but promises to make up a formidable and devoted roster.

“I am so happy to be back home again. It’s so sad to part with the players, but we’ll run hard again with young, passionate players who can devote themselves to the team!!” Moon said.

The Shanghai Dragons, the winners of season four of the Overwatch League, have brought back a familiar face for the 2023 season amid a turbulent offseason that saw the entire player roster and coaching staff leave and concerns about the league’s future in China emerge.

Moon’s acquisition comes as a sigh of relief to the fans as he has been a key figure for the Dragons since joining the team in 2019. He has held the head coach position with the team for the past three seasons, including 2020, 2021, and 2022 seasons. Under Moon’s guidance, the Dragons experienced a resurgence in 2020 and dominated in 2021, ultimately earning an Overwatch League championship after a highly spirited victory over Atlanta Reign in the grand finals.

However, the Shanghai Dragons were unable to repeat their championship performance in 2022, finishing the regular season with a record far below expectations for a reigning champion and making a swift exit in the playoffs despite retaining a majority of their championship roster from the previous year. The franchise 2022 campaign’s highlight was their Summer Showdown top seed position.

The Dragons’ decision to re-sign Moon is a clear sign of their commitment to continuing their success in the Overwatch League. Moon’s leadership and expertise have been instrumental in the team’s success, and his return will guarantee stability and direction as they look to put up another attempt at winning the title in the upcoming season.

Shanghai’s 2023 roster has yet to be finalized. In November, the team parted ways with a majority of their starting roster, including notable players like DPS Byungsun “Fleta” Kim, tank Panseung “Fate” Koo, and former in-game leader Kang “Void” Jun-woo.

Initially, it seemed that Shanghai would keep DPS player Lee “LIP” Jae-woo and support duo Minchul “Iazyaki” Kim and Lee “LeeJaeGon” Jae-Gon, but LIP ultimately joined the Atlanta Reign, and the two supports signed with the Boston Uprising in the offseason. As of now, the composition of Shanghai’s roster for 2023 remains uncertain as they are yet to add a player to their roster.

However, that will not be the case for long as the team revealed that they will hold “open trials” for their roster. They outlined the trial details and conditions for interested participants.

The future of the Overwatch League in China is uncertain following the expiration of licensing agreements between Blizzard and Chinese gaming company NetEase last month. This caused a “suspension” of games in China and prompted the Overwatch League to delay the start of the free agency period, causing frustration among some teams. However, the free agency deadline has remained set for March 13, 2023.

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Los Angeles Valiant are a team no one expects to shine this season, which to some degree holds true for Guangzhou Charge as well. Both sides enter this match with a 0-2 record, but the Valiant hold a slightly better map differential due to their four-map series against Chengdu Hunters (1-3).

LA have not looked as bad as we thought they would, but that doesn’t mean we believe they’re a good team. The Charge are in the same boat, but they have as higher ceiling despite going 0-6 on the season.

We would have sided with the Charge at more appealing odds, but at this price, it makes more sense to take the Valiant with a map handicap.

New York Excelsior looked awful in their 0-3 loss against Chengdu Hunters, but they seemed much improved in their 3-1 win against the Spark. Seoul Dynasty, on the other side, had a solid performance against Guangzhou Charge (3-0) but disappointed in their 1-3 loss against Philadelphia Fusion.

What might make the Dynasty a more appealing pick is that they forced the Fusion to match point on all four maps. However, there is something about their playstyle that leads us to believe this one could end in favour of the Excelsior.

At the offered OWL betting odds, you have to take a shot with the outsiders.

The OWL betting odds suggest this will be an extremely one-sided affair, but we have reason to doubt that. On paper, Hangzhou Spark look extremely weak, but they did not perform too poorly in their bout with Philadelphia Fusion last week.

Even though the Spark lost 1-3, they still took the series lead and held the Fusion to match point on all maps. They followed that up with a very poor showing against New York Excelsior (1-3), so they might not be a very consistent team.

It will all depend on which version of Hangzhou we get here. Shanghai Dragons aren’t as good as last year, so there is a world where the Spark steal at least two maps.

Boston Uprising are priced as -188.68 favourites for this match, which may seem fair, but we weren’t convinced with their recent performances.

Both of these teams faced Los Angeles Gladiators last week, and they both lost 0-3. Boston won four rounds (4-7), whereas London Spitfire won only two (2-7).

Regardless of what those results might suggest, it’s the performances these two sides have shown on the final day of the week that makes us trust the Spitfire more. This could be a close one, but there is no denying London are more consistent.

Florida Mayhem are a weird team. Even though they are winning games (2-0), they are also showing weaknesses – most notably in their 3-1 win against Vancouver Titans.

San Francisco Shock are an entirely different story. They played well in their 2-3 loss against Houston Outlaws, and it was ultimately a poor coaching decision that lost them the game.

Florida might steal one map, but they seem far too shaky for us to believe they can achieve much more. Expect a straightforward win for the reigning OWL champions.

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HANGZHOU SPARK vs SHANGHAI DRAGONS OVERWATCH LEAGUE BETTING & MATCH DETAILS

HANGZHOU SPARK vs SHANGHAI DRAGONS OVERWATCH LEAGUE SEASON 3 BETTING PREVIEW

Hangzhou Spark will look to restore some balance and claim their first win over Shanghai Dragons since last August when the two sides meet in the 2020 Overwatch League season this Sunday.

After a tough start, the Spark secured their first high-profile win last Sunday when they took down Seoul Dynasty 3-0. It was a shock result, seeing how Seoul ran out 3-0 winners when they met a week prior, but there was one big difference in their second meeting – the newly released Overwatch hero Echo.

There have been times this season when the Spark have played too slowly and failed to take advantage of their strengths. That is certainly true of their loss to the Dynasty two weeks back, and of their two 3-0 defeats to Shanghai Dragons this season.

However, it seems like Qiulin “guxue” Xu and co. have found their ace in the hole with Echo. In their rematch with Seoul, everything started to click once Spark DPS Jaehwan “Adora” Kang pulled out the new hero. Echo’s Duplicate was Spark’s catalyst, leading them to a remarkable win against a team that crushed them only a week earlier.

Despite Hangzhou’s sudden surge in form, Shanghai Dragons won’t be too worried about their next bout. Weida “Diya” Lu and his crew have manhandled the Spark twice this season, so they should have the mental edge.

The OWL 2020 ladder highlights the gap in quality between these teams. While Hangzhou are languishing in 13th place with a 5-5 record, Shanghai have won nine of 10 games to sit second behind the 10-1 Philadelphia Fusion.

A closer look at those records shows just how dominant the top two sides have been this season. Seven of Shanghai’s nine wins have come in clean sweeps – a tally bettered only by the Fusion with eight.

HANGZHOU SPARK vs SHANGHAI DRAGONS OVERWATCH LEAGUE SEASON 3 BETTING PREDICTIONS

For anyone wondering how much of an impact a single hero can have on a team’s composition and performance, you just have to look at the Spark’s recent results. Now the biggest question that needs to be answered is: Can the evolutionary robot help them defeat one of the best teams in the competition?

In their previous meetings, Hangzhou looked lost and unorganised. That, however, won’t be the case here, since they have found the final puzzle piece and established a more solid team composition.

If Adora can show up once more and if his team can follow up, who is to say Hangzhou Spark can’t make Shanghai Dragons sweat? While betting against a massive favourite is often risky, the outsiders should prove worthy opponents on this occasion.

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It is the first-ever stage championship win for the Dragons and also the highest pay check in their history, quintupling the team’s total earnings to $250,000 and putting them 11th in the Overwatch League money list.

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Shanghai Dragons finished eighth in the group stage with a 5-2 record, narrowly securing a spot in the playoffs ahead of LA Gladiators and Guangzhou Charge. Entering the playoffs as underdogs, the Chinese team went on to shock the world and crushed two of the league’s best teams in New York Excelsior (3-1) and Vancouver Titans (4-1) to secure themselves a spot in the finals. It is worth noting Excelsior finished the group stage with a perfect score of 7-0, while Stage 1 champions Vancouver Titans came into the knockout rounds with a similarly impressive 6-1 record.

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By defeating two of the strongest teams in the league, the Dragons sent a message that they meant business and were ready to take on anyone who might stand in their way. In the end, it was Stage 2 champions San Francisco Shock who joined them in the finals, hoping to claim their second stage in a row. Shanghai had some unfinished business with the Shock, who knocked them out of their first-ever playoffs appearance in the Stage 2 quarter-finals.

Filled with confidence and hunger, the Dragons started off the finals in a dominant fashion. They won 2-1 on Oasis, 3-2 on Numbani and 4-3 on Horizon Lunar Colony, which gave them a convincing 3-0 lead. With only one more map required to win the title, Shanghai let their guard down and allowed the Shock to win 2-0 on Havana, 2-1 on Ilos and 4-3 on Eichenwalde to square the series.

With San Francisco on track to complete one of the greatest comeback wins in Overwatch esports history, the two teams went to Dorado for the seventh and final map. Utilizing the long lines of the map, the Dragons decimated the Shock and prevented them from pushing the cart past Point A. This, however, was not a problem for Shanghai, who did not need long after switching sides to bypass the point set by the Shock and thus win their first-ever stage.

By winning Stage 3 of Overwatch League 2019, Shanghai Dragons proved they have come a long way from their 0-40 record in the first season, where they held the title of undisputed worst team in Overwatch League.

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Stage 4 standings table

1st place: Los Angeles Valiant (8 V – 0 D)
2nd place: Los Angeles Gladiators (7 V – 1 D)
3rd place: New York Excelsior (6 V – 2 D)
4th place: Dallas Fuel (5 V – 3 D)
5th place: Philadelphia Fusion (5 V – 3 D)
6th place: Houston Outlaws (5 V – 3 D)
7th place: San Francisco Shock (4 V – 4 D)
8th place: London Spitfire (3 V – 5 D)
9th place: Boston Uprising (2 V – 6 D)
10th place: Seoul Dynasty (2 V – 6 D)
11th place: Florida Mayhem (1 V – 7 D)
12th place: Shanghai Dragons (0 V – 8 D)

Betting predictions for June 13

Los Angeles Gladiators (7 V – 1 D) vs. Shanghai Dragons (0 V – 8 D)

Los Angeles Gladiators has had the best stage so far in the Overwatch League, losing just 1 match against Los Angeles Valiant and winning the other 7, some of them against formidable opponents such as New York Excelsior. A top 4 finish for Gladiators is guaranteed at this point, but I’m sure the team will want to place as high as possible. In particular, a 1st place finish would almost certainly allow it to dodge New York Excelsior in the Semifinals of the Stage 4 Title Matches.

Another week, another 2 guaranteed losses for Shanghai Dragons, a team that’s currently holding an undisputed record for the entire field of esports: 38 losses in a row. No doubt, the end result will be 0 V – 4 D for Dragons, as its final two opponents are very strong teams. Someone should really make a documentary about these guys as their journey during the Inaugural Season of the Overwatch League has been the stuff of legend.

Needless to say, Los Angeles Gladiators is several tiers above Shanghai Dragons in every respect. Regardless of what statistics you want to look at, this match should be an easy 3 – 1 or 4 – 0 victory in favor of Gladiators.

Betting prediction: Los Angeles Gladiators at BetOnline.

Los Angeles Valiant (8 V – 0 D) vs. San Francisco Shock (4 V – 4 D)

After a 7 W – 3 L record and a 3rd place finish in Stage 3, Los Angeles Valiant improved its playstyle and has crushed everyone so far in Stage 4. The team is currently sitting at the top of the league, even though it has already faced some of the other main contenders. Both New York Excelsior and Los Angeles Gladiators were defeated by LA Valiant in the previous weeks, a sign which clearly proves this version of the team is much stronger than any of the previous ones.

After transferring in the head coach of Boston Uprising, San Francisco Shock sought to improve its Stage 3 results even more, but unfortunately hasn’t managed to accomplish that goal. Without any doubt, Shock is headed towards a 5 V – 5 D result in Stage 4.

From head to head (4 – 0) to recent form results, every single type of indicator points towards a Los Angeles Valiant victory in this match.

Betting prediction: Los Angeles Valiant at BetOnline.

Seoul Dynasty (2 V – 6 D) vs. Dallas Fuel (5 V – 3 D)

Seoul Dynasty hasn’t had a very good run in Stage 4, winning just 2 of its matches and against completely irrelevant opponents: Shanghai Dragons and Florida Mayhem. Throughout the entire duration of the Overwatch League, Seoul Dynasty has been one of the fairly strong teams, finishing Stage 1, 2 and 3 in 5th (7 V – 3 D), 4th (7 V – 3 D) and 7th (5 V – 5 D) place respectively. In Stage 4, Dynasty lost very close matches against though opponents such as Los Angeles Valiant (2 – 3), Philadelphia Fusion (2 – 3) and London Spitfire (2 – 3). These close but unfortunate defeats are a testament to Seoul Dynasty’s capacity to hold its own against almost any adversary.

Dallas Fuel seems to have reinvented its playstyle and has performed fairly well so far in Stage 4, winning against strong opponents such as London Spitfire and Philadelphia Fusion and being ranked 4th in the standings table. Compare this situation to its 1 V – 9 D result from Stage 3 and you can’t help but be impressed with how much a team can improve in such a short period of time.

Going into this match, I think that Dallas Fuel has what it takes to walk away with a victory. Especially against this version of Seoul Dynasty.

Betting prediction: Dallas Fuel at BetOnline.

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