If you’re someone who likes to watch franchised and consistent league competitions in sports, then the Overwatch League is the perfect esports tournament for you. Out of all esports games, Overwatch is the one that features the only ‘truly global professional esports league’. And, if you’re interested in some Overwatch League Betting, then this guide is exactly what you need. Let’s get into it!
Best Esports Sites for Overwatch League Betting
- Long-standing service since 1998
- Great odds
- Large number of esports events
- Huge range of payment methods
- In-depth coverage of esports events
- Excellent bonuses and other promotions
- Over 10 esports titles
- Competitive odds
- Licensed by the Curacao government
- Mainly offers esports
- Fully regulated and licensed
- Relatively new on the market
- Renowned betting brand
- Features many esports titles
- Bet credit welcome bonus
- Mainstream esports site
- Live betting & Live streams available
- Expansive range of bets
- Well-rounded sportbook
- Reasonable payout rate
- Covers popular betting markets
- Designed for esports enthusiasts
- A crypto currency bookie
- Curaçao licence
- Multilingual site
- Diverse Dota 2, LoL, & CS:GO markets
- Slick & fully-optimised website
What is the Overwatch Esports League?
The Overwatch League (OWL for short) has been the most prestigious and largest Overwatch tournament since its inception in 2018. Over the years, the league has evolved and improved in many ways and has seen a couple of teams win it.
The main format of the Overwatch League is most similar to traditional sports franchised leagues such as the NBA and MLB. There are 20 participating esports teams from a vast selection of esports countries divided into two regions – West and East.
The West region has 13 teams while the East has 7 competing teams. Overwatch League is further divided into two main events – the Regular Season and the Playoffs. The Regular Season also features four smaller tournaments throughout the year – Kickoff Clash, Midseason Madness, Summer Showdown, and the Countdown Cup.
The Countdown Cup in 2022 acts as the Play-In phase of the Playoffs but to reach it, teams must gather enough League Points in order to qualify. The Overwatch League lasts for 6 months so teams must stay at a consistent level if they want to win the League and the Playoffs. Teams receive one League Point for each standard season win and the relevant number of points for each tournament win, 2nd, and 3rd positions.
One major difference in Overwatch League 2022 is that the Overwatch 2 Beta will be used instead of Overwatch, marking the beginning of the switch to Overwatch 2. The new game features adjustments to heroes, maps, gameplay, and – most importantly – team composition.
While Overwatch saw teams consisting of 6 players (two for each role), Overwatch 2 will have teams of 5 (two supports, two damage, and one tank player). All of this can cause bedlam among the teams and the balance of power might change drastically. We might even see a new team win – more on this later.
Overwatch League Esports History
| Event | Date | Prize Pool | Winning Team | Runners-Up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overwatch League 2021 Playoffs | 21.09.2021 – 25.09.2021 | $3,200,000 | Shanghai Dragons | Atlanta Reign |
| Overwatch League 2021 Regular Season | 16.04.2021 – 22.08.2021 | $900,000 | Shanghai Dragons | Dallas Fuel |
| Overwatch League 2020 Playoffs | 08.10.2020 – 10.10.2020 | $3,050,000 | San Francisco Shock | Seoul Dynasty |
| Overwatch League 2020 Regular Season | 08.02.2020 – 23.08.2020 | / | Shanghai Dragons | Philadelphia Fusion |
| Overwatch League 2019 Playoffs | 30.08.2019 – 29.09.2019 | $3,500,000 | San Francisco Shock | Vancouver Titans |
| Overwatch League 2019 Regular Season | 14.02.2019 – 25.08.2019 | $1,500,000 | Vancouver Titans | San Francisco Shock |
| Overwatch League Inaugural Season Playoffs | 11.07.2018 – 28.07.2018 | $1,700,000 | London Spitfire | Philadelphia Fusion |
| Overwatch League Inaugural Season Regular Season | 10.01.2018 – 17.06.2018 | $1,800,000 | New York Excelsior | Los Angeles Valiant |
Overwatch League Tournament Format
Each Overwatch League season is divided into two main stages – the Regular Season and the Playoffs. The Regular Season consists of four smaller events in the form of the Kickoff Clash, Midseason Madness, Summer Showdown, and Countdown Cup.
Over the years, these events and, ultimately, Overwatch League, have evolved into the format used today. Here’s the breakdown of the Regular Season (there is currently no info on how the Playoffs will be like):
| Overwatch League | Dates | # of Teams | Format | Prize Pool/League Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | 05.05.2022 – 22.10.2022 | 20 | Presumably the same as last year’s; no info at the moment |
|
| Kickoff Clash | 02.06.2022 – 05.06.2022 | 12 | Double elimination; top 8 teams from the West and top 4 teams from the East participate |
|
| Midseason Madness | 18.07.2022 – 23.07.2022 | 12 | Double elimination; top 8 teams from the West and top 4 teams from the East participate |
|
| Summer Showdown | 08.09.2022 – 11.09.2022 | 12 | Double elimination; top 8 teams from the West and top 4 teams from the East participate |
|
| Countdown Cup | 15.10.2022 – 22.10.2022 | 7 | Single & Double elimination; acts as the Play-In stage for the Playoffs. Bottom 4 teams from the West and bottom 3 teams from the East participate |
|
| Playoffs | / | / | / | / |
Best Teams Competing in the Overwatch League
Shanghai Dragons
| Nickname | Full Name | Team Role | Team Join Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Izayaki | Minchul Kim | Support | 19.07.2019. |
| Fleta | Byungsun Kim | DPS | 13.11.2019. |
| LIP | Lee Jae-won | DPS | 25.11.2019. |
| Void (captain) | Kang Jun-woo | Tank | 25.11.2019. |
| LeeJaeGon | Lee Jae-Gon | Support | 25.11.2019. |
| Fate | Panseung Koo | Tank | 12.11.2020. |
| WhoRU | Seung-jun Lee | DPS | 24.05.2021. |
| BeBe | Huichang Yoon | Support | 16.02.2022. |
The Shanghai Dragons are arguably the most successful Overwatch esports team of all time. They’ve won 5 stage titles, 1 division title (2020 Asia Pacific Division), and 1 championship – Overwatch League 2021.
Thanks to their recent performances, many believe that the Shanghai Dragons will continue to dominate the Overwatch League and claim their second title at the end of the year. But things may not be as easy as they seem for them due to the switch to Overwatch 2.
In any case, the team is sure to cause headaches for the opposition and look to win their second Overwatch League title.
Dallas Fuel
| Nickname | Full Name | Team Role | Team Join Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doha | Kim Dong-Ha | DPS | 12.11.2019. |
| Sp9rk1e | Kim Yeong-han | DPS | 23.10.2020. |
| Hanbin | Choi Han-been | Tank | 23.10.2020. |
| Fielder | Kwon Joon | Support | 27.10.2020. |
| Fearless | Euiseok Lee | Tank | 07.11.2020. |
| ChiYo | Han Hyeok-seok | Support | 20.10.2021. |
| Edison | Kim Tae-Hoon | DPS | 21.10.2021. |
| guriyo | Kang Min-seo | DPS | 22.10.2021. |
Dallas Fuel have never been considered a strong Overwatch team up until recently. The team managed to win the Overwatch League 2021 May Melee in a surprising turn of events where we would see them defeating the Shanghai Dragons in the Grand Finals.
Following this wondrous achievement, they grabbed two 2nd place finishes in the OWL 2021 June Joust and the OWL 2021 regular season, and two 3rd place finishes in the OWL 2021 Summer Showdown and the OWL 2021 Playoffs.
The Dallas Fuel roster has been together for half a year and seems to be a proper challenge for any Overwatch team.
Atlanta Reign
| Nickname | Full Name | Team Role | Team Join Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gator | Blake Scott | Tank | 28.10.2018. |
| Hawk | Xander Domecq | Tank | 31.10.2019. |
| Kai | Kai Collins | DPS | 11.02.2021. |
| nero | Charlie Zwarg | DPS | 29.10.2021. |
| Venom | Lee Dong-keun | DPS | 29.10.2021. |
| Ojee | Christian Han | Support | 29.10.2021. |
| UltraViolet | Benjamin David | Support | 29.10.2021. |
Atlanta Reign is a weird and unpredictable team. They have been fairly successful in Overwatch esports but haven’t managed to win a single tournament. To make matters worse, their first top 3 finishing position (related to Overwatch League) was in June 2021 in the OWL 2021 June Joust.
However, the team took a turn for the better after that and have, to the surprise of everyone, clinched 2nd place in the OWL 2021 Playoffs, losing to the Shanghai Dragons in the Grand Finals.
Most of their squad was acquired in October 2021 which means they’ve started to work well with each other and are becoming more consistent.
San Francisco Shock
| Nickname | Full Name | Team Role | Team Join Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viol2t | Minki Park | Support | 24.10.2018. |
| FiNN | Oh Se-jin | Support | 29.10.2021. |
| kilo | Jung Jin-woo | DPS | 29.10.2021. |
| Proper | Kim Dong-hyun | DPS | 29.10.2021. |
| s9mm | Samuel Santos | DPS | 05.11.2021. |
| Coluge | Colin Arai | Tank | 28.03.2022. |
This team is one of the favourites to win Overwatch League 2022 thanks to their incredible performances in 2019 and 2020. They were the team to beat back then and can still prove to be a challenge for other teams.
Unfortunately, their 2021 campaign ended in disappointment with just a 4th place finish in the OWL 2021 Playoffs. Following this tournament, the team signed five new players which makes the future of the team somewhat uncertain, even if they are one of the favourites.
The San Francisco Shock have won the Overwatch League twice and they have three stage titles as well. As for the new roster, we’ll just have to wait and see how they do once the new season starts.
How to Bet on OWL and Tips for Overwatch League Betting
The Overwatch League is a lengthy esports tournament with plenty of betting opportunities for both beginner and experienced punters alike. There are more than a hundred matches in just the Regular Season alone and each match can have a potential upset.
With that said, you’ll need an account on the website of your chosen betting operator. Here’s how the overall betting process should work if you’re just starting out with your OWL betting adventure:
- Decide which bookie is best for you – The vast majority of esports betting operators offer relatively similar betting odds but it’s still important to compare what they offer and choose the right one. Take a look at betting odds, esports betting markets, and payment methods as metrics to compare.
- Register and create an account – Creating an account is rather easy and the process usually requires you to include your real-life info (for both proper betting and using esports betting bonuses) and verify your email address.
- Select a payment method and connect it to your account – Payment methods are numerous and most bookies support the majority of them but you’ll still need to make sure your chosen bookie accepts the payment method you use. The ones that are accepted virtually everywhere are PayPal, credit cards, and Bitcoin.
- Research the teams and players – Teams in Overwatch are franchised and most of them are not owned by popular esports organizations. Because of this, the relevant research on teams and players is necessary to have enough knowledge for placing efficient bets. With that said, teams like the Los Angeles Valiant and London Spitfire are owned by Immortals and Cloud9, respectively.
- Place a couple of bets – If you’re just starting out with your OWL betting adventure then it’s best to keep the number of placed bets low. The reason for this is that the first few bets you place will serve as a test of whether you’ve prepared yourself enough or not. Once you get a feel for it, you’ll be able to place multiple bets. Take it slow and learn carefully.
Overwatch League Betting Markets
- Match Winner – The match-winner betting market is the most popular one and easiest to get into. All you must do is choose which team you think will come out the victor in any given match.
- Outrights – Outrights are another popular betting market that involves the punter placing bets on the team they think will win the entire tournament (or stage of a given tournament). The odds are usually exceptional due to their nature, but the risk is high, considering there are 20 participating teams in the Overwatch League.
- Player vs Player – This type of betting market requires precise research of the competing players in order for the bets to have a chance of winning. The bookie will provide you with a prompt where you choose between two players and bet on the one you think will have more kills at the end of the match.
- Total Kills (Over/Under) – Over/Under bets are popular due to the flexibility of their odds and aren’t too difficult to win. Still, you need to be careful and adjust your betting strategy depending on the prompt (number of total kills) itself.
- Special Bets – Special bets can vary greatly from bookie to bookie but they’re usually related to specific game-oriented situations such as who will get first blood, which team will take a zone first, etc.
Overwatch League Betting Odds
Due to the switch from Overwatch to Overwatch 2, we can expect the Overwatch League odds to be drastically different from any previous year. This means that the best strategy to employ would be to bet as soon as the season starts.
The reason for this is that the odds will be adjusted pretty quickly after it begins, based on the team’s initial performances. So, technically, you will be able to win more at the start than a few months after that.
However, it also means that there’s more inherent risk due to the lack of information on how the teams will play in the new game. If you want to employ this betting strategy, then you’ll need to be very careful and mindful of the bets you want to place.
Where to Watch the Overwatch League Live
You can catch all the matches live by visiting Overwatch League’s official Twitch channel with live streams for each match. Their official YouTube channel also streams matches live and you’ll also be able to watch VODs of matches you may have missed.
Esports Betting Pro: Our Verdict
The 2022 Overwatch League is set to be a blast thanks to both using the new Overwatch 2 Beta and the mystery of how the teams will perform when the season starts. It may as well end up being a season of upsets, but we’ll have to wait and see.
For now, the Overwatch League is the perfect opportunity for punters to try their hands at betting on the numerous matches that are in store for us. As long as you take things seriously and avoid using your heart for betting, you should be fine. Remember to do your research and think of a viable betting strategy. Good luck!
