There’s plenty of buzz for the inaugural Overwatch League set to kick off in January 2018 and last seven months. The high price tag for a franchise coupled with the backing of Blizzard and a who’s who list of owners has brought eSports into the forefront. Even Forbes is writing articles about the potential of the Overwatch League and its ability to grow because of its use of traditional sports ideas. This will also be the first truly international sports league with teams from the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and China taking part. With this much buzz, there’s already betting lines available so let’s take a look at who to bet on and who to go against.
At BookMaker Sportsbook, our team of writers breaks down every betting matchup on the wagering board. eSports are exploding in popularity and we at BookMaker have you covered for all of your betting needs. From League of Legends to CS:GO, BookMaker has all of the eSports betting lines you can hope for. Open an account and get in on the action today!
Opening Overwatch League Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
London Spitfire +200
Seoul Dynasty +225
New York Excelsior +300
Dallas Fuel +550
Philadelphia Fusion +1400
Houston Outlaws +1500
Florida Mayhem +2000
Los Angeles Valiant +2500
Los Angeles Gladiators +3000
San Francisco Shock +3300
Shanghai Dragons +4000
Boston Uprising +4000
THE CONTENDERS
It’s not hard to get behind any of the three favorites. South Korea has been the best place to find Overwatch players, as well as almost every other eSport, since the game launched in 2016. The country has won both Overwatch World Cups, and there’s a reason that 45 of the 113 players involved in the league are from South Korea.
The London and New York teams went whole hog in the belief that Korean teams are the best. Both franchises acquired the roster of existing Korean teams and then interspersed them with a couple of their countrymen and consider themselves set.
As expected, the Seoul franchise followed suit. They grabbed most of the best players that are currently playing in Korea and should probably be the favorite over London.
You might be surprised to see Dallas as the next favorite, but continuity is going to be a big factor in the first season of the Overwatch League. Dallas simply acquired the entire roster and coaching staff of Team Envy. Envy was one of the best Overwatch teams in the world last season and that should make this a team to beat.
THE MIDDLE OF THE PACK
My main disagreement with the oddsmakers here is putting the Florida Mayhem at just 20-1. The Mayhem have more work to do than anyone with their roster and are my favorite to finish in last place. Florida has signed just six players and has no coaching staff in place aside from their head coach.
I think that the Fusion shouldn’t have the lowest odds out of these teams either. Philadelphia has players from nine different countries on their roster and if you don’t think that’s a big deal, ask Chinese League of Legends teams why they don’t splurge on Korean free agents anymore.
Instead, I think the Outlaws have the best shot of the teams that are around these odds. They formed their team before most and that extra time to gel should come in handy.
THE REST OF THE BUNCH
Seeing Shanghai with the worst odds on the board is stunning. I think that’s simply because no one knows what to make of the Chinese teams and people don’t think much of Chinese players after their loss to France in the World Cup. However, the team that lost to France was not the same team that was crushing opponents earlier. That team ran into visa troubles and personal issues and didn’t make it to the World Cup.
I think Boston is worth a bet at these odds too. HuK knows how to build a team and there is a solid collection of talent on the roster. Although they will have language barrier issues too, 40-1 is a much better bet than some of the other teams with the same problem.
At BookMaker Sportsbook, our team of writers breaks down every betting matchup on the wagering board. eSports are exploding in popularity and we at BookMaker have you covered for all of your betting needs. From League of Legends to CS:GO, BookMaker has all of the eSports betting lines you can hope for. Open an account and get in on the action today!
