A Beginner’s Guide to Overwatch and eSports Betting
Video games have long overtaken movies, television and music combined as the most popular media platform in the world. And few video games have had as much impact as Overwatch. This “hero shooter” made a big splash when it was officially released in 2016. There are now dedicated eSports leagues and tournaments based on this incredibly popular game, earning a place in the larger eSports realm alongside games like League of Legends and Counter-Strike.
You can get a piece of the action right now with eSports betting at Bodog Sportsbook. This guide will show you how Overwatch became so popular, and how Overwatch betting works. We’ll even throw in some tips and strategy to help you squeeze the most value out of the Overwatch odds at Bodog.
The Rise and Popularity of Overwatch
Our story begins in Irvine, California, the home of Blizzard Entertainment. They’re the people behind familiar video game series like Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo. In 2007, Blizzard began working on a game called Titan, which was going to be a team-based, first-person shooter along the lines of Team Fortress 2, a smash hit for rival Valve Corporation at the time. Unfortunately, the Titan project was cancelled, but many of its developers ended up on the Overwatch project, and brought their ideas with them.
The game would eventually appear in rudimentary form at BlizzCon 2014, and even while it was still in open beta two years later, Overwatch was pulling in millions of players. Over $1 billion in revenue was reportedly generated during the first year after its official release in 2016, and by 2017, over 40 million people were playing. That led to the creation of the Overwatch League (OWL), which had its inaugural season in 2018 and was a huge success.
Like many eSports leagues, the Overwatch League has crossed over into the mainstream. Blizzard held meetings in 2016 with prospective team owners, including New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke – whose teams just met at Super Bowl 53. Kraft is now the owner of the Boston Uprising, while Kroenke owns the Los Angeles Gladiators. As a whole, OWL has garnered interest from a wide range of entertainers, athletes and business people, everyone from Drake to Michael Jordan and Mark Cuban. Their teams are valued somewhere between $60 million and $80 million apiece, depending on location.
Who Are the Best Overwatch Teams to Bet On?
The Overwatch League started with 12 teams spread across the globe, with eight more coming on board for 2019. They’re split into the following two divisions:
Atlantic Division: Atlanta Reign, Boston Uprising, Florida Mayhem, Houston Outlaws, London Spitfire, New York Excelsior, Paris Eternal, Philadelphia Fusion, Toronto Defiant, Washington Justice
Pacific Division: Chengdu Hunters, Dallas Fuel, Guangzhou Charge, Hangzhou Spark, Los Angeles Gladiators, Los Angeles Valiant, San Francisco Shock, Seoul Dynasty, Shanghai Dragons, Vancouver Titans
The reigning OWL champions are the London Spitfire, who defeated the Philadelphia Fusion at the 2018 Grand Finals in New York. These two teams remain among the best in the league, but at press time, the New York Excelsior (+250) are No. 1 on the eSports odds board for 2019, ahead of London (+300) and Philadelphia (+600). The Excelsior are owned by Jeffrey Wilpon, the son of New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon, and their lineup of South Korean players includes reigning league MVP Bang Sung-hyeon, known in Overwatch circles by his handle JJonak.
Overwatch Betting Strategy: What Should You Consider?
Betting on Overwatch is much the same as betting on other sports leagues. The eSports betting odds mentioned above can be found on the futures market, where you bet on events like league championships; in this case, a $100 bet on New York will pay $250 if they win (larger and smaller bets are allowed), while London will pay $300 and Philadelphia $600. As a general rule, the best value on the futures market is usually with third-tier favourites like the Gladiators and the Dynasty at +1000. You’ll want a shot at a decent payout when you bet on eSports futures, since the winner won’t be determined until further down the road.
When you bet on single Overwatch matches, it’s good to know which teams have the best players – players like JJonak, who blew away the competition when he debuted last year. You can find reliable information on all 20 teams and their players online. As with other sports, bettors often side with whichever city they’re from, so a “small-market” team like Atlanta or Vancouver might carry some betting value, even if they’d be expected to lose in a matchup with big-city New York.
How to Bet on Overwatch: Different Hero Types
Players in Overwatch choose from a list of 24 different characters known as heroes. These heroes fall into four types: Attack, Defense, Tank, and Support. Each of these types has a specific role within the game. For example, JJonak is known for using the Support hero named Zenyatta, whose main task is to heal teammates and increase damage multipliers. But what makes JJonak such a great player is his ability to use Zenyatta for other Attack-based purposes. When you bet on Overwatch, look for creative players like this who are willing to use their characters in unexpected ways – just like Moneyball.
Now that you know a little more about Overwatch, you can start betting on what promises to be an exciting and ground-breaking 2019 campaign. The season got underway on February 14, and will run through to the playoffs in August. And don’t forget about the Overwatch World Cup, where teams representing 24 countries will do battle. Will South Korea stay on top after winning the first three World Cups? Stay tuned to Bodog Sportsbook for fresh eSports odds as they become available, and enjoy the games.
