Overwatch League Odds: Teams Have Shifted their Attention to 2023
Teams Have Shifted Attention to 2023: The Past is The Past
The Dallas Fuel reigned supreme in the 2022 Overwatch League season as the revamped Korean roster secured the organization’s first finals trophy, but will they be able to defend their championship?
Overwatch League teams have shifted their attention to 2023, and it’s been nothing short of a memorable Rostermania period. Boston Uprising’s new look roster garnered well-deserved pre-season buzz, and all eyes are on 2021 OWL MVP DPS Player Fleta as he chooses between OW2 and Valorant. Also, questions still loom over the New York Excelsior’s controversial roster construction.
There has been a lot of uncertainty over the future of OW2 in China. First, blizzard pulled the plug on all Chinese servers, impacting millions of Overwatch users. After months of failed re-negotiations with local publisher NetEase, all of Blizzard’s online multiplayer games have now been taken down in China as their licensing agreement ends.
Overwatch League circuit play is scheduled to begin on April 27 in both regions. But before that, there will be plenty of action to keep fans entertained until the main competition starts.
Later in February, there will be a series of pro-amateur tournaments in NA and EMEA to determine seven teams that will face off against Western Overwatch League teams in a three-week pro-am tournament. The winner of this competition, which will kick off on March 23, will earn $100,000.Â
There are plenty of compelling storylines to track for the 2023 OWL season, so let’s dive right into the details.
Format and Schedule
Blizzard has overhauled the format for the 2023 Overwatch League season, with one of the most significant changes being the addition of Contender teams in the East region.
There will be a series of tournaments in South Korea, Asia-Pacific, and Australia/New Zealand. In addition, the Open Division and Contender teams will compete for spots in the Spring Stage Opens, which will run concurrently with the region’s Spring Stage Qualifiers at the Overwatch League level.
The top teams from the Spring Stage Opens will progress to the Spring Stage Knockouts. From there, the Overwatch League teams will join them for the season’s most prominent esports major event.
The West Spring Stage qualifiers will determine seeding Spring Stage Knockouts and will qualify two teams for the Midseason Madness Global Tournament. This international LAN will also feature two other West teams, determined by the Spring Stage Knockouts, and two East teams.
The Summer Stage will mirror the Spring Stage format, with the West region jumping directly into circuit play. In the East region, select top finishers among Contenders teams from the Spring Stage will automatically qualify for the Summer Stage Qualifiers.
Participating Teams and Players
Here are the teams competing in the 2023 Overwatch League season. It’s important to note that the Philadelphia Fusion rebranded to Seoul Infernal, and Paris Eternal rebranded to Vegas Eternal ahead of the upcoming season.
LA Valiant announced they would compete in the West division in 2023. A month later, Dallas Fuel announced a move in the opposite direction, leaving the East region again with seven franchise teams.
East
| Team | Players | Esports Odds |
| Chengdu Hunters | JinMu, Leave, Nisha, GA9A, Mmonk, Daizi | +1100 |
| Dallas Fuel | Sp9rk1e, Hanbin, Edison, MCD, Blizz | +200 |
| Guangzhou Charge | ChoiSehwan, Farway1987, Xerneas, Jimmy, PIGGY | +850 |
| Hangzhou Spark | guxue, Shy, Twenty, Leave | +900 |
| Seoul Dynasty | Profit, Prophet, Void, LeeSooMin, Krillin | +250 |
| Seoul Infernal | MN3, ZEST, FiXa, Mag, skewed | +800 |
| Shanghai Dragons | Fleta, Viper, Heesu, Gangnamjin, diem, BeBe | +300 |
West
| Team | Players | Esports Odds |
| Atlanta Reign | Hawk, vigilante, Stalk3r, LIP, Fielder, ChiYo, D0NGHAK | +900 |
| Boston Uprising | birdring, Striker, Decay, smurf, LeeJaeGon, Izayaki, Kalios, Twilight | +1800 |
| Florida Mayhem | Checkmate, SOMEONE, Rupal, MER1T, Sauna, CH0R0NG | +1000 |
| Houston Outlaws | Pelican, Fearless, Shu, Happy, Viol2t, Gargoyle | +700 |
| London Spitfire | SparkR, Backbone, Hadi, Admiral, Landon | +1000 |
| LA Gladiators | kevster, FunnyAstro, Lastro, Danteh, Yaki, Babel, Kai | +400 |
| LA Valiant | – | +5000 |
| NY Excelsior | FITS, sHockWave, Seicoe, Kellan, Haley, Lep, Aniyun, Creative | +3000 |
| San Francisco Shock | FiNN, Proper, HeeSang, MAX, Vindaim | +250 |
| Toronto Defiant | Hydron, Speedily, s9mm, Coluge, Ojee, UltraViolet, SirMajed | +1400 |
| Vancouver Titans | Aspire, Punk, Faith, Crimzo, Sugarfree | +1600 |
| Vegas Eternal | Dove, Lukemino, Rakattack, MaltheL, Vulcan | +5000 |
| Washington Justice | AlphaYi, Flora, BenBest, MirroR, FDGod, Teru | +2000 |
Teams to Watch
Dallas Fuel expects to be the top dog again going into the 2023 Overwatch League season. Esports bettors should always watch them, but they do not make the cut for our list. The top three teams to watch are Hangzhou Spark, Vancouver Titans, and Houston Outlaws.
Hangzhou Spark (+900)
Hangzhou has undergone a massive team overhaul going into the 2023 season. They have added four new players to help support guxue (tank) and Shy (DPS). The Spark has always stuck around the middle of the pack, but they want this year to be different. At +900 makes them an intriguing bet.
Vancouver Titans (+1600)
The Vancouver Titans had a very disappointing 2022 season. While they were not the worst team, they were undoubtedly in that category. Additionally, they went through a decent roster change as they tried to turn things around. Considering all their differences, we expect them to be a little better, so +1600 could be a decent bet in the future.
Houston Outlaws (+700)
Houston Outlaws changed their entire roster, minus Pelican, their world-class DPS. However, they have made it, so they have a whole Korean roster; everyone now speaks the same language. They have also changed the backroom staff so there will be more cohesion on all fronts. The Outlaws have consistently performed well in the Overwatch League, but 2023 could be theirs to win.
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