by ESB’s free esports betting predictions for Thursday, September 28, focus on the opening four games of the Overwatch League 2023 Playoffs group stage. Here are our selections for Hangzhou Spark vs Atlanta Reign, Dallas Fuel vs Seoul Infernal, Boston Uprising vs London Spitfire, and Houston Outlaws vs Florida Mayhem.
HANGZHOU SPARK vs ATLANTA REIGN OWL BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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| Best Odds: | Spark +450 at BetOnline | Reign -833.33 at BetOnline |
| When: | September 28, 2023 | 13:00 EDT |
| Watch Live: | YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/overwatchleague) |
As perpetual underdogs, Hangzhou Spark have proven everyone wrong before, and they might do it again by relying on a strong DPS line and experienced players. But while they shouldn’t be underestimated, the Spark have shown that they’re not the most efficient team in the current Zarya meta.
Atlanta Reign field some of the best Overwatch esports players in the world and have by far the strongest backline in the league. That alone makes them a daunting opponent, not to mention that the Reign’s flexibility makes it very tough to strategize against them.
Hangzhou can be a dangerous underdog, but a lot will have to go their way for the Spark to be competitive against the top few squads. Atlanta Reign to sweep is an obvious choice.
Atlanta Reign -2.5 maps
DALLAS FUEL vs SEOUL INFERNAL OWL BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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| Best Odds: | Fuel -357.14 at BetOnline | Infernal +250 at BetOnline |
| When: | September 28, 2023 | 14:30 EDT |
| Watch Live: | YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/overwatchleague) |
Seoul Infernal are one of the weakest teams entering the OWL 2023 Playoffs, and even though they have outperformed expectations in the latter half of the season, it’s unlikely they will accomplish much in this bout.
Like the Infernal, Dallas Fuel haven’t looked amazing this season, but they’ve found momentum in the latter stages and enter OWL 2023 Playoffs as a dangerous dark horse. Much of that has to do with the meta shifting into their favour and Choi “Hanbin” Han-been finding his stride.
The problem with this is that Dallas Fuel’s success will likely rely solely on Hanbin and how well he does on Zarya. This is an area Seoul Infernal can look to exploit, but that’s not enough to believe that the Fuel will lose.
Dallas Fuel -1.5 maps
BOSTON UPRISING vs LONDON SPITFIRE OWL BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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| Best Odds: | Uprising -227.27 at BetOnline | Spitfire +162 at BetOnline |
| When: | September 28, 2023 | 16:00 EDT |
| Watch Live: | YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/overwatchleague) |
London Spitfire looked terrible until the final stretch of the season, when they took down a couple of big names. Their out-of-the-norm playstyle and favoured compositions are unlike any other team in the playoffs, which makes the Spitfire a pain to deal with when things click for them.
Boston Uprising’s roster is full of previous champions and top-tier talent, which makes them one of the teams to watch out for in the OWL 2023 Playoffs. Their road to success is fairly simple: just keep playing at the same pace they have throughout the season.
London Spitfire can be an exciting underdog, and they have a chance to cause some chaos in the group stage. However, Boston Uprising are far too experienced to get caught off guard by the Spitfire’s curveballs.
Boston Uprising -1.5 maps
HOUSTON OUTLAWS vs FLORIDA MAYHEM OWL BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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| Best Odds: | Outlaws +120 at BetOnline | Mayhem -163.93 at BetOnline |
| When: | September 28, 2023 | 17:30 EDT |
| Watch Live: | YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/overwatchleague) |
Heading into the OWL 2023 Playoffs, the biggest concern with Houston Outlaws was their inability to adapt to the current meta. However, they were aware of their flaw and picked up an excellent Zarya player, Shin “BERNAR” Se-won, at the start of the week to fill that gaping void.
Florida Mayhem have one distinct advantage over other Overwatch teams: flexibility. This team can play any composition and is very good at adapting to any opponent, which will be the Mayhem’s ticket to winning the championship.
The Outlaws are individually good enough to compete with the Mayhem, and the addition of BERNAR is a big positive. Overall, however, Florida’s ability to play anything makes them a more reliable pick.
