by The fifth season of Overwatch League commences on Thursday, May 5, with the first round of Western Division matches in the OWL 2022 Kickoff Clash. Here are our top picks for New York Excelsior vs Los Angeles Gladiators, San Francisco Shock vs Paris Eternal, and Florida Mayhem vs Atlanta Reign, with top Overwatch betting odds courtesy of BetOnline.
NEW YORK EXCELSIOR vs LOS ANGELES GLADIATORS OWL BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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| Best Odds: | Excelsior +175 at BetOnline | Gladiators -250 at BetOnline |
| When: | May 5, 2022 | 12:00 PDT |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/overwatchleague) |
?The introduction of Overwatch 2 sees the OWL scene change drastically with a new hero, balance changes, and the transition to 5v5. With so much changed, it’s difficult to say which teams will do well on a new game build, but we can set expectations while considering how certain players performed in previous seasons.
New York Excelsior are hard to rank properly, but they should be one of the bottom-five squads in the West. While their all-new roster is filled with potential, they lack star names that would help propel them to the top of the table.
Los Angeles Gladiators are an entirely different story. They are easily among the top-three teams in the league, boasting a well-rounded roster with top talent in all positions. And if the Gladiators’ DPS trio of Seonchang “ANS” Lee, Patiphan “Patiphan” Chaiwong, and Kevin “kevster” Persson can deliver, the Los Angeles squad should be a real threat for the OWL title.
Without seeing the teams play, it’s hard to find a solid case for New York Excelsior. They might be better than expected, but Los Angeles Gladiators look way too strong for us to bet against them.
Los Angeles Gladiators -1.5 maps
SAN FRANCISCO SHOCK vs PARIS ETERNAL OWL BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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| Best Odds: | Shock -250 at BetOnline | Eternal +175 at BetOnline |
| When: | May 5, 2022 | 13:30 PDT |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/overwatchleague) |
?San Francisco Shock are extremely tough to rank, mainly due to all the rookie players on the roster. They have the potential to storm out of the gates and be one of the most dominant Overwatch League teams, but they might also fall flat. While the latter scenario seems unlikely with Dae-hee “Crusty” Park at the helm, we would like to see the Shock perform against the top teams before we make any judgements.
Paris Eternal come off as a middle-of-the-pack team with the ability to defeat bottom squads, but they don’t have enough talent to be viewed as one of the best in the region. However, the Eternal had a solid ending to the 2021 OWL season, and with the roster moving to a team house, they could surprise.
On paper, San Francisco Shock look much better, and they should achieve far more than Paris Eternal by the end of the season. But they might need a bit more time to get their wheels spinning, so we’re on Paris to kick off the 2022 OWL season with an upset win.
Paris Eternal to win
FLORIDA MAYHEM vs ATLANTA REIGN OWL BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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| Best Odds: | Mayhem +175 at BetOnline | Reign -250 at BetOnline |
| When: | May 5, 2022 | 15:00 PDT |
| Watch Live: | Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/overwatchleague) |
Atlanta Reign can be considered as one of the top teams in the region, which is fair given their strong ending to the 2021 season. However, they might suffer from the same issue as last season without any significant changes.
The Reign should do well in 2022, but they might again be streaky as they have shown to be in the past. A strong start to the season will be crucial for Reign, and we expect them to show up on an opening day.
There’s a lot to like about Florida Mayhem, mainly the decision to opt for an ambitious mixed roster. There’s enough individual talent on this team – along with a blend of veteran and new players – to allow for growth, yet the Mayhem don’t look too scary as it is.
A bet on Atlanta Reign would make the most sense, but they’re no value in the head-to-head markets, nor would we trust them to win without dropping a map. So instead, we’re on Florida Mayhem with a map advantage at around -125 with most Overwatch betting sites.
