by ESB’s free Overwatch League (OWL) betting picks for Friday, August 26, focus on the OWL Summer Showdown Qualifiers bouts. Here are our selections for Chengdu Hunters vs Hangzhou Spark, Los Angeles Valiant vs Seoul Dynasty, and London Spitfire vs Atlanta Reign, with top esports betting odds.
CHENGDU HUNTERS vs HANGZHOU SPARK OWL BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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| Best Odds: | Hunters $2.37 at GG Bet | Spark $1.53 at GG Bet |
| When: | August 26, 2022 | 18:00 CST |
| Watch Live: | Twitch, Youtube |
Hangzhou Spark have yet to win a game in this qualifying event, but according to the latest OWL betting odds, that should change after their match against Chengdu Hunters. Priced at $1.53, Spark’s implied probability of winning this bout is 65.4%, which sounds fair and believable.
We don’t know whether Kim “AlphaYi” Jun will return to play for the Spark on Friday, but even if he misses another game, Huangzhous Spark should do more than fine even without their RotY candidate.
That is mainly because Chengdu Hunters have not shown much of late. They are 1-1 ahead of this bout with a 0-3 defeat against Seoul Dynasty and a 3-0 sweep of Philadelphia Fusion. Their win against Philadelphia Fusion looks seriously impressive on paper, but it’s not like the Fusion are very strong, seeing how they nearly dropped a series against Los Angeles Valiant (2-3) on Saturday.
With or without AlphaYi, Hangzhou Spark are the better team and should win with at least two maps to spare.
Hangzhou Spark -1.5 maps
LOS ANGELES VALIANT vs SEOUL DYNASTY OWL BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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| Best Odds: | Valiant $9.00 at GG Bet | Dynasty $1.04 at GG Bet |
| When: | August 26, 2022 | 19:30 CST |
| Watch Live: | Twitch, YouTube |
Los Angeles Valiant nearly won their third match of the 2022 season on Sunday, when they lost against Guangzhou Charge (2-3), just a day after another close defeat against Philadelphia Fusion (2-3). Losing two games in a row isn’t good, but winning four maps is an improvement for the Valiant, who have been struggling this season.
Seoul Dynasty are the current top Eastern OWL team, having already locked in a top-six finish with a 11-3 record and 15 points. Moreover, the Dynasty are in excellent form, with wins against Huangzhou Spark (3-0) and Chengdu Hunters (3-0).
No matter how you look at this bout, Dynasty are the superior team and shouldn’t struggle against one of OWL’s bottom feeders. Admittedly, Seoul Dynasty have had their shaky moments over this season, but everything about this match screams a 3-0 sweep.
Seoul Dynasty -2.5 maps
LONDON SPITFIRE vs ATLANTA REIGN OWL BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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| Best Odds: | Spitfire $1.44 at GG Bet | Reign $2.62 at GG Bet |
| When: | August 26, 2022 | 19:30 CST |
| Watch Live: | Twitch, YouTube |
Atlanta Reign enter this bout as $2.62 underdogs, which might sound right if you consider that they’ve won two games fewer than London Spitfire this season. However, Atlanta Reign have been gaining momentum of late.
They had lost their opening two series of the qualifiers 1-3 against Boston Uprising and Toronto Defiant but stomped Paris Eternal on Sunday (3-0), dropping just three maps across the series (3-2 on Hybrid – Hollywood and 2-1 on Escort – Watchpoint: Gibraltar).
There are arguments to be made in London Spitfire’s favour here, namely that we know what to expect from them, while it seems impossible to predict how Atlanta Reign will do. Still, Atlanta Reign have been showing some improvement and are worth a bet at the offered betting odds.
