Overwatch Contenders is akin to proving grounds. Created and organized by Activision Blizzard, this series of Overwatch tournaments exists for the sole purpose of giving the spotlight to aspiring pros and talented up-and-comers. And while its 6-figure prize pools might not seem much when you compare them to the prize money at flagship esports events, every participant knows they’re fighting for the opportunity to get into an Overwatch League team.
Tensions get high, as players are pulling out all stops to make a deep run at the tournament. With that, fans get to see split-second outplays, unorthodox team compositions, and creative strategies of the future faces of Overwatch. That’s not all there is to it either. The production value might not be as high as that of the Overwatch League, but you can still expect Activision Blizzard to put on a show at Contenders events. Combine that with the fact that there is a total of seven esports tournaments for the regions of North America, South America, Australia, China, Europe, South Korea, and Pacific, and it’s hard to come up with a better environment for esports gambling.
Granted, it can be difficult to take up Overwatch Contenders betting when there’s so much going on at these events. Fortunately, our team of experts has already done all the grunt work. The only thing left is taking a deep dive into the top betting sites and strategies that will help you make the most out of your Overwatch Contenders experience!
Overwatch Contenders Betting Sites
Overwatch Contenders Format And Regions
Before we go into the ins and outs of how to bet on Overwatch Contenders, let’s take a look at the event itself. For starters, it’s hard to talk about Contenders as a single tournament. A complex system of qualification and relegation combined with Trials and Open Division, makes Contenders are thrilling league to follow. Additionally, the competition is split into eight parts depending on the region it’s held in, and each region has its own feel and identity.
Granted, they have a few things in common. For example, every Contenders event has eight Playoffs teams competing for the title. All of the teams play through the same round-robin regular season, and in the end, the top-8 teams advance to the playoffs.
They then clash with each other in a string of best-of-five matches, and the last team standing is crowned the Contenders champion. There are several cycles per year, so players have several opportunities to prove their worth on stage. Finally, some Contenders events have a soft region lock, meaning that each team can only have a total of three non-resident players on its roster.
Despite these common traits, the differences can be striking. For the sake of brevity, we’ll only go over the most prominent Contenders events that take place in North America, Europe, and South Korea.
Contenders: North America
North America has a large number of Overwatch League academy teams as well as Contenders specific teams, making it a highly competitive region. You can expect most teams to have a capable coaching staff and a good idea of what it means to play as a unit. This makes for a perfect environment for esports betting, as it’s much easier to predict the outcome of the match when you know each team has a solid game plan. And it’s easy to see why most esportsbooks offer Overwatch Contenders odds for these tournaments.
Contenders: Europe
Meanwhile, Europe puts a strong emphasis on individual skill. You can see a lot of standout moments and mechanical outplays in this region, but the level of coordination isn’t the same as it is in North American. That’s not to say this competition isn’t worth following. On the contrary, the European Overwatch Contenders schedule is filled with action-packed matches, and if you’re looking for the best viewing experience, you should certainly give this region a try.
Overwatch Contenders bets are worthwhile in Europe, if you are seeking exotic and player-centric markets. As individual skill reigns supreme, betting on players reigns supreme.
Contenders: Korea
It’s no secret that South Korean teams dominate the Overwatch League. And you only need to tune in to the Korean Overwatch Contenders Twitch stream once to see why. This is the best of both worlds. Korean players are well aware of how to work as a team, but they’re also downright overwhelming in terms of individual talent. Of course, you won’t see many familiar faces here, but if your goal is to see the best Overwatch gameplay possible, you can’t go wrong with Contenders: Korea!
Additionally, Korea serves as the main scouting ground for fresh talent coming into the OWL, getting on board with up and coming talent early can net you great returns once the players make it into the Overwatch League and you are already familiar with the rookies.
Overwatch Contenders Live on Youtube
Choosing the Best Overwatch Contenders Esportsbook
Now that you’ve learned how Overwatch Contenders works, it’s time to choose an esportsbook. This might seem self-explanatory, but good esports betting sites are the cornerstone of your gambling strategy. The only caveat is that the definition of ‘good’ comes down to personal preference. Some gamblers prefer sites with generous promotions, others look for operators with wide esports coverage, other yet choose platforms with broad live betting options. It is important to know which markets are available and how deep an operator’s portfolio goes. If you are seeking specific markets based on in-game objectives or exotic bets for your Overwatch Contenders bets, the options may become substantially limited. We’ve already mentioned the sites with good esports odds at the top of this article, but if you’re looking for other features, here are a couple of esportsbooks you could try:
Best Esports Coverage: ArcaneBet
ArcaneBet isn’t your usual bookmaker. This betting site started out an esports-focused platform, and while it gradually branched out to other gambling offers, it never forgot its gaming roots. The esports coverage is truly vast here, and you can count on having the opportunity to bet on most matches in the Overwatch Contenders schedule. Add in a strong 100% deposit bonus up to €100, and it’s clear that ArcaneBet deserves a spot in our betting guide.
Best Promotions: Rivalry
Rivalry is the king of promotions. For starters, every new customer gets a risk-free bet up to €25, which is a perfect bonus for anyone that wants to experiment with their betting strategy. There are also weekly Thunderdome contests where you can put your analytical chops to a test by predicting the outcome of particular matchups and taking a stab at the progressive jackpot.
Another thing to note about Rivalry is that it’s very beginner-friendly. This site has an entire Academy section dedicated to teaching rookie gamblers the intricacies of esports betting. Rivalry also likes to keep things simple with its betting offers, so you will always have a good idea of how to bet on Overwatch Contenders matches.
Best Live Betting: Unikrn
It’s common to view Unikrn as that cryptocurrency esportsbooks. Yet, as good as the local crypto tokens are, they can’t compare to the live betting section. Not only is there a good range of in-play offers, but each match comes with an embedded Twitch stream and useful stats to enhance your decision-making. Moreover, Unikrn has a surprisingly potent content team, so you can always find the latest news, power rankings, and match predictions to add more weight to your predictions.
Overwatch Contenders Betting Tips
Alright, so you’ve studied up on the Overwatch Contenders format and created an account at a quality betting site. Now it’s time to start gambling! The key thing to note here is that Contenders can be very volatile. There are a ton of participating teams, and most of them aren’t exactly in the spotlight. In short, this event is filled with unknown variables. And the best thing you can do is minimize the variance. With that in mind, here are 3 tips on how to keep the swings to a minimum and make the most out of Overwatch Contenders odds.
1. Map Out the Battlefield
No general has won a battle without mapping out the terrain. Contenders teams might seem like they came out of the blue to someone that only follows the Overwatch League, but they still had to play some streamed esports games to make it this far. Hunt down these VODs and match histories on resources like Liquipedia and competitive Overwatch subreddit. In some cases, it will be easy. In others, it will take some time. The main thing to remember here is that you never want to cut corners. The quality of your research will directly affect the results of your bets, so get as much information as possible.
2. Don’t Overstep Your Limits
The Overwatch Contenders schedule is packed with exciting matches, and at first glance, the idea to bet on every single one of them might seem attractive. Resist this temptation! You need to do your due diligence in terms of analyzing the matchups and doing the research before you even think about placing a wager. As a rule of thumb, only bet on the teams you know or have a good read on. Otherwise, you’ll just end up throwing away your money.
3. Manage Your Bankroll
Speaking of not throwing away your money, enter bankroll management. It’s impossible to become a long-term winner without keeping track of when (and how) you spend your money. Overwatch Contenders events come with a lot of haphazard matches, so you will definitely encounter some swings. Good bankroll management will let you get through them. The best guideline is to only bet 5% or—at most—10% of your total bankroll on a single matchup. A successful betting strategy isn’t a sprint. It’s a marathon. And if you want to profit from gambling on Overwatch Contenders, you need to find success in the long run.
