We’re back again with the final WWE pay per view of 2017 and the follow up to Survivor Series. That’s right — tonight is the Clash of Champions at TD Garden Arena in Boston, Massachusetts. One might think the PPV name would actually have been more appropriate for the aforementioned Series, where Raw and SmackDown brand champions DID clash, but it is what it is. Tonight we’ve only got SmackDown superstars on tap, but before they come out in the Garden we’ll take a look at the odds for the show’s big matches.
A quick word first about what odds mean in this context though. In most sports the betting lines come from the mathematical probability that one team is better than the other, or one fighter is better than the other, based on a variety of factors such as athleticism, win streaks, quality of competition, previous experience, and more. Even though professional wrestlers are very much athletes and performing physical feats, the results are predetermined, so the odds are actually based on whether or not Vince McMahon and his writing staff will change their minds on a match. Heavy favorites are results that factor into their plans, and heavy dogs are unlikely to be written into a starring role — unless Vince changes his mind on a whim, which does occasionally happen.
The main event tonight is World Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles in a title defense against former champion Jinder Mahal. The current odds have AJ as a -415 favorite and Jinder as the +295 underdog. If you look at the fact that WWE took the title off Mahal BEFORE they went to tour India, even though he’s of Indian descent (though actually Canadian), it stands to reason that AJ will retain because they just don’t have the confidence in Jinder to be a top draw for TV ratings, live events and PPV buys. The numbers for 2017 during his title reign bear that out.
Baron Corbin will be in action in a triple threat with his United States title up for grabs against Dolph Ziggler and Bobby Roode. Corbin is -425 against the field at +305, but it is perhaps more telling that the field is -999999 against Roode (+375) and Ziggler (+950). With lines that long it seems a virtual certainty that Baron Corbin is retaining and they are setting him up for a more interesting or significant storyline loss at the Royal Rumble or WrestleMania.
Here are some other noteworthy odds before the pay per view. Charlotte Flair is a HEAVY -675 favorite to retain the SmackDown Women’s Title over Natalya at +425, The Usos are a SLIM -145 to retain their tag team titles in a fatal four way with the field at +105, and the team of Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn are -900 against the team of Randy Orton & Shinsuke Nakamura at +500, which makes sense given Owens & Zayn are “fired” if they lose. Please remember that these previews are for entertainment purposes only and if you do wager please bet only what you can afford. Enjoy WWE Clash of Champions!
