Has it been two weeks already? As a matter of fact yes. We’ve flipped brands again and moved from the Raw exclusive Extreme Rules on June 4th, 2017 to the SmackDown exclusive Money in the Bank taking place on Sunday, June 18th. That means it’s also time for a whole new set of betting odds that give us some indication of who the winners and losers might be on the show, and per our usual format, we’re about to break it down.
For the newcomers to our WWE betting previews, here’s a word of caution and of explanation — you can NOT judge the outcomes for wrestling based on physical stature or athletic prowess. If that were the case, then it’s likely Brock Lesnar and Big Show would both have been undefeated for their entire career save for encounters with each other. You already know pro wrestling is predetermined as a result, so that’s not what the odds mean in this case. A strong favorite means WWE is “sticking to the script” with their plans for someone. A weak favorite means Vince McMahon and his writers could change their minds and go with someone else.
That being said these lines do have some unpredictability built in, given the format of the Money in the Bank ladder match, which requires setting up a ladder in the middle of the ring and climbing up it to retrieve a suspended briefcase with a guaranteed title shot inside. If someone gets injured during the match, or a teased retrieval of the briefcase goes awry and it falls off, even a long shot that wasn’t “written in” could be the winner. McMahon may even look at the lines and simply decide that the story he’s written is “too predictable” and go with an underdog out of spite because “they’ll never see it coming.” It’s not unprecedented.
With all of that said we currently have two ladder matches and two sets of odds. In the men’s match, it’s Baron Corbin (-300), Shinsuke Nakamura (+500), Sami Zayn (+1,150), Kevin Owens (+2,000), AJ Styles (+1,200) and Dolph Ziggler (+5,500). It’s fair to rule out Ziggler, as that line is far too long and he’s got far too little credibility at the present time. Owens is the United States champion and probably set to feud with old rival Zayn, a returning John Cena, or former world champion Styles. That leaves Corbin and Nakamura as the most viable bets to pace.
In the women’s match, it’s Carmella (-210), Natalya (+650), Becky Lynch (+900), Charlotte Flair (+350) and Tamina (+5,000). Again, we can simply write off Tamina, as she hasn’t been in a prominent role on SmackDown, and a push of this magnitude is as unprecedented as her line is long. I’d call Flair a “live dog” given how she’s been used over and over again in “first time ever” women’s matches on Pay-Per-View. The fact that Carmella and Natalya have the strongest lines may reflect WWE’s thinking that a Flair win would be too obvious. It’s tempting though.
In closing, Jinder Mahal is -600 to retain the WWE championship over Randy Orton at +400, which is the unfortunate and obviously correct line, because why put the title on Jinder if you’re not going to go all the way with him? Anyway, these previews are for entertainment purposes, and if you do decide to wager, please only bet what you can afford. Enjoy Money in the Bank!
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