Editor’s note: Earlier this afternoon, new broke that Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt were both unable to compete at TLC due to illness. Raw general manager Kurt Angle will replace Reigns in the Shield match while AJ Styles will replace Wyatt against Finn Balor. New betting odds for the matches have not been released.
If it seems like the WWE pay per view events are coming fast and furious lately you’re not mistaken. Hell in a Cell 2017 was just two weeks ago and here we are again for TLC 2017, an event emanating from the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 22, 2017. The big draw for this event is the reunion of The Shield, the triumvirate of Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns. Unfortunately they’ve had the odds stacked against them in a 5-on-3 handicap matching, and the opposing team features such monsters as Braun Strowman and Kane.
Speaking of odds though let’s talk about what WWE betting odds actually mean for a second. If you’re new to this endeavor you might think these lines are like normal lines which are predicated on a fighter’s prowess, a team’s strength, or other factors such as “home field advantage.” None of those things exist here. The odds in this case refer to one thing in particular and that’s whether or not Vincent Kennedy McMahon will change the script before the show. Long odds mean he’s likely to stick to the plan, narrow odds mean he’s undecided, and sometimes when an underdog is too heavy he’ll change his mind on a whim just to prove everyone wrong.
Now bearing all those factors in mind when you look at the latest odds let’s start with the aforementioned 5-on-3 match. The Shield are opposed by The Miz, Kane, Braun Strowman, Cesaro and Sheamus. You might think with such a massive arsenal it’s too much for The Shield to overcome, but you’d be wrong – they are currently a -475 favorite and the bigger team is +325. Why? Because it’s scripted that’s why, and the script calls for the “good guys” to overcome the figurative odds against them, which is why the LITERAL odds are well in their favor.
Elsewhere on the card we’ve got Alexa Bliss defending her Raw Women’s Title against Mickie James, who is a former six time WWE champion (five times with the Women’s Title and once with the Divas Championship). In terms of her prior accomplishments that would make James a formidable foe… if this were sport and not sports entertainment. Sadly Mickie has been repeatedly humiliated by Bliss on TV and she won’t get her revenge on this night either as the oddsmakers have her a +190 underdog and Bliss a -270 favorite.
WWE NXT favorite Asuka makes her pay per view debut at TLC against Emma and as you might expect given she was undefeated before being called up, she is a HEAVY -750 favorite with Emma being a +450 underdog. I’m sure that line is tempting to some people but I wouldn’t risk it. A better bet might be to go with Alicia Fox over Sasha Banks in the pre-show match at +165 versus -215. These are the kind of matches without big storyline or future WrestleMania implications where Vince can and often does change his mind just for the hell of it. Anyway if you do bet please remember to do so responsibly and wager only what you can afford. Enjoy TLC 2017!
