Welcome once again to our monthly WWE betting odds preview here at MMA OddsBreaker. As I traditionally do I’d like to remind everyone that unlike traditional sports, these odds don’t reflect an athlete or a team’s tendency to win or lose based on ability. In fact when you are betting on pro wrestling you are actually betting on the booking tendencies of a creative writing team scripting the outcomes, and the ever present wildcard of Vince McMahon throwing that script out the window on a whim if he doesn’t like it. To put it more plainly the “odds” here mean that a favorite doesn’t necessarily have the most physical prowess, he just has the most going for him/her in the current story being told and a “win” continues that story. Sometimes though as in the case of the 2016 Royal Rumble the exact opposite can be true. For example: Roman Reigns has been put in a position in terms of the story where you might suspend disbelief enough to accept it’s impossible to overcome the odds. Having been forced by Mr. McMahon (Vince’s evil TV persona) to put his WWE World Heavyweight Title on the line in a 30-man over the top rope elimination match, then furthermore being forced to enter that match FIRST and survive 29 other opponents, it actually makes more sense for Reigns to lose. The whole point here is for Reigns to get screwed, then at WrestleMania, he gets even. Vince’s real life son-in-law and head “Authority” figure Triple is currently the odds on favorite even though he hasn’t formally been announced to be in the elimination match. It’s a case of art imitating life though – if he wants in the match he’s in the match. If you’re comfortable with betting on that knowledge he’s -150 against the field at +110. Then again it’s the underdogs that make a Royal Rumble interesting. Perhaps you think Roman Reigns can actually pull it off, and if you do you’re not alone, because he’s actually got the best odds of any dog at +285. The further you go, the longer it gets. Brock Lesnar trails behind at +360, recent TV favorite Bray Wyatt is +550, and then it’s a HUGE jump to former champion Sheamus at +4000. At that point it gets a little ridiculous. Does anybody think Curtis Axel is winning at +12,500 or Erick Rowan is at +15,000? The fact those lines even exist are for the LOLz as far as I’m concerned. There’s some other action besides the 30 man match you might want in on. Dean Ambrose is a -230 favorite to retain the IC title over Kevin Owens at +170. That’s close enough to think the dog has a shot. Becky Lynch is closer still at +150 against Divas Champion (and daughter of Ric Flair) Charlotte, who is -190. The closest dog of all though is The Usos, who are a mere +130 challenging The New Day for their tag team titles at -170. If you want to make some quick cash, that’s where I’d put the smart money this Rumble. As always remember that the outcomes are predetermined, but your financial fortunes are not, so only wager what you can afford. Enjoy the Royal Rumble!
