Welcome back to our monthly WWE pay per view betting odds preview. Last month if you picked Triple H to win the Royal Rumble and claim the World Heavyweight Title you were in good company. He was the favorite going in at -150 and used his position as “The Authority” to enter himself #30 in the over-the-top elimination match, as opposed to having to go in at the very beginning and survive until the end like former champion Roman Reigns. As I traditionally do though I’d like to point out that is all what’s scripted for both of them to do, not a reflection of ACTUAL authority (even though Paul Levesque has plenty) or athletic ability (Leati Anoa’i has plenty of that too). 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 are the chances McMahon sticks to the script or thinks that his wrestling program is now TOO predictable. This time of year though the odds tend to settle in before a pay per view like WWE Fastlane simply because the story they have written to tell has to build to a big climax at WrestleMania. Much as McMahon and his writing team might want to keep the fans guessing, they also need to sell them on a reason for coming to the biggest show of the year, which this year needs to fill a 100,000 seat stadium in Dallas, Texas. If you see that Roman Reigns is a -600 favorite to win the triple threat at Fastlane and go on to face Triple H, there’s a damn good reason. The payout may be low but it’s “easy money” given that it’s the only good story they can tell. Reigns and Triple H have been at odds for most of the last six months and having Reigns win and go on to get revenge on Hunter for taking his title at the Royal Rumble is the only fitting conclusion to the story. If you’re looking for long odds and praying for somebody to change their mind before showtime, go with Brock Lesnar at +850 over Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns. When it comes down to athletic gifts he could take both men to “Suplex City” and barely break a sweat, but the fact he’s a huge dog tells you he’s not part of this story at WrestleMania 32. He’ll have a role to play but it’s not challenging Hunter for the title. Brie Bella may be the safer bet at +330 to beat Charlotte given her husband Daniel’s emotional retirement speech, but they seem to have long term Mania plans for Charlotte too and holding the Divas Title furthers those plans. Other lines to keep an eye on — Dolph Ziggler (+500) challenges Kevin Owens (-900) for the Intercontinental Title, and AJ Styles (-675) tries to finish his feud with Chris Jericho (+425). There’s a small chance of at least ONE swerve here with odds this heavy on the favorites. Please remember that the outcomes are scripted but your bank balance isn’t so bet only what you can afford. Enjoy the show!
