-- Thanks to Kyle Newman of OddsChecker for sending this in:
This year's Royal Rumble promises to be one of the most unpredictable in a long time. Even with the sharp bets coming in, nobody knows how the highest profile matches on the card are going to go.
WWE Championship Match
Brock Lesnar is currently the favorite to retain his title against Bobby Lashley. However, the Beast Incarnate is given -163 odds, or a 61.9% chance of winning. Lashley is given +120 or an implied 45.5% chance to win.
That's a stark change from last week when Lesnar was given -200 odds, and Lashley +150. So, it would seem momentum is no Lashley's side. However, Lesnar is still the slightest of favorites to win this match. So, this one could go either way.
Universal Championship Match
This one has been crazy for the last week. First Seth Rollins closed in on Roman Reigns, and now oddsmakers have added another market that may hint at where the match is headed.
First, Reigns is still the favorite to win the match at -175. That's actually a bump from his previous -163 odds. Meanwhile, Rollins is given +125 odds, a slight fall from +120. So, the odds seem to be moving in Reigns direction.
However, the addition of a To Leave as Champion market throws a wrench into all of this. Reigns is -225 to leave the Royal Rumble as Champion, while Rollins is +163. That might be all we need to know about how the finish of this match.
Men's Royal Rumble
Once again, Brock Lesnar is the favorite here at +250. Considering the potential end to the Universal Title match it could set up an interesting dynamic. Perhaps a rematch of WrestleMania 31? Seth Rollins famous cash-in was one of the greatest moments in WrestleMania history, but it left things unsettled between Rollins, Reigns, and Lesnar. Could WWE's end game be to put the three back together 7 years later?
That said, one man can't be forgotten. The Phenomenal one has flown up the odds market in recent days. Early this week he was given +800 odds, that's now been cut to +300. He's right behind Lesnar. Styles has done nearly everything there is to do in the WWE since joining 5 years ago, that is except win the Royal Rumble. Could WWE reward Styles after keeping him away from any world title since his 2019 match with Seth Rollins at Money in the Bank?
What about Big E? The former WWE Champion is still given strong +400 odds to win the Rumble and stake his claim to the title Lesnar took from him. WWE could also be eyeing their first ever all-African American Men's Main Event at WrestleMania with Lashley and Big E. This would come a year after Sasha Banks v. Bianca Belair became the first all-African American Main Event in the history of WrestleMania.
Raw Women's Championship Match
No changes here. Becky Lynch is still as big a favorites as they come to win this one. She's given -1000 odds, or a 90.9% chance to retain her title. Meanwhile, Doudrop is given +550 odds, or a 15.4% chance to pull off the massive upset.
Women's Royal Rumble
WWE likely wanted this to be a surprise, but it's not going to be anymore. Rona Rousey is the massive favorite to return to WWE and win the Royal Rumble at -150. This would set up the long awaited rematch between Rousey and Lynch after Rousey's last WWE match ended in controversy. Remember, Becky Lynch had pinned Rousey to win the Women's title at WrestleMania, but replay showed that Rousey's shoulders were up.
If WWE decides to hold off on Rousey's return and a potential matchup with Lynch for a few weeks, then Bianca Belair is the next biggest favorite. Last year's rumble winner, Belair is given +350 odds to win again this year.
Edge and Beth Phoenix v. Miz and Maryse
This should be a win for the Hall of Fame couple. Beth and Edge have only seen their odds grow in the last week. They now sit at -350, or an implied 77.8% chance to walk out of the Rumble victorious. Meanwhile, the It Couple are given +250 odds, or an implied 28.6% chance to pull off the upset.
It's worth noting here that both AJ Styles and Edge have teased a potential rivalry moving forward. So, it's possible that this win could catapult Edge back into the main event picture considering Styles increasingly good odds to win the Royal Rumble.
