Best bets for WWE Royal Rumble
Sunday's Royal Rumble is the start of the road to Wrestlemania. Thirty men and 30 women will enter their respective Rumble matches, with their eyes on a main event spot on the grandest stage of them all. Here are our three best bets for the men's side - a favorite, an underdog, and a long shot - as well as some other thoughts.
Favorite - Seth Rollins (-135)
Seth Rollins is the clear-cut favorite and an easy contender to root for. Dropping the Intercontinental championship in December cleared the way for him to headline Wrestlemania. Rollins certainly doesn't need the rub of winning the Royal Rumble and he's essentially a lock to make the Final Four with -1000 odds. But if there's any superstar who's been built to conquer the beast, it's the baby-faced Kingslayer.
Underdog - The Rock (+2000)
The Rock is your typical boom-or-bust play here after Rollins, someone who brings back a better return than that of Braun Strowman (+400) or Finn Balor (+1600). Put it this way: If The Rock makes any appearance on your television screen come Sunday, you can pretty much cash that ticket.
Long Shot - Aleister Black (+10000)
Like The Rock, Aleister Black isn't confirmed for the Rumble. Unlike The Rock, Black will have his work cut out for him should he make an appearance. He isn't on the main roster and Black winning would be out of the blue. But his arrival would shake up the title scene, making him our favorite target for a long shot bet of the potential candidates in the +10000 range.
Longest Time - Mustafa Ali (+400)
In his short time on the main roster, Mustafa Ali has proven to be the heart and soul of whatever brand he appears on. Although he has the third-shortest odds at +400, his iron man persona makes him a near-lock to see ample time in the ring on Sunday.
Women's Royal Rumble winner - Becky Lynch (+150)
Sitting right behind the -200 chalk of Charlotte Flair is Becky Lynch at +150. 2018 was the year of The Man, seeing the rise of Lynch's star to prominence. With Ronda Rousey on Raw, Lynch's clearest path to a Wrestlemania main event is by defeating Asuka for the Smackdown Women's championship on Sunday. If The Man falls short in her quest to reclaim the gold, she shoots up the leaderboard as a favorite to win the Women's Royal Rumble match.
(All odds were taken from BetOnline.ag. Be sure to shop around for the best numbers available).
Alex Kolodziej is theScore's betting writer. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 11 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.