TLC Betting Odds Favor One Big Title Change

Betting on pro wrestling is one of the weirder aspects of sports gambling, with insider knowledge from writers and bookers often determining the early odds–and ensuring that the stakes never get too high. That means that these odds are often the best predictor of what’s going to go down on a pay-per-view.

So where’s the smart money at TLC? AJ Styles, the Miz, and Becky Lynch are all favored to retain their championships on Sunday, with AJ in particular seeing a heavy advantage in the odds. Alexa Bliss and Dolph Ziggler are both underdogs in their matches, but the odds are far closer than in the World Championship match.

But that doesn’t mean every challenger is an underdog. Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt are heavy favorites to take the Tag Team Championships from Heath Slater and Rhyno, and that’s not really surprising. It’s been surprising to see the unlikely team on top for as long as they have been, and the end of the five-on-five Survivor Series match last month painted the New Wyatt Family as the most powerful force in WWE.

httpss://youtube.com/watch?v=QPlbdLq3GbU

In non-title matches, Baron Corbin is strongly favored over Kalisto, and Nikki Bella enjoys a slight odds advantage over Carmella. The Bella/’Mella match is the one to watch, as it’s likely to determine Becky Lynch’s next major challenger, and thus the future shape of SmackDown’s female division. Corbin has been receiving a slow build since his WrestleMania victory in the Andre Memorial Battle Royal, but it seems clear that WWE is just waiting for the right moment to pull the trigger on a major push for the Lone Wolf.