WWE Wrestlepalooza preview, predictions & odds: The ESPN era begins
In case you hadn’t heard, WWE presents Wrestlepalooza tonight live from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
It’s the first PLE aired in the U.S. under their new ESPN deal and WWE is going to pull out all the stops to make it both a fun and newsworthy event. They are expecting new eyeballs and some lapsed eyeballs on this show, so expect them to do everything they can to rope those viewers in.
When looking at the lineup, it seems as though the results are a foregone conclusion. However, the betting lines don’t always line up with what you think is going to happen.
Below are previews, predictions, and betting odds for each match at Wrestlepalooza (7 PM Eastern start on ESPN domestically & Netflix internationally):
John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar
Cena is a -350 favorite to defeat Lesnar (+225) and I’ve never been more baffled by a wrestling betting line in my life.
Cena is retiring in a few months and Lesnar just signed a new WWE contract, so it feels a little odd to have the retiring guy beat the one you likely want to be a big part of storylines moving forward. But, the betting line has favored Cena ever since odds were released.
There are a few reasons I can think of as to why Cena is favored: belief that WWE primarily wants babyfaces to win on their first ESPN show, it could set up a second match between them afterward, or perhaps some believe Lesnar only signed a short-term deal to come in, lose to Cena, and leave again. I don’t really think any of those are particularly strong possibilities, though.
When the odds were first released, Cena was a -300 favorite. In yesterday’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, I had the odds at -400. Now, they have simmered down to -350.
Prediction: The scrappy +225 underdog Lesnar wins
The Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso) vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed
Breakker & Reed are currently -500 favorites to defeat The Usos (+300), but I’d give them better odds than that.
Their odds of winning have fluctuated around -500 and -400 since they were released. Considering the current storyline with The Usos seems to involve a building rivalry between Jey and LA Knight, having the Bron Brons go over, possibly due to something Knight does, feels like the most likely finish to this match. Perhaps, if we’re lucky, Reed will steal somebody’s shoes as well.
Prediction: Bronson Reed & Bron Breakker
Vacant WWE Women’s World Championship: IYO SKY vs. Stephanie Vaquer
Vaquer is only a -200 favorite to defeat SKY and win the vacant WWE Women’s World title, and the line has been a little funny since it was released.
Last week, Vaquer was a -600 favorite to beat SKY. Considering WWE has been spending a lot of time building a storyline involving SKY, Asuka, and a somewhat stuck-in-the-middle Kairi Sane, it feels likely that Vaquer walks away with the title, but confidence in that has been slipping the last two weeks.
One thought is that Vaquer’s odds dropped due to rumors she was injured, which she denied, stemming from her missing Raw two weeks ago. She’s wrestled twice on television since then, however, so it’s a little confusing why her odds have continued to drop all week.
Regardless, Vaquer walking away with the title here feels much more likely than -200, but I guess we’ll see.
Prediction: Stephanie Vaquer is the champ
WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defends against Drew McIntyre
I don’t think too many people are giving McIntyre much of a chance to win the title here, and the oddsmakers agree with Rhodes a -1500 favorite.
This match could be a turning point for McIntyre’s character. For years, his bitterness had grown due to The Bloodline, and later CM Punk, costing him matches for a World title. He said during the contract signing on SmackDown last night that he knows Rhodes will give him a fair shot at the title with no interference. I’m expecting McIntyre to lose clean here which would mean he no longer has that chip on his shoulder.
So then what happens to McIntyre’s character? That part is far more in question than the results of this match.
Prediction: Cody Rhodes retains
CM Punk & AJ Lee vs. Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch
Punk and Lee are currently -2500 favorites to win.
When the odds first came out, they were -1000 favorites. By Thursday, those odds had increased to -3000, and they’ve now settled back down to -2500. Barring a mid-match injury, AJ getting the pin or submission on Lynch seems like the most likely conclusion to this match, setting up a singles match for the women’s Intercontinental title between them somewhere down the line on a future ESPN show.
Prediction: Punk & Lee
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.