We’re only a few weeks away from one of the WWE’s most eagerly anticipated events of the year, the Royal Rumble, where 30 Superstars compete in a gauntlet Battle Royal – one for men and one for women – to earn a Championship match at WrestleMania 35 of their choosing. As usual, fans are scrambling with theories while news sites hunt down every rumor available to determine which direction the WWE will take the huge event as it sets up the Road to WrestleMania and essentially, set up the major angles of 2019.
As is usual with most WWE pay-per-views, bookmakers are also getting in on the action, as multiple sports betting sites are laying down the odds and taking the bets on which WWE Superstar for each Rumble will throw over the final competitor and make their WrestleMania moment a reality on Sunday, April 7, 2019, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, home of both NFL teams, the New York Giants and New York Jets. Here’s a look at the current odds on favorites for the 2019 Rumble matches themselves.
THE MEN’S ROYAL RUMBLE
Seth Rollins, 6/4
With Roman Reigns out, speculation has shifted heavily in his former Shield buddy Seth Rollins heading back to the main event of WrestleMania, where he’ll face either Brock Lesnar (or Braun Strowman) for the WWE Universal Championship. He’s been stuck in a seemingly endless feud with another former Shield member, Dean Ambrose, over the Intercontinental Championship of late, but a big win over at the Royal Rumble could dramatically shift his direction in the company back to the main event level he enjoyed in 2015. At present, Seth Rollins is the unanimous choice with bookies to win the 2019 Men’s Royal Rumble match.
Finn Balor, 7/2
Considering his lethargic midcard push the past year (since he returned from the injury that forced him to vacate the Universal title in early 2017 really), Finn Balor has barely sniffed the main event title picture. He’s flirted with Seth Rollins a few times, but lately has been facing off against Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler, seemingly to position themselves closer to the top of the card. He had an unexpected appearance at NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool this past weekend, where we got to see more of the “old” Finn Balor in a match against one of his star pupils, Jordan Devlin, so perhaps they’re finally priming Balor to return to the top where many fans believe he belongs. Regardless, Balor has jumped very close to Seth as the potential winner of the 2019 Men’s Royal Rumble.
Drew McIntyre, 7/2
Speaking of the “Scottish Terminator”, Drew McIntyre has also risen quickly in the bookmaker’s eyes, as he’s tied with Finn Balor (his current rival) and closing in on Seth Rollins. Should Braun Strowman defeat Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble event for the Universal Championship, a Drew McIntyre win would make more sense, as it would put a clear villain like McIntyre against The Monster Amongst Men, whom the fans seem more likely to rally around.
John Cena, 10/1
With John Cena back in the WWE fold in between movies, it’s no surprise he’s found his way back in contention for the Royal Rumble victory. While not as safe a bet as Rollins, Balor or McIntyre, you can never count the 16x WWE World Champion out of anything that involves a big match. And if Vince McMahon wants a star studded main event, Cena versus Brock may just be that matchup.
Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas, 20/1
The former Lucha Libre standout from CMLL (then known as La Sombra) had a solid run in NXT, capturing the NXT Championship, but so far, the run on SmackDown Live of Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas has been mostly forgettable. But the past few weeks have been picking up for “El Idolo”, and he’s been featured in the main events working alongside the likes of John Cena, Becky Lynch, Daniel Bryan, AJ Styles and recently pushed Mustafa Ali. He’s headed for a showdown with Rey Mysterio this coming Tuesday on SmackDown which could be the start of a new push for Almas, which might be why he’s the highest ranked star from the Blue Brand in the oddsmakers’ books.
THE WOMEN’S ROYAL RUMBLE
Charlotte Flair, 4/9
While the men have a few options at top, the Women’s Royal Rumble has been a topsy turvy flip flop between only two real options. At present, Vegas is picking “The Queen” Charlotte Flair to emerge victorious and cement her legacy with a title shot at WrestleMania 35, where she could challenge SmackDown Women’s Champion Asuka in East Rutherford. But some rumors indicate this could simply be a way to get Flair into the proposed Ronday Rousey vs Becky Lynch to make it a triple threat. But with all the rumors that have flipped around in the past week alone, don’t expect these odds to remain the same. It doesn’t appear even WWE knows how they want to work the Women’s main event yet.
Becky Lynch, 7/4
When Becky Lynch lost her title to Asuka in a triple threat back at TLC, many naturally assumed it was just the safe route to allow “The Man” run through the Royal Rumble and declare her shot against Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania 35 for the match that everyone wanted at last year’s Survivor Series (before the infamous punch ended that dream). When the announced Lynch vs Asuka rematch at Royal Rumble was as quickly nixed, it all seemed to confirm that theory. But as mentioned earlier, the plans seem to be all over the place, with the WWE unsure whether to make it a straight singles match or somehow insert Charlotte Flair into the mix, to continue to story started when Flair replaced Lynch in that Survivor Series match.
Alexa Bliss, 20/1
While she’s been off due to injury since October of last year, former 5x WWE Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss is close to being cleared and has remained a staple of WWE television despite a lack of ring time. While it’s highly unlikely anyone not named Becky or Charlotte will win this year’s Women’s Royal Rumble, Alexa Bliss is also a favorite to win anything, and is the next best odds to win the match.
Ember Moon, 20/1
Although she’s been stuck in a series of random tag team matches for the past few months, and feuding with the likes of Nia Jax, Tamina and Alicia Fox, Ember Moon is surely poised for a breakout 2019 on Raw and a surprise win at the 2019 Women’s Royal Rumble could be just the win she needs. And while it seems unlikely she’d win to challenge Ronda Rousey – that match is still very much going to include Flair and/or Lynch – Ember Moon could use the lack of quality matches she’s had on Raw since her debut last year to challenge her former NXT rival Asuka for the SmackDown Women’s title instead.
Mandy Rose, 25/1
What a difference a year makes. Last year, Mandy Rose entered the history books as the first woman eliminated in the first ever Women’s Royal Rumble, and not just a year later, she’s the fifth highest odds to now win the event, and the second highest odds for a member of the Blue Brand. She’s hardly been setting the world on fire, working tag team feuds alongside Sonya Deville against Naomi & Lana of late, but Mandy Rose is someone they have high hopes for down the road. But unfortunately, the likelihood of anyone other than “The Man” or “The Queen” winning seems like wishful thinking at this point.
Who’s your pick to win each Royal Rumble? Let us know in the comments below!
