WWE Fastlane 2016: Odds, Full Breakdown, Predictions for Entire Card
WWE will present its second annual Fastlane pay-per-view event live from the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday.
As the final pit stop before WrestleMania 33, Fastlane holds major importance and will set the stage for the Show of Shows on April 3. With seven matches being advertised for the show, each contest looks set to be enjoyable in its own right.
Per Odds Shark, let's look at who fans are placing their bets on, as well as preview and make predictions for the event as it draws closer.
TOP NEWS
Fresh Backstage WWE Rumors 👊
Modern-Day Dream Matches 💭
Most Likely Backlash Heel/Face Turns 🎭
Kalisto vs. Alberto Del Rio (2-out-of-3 Falls for the United States Championship)
| Combatants | Odds |
| Kalisto | 1-3 |
| Alberto Del Rio | 11-5 |
Kalisto and Del Rio have been trading victories in singles and tag team competitions since the start of the year. In their most recent one-on-one encounter at the Royal Rumble, Kalisto was successful in regaining the United States Championship from the Mexican Aristocrat.
Although their matches never cease to entertain, the feud has felt stale in recent weeks, and it's high time both men moved on to fresh opponents. But before that, their rivalry will culminate in what should be a stellar 2-out-of-3 Falls match on Sunday.
Despite being WWE's resident underdog, the odds are surely in Kalisto's corner, which should come as no surprise. He is the logical choice to win considering he has more upside at this point than the damaged Del Rio.
Ryback, Kane and Big Show vs. The Wyatt Family
The Wyatt Family have systemically taken out the likes of Ryback, Kane and Show over the past month, but each of the three titans returned on Monday's Raw. It was confirmed shortly thereafter that a six-man tag team match pitting the two trios against each other would take place at WWE Fastlane.
Based off what we saw at the Royal Rumble, The Wyatt Family's sights are still set on Brock Lesnar, even though they haven't had any interaction with him as of late. Ryback, Kane and Show are merely roadblocks in their path of destruction.
Given his unadulterated strength and size, Braun Strowman is the one to watch, and it's a miracle he won't be working with Show or either of the other two in a singles match. The six-man tag team format should protect him and allow him to score the win for his team without having to do a decent portion of the in-ring work.
Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch vs. Naomi and Tamina
| Combatants | Odds |
| Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch | 1-6 |
| Naomi and Tamina | 4-1 |
Has this not been an unexpected treat in the Divas division over the last few weeks? Banks and Lynch looked to be headed for the Divas Championship picture coming out of the Royal Rumble, but their title pursuits were temporarily derailed by the dynamic duo of Naomi and Tamina, the two remaining members of Team B.A.D.
Naomi and Tamina haven't been the most prominent players in the division this year, but they have risen to the occasion since splitting from Banks. Every match involving these four women has ranged from average to excellent, and there is no reason to think this upcoming contest will be any different.
But in the end, Banks and Lynch are destined for bigger things going into WrestleMania 32, and a win here is virtually guaranteed. Fans seem to think so as well as they are heavily betting on the babyfaces to emerge victorious at the event.
Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler (Intercontinental Championship)
For three straight weeks, Owens and Ziggler faced each other on Raw for no apparent reason, but their feud found all-new meaning when Owens regained the Intercontinental Championship on the latest edition of Raw. Ziggler's previous victories over Owens earned him a title shot at the pending pay-per-view.
While it's a match that has been done to death, there is no denying Owens and Ziggler are exceptional opponents. With a title up for grabs this time around, look for them to put forth an extra effort to make this matchup as special as possible.
The former NXT champion is fresh off his title victory, so it would be foolish to have him lose it so quickly. The bleached-blonde Superstar is nothing more than a stepping stone for Owens on the road to WrestleMania.
Charlotte vs. Brie Bella (Divas Championship)
| Combatants | Odds |
| Charlotte | 10-53 |
| Brie Bella | 7-2 |
In a matter of weeks, Brie Bella has solidified herself as a true threat to the Divas Championship. She knocked off Charlotte in non-title action on the Feb. 4 edition of Raw and built massive momentum in the weeks that followed.
What makes this matchup all the more interesting, however, is that Bella will be dedicating her performance to her injured sister Nikki and the recently retired Daniel Bryan. Typically, that would ensure victory for her, but this is an entirely different case with WrestleMania right around the corner.
Bella is due a title run—albeit a brief one—prior to her eventual WWE departure, but it shouldn't be before The Show of Shows. In order for Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch to become a reality on the grand stage, the Flair family scion must be in possession of the title until then.
AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho
The way WWE has handled Styles since he arrived in the organization has been nearly perfect. His recent rivalry has been a major factor in that, as the two have worked extremely well together—both as partners and as adversaries.
Styles earned credibility with his debut win over Jericho on the Jan. 25 Raw, but he failed to follow it up with a victory in their SmackDown rematch. Now, they will be across the ring from each other yet again—this time with the stakes higher than they have ever been before.
It almost doesn't matter who wins because both competitors will come out of this looking strong regardless, but Styles is due a victory before Y2J. If nothing else, Jericho losing a second time to Styles should serve as the catalyst for his inevitable heel turn.
Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar vs. Dean Ambrose (Triple Threat No. 1 Contender's Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
| Combatants | Odds |
| Roman Reigns | 1-9 |
| Brock Lesnar | 5-1 |
| Dean Ambrose | 7-1 |
First and foremost, it makes zero sense for The Authority to be granting any of these men the opportunity to contend for the championship at WrestleMania. With that said, the match itself should be nothing short of spectacular from an in-ring standpoint.
Reigns is the clear fan favorite to win simply based off how he has been overshadowed recently, but Lesnar and Ambrose shouldn't be overlooked. Lesnar is still due a rightful rematch for the gold, even with a potential program with The Wyatt Family looming.
Meanwhile, Ambrose just lost his Intercontinental Championship back to Kevin Owens, but that isn't a tell-tale sign he will be winning this bout. Reigns is undoubtedly my pick to win, but a surprise victory from Ambrose would be welcomed, to say the least.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
.jpg?w=600 "WWE Raw Results & Grades 🔠")
