WWE Battleground 2016: Match Card, Odds, Potential Spoilers and Predictions

All the buzz over Tuesday's draft and the brand split has overshadowed WWE Battleground 2016, but a stacked pay-per-view card is sure to change that once the action begins on Sunday night.

Dean Ambrose will battle his former brothers-in-arms from The Shield in a match many thought WWE would save for SummerSlam or WrestleMania. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens will continue their long-running, always-entertaining feud. Becky Lynch and Natalya's clash looks set to be a show-stealer.

Before all the Superstars head to their respective brands, the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., will host a PPV featuring stars from both Raw and SmackDown.

In addition to a strong collection of matches, Sasha Banks will bring along a mystery partner for a tag team match against Charlotte and Dana Brooke. Randy Orton will make his first WWE appearance of the year after suffering a shoulder injury in October. Chris Jericho will welcome him to a PPV edition of the Highlight Reel.

It's clear Orton will be talking up his SummerSlam showdown with Brock Lesnar. For the most part, predicting what will happen during the rest of the Battleground isn't that difficult. WWE has offered plenty of hints of what's to come.

Potential Spoilers

When Banks rolls into the Verizon Center on Sunday, don't get your hopes up about the Superstar joining her. Many fans believe NXT's Bayley will be The Boss' mystery partner, but there's reason aplenty to doubt that.

For one, WWE already selected the six NXT stars it said it would during Tuesday's draft. And according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Robert Kojder of Wrestling Inc), Bayley is expected to be among a group of NXT call-ups in the fall. So she may be heading to Raw with Banks, but not until well past Battleground. 

Plus, Banks herself dismissed the idea. In a recent Streamable video, she said of potentially teaming with Bayley: "She's in NXT, and I don't want to bring her up here because I don't want to lose."

It also looks like one can count out Reigns in the Triple Threat match main event. The Big Dog certainly isn't guaranteed his WWE Championship back. 

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported (h/t Nick Paglino of Wrestle Zone) that WWE head honcho Vince McMahon was "very upset" with Reigns for violating the Talent Wellness Program. Reigns is reportedly set to still be pushed, but not necessarily as the No. 1 guy anymore.

Match Card

• The Usos vs. Breezango (Pre-show).
• Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens.
• Becky Lynch vs. Natalya.
• John Cena, Enzo Amore and Big Cass vs. The Club.
• The Miz vs. Darren Young (Intercontinental Championship).
• Rusev vs. Zack Ryder (United States Championship).
• The New Day vs. The Wyatt Family.
• Charlotte and Dana Brooke vs. Sasha Banks and a mystery partner.
• Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns (WWE Championship).

Battleground Odds

Match	Favorite	Underdog
Rusev vs. Zack Ryder	Rusev (-1000)	Ryder (+550)
The New Day vs. The Wyatt Family	The Wyatt Family (-260)	The New Day (+175)
Darren Young vs. The Miz	The Miz (-290)	Young (+190)
Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens	N/A (Even at -120)	N/A (Even at -120)
John Cena, Enzo Amore, Colin Cassady vs. The Club	Team Cena (-450)	The Club (+275)
Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns	Ambrose (-135)	Rollins (+200), Reigns (+300)

Ryder is the biggest underdog of the night, according to the odds.

That's not surprising at all. Rusev has been booked like a beast recently. WWE doesn't seem to want Ryder to string any wins together.

Another unexpected number here is the odds favor Ambrose to retain despite so many expectations he would have a short reign. WWE has always seemed to favor both Rollins and Reigns over him. Ambrose, though, may have won over his backstage detractors.

Maybe The Lunatic Fringe isn't a lame-duck champ after all.

Quick Predictions

• Breezango over The Usos.
• Young over The Miz.
• Natalya over Lynch.
• Rusev over Ryder.
• Wyatt Family over New Day.
• Banks' team wins.
• Zayn over Owens.
• Cena, Amore and Big Cass over The Club.
• No-contest, screwy finish in the WWE Championship match.

Kickoff Match

WWE announced this matchup on its official website on Friday. There has been no build to speak of, but Tyler Breeze and Fandango suddenly grabbed momentum when they defeated The Lucha Dragons on a recent edition of Raw.

Look for WWE to keep this roll going, as it tries to make the comedy duo look more formidable to strengthen the SmackDown tag team division.

The action is likely to be forgettable thanks to the complete lack of story. It is poised be a vehicle for the early steps in Breezango's rise.

The Usos' fans aren't going to like that the twins will be used as doormats.

Zayn vs. Owens

This is the toughest bout to call. Both men could be in line for a push, with Zayn playing the underdog contender and Owens moving up the ranks as a wrecking ball. And it's not clear whether this is the end of the story, even if that is what has been promised to us.

After Raw drafted both men on Tuesday night, Vaughn Johnson of Philly.com was among those predicting this feud will continue:

Seeing the babyface prevail would be fun. WWE could then start positioning Zayn toward a United States title shot.

Owens could then get his revenge when this narrative inevitably resumes.

Lynch vs. Natalya

Like with Owens and Zayn, Natalya and Lynch heading to the same brand (SmackDown in their case) suggest that their issues won't end at Battleground. If this feud is to continue, WWE is likely to have Natalya win in an underhanded fashion to set up a rematch.

Delaying Lynch's revenge on her former tag team partner will make the moment bigger when it happens. And given how intense this rivalry has become, WWE could easily have these two battle it out in a gimmick match the next time out.

Natalya will get a cheap win here to cement her heel status, which will get us to feel more sympathy for The Lass Kicker.

Team Cena vs. The Club

Among the NXT stars who debuted on the night after WrestleMania, none have received as much focus as Amore and Cass. While it's not clear whether WWE has bought into Apollo Crews, it's obvious the company believes in The Realest Guys in the Room.

Expect this, then, to be their coming out party, the babyfaces scoring a signature win.

As for the Cena vs. AJ Styles element of this battle, The Club falling will lead to a third clash between these enemies, this time a singles bout at SummerSlam. Styles bested Cena at Money in the Bank. Battleground will be Cena's time. 

SummerSlam can then host the rubber match.

IC Title Bout

The story of Young's surprise run will include the only title change of the night. Pairing Young with Bob Backlund as his life coach and painting the former tag team champ as a plucky underdog looks to be part of an attempt to give the former Prime Time Player a shot in the spotlight.

That will mean Battleground will play host to Young's latest upset. The Miz's run as the arrogant champ will give way to WWE experimenting with Young as a singles star.

Unfortunately, that will move the IC title from SmackDown to Raw, leaving the blue brand with just one belt to defend. Some rearranging of the championship pictures will have to go down post-Battleground.

U.S. Championship Clash

Rusev will continue his dominance. Ryder just a stepping stone to something bigger.

The Bulgarian Brute has been on a roll since i. WWE is again portraying him as a fearsome monster. As Greg Parks of PWTorch noted, Rusev has been better off than his former stablemates since The League of Nations disbanded in April:

Count on that continuing.

Ryder's up-and-down year will see him suffer another defeat while WWE builds up Rusev for a major opponent down the road. This is the route the company took ahead of WrestleMania 31, when it had the powerhouse charge his way up the ranks until he faced Cena.

The New Day vs. The Wyatt Family

Xavier Woods will be why the tag team champs stumble here. Ever since this rivalry with The Wyatt Family started, Woods has not been himself. He seems part hypnotized, part unsettled by Bray Wyatt's presence.

That promises to be a vital part of the story at Battleground. Woods may bicker with his teammates or be distracted by Wyatt. Either way, he's the safe bet as the man to take the decisive pinfall on Sunday.

This bout will lead to The Wyatt Family's last big victory before the team splits thanks to the draft. Braun Strowman is heading to Raw, while Wyatt and Erick Rowan are set to be a part of SmackDown.

Before that, The Wyatt Family will go out with a memorable display of destruction.

Who Will Join The Boss?

The revealing of Banks' mystery partner won't be as exciting as some expect. Bayley is sticking around in NXT. Look for an old ally to join Banks' side instead.

As Sean Rueter of Cageside Seats wrote: "A Bayley debut or Nikki return could overshadow Banks a bit at a time when they seem to be building to her next big moment in Brooklyn at SummerSlam." WWE doesn't want to make all buzz around the match be about the person aiding Banks. The Boss needs momentum ahead of her expected clash with Charlotte in August.

Summer Rae is the more likely secret teammate.

WWE recently posted a video of her and Banks interacting during their NXT days. The clip seemed to suggest it was Rae who inspired Banks to become the person she is today:

That's likely the story WWE will use to explain why Banks will welcome Rae to ringside at Battleground.

The Shield Triple Threat

In order to create an excuse to bring back a second world championship and give both Raw and SmackDown a top titleholder, there will be no clear winner on Sunday.

Before one argues WWE wouldn't go with a non-finish in the main event of a PPV, remember that it was just last year when Rollins vs. Brock Lesnar didn't reach a real conclusion at the close of Battleground. This time around, it will be to set up a situation in which more than one man has a claim to the belt.

And that's how the the defunct World Heavyweight Championship will be reborn.

Along the way, count on Rollins, Ambrose and Reigns delivering a tremendous show. They always do when they're battling each other. Just remember to savor the action.

As SmackDown's king, Ambrose won't be taking on Raw's Rollins or Reigns for a long time to come.