WWE Royal Rumble 2017: Latest Betting Odds, Good and Bad Value Bets on Winner

WWE Royal Rumble 2017 is now less than two weeks away, and Superstars from both Raw and SmackDown LIVE have announced their intentions to win the Rumble match and headline WrestleMania 33. 

OddsShark has released its latest odds on who will win the Royal Rumble, including Superstars who are announced for the match (The Undertaker, Goldberg), those who are likely to enter (Bray Wyatt, Sami Zayn) and even some unusual choices (Stone Cold Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan). 

We're here to give you the best value bets for those Superstars among OddsShark's latest listings and why. We'll also take a look at the Superstars with potentially the most inflated odds—those you should steer clear of if you so happen to be placing a wager on this year's Rumble match. 

So, who are this year's good (and bad) bets to win it all? Click through to find out. 

Good Bet: Braun Strowman (5-2 Odds)

While not the biggest odds for a huge payday, Braun Strowman is easily the best bet among the early Royal Rumble favorites. 

Originally just behind The Undertaker in last week's odds release from OddsShark, Strowman is now the prohibitive favorite. As OddsShark's Justin Hartling writes, "Strowman has grown exponentially, and the WWE has shown that [it sees] him as a future champion." 

Undefeated in one-on-one situations, Strowman's chances at headlining WrestleMania 33 are improved when looking at the WWE landscape, as a whole. 

With Chris Jericho becoming the WWE United States champion on last week's episode of Raw, Roman Reigns now enters his Royal Rumble match unencumbered by a title. This allows him a clear path to take the Universal Championship away from Kevin Owens at the event. 

That would make Reigns vs. Strowman—a match that has been speculated about—a reality. In his odds preview, Hartling continues, "The only potential opponent that would be logical for Strowman would be Roman Reigns."

B/R's Aaron Bower wrote about a brewing Reigns-Strowman feud last month, speculating it would be best fought over the United States title. Forbes' Blake Oestricher took the idea a step further, writing:

"

Reigns vs. Strowman [...] could very well be the direction for 'Mania. And it appears that WWE is already setting the stage for that to happen.

The scenario is simple: Reigns beats Owens for the Universal Championship, then Strowman wins the Royal Rumble and challenges Reigns for the title at WrestleMania 33.

"

That was nearly a month ago. Fast-forward to today and Reigns vs. Strowman for the Universal Championship is a distinct possibility.

Good Bet: Undertaker (11-4 Odds)

The presumptive favorite on OddsShark's previous big board, The Undertaker has slid behind Strowman. According to Hartling, The Undertaker "has seen his odds drop after dirtsheets have gotten word that his potential WrestleMania match with John Cena is off the board."

However, The Deadman still makes a compelling winner of the Royal Rumble for a number of reasons. 

First, as he stated on SmackDown LIVE's 900th episode in November, The Undertaker doesn't want to be defined by WrestleMania. While winning the Rumble match guarantees a WrestleMania main event, it would also mean Undertaker would appear more often in the leadup to the show. And a win at a major pay-per-view that's not WrestleMania would be against the recent norm for The Deadman. 

Second, The Deadman was the winner when this event last took place in San Antonio in 2007. The ensuing story nearly mirrors this year, as there are champions for both the Raw and SmackDown LIVE brands, and The Undertaker is beholden to neither show.

Having him win the Rumble match not only creates a compelling narrative, but it also extends multiple storylines for a few more weeks, namely: Who will Undertaker face at 'Mania? His win could set up any number of huge WrestleMania main events.

If he were to challenge for the WWE Universal Championship on Raw, his opponent could be Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins or even Braun Strowman. 

If he chose SmackDown LIVE, a main event featuring The Undertaker vs. AJ Styles or Cena would likely be on the card. Either one would make for must-see TV. 

And just a guess: This isn't the last WrestleMania that The Undertaker will participate in. With the recent WWE announcement that WrestleMania 34 will be headed to New Orleans next year, it makes too much sense for The Undertaker to avenge his lone WrestleMania loss in the city where The Streak ended. 

Whether that's against Brock Lesnar (not likely) or another Superstar, it doesn't matter. Seeing Undertaker leave The Superdome as a winner would be a fitting end to his career. 

Good Bet: Samoa Joe (7-1 Odds)

Credit: WWE.com

No one has moved up OddsShark's big board as quickly as Joe, who originally opened as a 33-1 favorite and now finds himself among the favorites at 7-1 odds to win the Royal Rumble. 

According to Hartling, "There are rumblings that the WWE wants to match Wrestle Kingdom 11's stellar six-star match between Kenny Omega and Kazichika Okada. One matchup that could, potentially, reach the same stratosphere would be Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles."

The odds of Joe making his main-roster debut at the Royal Rumble are likely a lot better than his stated odds of winning the match. But at 7-1, Joe is a great bet based on the speculation surrounding The Samoan Submission Specialist.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that the former NXT champion is not only slated to appear at thiis month's pay-per-view, but to have Joe "in one of the top few matches" at WrestleMania (h/t Forbes.com).

B/R's own Ryan Dilbert believes Joe could be a monster akin to two other Royal Rumble entrants. He writes: "A historic, rapid rise would make for an excellent story. Joe could be the monster who makes an impact immediately upon entering a new fray. He could be the next unstoppable wrecking ball in the vein of Lesnar or Goldberg."

It wouldn't be surprising to see Joe headline a WrestleMania so soon into his WWE career. 

Bad Bet: Chris Jericho (10-1 Odds)

Credit: WWE.com

Since last week, Chris Jericho's odds have dropped from 7-1 to 10-1. 

The new WWE United States champion was among OddsShark's own Justin Hartling's own favorites to win the match last week, citing his eventual clash with current WWE Universal Championship titleholder Kevin Owens as "one of the top storylines in the company."

Brandon Carney of Daily DDT agrees, writing that: "A breakup is going to happen eventually, and a Jericho Royal Rumble victory would be the perfect way to set that in motion ... [A] potential matchup between these two at WrestleMania makes so much sense it basically needs to happen."

While a Jericho-Owens match at WrestleMania 33 is a good bet, a Jericho victory at the Rumble is not.  

It's long been speculated that Jericho's latest run with the company would be coming to an end. Just last week, Jericho announced on his podcast, Talk is Jericho, that he would be touring with his band, Fozzy, in May (h/t Around The Octagon). That would almost certainly mean Jericho will be taking a leave from the WWE. 

Does the WWE want to give its main event spot at WrestleMania to a guy who won't be sticking around for much longer? Probably not. While a Jericho-Owens match is a great bet to happen at WrestleMania 33, it's likely to be a midcard match for Jericho's U.S. title rather than Raw's universal belt. 

Bad Bet: Kenny Omega (33-1 Odds)

If ever there was a sucker bet, it's this one. Because as tantilizing as Kenny Omega vs. AJ Styles, Seth Rollins, or John Cena might be, Omega isn't likely headed to the WWE. 

It is rumored that Omega's contract with NJPW is set to expire, and Omega himself has said he is taking time away from NJPW to consider his future.

There are plenty of proponents of an Omega-to-WWE deal. Legendary commentator and WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross recently told Ring Rust Radio that "If I was WWE—and not that they're not who knows—I would go after Kenny Omega as soon as he is available" (h/t Wrestling Inc.). 

Omega is on the WWE's radar. WWE COO Paul "Triple H" Levesque told ESPN in a recent interview: 

"

As far as a Kenny Omega goes, I'm just interested in talent, period.

[...]

I am interested in talent at every level. Somebody with charisma, somebody with the It factor, somebody who's athletic, who can do what we do, I'm interested in them.

"

The big question is, Does Kenny Omega want to come to WWE? In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Omega said he's happy if he never appears in a WWE ring:

"

I would rather be the legend that never stepped foot in WWE but was better than every single one of them and did something that none of those guys could do in their prime or could ever do if they left WWE and tried.

"

That doesnt sound like a guy who's headed to the Royal Rumble at the end of this month. It also makes the idea of Omega tantilizing, because no one knows whether The Cleaner will appear in San Antonio. Bookmakers took note of that talk and inserted him with good enough odds to make him a sleeper pick among bettors. 

However, it's likely best to steer clear of choosing Omega to win the Rumble match. 

Bad Bet: Shinsuke Nakamura (50-1 Odds)

Credit: WWE.com

If these odds were for Royal Rumble appearances, then wagering 50-1 odds on NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura to enter the Rumble match might be worth a dark-horse bet. 

To win, however? Nakamura would be a classic sucker bet. 

It doesn't appear that the WWE is eager to jump The King of Strong Style to the main roster anytime soon, especially after making Nakamura a two-time champion at a December live event in Osaka, Japan. 

Forbes' Blake Oestriecher writes that, "WWE will continue to see him as 'the face of NXT' and be unwilling to lose its most important star to the red or blue brand until a suitable replacement has stepped up."

That's not a bad thing, either. For all of his showmanship and in-ring abilities, Nakamura is still a novice at cutting a WWE-style promo. Travis Hopson of Daily DDT writes that Nakamura's grasp of English needs to improve if he is to make a lasting impact on WWE's main roster:

"

During his whole three or four month feud with Samoa Joe he managed to say maybe five words total, in fact. That’s okay for the NXT crowd ... [But] what works in NXT doesn’t always translate in the big leagues. In fact, it doesn’t more often than not. ... [A]t the level he’s currently at, I don’t see anything more than a disappointing upper-midcard run before an eventual return to Japan where he’s more comfortable and appreciated.

"

Hopson is right, and it's one reason why additional time in NXT could benefit Nakamura. The connection he has with NXT audiences is organic in a way that isn't inherent between a majority of main roster Superstars and fans. Even recent call-ups who had similar connections with NXT crowds (Sami Zayn, Tyler Breeze, Adam Rose) have found the main roster crowds less forgiving. 

Could Nakamura appear in the Royal Rumble, especially should he lose his championship match at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio versus Bobby Roode? Absolutely. 

Is he worth a 40-1 bet to win the match and headline WrestleMania 33? Not a chance.