WWE WrestleMania 33: Card Odds and Picks Including AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon
The Show of Shows is nearly here.
WrestleMania 33 represents a year's worth of hard work and effort by WWE Superstars to entertain the masses. The best of the best will be on display when the curtain goes up on Sunday, and many fans cannot wait for the moment to arrive.
This is the biggest night of the year for professional wrestling, and no one does it better than WWE.
The card is stacked; 13 matches are booked, and the night begins with a two-hour Kickoff at 5 p.m. ET. There's a lot of action, legends and New Era Superstars, as well as championships on the line. The event itself will likely go around six hours, and there's no guarantee WWE can fit everything into that time frame.
To say there's a lot of ground for the company to cover is a major understatement.
The SmackDown Women's Championship is a great example of this, as the title has been booked as an important part of the blue brand. Alexa Bliss will defend the belt against all available women on the SmackDown Live roster.
Mickie James, Natalya, Becky Lynch, Carmella and Naomi will all step up to challenge Bliss. The win will likely go to James, who would definitely pop the crowd considering she's a returning veteran and a longtime favorite of WWE fans.
The WWE Cruiserweight Championship will be on the line as Neville defends the title against Austin Aries. Though many feel it's Aries' night, OddsShark has Neville retaining the strap. With the way the cruiserweight division has been booked, Aries could win the belt the next night on Raw and get just as much of a positive reaction.
The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal will take place for the fourth consecutive event and has become something of a catch-all for WWE Superstars not booked in main event rivalries. Braun Strowman is viewed by many as the favorite, and that includes bookmakers, per OddsShark.
John Cena is taking a step back from the main event spotlight this year, as he teams with Nikki Bella to take on The Miz and Maryse. SmackDown Live's "it couple" of Miz and Maryse are expected to lose this one, and the match could well end in a marriage proposal from Cena to Nikki.
The Raw Tag Team Championships will be defended in a Triple Threat ladder match between Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows, Sheamus and Cesaro, and Enzo Amore with Big Cass. OddsShark shows that oddsmakers have Enzo and Cass winning this one, and fans will likely be happy to see the duo get some much deserved respect.
Dean Ambrose will put his WWE Intercontinental Championship on the line against Baron Corbin. The Lone Wolf has come into his own as a main event player on SmackDown and will likely defeat The Lunatic Fringe to take home the gold.
The Raw Women's Championship will be decided in a Fatal 4-Way match between titleholder Bayley, Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks and Nia Jax. The storylines leading up to this match have been intense, and though anything can happen, OddsShark shows that bookmakers are expecting a win for the champ.
That card alone would be enough to fill a Monday Night Raw or SmackDown Live. But there are six big-money matches left on the WrestleMania 33 slate, which means there's even more for fans to take in.
Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens, WWE United States Championship Match
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The Odds
Chris Jericho +550
Kevin Owens -1000
Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens will likely settle their feud on Sunday, and it may just steal the show.
For many fans, this is a main event match. Indeed, the storytelling that's gone into this contest has been top notch, especially when compared to other bouts on the card. The hatred between them has been palpable, and fans are expecting an instant classic at WrestleMania 33.
KO and Y2J are surely up to the challenge.
Jericho will probably take a break following this match, so it's the right time to put Owens over. KO is a top guy, previously trusted by WWE to carry Monday Night Raw as its premier champion. Seeing him walk away from 'Mania with a loss is unimaginable.
Jericho is a veteran and should do the honors to the top heel on WWE's flagship program. OddsShark shows that bookmakers agree with that sentiment as well.
Pick: Kevin Owens
Seth Rollins vs. Triple H
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The Odds
Seth Rollins -800
Triple H +450
When it comes to intensity, Triple H vs. Seth Rollins will have it all.
This is another match that has a good backstory going into WrestleMania. It's a tale of revenge and retribution, of a man who had lost himself and is now struggling to regain his humanity. Rollins made a deal with the devil when he joined The Authority, and he has the chance to correct that mistake.
But The Game will not go down that easily.
Hunter will surely bring everything he has to this match. The infamous sledgehammer could make an appearance. As could Samoa Joe. Triple H will do everything in his power to win against the man who failed him, so nothing will be off limits.
Rollins needs to be on his game because he won't stand a chance otherwise. This match is one that had to happen, and Rollins is favored to win, per OddsShark. If he does, he should be catapulted higher than he has been to this point. He's a main event player, and a victory over The King of Kings should drive that point home at WrestleMania 33.
The Pick: Seth Rollins
Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton, WWE Championship Match
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The Odds
Bray Wyatt +450
Randy Orton -800
What could have been one of the cleverest face turns of all time ended up being something of a disappointment.
It's not that fans didn't want to see Randy Orton venture out on his own again, but the partnership he had with Bray Wyatt was over. Had The Wyatt Family turned on Orton, the fans would likely have accepted it a bit more than they did.
Many fans respect Wyatt and want to see him do well. Orton's betrayal seemed to work in the beginning, but it's fallen flat. A double turn could possibly happen on April 2.
Wyatt has always had massive potential, but it's taken WWE this long to explore it. Now he has the WWE Championship, he should retain it and get even more over.
The bookmakers have Orton becoming the new WWE champion, per OddsShark, but that is an outcome that should be re-examined. Wyatt has worked too hard to achieve greatness, and it should not be taken away from him Sunday.
The Pick: Bray Wyatt
The Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns
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The Odds
The Undertaker +400
Roman Reigns -700
Sometimes matches have an undeniable lose-lose aura. Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns is one of those contests.
That's the way it is for many fans because no matter who wins, the end will be a mess. If Taker disposes of Reigns, then The Big Dog will fall a notch. That may make his critics happy, but it goes against everything the New Era has been designed for.
Fans hated the part-time Goldberg for beating Kevin Owens, and that should technically apply if Taker beats Reigns, who is highly favored, per OddsShark.
But if Reigns beats The Deadman, then it could signal the end of Undertaker's career. Not only would Reigns still be struggling to get over as a babyface, but he would also be saddled with the distinction of having retired The Phenom.
The only thing that saves this match is a Reigns heel turn, which is something WWE has avoided at all costs. If that does not happen, then this match could be headed for disaster.
The Pick: Roman Reigns
Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar, WWE Universal Championship Match
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The Odds
Goldberg +1200
Brock Lesnar -5000
Goldberg returned to WWE as a hero in October, but is he nothing more than Brock Lesnar's next victim?
The former WCW champion is unlike anyone Lesnar has ever faced. He's the only man to best Lesnar in one confrontation after another, the only man who has toppled The Beast Incarnate with ease. Goldberg is Lesnar's kryptonite, as he has rendered The Beast ineffective.
Goldberg can't be stopped. So what makes fans believe anything will change at WrestleMania?
However, that is indeed the case, as OddsShark-monitored bookmakers have Lesnar winning the match and becoming the new Universal champion. The feud does feel as though it's been engineered to get Lesnar over in the end, but there are too many variables in this match.
The champion is the babyface who's been cheered by the masses but suffered a setback because of the negative reaction to his Universal title win. Lesnar is the heel and should be hated, but when the fickle crowds decide it's time to cheer him, they do just that.
This could well be a train wreck waiting to happen. Both men are good for the company, but each presents his own set of issues as well. WWE must be careful with how this match is booked or it could fall apart.
The Pick: Brock Lesnar
AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon
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The Odds
AJ Styles -900
Shane McMahon +500
If any match on the WrestleMania 33 card could be described as "unwanted," it's AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon.
Despite WWE's reasons for booking this bout, and despite how many fans are OK with it, the truth is the company evidently did not have an opponent for Styles. It's an extremely odd situation, mostly because of the great year Styles had in 2016.
This contest seems to be nothing more than a way to get the former WWE champion on the card rather than giving him the chance to produce a career-defining moment.
McMahon may be respected by the WWE faithful, but that does not change the fact guys should not be selling for him. Every time they do, the business is exposed. The same will definitely be true of Styles, who will do all he can to make Shane look good.
With any luck, AJ will not look weak as a result.
The ramifications of a McMahon victory at WrestleMania are far-reaching. If Styles were to lose, it could be perceived as a huge statement by the company that the indy sensation is not worth the respect that's owed to him.
Wearing the WWE Championship is one thing. Losing on the WrestleMania stage two years in a row is something else entirely.
That's why Styles must go over on April 2. Styles is the bookmakers' favorite, per OddsShark. And he should be. Anything less than a win will be an injustice—to both The Phenomenal One and to every fan who's ever supported him.
The Pick: AJ Styles
Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here.
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