Updated WWE Money in the Bank 2018 Match Card Picks After Final SmackDown

With the final tapings of WWE Raw and SmackDown done, the card is set and the final build has taken place for Sunday's Money in the Bank pay-per-view.

It's one of the shows that traditionally has a huge impact on the landscape of the company moving through the rest of the year, and come Sunday night, two Superstars will be within touching distance of a major title run given the briefcase they will hold in their possession.

With the show just days away, here's the updated picks for Money in the Bank's biggest matches following the final SmackDown before the pay-per-view takes place. 

Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match

The go-home edition of SmackDown saw the four women from the blue brand vying for the briefcase—Charlotte Flair, Naomi, Becky Lynch and Lana—competing in a multi-women tag match.

And while the spotlight in that bout fell on Asuka's title feud with Carmella, there was a telling final shot before SmackDown went off the air.

It was heavily teased that Asuka is set to win the SmackDown Women's Championship on Sunday, and it set up a tense realization that if someone from the blue brand wins the briefcase, they're going to have to go through Asuka for the title.

This was a cool moment, and it perhaps suggested it could now be someone from SmackDown who is in the driving seat for the briefcase. Naomi and Lana don't really feel ready at this moment in time, and it feels too soon to have another Charlotte run given the star power in the women's division.

And, given how she's been way down the pecking order for the last year yet remains infinitely popular, a Daniel Bryan-style surge to the top from Becky Lynch would be far from the worst choice WWE has ever made when it comes to booking.

Winner: Becky Lynch 

Men's Money in the Bank Ladder Match

Monday's edition of Raw saw Braun Strowman stand tall and strengthen his case for victory in the main event of Money in the Bank—and 24 hours later, Rusev found himself in the same position.

Whether that means Strowman and Rusev are the favorites remain to be seen, but it feels safe to assume that Strowman is more of a realistic winner of the match than the Bulgarian Brute. 

On Tuesday, The Miz's interference in the bout between Rusev and Samoa Joe was telling, and it illustrated that The Awesome One is also a threat to the field come Sunday night, too. That was proved by the fact that, after the bout, he climbed the ladder and claimed the briefcase.

It was a symbolic shot that could yet become reality on Sunday.

Miz is overdue a run with the WWE Championship again, and his work as a heel with the Intercontinental Championship over the last 12 months has solidified him as one of the hottest brands in WWE, not just SmackDown.

It's still hard to look past The Monster Among Men, but don't discount The Miz.

Winner: Braun Strowman 

AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

The two men in the WWE Championship picture found themselves in contrasting forms of action on the final SmackDown before Money in the Bank.

For AJ Styles, it was about building the Last Man Standing bout with an interview in the ring conducted by Jerry Lawler.

Nakamura, however, was thrown into an intriguing match with the man holding the United States Championship, Jeff Hardy.

And while Nakamura was disqualified—which was perhaps the right move given how it protected Hardy from a clean loss—some phenomenal heel work from Shinsuke post-match underlined why he's slowly becoming the next champion in the eyes of many.

Styles vs. Shinsuke should continue after Money in the Bank. However, the only way that could realistically happen is if Nakamura won the championship to inject fresh life into the rivalry.

The more you see The King of Strong Style working as a heel, the more he looks like a man that belongs with the WWE Championship.

Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura