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What's the story?
The WWE's first ever 'The Greatest Royal Rumble' event is just under two weeks away, and betting odds have just been released for the event, which will feature the company's first ever 50 man Royal Rumble match, several title matches, and the return of several major stars.
In case you didn't know...
Early odds for wrestling events are often seen as a huge indication of which way the company will go, and fans will often turn to the bookmakers for some of the most unpredictable events of the year, with most companies correctly predicting that Shinsuke Nakamura would win the 2018 Royal Rumble, for example.
The heart of the matter
Ringside News reported earlier today that Bet Wrestling has released the first odds for this year's Greatest Royal Rumble event, with Braun Strowman, surprisingly, being pegged as the early favorite to emerge victorious from the competition. The current favorites and their odds for the match are as follows:
Braun Strowman +500
Bobby Lashley +600
Daniel Bryan +700
Rey Mysterio +1000
Elias +1100
Chris Jericho +1400
Baron Corbin +1600
The Great Khali +1600
There are some surprising names on there, and also some surprising omissions, but it is worth remembering that several stars, like Roman Reigns, and Brock Lesnar are currently tied up in other matches on the night, and are likely to be added to the bout last minute, if at all.
The odds for the other matches on the card have Roman Reigns (-700) as favorite to defeat Brock Lesnar (+400) and Seth Rollins (-137) as favorite to retain his Intercontinental Title.
What's next?
These are early odds for the events, and chances are there will be become a clearer favorite as the event gets closer. There are still no odds available for several of the night's other big matches, including John Cena's showdown with Triple H, and The Undertaker's casket match with Chris Jericho.
Author's take
Braun Strowman being labeled as the early favorite for the event makes a lot of sense. The Monster among Men is currently without any real direction, and a big win in Saudi Arabia will instantly elevate him back into the main event picture. A common consensus seems to be gathering that Roman Reigns will defeat Lesnar at the event, but expectations were the same at WrestleMania 34, and look how that one turned out.
