Betting on scripted entertainment might seem a little ridiculous at first, but wagering on the WWE is becoming immensely popular, not to mention lucrative (and we aren’t talking about a Loser Leave Town match type of betting).
What diehard WWE and gambling fans know is this: script changes can happen hours before an event, making the matches as unpredictable as any sport you might wager on. The one catch with betting on WWE is that the limits you can bet and win are pretty low. This is to prevent WWE staffers or anyone else that knows the outcome from doing much damage to the house.
Even still, if you’re a big WWE fan that pays close attention to the storyline and who the company is in the process of building up and breaking down, you can still make a decent amount of betting on it at a good online gambling site. Take for instance these matches from the past few years that likely produced some of the biggest bets made on WWE.
Money on Miz
At WrestleMania XXVII, The Miz successfully and surprisingly defended his WWE Championship against John Cena after The Rock interfered. The odds of The Miz winning opened at many sportsbooks as low as +700, meaning bettors that placed even just $10 on that line would have won $7,000 (provided the casino limit allowed it).
The Rock’s interference at WrestleMania XXVII mae The Miz, and many bettors, very happy
(Source: tcast.tv)
Before that match began, the odds shifted a little more in favor of The Miz. This was the smart money going into effect, and when dealing with scripted entertainment, it’s inevitable that some people are going to find out the results ahead of time and try to take advantage of it. But as Bodog bookmaker Adam Young explained to Deadspin, “Maybe it’s scripted and maybe there’s a couple people who know what’s going to happen. But when you’re taking bets on what color the Queen’s hat will be at the Royal Wedding, some people probably know that too.”
Other WrestleMania XXVII Underdogs
The Miz wasn’t the only wrestler that smart bettors made money on at WrestleMania 27. Ahead of his match with Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship, Edge was listed as a +330 dog in what (unbeknownst at the time) would become his last televised match.
Later that night, Michael Cole would go against fellow announcer Jerry Lawler with special guest Stone Cold Steve Austin serving as guest referee. Most people, including the books, expected the WWE Hall of Famer (listed at -900) to wipe the floor with Cole. While Lawler appeared to have won the match via disqualification, the decision was quickly overturned to Cole via an email from the “WWE GM” that said Stone Cold was a biased referee and Lawler’s win was invalid. Depending on your sportsbook, if you did a parlay on The Miz, Edge, and Cole you would have won almost $700 on a $1 wager.
Team Hell Yes
Most wrestling wonks expected the Rhodes Scholars to take the Tag Team Championship at 2013’s Royal Rumble from Team Hell No (Kane and Daniel Bryan). Bryan and Kane were thought to be squaring off against one another in two month’s time at WrestleMania 29, so it made sense that they would lose as a way to further build their dislike toward one another.
Team Hell No were +600 underdogs to retain the Tag Team Championship at the 2013 Royal Rumble
(Source: TheSmackDownHotel.com)
But fans–and the WWE–liked Team Hell No, thus it was decided they should retain their title to keep the good times rolling. And as +600 underdogs, that’s exactly what happened.
Odds As Big As Andre
The biggest WWE payout we can track down (minus the Cole +900 bet that may or may not have paid out at your sportsbook) came in the Battle Royal at Wrestlemania 30. While Lesnar over the Undertaker was a shocker in its own right, the biggest betting surprise of the night came in the first ever Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
Inaugural André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal winner Cesaro, and also a lot of bettors, had very fruitful nights at WrestleMania 32
(Source: BlackSportsOnline.com)
For matches like this (and royal rumbles), you can find prop bets where you can bet on either the most-favored wrestler or on “the field”. If you do the latter, and any wrestler besides the favorite wins, you win. WWE betting site BetWWE did just that, and their wager on the +750 field earned them $375 when Cesaro threw Big Show over the top rope.