2023 Royal Rumble Odds: Rhodes The Favorite But The Rock To Turn Back Time

Although you may not be a wrestling fan, no doubt you have heard of the WWE Royal Rumble.

For those of us who watched the attitude era with The Rock, Stone Cold and The Undertaker, the Rumble holds a special spot in our hearts, bringing back times when we drew numbers from a hat for which entrant would win and practiced the chokeslam on our best friends.

The 2023 Royal Rumble is upon us and it’s the American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes, who’s favored to be the last man standing.

Sportsbooks have set Rhodes as the -140 betting chalk to win the Rumble in his return to action following a torn pec last June. The son of Dusty is followed by Sami Zayn at +275, The Rock at +500, Stone Cold Steve Austin at +550 and Seth Rollins at +2000 to round out the top five names on the oddsboard.

WWE Men’s Royal Rumble Odds

Why Rhodes Is The Royal Rumble Favorite

It’s understandable why the sportsbooks have placed Rhodes as the favorite to win the 2023 Royal Rumble. For one, there’s a legacy aspect with his old man being the American Dream and WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes. We saw a legacy winner a few years back with Charlotte Flair, Ric’s daughter.

Furthermore, The American Nightmare is no doubt a fan favorite and was well on track to becoming the WWE champion, a feat his father never achieved, before his injury at Hell in a Cell last June. 

The storyline is too easy and therefore I think there’s another pick to make that will provide more value.

Best Royal Rumble Value Pick

It’s a wayback-playback, 23 years ago, when the final elimination at Madison Square Garden was The Big Show going over the top at the hands of the most electrifying man in sports entertainment, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. 

The People’s Champ returned to the squared circle last summer on SmackDown to face off with Roman Reigns. There have been rumors swirling that The Rock will battle with the leader of The Bloodline at WrestleMania and what easier path for the two to meet than for Reigns to hold on to his belt vs Kevin Owens (he’s -1200 to do so) and Johnson to win the Royal Rumble at +500. 

Royal Rumble Pick: The Rock +500

WWE Women’s Royal Rumble Odds

Ripley, Believe It Or Not, Likely To Win

Potential Spoiler Alert

A wrestler who has come up through the ranks as the inaugural NXT UK Women’s champ, then the NXT Women’s champ, WWE Women’s Tag Team and the WWE RAW Women’s champ, it only makes sense for Rhea Ripley to tick the box of Royal Rumble winner.

If the storyline wasn’t enough, the oddsmakers have set the Australian up as the betting favorite at -200 (50% back on your investment) but that could have coincided with a potentially leaked photo suggesting she’d be the winner.

Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan may be the final 2 in #RoyalRumble 2023 pic.twitter.com/njzXEam76D

— Wrestle Tracker (@wrestletracker1) January 17, 2023

Maybe this could move you away from the scent and your money is better placed on Ronda Rousey at +1800 or the suggested runner-up, Liv Morgan, at +2000. That said, this word doc looks pretty official and I’m not going against a piece of paper, so Ripley is the bet to make at -200.

2023 Royal Rumble Props

If taking an outright winner is too risky for you, sportsbooks offer other ways to get involved in the action such as: who will be the final four contestants and most eliminations. 

Along with the risk factor, there can also be more value found here for a competitor who makes a big impact but doesn’t win the match, like Brock Lesnar eliminating 13 men but finishing 14th.

For me, if Liv Morgan is in fact the first entrant and is the runner-up, at +1400 to have the most eliminations seems like a bet to make.