Updated Odds For Royal Rumble Match Has Cody Rhodes Winning; Sasha Banks Cameo Possible

WWE fans are getting themselves ready for the yearly bonanza that is the Royal Rumble match, and oddsmakers have released updated odds for both the men's and women's matches and Cody Rhodes remains the favorite.

The top ten for the men's match is as follows according to BetOnline:

• Cody Rhodes: minus-160
• Sami Zayn: plus-200
• The Rock: plus-400
• Seth Rollins: plus-800
• Riddle: plus-2000
• Gunther: plus-2200
• AJ Styles: plus-2500
• Karrion Kross: plus-2500

Rhodes being seen as the favorite to win it all is not entirely surprising as WWE has been treating him like a top star since he made his return at WrestleMania 38 in April 2022.

Fans are mightily convinced that he would be the one to end Roman Reigns vaunted undisputed WWE Universal Champion status because of his decision to return to the company that he left for greener pastures in the mid-2010s.

What is more curious though is the odds being given to Sami Zayn as he is currently deep in the trenches with Reigns' Bloodline faction.

Some are of the belief that it will actually be Zayn, not Rhodes, who ushers in the downfall of the Bloodline faction since he has the complete trust of everyone in the group.

Rhodes has been featured in high-profile segments before being sidelined with a gnarly torn pectoral muscle ahead of his Hell in a Cell match with Seth Rollins, which he still wrestled in.

WWE knows they have an instant star on their hands in Rhodes that they can throw at Reigns in a big-money match and the "American Nightmare" has already been declared as an entrant in the match.

The Rock's inclusion is also something that pro wrestling fans should take a closer look at since there have been rumors of him facing Reigns at WrestleMania 39 – though no concrete reports have surfaced about his involvement in the pay-per-view.

For the women's match, there are a couple of interesting names that have been included in the betting odds.

• Rhea Ripley: plus-100
• Becky Lynch: plus-250
• Bianca Belair: plus-2000
• Sasha Banks: plus-2500
• Naomi: plus-5000
• Mandy Rose: plus-8000
• Carmella: plus-10000

Rhea Ripley being seen as the early favorite to win the women's Royal Rumble is very much within the realm of possibility as WWE would want to build for the future.

However, seeing names like Sasha Banks, Naomi and Mandy Rose, and Carmella to an extent, is very much surprising since WWE has made no mention of any woman on their programs since leaving the company.

Banks made her pro wrestling return as Mercedes Mone at New Japan Pro Wrestling's (NJPW) Wrestle Kingdom 17 event on January 4 at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan – announcing her intent to go after the IWGP Women's Championship held by WWE alumnus Kairi Sane.

Naomi joined Banks in their walkout of the company in May of 2022, though it would not be surprising to see her return to the company as a full-time performer again.

WWE decided to cut ties with Rose in December after explicit content that she had been posting on her FanTime page was leaked to the public and the company had her drop the NXT Women's Championship to Roxanne Perez immediately before her release.

Carmella has not been seen on WWE programming since the July 18, 2022 episode of Raw and was later reported to have suffered a miscarriage in late October which puts her return to the ring at a definite standstill.

Seeing any of the four women returning to the squared circle would be enough to send WWE fans into a frenzy, though it remains to be seen whether the betting site knows something that even insiders do not.

While Rhodes is the overwhelming favorite for the men's Royal Rumble match, there appears to be an open window for plans to still change for the women's bout.

The Royal Rumble pay-per-view will take place at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on January 28.