WWE SummerSlam 2021: Champion’s Advantage?

The odds seem to be in the champions’ favor at WWE SummerSlam. Will that hold true by the end of the night?

WrestleMania might be the Grandaddy Of ‘Em All, but WWE serves up SummerSlam as the Biggest Party Of The Summer! This year’s SummerSlam is designed to be a second WrestleMania, a concept that could continue.

In fact, WWE could easily get three major (non-Saudi Arabia) shows in stadiums yearly: Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, and SummerSlam. I’m not 100% sure it could be done with Survivor Series, but stranger things have happened.

One growing trend in WWE, in the present day anyway, is a focus on longer title reigns. It’s not consistent across the board, but both World Champions retained at WrestleMania 37 (both Women’s World Champs lost, though), and the betting odds over at Sports Betting Dime suggest that trend is likely to continue.

Two notes:

• At the time of this writing, I do not have betting numbers for Randy Orton & Matt Riddle challenging AJ Styles & Omos for the Raw Tag Team Championships.
• This is not your gambling picks article; Steve Homie Cook has that for you!

So while we aren’t making gambling picks just yet, we are taking a look at the odds and seeing the likelihood championships changes hands.

First off, take a look at the title match odds for WWE SummerSlam 2021:

• Universal Championship – Roman Reigns (-500) defends vs John Cena  (+300)
• WWE Championship – Bobby Lashley (-600) defends vs Goldberg (+350)
• Smackdown Women’s Championship – Bianca Belair (-200) defends vs Sasha Banks (_150)
• Raw Women’s Championship – Nikki A.S.H. (-125) defends vs Rhea Ripley (+250) and Charlotte Flair (+150)
• United States Championship – Sheamus (+150) defends vs Damien Priest (-500)
• Smackdown Tag Team Championships – The Usos (-400) defend vs Dominik & Rey Mysterios (+250)

Six matches, one challenger being the favorite. And that’s Damian Priest. Sheamus hasn’t been doing a ton, and Damian Priest has to be placed into “now or never” mode simply thanks to his age. So it makes sense for him to be the favorite here.

Bobby Lashley, at -600, has stronger odds to win than Roman Reigns does at -500. I can’t imagine either old timer takes a title home here, but you never know. Maybe I’m too spoiled from the WrestleMania 37 results, but I really think both will retain.

Of all the favorites, Nikki A.S.H. has the lowest odds, being (-125) to win. Thanks to this being a triple threat, it’s conceivable that she can lose without even losing. Conversely, Bianca Belair has the third strongest favorite line of the night, being a -400 favorite.

While we have plenty of question marks headed into SummerSlam, title owners do not appear to be one of them. Champions, the odds are (currently) in your favor.