Cook’s WWE Extreme Rules 2021 Gambling Picks

Extreme Rules takes place this Sunday! With everything happening in WWE right now, it’s easy to forget which Peacock special is next on the agenda.

When WWE has ratings to keep at a certain level, they feel the need to blow through things at a rapid pace. Just last week I was reading about how New Day vs. The Bloodline would be great to do on Survivor Series. The next day, it was announced for Raw. Then, people thought about how great a match between Big E, Roman Reigns & Bobby Lashley would be. It happened on the same episode of Raw.

This is an important time for WWE. A Draft is on the horizon. Football is taking a chunk out of their viewership, though not as much as usual since much of the regular viewership either moved on to other things or are viewing the show through other means. Then there’s AEW getting neck & neck with Raw in the demo, which people say shouldn’t matter that much but you know drives Vince McMahon insane. What happens at Extreme Rules and events surrounding the no-longer Horror Show could impact things for years to come. Or at least days. Maybe even weeks!

So what’s happening on this show? Let’s find out! As usual, odds are provided by BetOnline, and are purely for the purposes of entertainment.

Becky Lynch (-400) vs. Bianca Belair (+250)

Don’t you want to go shopping with Becky & Seth Rollins? I bet that’d be nothing but a great time. Going to all the big stores and finding the drippiest clothes one could find! I’ll bet that kid of theirs has some really rockin’ onesies too. I was a bit skeptical of turning Lynch so soon after her return, but it’s worked out well enough. A new spin on Becky’s character that still embraces being The Man and all that it entails.

I kinda feel bad for Bianca because of the way her title reign ended and the fact she isn’t winning here. No reason for Becky Lynch to drop the SmackDown Women’s Championship unless they plan on moving her & Seth to Raw, and I don’t really see any reason to do that. I’d keep Bianca & Becky on the same brand and keep things going until Survivor Series, or an important SmackDown episode. Whichever.

Charlotte Flair (-200) vs. Alexa Bliss (+150)

Above we see Charlotte & Alexa addressing the problems that most of us have with their personas. They also play with dolls. Some people really, really loved this segment. Some people really hated it. As the Gemini I am, I see both sides of the argument. Even though I’m not big on Alexa’s character, I see it has value for a portion of WWE’s audience. And if you’re into shooty promos with wrestlers addressing things that annoy us about other wrestlers, I can see this scratching that itch.

One thing I don’t get is the complaint that Charlotte’s character is nothing without a championship. Shouldn’t all wrestlers be trying to win championships? Why else would they be there? To play with dolls? You can do that at home if you like, it’s a lot harder to win championships at home unless fantasy sports is your bag.

The most likely finish here? Spooky nonsense. I don’t see this thing having a proper winner or loser. Alexa will do something silly and we’ll be asked to act like it’s groundbreaking television. I think Charlotte Flair retains the Raw Women’s Championship, so if you need to bet on this for some reason that’s what I’d go with.

Damian Preist (-275) vs. Sheamus (+230) vs. Jeff Hardy (+500)

The simplest booking is the best booking. The result that makes the most sense is Priest going over at the expense of Sheamus & Hardy, both of who have been around for ages and will remain at the same level no matter what happens. Neither Sheamus or Hardy will get more over if they win. They are what they are after their decades with WWE. Damian Priest still has room for growth.

Granted, Sheamus has an outside shot at winning, and maybe they throw Hardy a bone to make Twitter happy. I wouldn’t bet on it though, and isn’t that why we’re here?

Liv Morgan (-400) vs. Carmella (+250)

Liv is one of those people that we want to see do well. She’s very easy to root for, and frankly WWE could use more challengers for their Women’s Championships. You could see her doing well as an underdog against somebody like Charlotte or Becky. Nothing against Carmella, it’s just that we’ve already seen her get chances. Now, hopefully, will be Liv Morgan‘s time.

Roman Reigns (-1000) vs. Finn Balor (+500)

The Demon King returns at Extreme Rules! I suppose that’s what’s supposed to make the match extreme, right? Typically, the Demon emerges after a lengthy feud between Finn Balor and another wrestler. Once Finn has taken all he can stands and can’t stands no more, the Demon shows up to even the score. This time, the Demon has appeared because Balor lost a championship match against Roman Reigns.

Usually it takes more than that, but Balor surely realizes that he has no chance of beating Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship unless he becomes the Demon. I’d hate to think what the odds here would be if it was regular ol’ Finn Balor! BetOnline would probably take this thing off the board. Even by Roman match standards, Demon Finn is being given no chance in hell.

There’s an argument for Brock Lesnar costing Roman the match to set up their match in Saudi Arabia. I just don’t see it happening. Even if that match doesn’t need a title, it’s getting one. The Demon’s gonna lose to Roman Reigns. It is acknowledged.

(Remember when wrestlers demanded to be worshipped? Now they just want to be acknowledged. Expectations get lower by the year.)

The Usos (-250) vs. The Street Profits (+170)

For one thing, we need to pick an underdog here. Gotta make things interesting. For another thing, the story being told here is that the Usos can’t beat the Street Profits without help from Roman Reigns. Roman will still be in the building, but he’s got an Extreme Rules match with a Demon to prepare for. He doesn’t have time to take care of his cousins’ business for them. Too bad for their SmackDown Tag Team Championship reign.

The Street Profits deserve a big win, and we deserve to make a profit from this show.