Saturday Night’s Main Event debuted in 1985 on NBC as an occasional replacement for Saturday Night Live. In an era where most televised matches featured main eventers versus enhancement talent, SNME bucked that trend and included pay-per-view level pairings.
The Monday Night Wars between the WWF (WWE) and WCW in the late 1990s negated televised squash matches almost entirely, with top talent facing off multiple times per episode.
Current standards for RAW and Smackdown programming demand that the card for Saturday Night’s Main Event resemble that of a Premium Live Event, and that’s exactly what the WWE has put together for tomorrow night at 8:00 PM EST.
Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura will return to provide color commentary, and the WWE has opted to once again use “Obsession” by Animotion as the opening theme.
Several WWE Superstars from prior eras have reportedly been booked for the show, including Jimmy Hart (“The Mouth of the South”), Tito Santana, Koko B. Ware, Greg “the Hammer” Valentine, and “The Million Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase.
Online pro wrestling sportsbooks have created lines for the four known matches heading into the weekend, and there are at least three sites offering odds as of this writing.
The WWE odds are listed in red for BetOnline AG, blue for BetUS, and orange for MyBookie AG.
McIntyre vs. Zayn
- Drew McIntyre -1500 -700 -1500
- Sami Zayn +600 +400 +600
When multiple sportsbooks offer WWE odds on a given match, gamblers can line shop for the biggest payout on the board. Oftentimes, books will offer the exact same moneylines on wrestlers, but occasionally, there will be variances to exploit.
McIntyre appears to be a certain winner, according to the odds, so betting on him to win will require putting up more money than can be won. However, gamblers using line shopping tactics can find moneylines that require less risk.
At BOL and MyBookie, a wager of $15 is required to net a dollar on a McIntyre win. That same outcome will only cost players $7 at BetUS.
Undisputed WWE Championship
- Cody Rhodes -1000 -500 -1000
- Kevin Owens +550 +300 +550
Oddsmakers seem certain that Cody Rhodes will retain his Undisputed WWE Championship. Once again, BetUS has the lowest moneyline on the favorite, but BOL and MyBookie have more profitable odds posted for Owens.
Women’s World Championship
- Liv Morgan -1500 -5000 -1500
- IYO SKY [offline] +1000 +600
The roles have been reversed for this Women’s Championship match, as BetUS now has the worst odds on the favorite and the higher moneyline for the underdog.
The champion, Liv Morgan, is heavily favored to win.
World Heavyweight Championship Triple Threat
- Gunther -3000 -300 -3000
- Finn Balor +800 +800 +600
- Damien Priest +1200 +1000 +700
Gunther’s WWE World Heavyweight Championship is on the line in a three-way match tomorrow, and all three sportsbooks agree that the strap will remain around his waist following the conclusion of this match.
