Seth Rollins Current Betting Favorite to Become Next Universal Champion

According to oddsmakers, Brock Lesnar will skate by Braun Strowman at the Royal Rumble only to lose his Universal Championship at WrestleMania 35.

Skybet just posted their odds for the next Universal Champion. While Strowman has decent odds, Rollins is an overwhelming favorite to take Lesnar's big red belt. If that's how things play out, then we can expect Rollins to win the Rumble on January 28 and punch his ticket for a 'Mania match in April with The Beast.

The sportsbooks did give us a few other options, most notably The Rock, at 14/1:

Seth Rollins: 10/11

Braun Strowman: 5/2

Drew McIntyre: 3/1

Bobby Lashley: 14/1

The Rock 14/1

For a few weeks now, Rollins—along with Becky Lynch—has been the public's pick to win the Rumble. At this moment, that looks to be WWE's best option as Rollins is free of the Intercontinental Championship and is arguably coming off the best year in his career. While Strowman could conceivably beat Lesnar at the Ruble and McIntyre could foreseeably win the Rumble, it odesn;t seem like WWE is ready to make them their top star. Rollins, though, has ascended to WWE's top for a second time and looks to be fully prepared to outdo his 2015 run at WWE Champion.

This isn't the first time oddsmakers have implicated The Rock WWE's main event for 2019. In the fall, The Rock was labeled as the mathematical favorite to win the Royal Rumble. Rumors had him going on to meet his cousin, Roman Reigns at WM35, but the return of Reign's leukemia those plans, if they ever existed, are no more.

We haven't mentioned much of Lashley, but considering he was given the same odds as Rocky—who is far more Hollywood than wrestling—there isn't much need to elaborate. His heel turn has provided him some momentum, but this current version of Lashley won't be beating Brock Lesnar.

For now, Rollins seems like the obvious pick to not just win the Rumble but beat Lesnar at WM35. The two have a history dating back to Rollins' star-making cash-in at WM31. Rollins would defend his WWE Championship against Lesnar at Battleground that year but that bout was interrupted by The Undertaker. Considering Rollins excellent 2018, current popularity and unfinished history with Lesnar, it's safe to expect this rivalry to headline WrestleMania 35.

.