Betting The Odds: AJ Styles or Jinder Mahal at WWE Clash Of Champions?

WWE Clash Of Champions is right around the corner, and while it doesn’t seem to have the same luster of the original NWA/WCW Clash Of The Champions events, it does feature the man many feel is the best wrestler in the world defending the most prestigious championship in the world.

Side Note: Is it just me, or do the NXT Takeover events (and other pay-per-view style specials before them) appear to pull way more inspiration from Clash Of The Champions than any WWE PPV ever has? I can’t imagine I’m alone, or even in the minority.

That said, the main event of AJ Styles vs. Jinder Mahal does indeed feel like a main event we’d see on one of the original Clash Of The Champions shows. And in reality, it’s an amazing match-up for 2017. You have Jinder Mahal’s improbably rise through the Year of The Rooster (apropos) challenging the man who defeated him for the WWE Championship in the United Kingdom, AJ Styles.

The same AJ Styles, by the way, that many consider to be the best wrestler in the world. And, I mean, I’m a huge Roman Reigns fan, and he deserves to be “THE Guy,” and oversee The Yard and all, but he’s not the best in-ring wrestler we see today. AJ Styles is indeed the best in-ring performer in the world today. And that’s at 40 years of age.

The Pick

For me, the obvious choice is AJ Styles. While I think the WWE dropped the ball with AJ’s chase to the title, thus wasting the build of Jinder’s reign, we don’t actually have a magic time machine and cannot go back several months and build this right. All the “thanks” there can go to Brock Lesnar and the Survivor Series theme.

But where we are today, I see AJ Styles walking into WrestleMania as the WWE Champion, a prediction I made before SummerSlam. And I see him being challenged by Royal Rumble winner Shinsuke Nakamura, a prediction I made before SummerSlam.

As for Jinder Mahal? I’ve been predicting he’ll be in “The John Cena Match” at WrestleMania 34, a prediction I made…you guessed it…before SummerSlam!

In all honesty, both are money matches, and are best for WWE business.

The Smart Money

AJ Styles is currently the betting favorite, holding 9 to 11 odds against Jinder Mahal at Clash Of Champions. That means you have to bet $11 to win $9, giving you a greater financial risk if you’re wrong. That also means you can bet $9 on Jinder to win $11. That’s not enough of a payout for me to pick against AJ Styles in this case, even if I am card carrying “Jinder guy.”

I am not alone, either, as per Sports Betting Dime:

“AJ styles should beat Jinder Mahal at Clash of Champions for a variety reasons. Not only is he the best performer in the company and deserving of the gold, he also just won the title a few weeks back, so it’s hard to see the WWE taking it off of him so soon. In a perfect world, Styles would hang onto the WWE Championship until WrestleMania.

That said, WWE creative loves to throw curve balls to try and “surprise” people even if it doesn’t make a lick of sense. So, on this match the odds remain closer than they really should but I feel they’ll keep the WWE Championship around AJ Styles’ (9/11) waist instead of what they may perceive as “best for business” in having Mahal win the title back.”

What Do You Think?

Will AJ Styles beat Jinder Mahal at WWE Clash Of Champions? Would you bet with your heart or your brain?