WWE NXT Championship Match Odds: Adam Cole & Rhea Ripley Favored

• WWE NXT is set to host two highly anticipated title matches this Wednesday night on USA Network
• It will be the final live episode of the black-and-gold brand in 2019
• Find out if Adam Cole and Rhea Ripley are safe choices to bet on

If you aren’t already tuning into NXT on a weekly basis, you’re really missing out on some of the best wrestling available anywhere on television. The show is that good and has been for many years, but especially since its move to USA Network back in September.

The black-and-gold brand is fresh off another tremendous TakeOver special over Survivor Series weekend in Chicago and has continued to keep the ball rolling with a strong string of shows in recent weeks. The final live episode emanating from Full Sail University will feature two TakeOver-worthy title matches between NXT champion Adam Cole and Finn Balor as well as NXT Women’s champion Shayna Baszler and Rhea Ripley.

Both bouts are guaranteed to be great and aren’t predictable in the slightest considering who’s involved. Based off the betting odds, Ripley and Cole are currently favored to emerge from the evening as champions, but it’s important to remember that nothing is ever set in stone when it comes to NXT and the endless amount of excitement the brand brings to the table.

NXT Championship Match Odds: Adam Cole vs Finn Balor

All odds taken December 17

Despite both men being cut from the same cloth, Adam Cole and Finn Balor have never gone one-on-one before in WWE or elsewhere. Balor teased aligning with Undisputed Era upon his return to NXT in early October, but following a victory over Tommaso Ciampa three weeks ago on the show, he laid out Cole in shocking fashion and established that he’s only interested in looking out for himself.

The former NXT champion earned the right to challenge Cole for his prized possession by winning a Triple Threat match last week on NXT TV. Although Ciampa is still waiting in the wings for a shot at the strap, the chances of Balor regaining the gold on Wednesday night shouldn’t ruled out just yet.

Cole has had an incredible run as NXT champion over the past six months with successful title defenses versus Johnny Gargano, Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne. The odds indicate he’ll be holding that title for at least a little while longer, no matter how much of a threat Balor poses to his reign.

Expect Undisputed Era to factor into the finish somehow, or possibly Ciampa and/or Keith Lee given their respective issues with Cole. Either way, this will make for a very entertaining opening to the show on Wednesday night.

NXT Women’s Championship Match Odds: Shayna Baszler vs Rhea Ripley

Shayna Baszler vs. Rhea Ripley has been in the works for quite some time, as these two have been at odds with each other since the end of August. Following her dominance of the NXT UK Women’s Championship scene, Ripley stepped up to Baszler when no one else would and made her intentions clear of wanting to win that NXT Women’s Championship.

Their ruthless rivalry reached new heights when they led their own teams at TakeOver last month and battled in the first-ever women’s WarGames match. Ripley’s squad came out on top, and soon after on an episode of NXT, she officially challenged her for the title she’s held hostage for over one year.

Unlike Balor vs. Balor, the title is favored to change hands in this match, and rightfully so. Baszler has beaten virtually everyone there is for her to face in NXT and is ready for something new, specifically a move to the main roster.

Then again, The Queen of Shades has proven many fans wrong throughout her historic reign as NXT Women’s champion. Whenever her detractors bet against her, she found a way to survive with her title intact and live to fight another day with the belt still around her waist.

Baszler isn’t one to be underestimated and could very well drop the title to Ripley on a future TakeOver show, meaning there is plenty of value in placing money on her to win on Wednesday. That said, if NXT truly wants to end the year on a high note, they’ll have the championship change hands and usher in a new era for NXT’s women’s division with Ripley at the helm.