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WWE Survivor Series 2018 Odds and Predictions: Will SmackDown or Raw Reign Supreme?

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by Graham "GSM" Matthews in Entertainment

Updated Apr 3, 2020 · 9:37 AM PDT

Ronda Rousey WWE
Ronda Rousey is set to take on Charlotte Flair at Survivor Series. Photo by Rowdybarahona (Wiki Commons) [CC License]
  • WWE Survivor Series will emanate from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on November 18th
  • Superstars from SmackDown Live and Raw will collide in a battle for brand supremacy
  • Which brand will emerge from the night with bragging rights?

WWE Survivor Series 2018 will be the 32nd installment in the pay-per-view’s history, and for the third consecutive year, it will carry a Raw vs. SmackDown Live theme with the two brands battling for brand supremacy.

Although the build for the event has left a lot to be desired, it certainly has potential on paper to be one of the company’s stronger shows all year.

The full lineup for Survivor Series has since been set in stone and fans are buzzing over who will win in each contest.

Buddy Murphy vs Mustafa Ali (Cruiserweight Championship)

Competitor Odds
Buddy Murphy (c) -200
Mustafa Ali +150

(c) denotes current champion

It’s been over a year since the Cruiserweights were last featured on the main card of a WWE pay-per-view, but Buddy Murphy and Mustafa Ali will have the chance to steal the show on Sunday.

They contested a stellar series of matches earlier this year on 205 Live, but with gold up for grabs this time around, there’s no telling what lengths these guys will go in order to walk away with the title in tow.

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Although Ali should ultimately take the title from Murphy, it’s still too soon for Murphy to drop the strap after winning it at Super Show-Down just last month.

Thus, expect Murphy to successfully retain the Cruiserweight Championship but only after a strong showing from Ali.

10-on-10 Tag Team Survivor Series Elimination

Competitor Odds
Team Raw +200
Team Smackdown -300

The Raw and SmackDown tag team divisions are in shambles at the moment, which should be evident based off the competitors involved in Sunday’s 10-on-10 tag team elimination match (rightfully placed on the Kickoff show).

Half of the tandems haven’t been on WWE TV in many months, so it’s safe to say this will wind up being the most forgettable outing of the night at Survivor Series.

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The only two teams that actually mean anything these days are The Usos and The New Day, who both just so happen to be representing the blue brand.

They absolutely should be the sole survivors for SmackDown and give Team Blue the advantage heading into the main show.

AOP vs The Bar

Competitor Odds
AOP (Raw) -250
The Bar (Smackdown) +170

Although the traditional elimination match for the tag teams isn’t likely to be anything special, AOP vs. The Bar could be an unexpected undercard treat at Survivor Series.

Not only have the two teams never before gone head-to-head, their styles are similar and thus the bout is bound to be hard-hitting and highly physical in nature.

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This is another outing that could go either way because it virtually doesn’t matter who wins, but AOP needs the victory much more than The Bar.

They’re in the midst of a major push on Raw at the moment, and to ensure they properly maintain momentum, they need to steamroll through Sheamus and Cesaro with ease.

Women’s 5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination Match

Competitor  Odds
Team Raw +100
Team Smackdown -140

As soon as Charlotte Flair was transitioned out of this match and into a higher profile outing with Ronda Rousey, that eliminated any chance of a Team SmackDown win for the women.

Asuka is far from the formidable force she used to be, while everyone else on Team Blue lacks credibility.

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Meanwhile, Nia Jax and Tamina have been running roughshod on Raw, meaning they have the best chance of “surviving” for Team Red.

Seth Rollins vs Shinsuke Nakamura

Competitor  Odds
Seth Rollins +100
Shinsuke Nakamura -140

It’s unfortunate that a “dream match” the caliber of Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura has received very little build in recent weeks.

Instead, most of the focus has been on Rollins’ ongoing rivalry with Dean Ambrose, who should factor into the finish of this match at Survivor Series.

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Nakamura has basically been an afterthought since capturing the United States Championship over the summer, so a definitive victory over Rollins could (and should) do a lot to get him back on track.

Men’s 5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination Match

Competitor Odds
Team Raw +100
Team Smackdown -140

The members of both Team Raw and Team SmackDown have hardly been getting along lately, decreasing their chances of emerging victorious in the coveted men’s Raw vs. SmackDown Survivor Series elimination match.

However, it is worth nothing that Stephanie McMahon did promise Braun Strowman whatever he wanted if he won on Sunday, seemingly tipping the odds in his favor.

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Despite that, SmackDown needs this win much more than Raw does, so Shane McMahon (a.k.a. “the best in the world”) and The Miz should “survive” for SmackDown and earn those bragging rights by beating Raw.

Ronda Rousey vs Charlotte Flair

Competitor Odds
Ronda Rousey -1000
Charlotte Flair +500

Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch was slated to be the undisputed main event of Survivor Series. Sadly, Lynch suffered a legitimate injury days before the event, causing plans to change and Charlotte Flair being announced as her replacement against Rousey.

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Rousey vs. Charlotte, however, is quite the consolation prize considering many figured it would saved for WrestleMania.

Charlotte has a better chance than anyone of handing Rousey her first WWE defeat, but she should still fall short given there’s nothing at stake and Rousey losing would be premature.

Brock Lesnar vs Daniel Bryan

Competitor  Odds
Brock Lesnar -300
Daniel Bryan +200

Similar to Rousey vs. Flair, the Universal champion vs. WWE champion match at Survivor Series also experienced a significant shift when Daniel Bryan knocked off AJ Styles for the WWE title on SmackDown Live this past week.

Instead of Styles, Lesnar will now face off with Bryan for the first time ever.

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Looking at the massive size difference between the two, it’s virtually a lock that Lesnar is coming out on top in this encounter. It’s more a matter of how long Bryan will able to endure Lesnar’s incredible offense, so hopefully he can emerge from this outing in one piece.

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