WWE Payback 2020 Betting Preview, Odds, Prop Bets and Picks

On Sunday, August 30th, the WWE will be live from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, for the 6th installment of their Payback PPV. This is a quick turnaround for the WWE as they just held SummerSlam last Sunday from the same venue.

This is the first Payback event since 2017, but it features a triple threat main event match for the Universal Title with The Fiend, Braun Strowman and the recently returned Roman Reigns.

As of this publication, the WWE has announced only six matches. It’s safe to say that they will add a few more matches by time the broadcast starts with its Kickoff Show at 6PM ET and the main card at 7PM ET on the WWE Network.

Sports betting sites with odds on the WWE have released a full slate including prop bets for Payback. Without further delay, cue my ring music and let’s make some championship-winning predictions.

WWE Singles Match

• Baron Corbin (+134)
• Matt Riddle (-188)

This feud has spanned the last few weeks of SmackDown and was originally believed that these two would lock up at SummerSlam. Yet, due to WWE’s scheduling of two PPV events a week apart, they held off on this match until Payback.

In the meantime, Corbin ramped up the feud even more by putting a “bounty” on Matt Riddle’s head, which was collected by Shorty G. this week on SmackDown as he aligned himself with Corbin who he feuded with last year.

This will be Riddle’s first true PPV match and it’s hard to imagine the WWE having him lose. At worst, the match ends in DQ. More than likely, the match will win with Riddle picking up his first PPV win and probably seeing the storyline continue due to Shorty G.

WWE Singles Match

• Keith Lee (-115)
• Randy Orton (-115)

I speculated, along with others, that if Keith Lee were to lose at NXT TakeOver XXX then he would head up to RAW or SmackDown. Although I held out hope that the WWE would be smart and keep the NXT Championship on him, Lee ended up losing to Karrion Kross and went up to RAW two days later.

What was a bit surprising, despite how silly Lee looked with his new ring attire and theme music, is that the WWE put him right into their main storyline of Randy Orton versus Drew McIntyre.

Those two men have been feuding over the WWE Championship for which McIntyre successfully defended the title at SummerSlam last weekend. Orton would get revenge on the August 24th edition of RAW and put McIntyre on the shelf with multiple punts to the head.


Keith Lee would stick up for his friend and end up getting this bigtime match at Payback.

Lee has long been rumored to be a favorite of Vince McMahon’s. Unfortunately, Vinny Mac and his braintrust don’t have the best track record when it comes to bringing up stars from NXT. In fact, it’s been downright abysmal over the last year or two.

I have a hard time believing that trend will change this weekend. Despite Lee’s strong showing at the 2020 Royal Rumble and last year’s Survivor Series, I just don’t have confidence in the writers of RAW to fully utilize the big man’s potential. They already messed up his ring attire and entrance music.

I say all that to bring us to my prediction of Randy Orton winning this match. He’s rumored to become WWE Champ sooner than later. This feud with Lee is just a pit stop along the way.

Lee will shine, but Orton hits the RKO “out of nowhere” and wins the match.

WWE Tag Team Match

• The Mysterios (-175)
• Rollins and Murphy (+125)

This match is a continuation of a storyline that spans the last few months where we’ve seen people lose an eye, wicked cuts and scrapes from getting beaten with kendo sticks, and the quest of one son to restore his family’s honor.

Without recapping everything that’s happened in greater detail, let’s fast forward to where Dominik Mysterio impressed a lot of fans and critics with his performance at last week’s SummerSlam in a street fight against Seth Rollins.

The next night on RAW, Rey Mysterio and his son Dominik defeated Rollins and Murphy via DQ after the group Retribution attacked the Mysterios. It will be interesting to see if anything comes from that attack.

Putting aside the inclusion of Retribution into the storyline, this PPV is all about wrestlers getting payback. And, there’s no greater payback than the Mysterios getting a big PPV win over Rollins and Murphy.

I’m taking Rey and Dominik Mysterio to pick up the win by pinning Murphy. Hopefully, all four men can move on to new feuds after Sunday’s PPV.

WWE US Championship Match

• (c)Apollo Crews (+200)
• Bobby Lashley (-300)

Speaking of moving on to new feuds, apparently the WWE has nothing better for Apollo Crews as they continue to have him locked in an eternal blood feud against MVP and his posse Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin.

These men have been fighting against each other for three months now in one form or another. It’s become rather stale and the WWE desperately needs to move on from this storyline.

Even if Lashley wins, it will just keep the Crews feud going. If Lashley loses then his teammates will keep the feud going.

Lashley is the biggest betting favorite for the entire Payback event. If WWE was smart, they would have Lashley win and his team The Hurt Business go on to hurt someone else.

But, more than likely, the WWE will have Lashley’s posse help him win and Crews will get another title shot at the next event or the next night on RAW.

As for this match and its wager, go with Lashley to become the new US Champion.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship

• (C)Bayley and Banks (+125)
• Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax (-175)

Nia Jax returned to RAW this week and decided to walk up to Shayna Baszler, who she feuded with, and say let’s be friends, high five each other and go after the Women’s Tag Team titles. Baszler, who doesn’t like anyone, decided that she wanted to be besties and agreed.


If it sounds silly, that’s because WWE’s booking for this match is silly. In fact, it’s insulting to our intelligence. Making matters worse, Jax and Baszler are going to win this match.

The duo of Jax and Baszler is a byproduct of the WWE’s inability to put each superstar in a meaningful storyline. It’s classic WWE booking especially when they have no clue what to do with certain wrestlers.

By the way, remember how I mentioned WWE has dropped the ball with NXT stars, Shayna Baszler is another example of this frustrating trend. She was the most dominant female superstar in NXT history, but can’t seem to win a title on RAW or get a win in a major feud.

On the other side of the ring is Bayley and Banks who have been long rumored to be destined for an ugly breakup. It appears the wheels are in motion as last week at SummerSlam, Bayley failed to help Banks retain her RAW Women’s title after Banks helped Bayley retain the SmackDown Women’s belt.

The WWE will use this tag team match to take the belts off Bayley and Banks, speed up their break up, and do something relevant with Jax and Baszler. Some might think of this as a win all the way around. Unfortunately, I don’t see it that way.


Without going into a long winded reason why, this is just more lazy booking by the WWE. Take Baszler and Jax to become the new Women’s Tag Team champions.

WWE Universal Title No Holds Barred Triple Threat Match

• The Fiend (+105)
• Roman Reigns (-125)
• Braun Strowman (+650)

As critical as I’ve been with most of Payback’s card, I am definitely excited for this match. Love him or hate him, Roman Reigns is WWE’s biggest star not named Brock Lesnar. And, SmackDown has definitely needed the “Big Dog” back.

Even more exciting in regards to Reigns is that he’s appeared to have aligned himself with Paul Heyman. On last night’s episode of SmackDown, Reigns was seen sitting with Heyman at the end of the show. Yet, before the show went off the air, Heyman proclaimed the motto on Reigns’ new t-shirt “Wreck Everyone & Leave.”

It’s one thing having Reigns return, it’s another having Roman and Paul Heyman teaming up. With Brock Lesnar off TV for the foreseeable future, Heyman needed something to do especially after being fired as the lead writer of RAW.


WWE fans have wanted Roman Reigns to turn heel for a long time. With Heyman by his side, the WWE can finally accomplish this.

This match came together because Reigns showed up and attacked both The Fiend and Braun Strowman after their match at SummerSlam had concluded.

The buzz right now is that Reigns will win this match, become the new champ, be led by Paul Heyman, and have a feud with The Fiend.

The WWE is desperate for star power and to improve their TV ratings. Having Reigns as champ with Paul Heyman as his advocate will definitely boost the ratings and overall interest in SmackDown.

One way or another, Braun Strowman is eating the loss in this match by pinfall. Superman punches and spears are on the menu this Sunday and Reigns will get his payback for never losing the Universal Title in the first place.

If you recall, Reigns won the title by defeating Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam in 2018. Two months later, he had to vacate the belt when he gave that emotional promo that his Leukemia had returned. Not only did he never lose the belt, he never got a chance to reclaim it until now.

WWE Payback Prop Bets

The following prop bet is courtesy of 888sport.com:

How Many WWE Titles Will Change Hands?

• Under 1.5 (+134)
• Exactly 2 (-133)
• Over 2.5 (+200)

With three title matches currently announced, I believe all three belts will change hands.

The women’s tag-team titles will see new champs with Baszler and Jax defeating Bayley and Banks while speeding up their breakup.

Bobby Lashley will beat Apollo Crews for the US Championship, but their feud will continue for the foreseeable future.

Roman Reigns will win the Universal Title in the main event of the night with Paul Heyman by his side.