Oddsmakers Favor Interesting Name To Win WWE Elimination Chamber Qualifier On SmackDown

On Friday's episode of "WWE SmackDown," qualifying matches for the Elimination Chamber are set to continue, and possibly the most unpredictable qualifier is the match between Sami Zayn, Cody Rhodes and Jacob Fatu, who will enter battle in a triple threat match. The matchup comes as a shock to fans who believed that two or even all three competitors would be featured in the Men's Elimination Chamber match, but perhaps more interesting is — or at least was — the betting favorite to emerge victorious tonight.

As of Friday morning, Zayn (-150) was favored to win the qualifying match over both Rhodes (+125) and Fatu (+200) on BetUS. This year, the winner of the Men's Elimination Chamber will challenge for Drew McIntyre's Undisputed WWE Championship, and since "The Scottish Warrior" won the title last month, Rhodes and Fatu have been the rumored names to fight for the gold at WrestleMania. Therefore, Zayn being the favorite came as a surprise, and could be the result of WrestleMania plans reportedly being uncertain and the current feud between Rhodes and Fatu.

By Friday afternoon, however, the odds had changed, with Rhodes being favored to win at -110. Zayn still stands at -130, with Fatu at +175.

There's no doubt that WWE is building a story between McIntyre, Rhodes and Fatu, but Zayn picking up the win could be a way to protect all three men in the qualifying match tonight. The most likely option is for McIntyre to interfere in order to prevent Rhodes or Fatu from winning, as he's made it clear that he doesn't want to see either competitor near his world title. Therefore, attacking Rhodes and Fatu would open the door for Zayn, who has never defeated McIntyre in singles action. Additionally, WWE usually holds a "second chance" match for those who lost their qualifier, which could be when Rhodes or Fatu advances to the chamber.

Although it's expected that either Rhodes or Fatu will still be in line to challenge for the title at WrestleMania, with plans for the event being up in the air due to WWE's disappointment with ticket sales, it's possible that Zayn will get another shot at the championship this coming April. The Canadian star has been in pursuit of finally winning a world title in WWE, and challenging a competitor who he's never defeated before at WrestleMania could be a story the creative team is considering. Therefore, WWE could pencil in Zayn to win the Undisputed WWE Championship if the company believes the storyline would increase ticket sales.