NXT In Your House is tomorrow! So Cook brings out the betting odds to see if there’s any money to be had in this event!

I was more than a little worried I wouldn’t have anything for you guys this weekend. None of the usual sources had NXT TakeOver: In Your House betting odds on Thursday, which says something about the interest level going into the show. I know we’re all hyped up here at The Chairshot, but the general public? Hard to say. Even WWE doesn’t seem particularly interested, as the main shows & Peacock are busy selling us on Hell in a Cell.

It is kind of funny though. I can remember when NXT fans whined & complained after it looked like Vince McMahon was finally paying attention to the brand. The theory was that the more Vince paid attention, the worse the show would get. So you would think they’d be happy that Vince seemingly stopped caring at some point during the Wednesday night beatdown, right? Or at least optimistic that the show would improve?

I mean, if nothing else, we don’t have to worry about Velveteen Dream or Drake Wuertz appearing anymore. I consider that a win. Let’s see who will win on this show, with odds provided by BetOnline. As a reminder, this column is for entertainment purposes only.

Xia Li (-950) vs. Mercedes Martinez (+500)

I must say, it’s always nice when wrestling remembers something that happened more than fifteen minutes ago. Xia Li never forgetting what Mercedes did to her makes sense, and it’s a good way for her to get a big win. As for Mercedes, it seems like her future plans don’t involve NXT, but perhaps an Evalution. Even if they don’t, Xia’s the one that has more upside and should go over here.

Six-Man Tag Team Match for the NXT North American & Tag Team Championships
Bronson Reed & MSK (-850) vs. Legado del Fantasma (+450)

I could see LdF winning this if the titles weren’t on the line, as it’d be a good way to build to eventual title matches. However, Joaquin Wilde & Raul Mendoza already lost a title match to MSK, and Bronson Reed hasn’t even properly defended the North American Championship yet. It’d be some pretty Russo-level stuff if he lost it here to Santos Escobar in a six-man tag. If Russo was booking, the title change would be a smart bet. As far as I know, he isn’t, so Bronson Reed & MSK have nothing to worry about.

Ladder Match for the Million Dollar Championship
Cameron Grimes (-125) vs. LA Knight (-115)

We’ve talked before about how NXT overuses the ladder match stipulation. If I never see another one I’ll be perfectly fine with it. At least this one feels different, as it’s for one of the most prestigious prizes in the game, and the ladder has dollar signs on it. It kind of reminds me of when Wrestling Society X had the blinged out ladder. It also helps that two of NXT’s biggest characters are in the match. LA Knight’s always known how to talk, and Cameron Grimes has learned on the job & become one of the most entertaining wrestlers during the process.

It could go either way, but we all know the old saying of the money being in the chase. When you think of the Million Dollar Championship, you think of money. LA Knight holding it makes sense, and Cameron Grimes chasing it makes even more sense.

Women’s Championship Match
Raquel Gonzalez (-1000) vs. Ember Moon (+550)

NXT really did their best to make you think that Ember has a chance in hell of defeating Raquel on this show. The oddsmakers didn’t buy it, and Raquel is a heavy favorite. Frankly, the oddsmakers are right. Nothing wrong with Ember Moon, she’s what the wrestling experts would call a good hand. It’s Raquel Gonzalez‘s time, and we know she isn’t losing that championship without defending it against her best friend Dakota Kai.

Fatal Five Way for the NXT Championship
Karrion Kross (-110) vs. Adam Cole (+275) vs. Kyle O’Reilly (+400) vs. Johnny Gargano (+500) vs. Pete Dunne (+600)

This five-way build has done the trick of making three guys look completely irrelevant, which is pretty impressive considering that one of them is Pete Dunne. Lots of problems going on here…how has Kyle O’Reilly gone from seeming like a big deal after beating Adam Cole to looking like just another goof? Part of the answer is he looks like a goof. Orange Cassidy’s wardrobe doesn’t work for everybody.

Speaking of street clothes, Karrion Kross’s wardrobe isn’t working for me either. When he showed up in NXT with that incredible entrance and Scarlett lip-synching like a crazy person, he seemed like a different cat that was bad news for everybody. Now he seems like a bouncer at a gentleman’s club that’s banging one of the entertainers. In a way it makes sense, as all four of his opponents have been accused of hanging around the NXT Club way too long. Is it time to bounce them out? Probably, but the NXT Club is so appealing.

Here’s the thing: We need to pick an underdog here at some point. Gotta make things interesting, right? There’s only one guy that hasn’t looked like a piece of crap during this build, and it’s the guy that Shawn Michaels, Triple H & Greg DeMarco agree is the future of the business.

ADAM COLE BAY BAY is our pick to make a little money here. Why not? Kross can take him on at the next TakeOver after SummerSlam, or he can move on to other things or whatever. It’s not our biggest concern at the moment, we’re about the money. The money is with Adam Cole.