WrestleMania season kicks off on Saturday when WWE brings the Royal Rumble to Indianapolis. The occasion is likely one of the most anticipated yearly WWE occasions and this yr isn’t any completely different.

As is the usual, there will likely be a males’s and a ladies’s Royal Rumble match on the cardboard, with the winners with the ability to problem any champion for his or her title at WrestleMania, which takes place on April 19 and 20 in Las Vegas.

This yr’s Royal Rumble solely options two matches along with the 2 Rumble matches, however each are thrilling on paper.

Undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes will defend his title in opposition to friend-turned-rival Kevin Owens in a ladder match. The 2 have ramped up their rivalry over the previous few months and now meet in certainly one of wrestling’s most iconic gimmick matches. Within the card’s different title match, WWE tag workforce champions #DIY will put their belts on the road in opposition to former champions Motor Metropolis Machine Weapons. #DIY and MCMG will battle in a two-out-of-three falls match that has the potential to steal the present.

Let’s check out who the CBS Sports activities specialists are selecting to win in every match on Saturday’s card, starting at 6 p.m. ET.

WWE Royal Rumble 2024 predictions

Males’s Royal Rumble Match: I felt considerably sure that John Cena would win the Rumble till Monday night time. CM Punk’s confrontation with Cody Rhodes sparked one thing that made it clear Punk vs. Rhodes is the story WWE needs to be telling as a lot as attainable. In fact, there’s additionally simply the truth that momentum has utterly stalled out for Cena when his huge return for his final run began with a considerably awkward promo on Jan. 6 and he has been nonexistent since. Certain, he might nonetheless win the Rumble and go on to up his appearances between the Rumble and WrestleMania, however his absence has killed my curiosity whereas Rhodes and Punk have me excited. I feel WWE needs to play into the traditional rivalry between Punk and Cena and the match probably comes right down to these two males on the finish however give me Punk to get the win and Cena to punch his personal ticket at Elimination Chamber — a whole reversal of what I predicted just some weeks in the past. Choose: CM Punk wins the Royal Rumble — Brent Brookhouse

I awakened this morning believing Cena would win the Rumble, however I am having second ideas. A straight shot to WrestleMania is just too handy for the down-on-his-luck veteran looking for glory one final time. Orton is not marketed for the Rumble, however I think he’ll pull out a shock victory to arrange a showdown with Rhodes at WrestleMania. Orton will not tie Cena’s world title report, however he can tie “Stone Chilly” Steve Austin’s three Rumble wins. Choose: Randy Orton wins the Royal Rumble — Shakiel Mahjouri

Ladies’s Royal Rumble Match: Charlotte Aptitude is such a straightforward plug-and-play choice for the largest WrestleMania matches that it is onerous to not decide her to win right here. The inevitable match with Tiffany Stratton additionally makes an excessive amount of sense to cross up. Stratton vs. Aptitude appears like a possible passing of the torch second, even when Aptitude will likely be round for so long as she needs. They’re related sufficient wrestlers whereas separated sufficient by the eras wherein they entered the sport to offer loads of compelling storytelling earlier than an amazing WrestleMania match. Choose: Charlotte Aptitude wins the Royal Rumble — Brookhouse

There aren’t many standouts amongst this yr’s ladies’s Rumble members. Reserving Aptitude reverse Tiffany Stratton for WrestleMania is a good way to spice up Stratton’s profile. Aptitude could be trusted to ship in huge matches, so she would possibly simply return from harm victorious. Choose: Charlotte Aptitude wins the Royal Rumble — Mahjouri

Undisputed WWE Championship — Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Kevin Owens (Ladder Match): I hope Owens pulls off the upset. It is a compelling twist within the story, plus it might be tough to see Owens lose in three consecutive undisputed WWE title matches. WWE is dedicated to Rhodes as champion. Whereas I do not suppose it’d harm him to lose and reclaim the title between now and WrestleMania, I think WWE takes the secure route by protecting the title on him. Choose: Cody Rhodes retains the title — Mahjouri

Because it would not actually matter to be proper or unsuitable when predicting wrestling matches — and for those who’re betting on scripted leisure you are braver than I’m — I used to be going to select this one with my coronary heart as a substitute of my head. WWE has solely dipped into the title loss earlier than shortly regaining the title as soon as with main titles lately, when Jey Uso gained the intercontinental title from Bron Breakker earlier than Breakker gained it again lower than a month later. It is good to see prolonged title reigns in WWE once more, however typically there needs to be a bit extra drama by way of a sense of unpredictability. From that view, Owens ought to win on Saturday with Rhodes grabbing the title again forward of WrestleMania. A ladder match gives sufficient escape hatches for that loss to return cheaply by way of exterior interference. That stated, that strategy is not actually how Paul Levesque has booked main titles and Punk’s interplay with Rhodes on Monday targeted on how the stress of being champion will proceed to put on Rhodes down till he lastly breaks at WrestleMania. You do not have that interplay and wipe that story away lower than per week later. Choose: Cody Rhodes retains the title — Brookhouse

WWE Tag Workforce Championship — #DIY (c) vs. Motor Metropolis Machine Weapons (Two-Out-Of-Three Falls Match): It is too quickly to take the titles off #DIY. Kudos to WWE for giving two world-class tag groups ample time to indicate what they’ll do. Anticipate the Motor Metropolis Machine Weapons to look sturdy however drop the final fall by nefarious means. Choose: #DIY retain the titles — Mahjouri

I agree with the logic that WWE will not rip the titles away from #DIY this quickly however I’m very excited to see what these two groups can do in a two-out-of-three falls set-up. Fairly Lethal probably will get concerned to tilt issues within the champions’ favor within the third fall. No matter if the end result feels predictable, that is going to be an amazing match between two completed tag groups. Choose: #DIY retain the titles — Brookhouse