WWE Elimination Chamber 2026 predictions: Expert picks to punch ticket to WrestleMania 42

With the Royal Rumble in the rear-view mirror, there’s only one path to a world championship match at WrestleMania, and that path is winning the Elimination Chamber. The event takes place on Saturday at United Center in Chicago.

Six men and six women will enter the Elimination Chamber, with the winners of the men’s and women’s matches earning their shot at a world title. With men’s Royal Rumble winner Roman Reigns already choosing world heavyweight champion CM Punk and women’s winner Liv Morgan selecting women’s world champion Stephanie Vaquer, that leaves WWE champion Drew McIntyre and WWE women’s champion Jade Cargill for the Elimination Chamber winners.

There are also a pair of title matches set for the Elimination Chamber card, with CM Punk putting his world heavyweight title — and spot as a WrestleMania headliner — on the line against Finn Balor, and Punk’s wife, AJ Lee, challenging Becky Lynch for the women’s intercontinental championship.

Let’s take a look at who the CBS Sports experts believe will emerge victorious on Saturday in Chicago.

2026 WWE Elimination Chamber predictions

Men’s Elimination Chamber Match — Randy Orton vs. LA Knight vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Trick Williams vs. Jey Uso: Many times, picking a winner in a match like this comes down to eliminating who wouldn’t be a winner. Evans and Williams aren’t currently at the level where they’ll be going one-on-one for a world championship at WrestleMania. Orton is a legend, but not one who is in a place where he makes sense as a WrestleMania headliner in 2026. Uso isn’t going to have a second consecutive world title match at WrestleMania, and he is a tag champion anyway, giving him other things to be doing. That leaves Knight and Rhodes, only one of whom has an ongoing issue — which some may say has been ongoing for far too long — with McIntyre. That makes the outcome seem fairly obvious. Pick: Cody Rhodes wins — Brent Brookhouse (also Shakiel Mahjouri)

Women’s Elimination Chamber Match — Tiffany Stratton vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Asuka vs. Kiana James vs. Raquel Rodriguez: The winner of this match will challenge WWE women’s champion Jade Cargill at WrestleMania. Those stakes help narrow the field. The champ looks like a box office star, so WWE should pick a challenger with star power and experience. Asuka and Cargill are both heels, and while that sometimes works, it doesn’t gel well here. Bliss fits the bill, but she’s more interesting teaming with Charlotte Flair. Ripley vs. Cargill screams WrestleMania, a collision between two of WWE’s most powerful women. Ripley’s status as women’s tag team champion complicates things, but there’s more upside here than retreading Cargill vs. Stratton. Pick: Ripley wins — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)

World Heavyweight Championship — CM Punk (c) vs. Finn Balor: It’s nice to see Balor positioned like a major player once again, and equally nice that it is signaling the end of his time in Judgment Day, but there’s just no way WWE pivots from Punk vs. Reigns at WrestleMania to Balor vs. Reigns. It was nice to see WWE finally bring up the bizarre ending to Balor vs. Reigns at Extreme Rules 2021, but that’s not enough foundation for a WrestleMania main event. Pick: CM Punk retains the title — Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)

Women’s Intercontinental Championship — Becky Lynch (c) vs. AJ Lee: Punk will smooth things over for Chicago after a rough start for their adopted hero Lee. The women’s intercontinental champion needs a successful title defense, especially with the potential for another showdown at WrestleMania. Lee has wrestled twice in 10 years, beating Lynch in WarGames and a mixed tag team match with their husbands. Expect Lynch to steal a victory through nefarious means ahead of a one-on-one rematch in Las Vegas. Pick: Lynch retains the title — Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)