Note: There are no spoilers in this article, except for who Johnny Bananas’ partner is.

These rankings are based on how likely it is for the team to win Final Reckoning.

CONTENDERS

1. Brad and Kyle

Reason For Vendetta: Brad used a grenade on Kyle on Vendettas, having his legs tied up for the Yanking My Chain mission which disqualified him from competing.

General Thoughts: I know it’s a reality show and things aren’t always going to be fair, but in what universe does a team like Faith and Angela have a shot winning anything against a team like Brad and Kyle?

Brad and Kyle aren’t even archenemies, it would have made more sense to put them with people they have real beefs with — Brad with someone like Zach or Marie, or Kyle with his hair transplant specialist.

But alas, they are partners and have to be the odds on favorites to win Final Reckoning.

Brad is a Challenge Hall of Famer — the worst he’s ever finished in his nine seasons is the second-to-last man eliminated. He proved on Vendettas that he is still an excellent competitor, defeating Victor and Frank before losing in the janky final elimination to Leroy.

Although Brad didn’t have nearly the same amount of control in Vendettas as he did back in the day, he is paired with someone who is liked by almost everyone. Kyle impressed in the political game on Vendettas, seamlessly working himself into the Bananas/Tony/Zach alliance. He also surprised people physically — finishing third in the finals despite drinking like a fish the entire season. And that’s before he showed up on Final Reckoning looking like he had just been through the Wes Bergmann “get ripped quick” fitness plan, which Brad looks like he already subscribes to.

Strengths: They are both fairly level-headed guys and have proven themselves as smart strategic players. Physically, they should balance each other out well and should be one of the best teams in the game. Being one of just three guy/guy teams on the season, they should have a leg up.

Weaknesses: Having to go the whole season without their PEDs. But seriously, Brad and Kyle aren’t the biggest guys, so they could be taken out in a physical elimination by someone like CT or Zach. Other than that, their biggest weakness will be having a big target on their back for being one the guy/guy teams.

Allies: Of course Brad’s relationship with Britni should give him someone who will never vote for him under any circumstances. Kyle is in good with Bananas, Tony and Zach, but none of those guys worked with Brad on Vendettas. Both Brad and Kyle both have their own relationships with Cara Maria, although her partner Marie got into a heated fight with Brad about pizza on Vendettas.

Enemies: No one in particular hates these guys, although Zach and Brad talked shit on each other during Vendettas. But they will have a big target on their back just for one of the strongest teams in the game.

Bold Prediction: They win the final, Brad proposes to Britni, Kyle fucks eight women at the same time on top of his prize money. Brad and Britni join in on Kyle’s orgy. Yeah, these predictions are gonna be bold, guys.

2. Zach and Amanda

Reason For Vendetta: Amanda started the rumor that Zach’s ex-girlfriend at the time (and current girlfriend), Jenna, got finger blasted by Bruno on the airplane before Invasion.

General Thoughts: There’s not a better mix of brawn and brain on this cast than Zach and Amanda.

Zach dominated Vendettas, making the troika four times and placing second after losing to Cara Mara in the final puzzle.

While Amanda is merely a decent competitor, she’s one of the few girls on this show who has a functioning brain, which gives her a big edge.

Strengths: I never thought I’d be saying this a couple of years ago, but it feels like Zach and Amanda might be able to fly under the radar. Zach was barely visible on Vendettas, and there’s no Camila to antagonize Amanda (of course, with Twitter beef already brewing before the season between Cara and Amanda, this pop off queen might not be able to stay quiet for too long).

Zach and Amanda also have one of the least legitimate beefs out of anyone on Final Reckoning, so they SHOULD be able to work well together.

Weaknesses: SHOULD being the key word in that last sentence, because while Zach seemed to have mellowed out on Invasion and Vendettas, this is also the same guy who was a complete dick to partners like Jonna, Trey and Sam. Amanda is the least submissive partner Zach has ever had, so he’s going to have to be patient with her. We’ll see on Final Reckoning if Zach truly has changed.

Allies: Zach and Amanda almost couldn’t be in a better position with so many allies at their disposal. They usually operate on different sides of the house, so them being together should bring both sides together in their favor.

Amanda working with Nelson/Shane is a given, and she could also have the Sylvia/Joss team in her pocket. Zach has his partner in crime from last season Tony. He also usually has working relationships with CT and Bananas (Zach was the only one who didn’t vote in Johnny to face Devin on Vendettas), and he also has the powerful Jenna/Jemmye duo on his side.

They should be able to play both sides throughout the game.

Enemies: Brad and Zach beefed on Vendettas, so it’ll be interesting to see if Kyle can help them mend their relationship. Zach also threw Britni and Natalie under the bus on Vendettas, so Britni/Chuck and Natalie/Paulie could be enemies.

Bold Prediction: They reach the finals without going into elimination. At the final, mercenaries are brought in. It’s Camila and Satan himself. Amanda is given a choice — either hug Camila to win the final, or go back to being Satan’s asshole for the rest of eternity. Amanda chooses to be the devil’s poop shoot.

3. Bananas and Tony

Reason For Vendetta: Tony threw Bananas into elimination on Vendettas, where he lost to Devin.

General Thoughts: Basically the only spoilers I know about this season (other than a couple of hookups) is that Devin has to go home because his dad died, and Tony comes in as Bananas’ new partner.

Is it possible that Tony will actually be a downgrade from Devin for Bananas?

While Tony is undoubtedly a better competitor than Devin, he also brings a massive target on his back after playing one of the most ruthless games in Challenge history on Vendettas. Along with throwing in his longtime ally Bananas, he lied to Britni and Natalie about sending them in. If it were an individual game, Bananas and Tony would have the two biggest targets on their backs. Together, the target is even more massive.

Strengths: On paper this is the best pairing on Final Reckoning, with eight wins between them (counting Champs vs. Stars). Despite losing to Devin, Bananas was excellent on Vendettas, making the troika four times. Tony might have been even better than Bananas, finally proving his worth as a competitor. Any time Bananas is on your side, you have an edge because of his experience and aptitude for the game.

Weaknesses: Besides the huge target on their back, it will be interesting to see how these two alpha dogs work together. Tony should probably play the Scottie Pippen role and let Bananas run his team, but he has developed such a big head over the last few seasons that it’s hard to see that happening.

Allies: It’s crazy to say this given their tumultuous history, but Bananas’ most loyal ally on this season might be Cara Maria. They’ve done so many seasons together, and lately Cara has made her allegiances to Bananas known. Bananas also has his “showmance” partner from Vendettas, Natalie, on this season. Bananas also has a long history with CT, and Tony just won Champs vs. Stars with him. Zach and Kyle have ties to both Tony and Bananas. Kailah is also a card-carrying member of Team Tony Time.

Enemies: There’s almost too many to count. Nelson is always anti-Bananas. Tony screwed over Britni last season. Bananas has had beefs with Veronica and Kailah. Both made disparaging comments about Brad on Vendettas. With Bananas and Tony partnered together, it’s not just that that they have a target on their back — the house will have a nuclear warhead pointed at them.

Bold Prediction: A nuclear warhead is actually shot at Bananas and Tony. Tony deflects the warhead with his Tony Time watch.

4. Nelson and Shane

Reason For Vendetta: Nelson called Shane out for making backdoor deals on Invasion. During the bloodbath, Nelson was able to win by agreeing to help both Shane and Cory. Shane exposed him for being a snake.

General Thoughts: This team has the widest variation of how they could do. You could tell me Shane and Nelson will win this season, and I wouldn’t question it. You could also tell me that Nelson punches someone in the face while Shane gets deported for tweeting threats at a South African diner, and I’d believe you.

Strengths: These are two of the best male competitors to never win (poor Shane hasn’t even made a final in seven seasons). Nelson has lacked the mental ability that it takes to win, while Shane comes up short in the brawn department. They should be able to cover up each other’s weaknesses well. Nelson is much physically stronger, but Shane is an excellent swimmer and is more useful in puzzles.

Weaknesses: Nelson and Shane both have suspect political games. Although they worked together and got to the bloodbath on Invasion, Shane has gotten the reputation of being an untrustworthy ally, while Nelson found himself outside of the majority alliance on both Dirty 30 and Vendettas. I wouldn’t trust them to navigate the political game if they were playing solo. Together, it’s probably going to get very messy.

Allies: Nelson and Shane are likely to be the figurehead team of the alliance that goes against Bananas/Tony. They have a lot of friends on this cast. The Lavender alliance from Invasion could reunite with Amanda and Sylvia on the cast, plus Ashley M and Hunter are potentially coming into the game with the mercenary twist. Shane also has great relationships with Veronica and Marie.

Enemies: Bananas and Tony have been against Nelson on basically every season they’ve done together. There’s no reason to believe this will change, and the season could very well come down to a Bananas/Tony vs. Nelson/Shane power struggle.

Bold Prediction: Shane is accused by one of the castmembers of being shady. Nelson comes to his side and comforts Shane. Feeling vulnerable, Shane tells Nelson that he has always cared for him and they should squash their beef. After a long hug, Nelson tells Shane, “I love you, bro.” Years of sexual tension comes to fruition, as they make passionate love.

5. CT and Veronica

Reason For Vendetta: CT voted for Veronica to go into elimination on Dirty 30, saying she was a weak competitor. Veronica had a hand in sending CT to the redemption house.

General Thoughts: This is by far my favorite duo on this season. To see two legit OGs of the game partnered together is something we’ve never really seen since Mark/Robin and Rachel/Aneesa on Exes.

These two were last teammates on Inferno II all the way back in 2005. They weren’t able to win together 13 years ago, can they pull it off this time?

Strengths: They have CT. The dude has made it to at least the final elimination on every season he’s been on (excluding when he’s gotten in a fight or when Diem has to go home on Exes II). CT was looking like the worst player in the finals on Champs vs. Stars season 3…until he turned into the best player and won the whole damn thing. You just can’t count a team out that has CT on it.

Weaknesses: They have Veronica. Although she used to be a great competitor back in the day, Veronica hasn’t impressed anyone as a physical competitor since Inferno II. It’s hard to see Veronica ever winning a final in her current state, but never say never with CT on her side.

Allies: These OGs should have their bases fairly covered. CT is cool with pretty much everyone, most notably Cara Maria, Bananas and Tony. Veronica also has close friends in Shane, Jemmye and Marie.

Enemies: Veronica had an argument with Bananas in the fallout of the note scandal on Vendettas. Other than that…maybe CT is still mad that Brad beat him on The Duel?

Bold Prediction: They make the final, and are constantly referred to as grandma and grandpa throughout the season.

DARK HORSES

6. Natalie and Paulie

Reason For Vendettas: Paulie and Natalie got in multiple spats on Big Brother season 18.

General Thoughts: If you’ve been paying attention on social media, you already know Paulie will have an impact on Final Reckoning.

And while Paulie comes onto The Challenge somewhat unknown as a competitor, he is partnered with one of the best female competitors in the game.

Strengths: Paulie is a former Division I soccer player and seems to still be in good shape (despite having a recent knee injury), but he’s also only 5–9, so he’ll be one of the smallest guys on this season. Natalie might be a top-three female competitor on Final Reckoning and excels in cardio, so she could be dangerous in a final.

Weaknesses: I don’t see either of them playing pristine political games. Natalie has the reputation of having a fake personality, and it’s hard to see that changing. Paulie also isn’t the most likable guy in the world, having gotten into multiple altercations on Big Brother.

Allies: Natalie was tight with Bananas last season, and she was also in good with Nelson and Cara. Paulie has Ex On the Beach ties with Derrick and the Angela/Faith team. Paulie and Brad are both DJs, so perhaps we could see a DJ Paulie C and DJ Plan B bromance.

Enemies: Tony and Zach backstabbed Natalie on Vendettas after promising her safety. Natalie also clashed with Shane and Devin on Vendettas.

Bold Prediction: This is an absolute shot in the dark, but I think Paulie will hook up with Cara Maria.

7. Tori and Derrick

Reason For Vendetta: Tori cheated on Derrick with Jordan on Dirty 30.

General Thoughts: I love Tori. Like seriously, I’m in love with the girl. I would fight Jordan to the death for her honor, medieval style.

But I can’t stand Derrick. And I think a lot of the cast members feel the same way. I think this will be the most interesting thing about this team — can Tori’s charm outweigh Derrick’s annoyingness?

Strengths: Physically, one could argue this is the best guy/girl combination of a team. Tori reached the finals of Dirty 30 as a rookie, while Derrick is a Division I college basketball player. Although Tori hasn’t lived up to her hype on her subsequent Champs vs. Stars appearances and her elimination with Kam on Vendettas, she’s still an above average female competitor. Derrick still has to prove himself, as he was taken out in the first elimination by Cory on Dirty 30.

Weaknesses: Tori has an excellent political game, easily making friends with everyone and not making waves. Can she reign Derrick in? He doesn’t strike me as the type of guy who can sit back and let Tori run their team.

Allies: Although Tori is seemingly cool with everybody, it’s hard to say who her biggest allies will be. She should be in good with Cara Maria since they worked together on Dirty 30, and perhaps Kailah and Jenna as well. Derrick might have a relationship with Paulie, Angela and Faith from Ex on the Beach, and he’s friends with Cory if he comes into the game.

Enemies: Derrick is in the unfortunate position of having two exes on this season- both his partner Tori and Angela. Tori has a rivalry with Devin if he enters the game.

Bold Prediction: Derrick refers to himself as Mr. Chocolate every episode. I cringe every time.

8. Joss and Sylvia

Reason For Vendetta: Joss (and Brad) threw Sylvia into elimination on Vendettas despite Sylvia stepping up for them during the eating challenge.

General Thoughts: This is my barometer of a mid-level team. Joss could very well be one of the best male competitors on this cast, but Sylvia isn’t exactly the second coming of Evelyn.

Strengths: Joss is a tank. He won the Rock of Gibraltar challenge to open the season on Vendettas, and went toe-to-toe with Derrick in his elimination before losing in a somewhat fluky fashion.

Sylvia may not be the most in shape girl on this cast, but she has a ton of heart and she’s smart. In her two seasons, Sylvia is 3–1 in eliminations. She beat LaToya and Kailah on Invasion before getting eliminated by Jenna. On Vendettas, she took out Melissa in one of the best female elimination rounds of all time despite competing sick. People continue to underestimate Sylvia, and she continues to prove them wrong.

Weaknesses: Although Sylvia is an underrated competitor, she’s still the clear weakest link of this team. She’s not a cardio queen and she’s not going to outmuscle anybody. This team likely goes as far as Sylvia can take them.

Allies: Sylvia should be on Team Nelson/Shane, along with Amanda. She has an up and down relationship with her Real World: Skeletons castmate Tony. Joss should bring in his fellow Brits Melissa, Kyle and Kayleigh, and he also had a good relationship with Brad on Vendettas.

Enemies: Everyone who’s intimidated by Joss’ abs.

Bold Prediction: Joss/Sylvia get eliminated doing a puzzle. Sylvia blows it for the team, spending the entire elimination ogling Joss instead of working on the puzzle.

LONG SHOTS

9. Britni and Chuck

Reason For Vendetta: They’re exes from Are You the One?, as Chuck dumped Britni without any warning after being together for years.

General Thoughts: I keep forgetting they’re on this season.

Strengths: Britni made it deep both on Dirty 30 and Vendettas by laying low and being friendly. She’s not a great competitor, but she’s also far from the worst.

Weaknesses: I don’t know much about Chuck’s athletic background, but just based on looks he seems like the least athletic guy on this cast outside of Jozea. Britni and Chuck also have the most raw and real history between them, which could make it difficult for them to work together.

Allies: Luckily for Britni, she’s dating the dude who’s on arguably the best team in the house. There’s also a lot of Are You The One? season 3 represenation the cast, with Amanda and Nelson, plus potentially Devin and Hunter.

Enemies: I think their biggest enemies will be themselves. With the most emotional baggage of any team in the house, I think it’ll be difficult for them to work together.

Bold Prediction: Chuck tries to get Britni back but is too intimidated by Brad to actually make a move. He ends up hooking up with Jemmye.

10. Kam and Melissa

Reason For Vendetta: They got in a huge fight on Vendettas after Kam told Melissa that nobody in the house liked her. In the final Melissa gave Kam a grenade, effectively ending any chance she had of winning.

General Thoughts: I expect this to be the most entertaining team on this season. Melissa is a vixen, and Killah Kam is not one to hold her tongue. I think these sophomores are two potential stars of the franchise, especially Melissa. Although she didn’t last long on Vendettas, she’s the perfect combination of catty, slutty and conniving for this show.

Strengths: Kam was a beast on Vendettas, winning three tough eliminations against Tori, Ashley M and Natalie. Melissa is small but strong and feisty, as she proved in her elimination rounds with Alicia and Sylvia. Kam/Melissa is one of the girl/girl teams, which will probably put them at a disadvantage. But they’re clearly the most athletic girl duo.

Weaknesses: It’s a given that one of these two (most likely Melissa) is going to get in a fight with someone this season. It’s hard to see a scenario where they go the whole season without pissing someone off, so their bluntness will likely be their biggest downfall.

Allies: Kam was the leader of the Dolphin alliance with Kailah, Marie and Sylvia on Vendettas. Melissa has a weird frenemy thing with Kayleigh that I haven’t figured out yet, but I think Kailah/Kayleigh could be their biggest ally in the game.

Enemies: Kam used two grenades on Cara Maria on Vendettas, so there could be some lingering animosity.

Bold Prediction: Melissa becomes the breakout star of the season, and grabs the title of best U.K. castmember from Kyle.

11. Cara Maria and Marie

Reason for Vendetta: Although there’s not a memorable blow up between the two, Cara and Marie haven’t gotten along since Dirty 30.

General Thoughts: Poor Cara Maria. If she’s going to pull off becoming the third girl in Challenge history with three wins, she’ll have to pull off the greatest feat of her career — carrying Marie to victory. It would be the most unlikely win since Landon dragged Carley to first place on Fresh Meat II. Cara has had some great partner luck in the past — having Darrell, Laurel, Abe, Cooke and Jamie. She didn’t get any favors this time around. She could have plausibly been paired with Kailah, Kam or even Bananas, which all would have been huge upgrades over Marie.

Strengths: This is like the CT/Veronica team, but much worse. Cara Maria is clearly the best female competitor on this season. She’s built up such a big reputation in recent years, I think some of the girls are intimidated to go one-on-one against her in an elimination.

Weaknesses: Marie is only on this show to cause drama. She’s a terrible competitor — her performance in her elimination against Kailah on Vendettas was embarrassing. It’s almost impossible to imagine Marie winning a final.

Allies: The only good thing for Cara about being paired with Marie is she has some allies that Cara doesn’t. Marie brings in people who Cara wouldn’t have otherwise worked with like Kailah, Kam and Shane. Cara is friends with a lot of the strong guys like CT, Bananas and Zach. Her biggest problem politically is she doesn’t have many strong girl allies.

Enemies: Again, a lot of girls don’t like Cara Maria. With her being paired with Marie, the vultures will likely swarm her and try to get her out early.

Bold Prediction: Someone calls Cara entitled. Marie gets in a pointless fight.

NO CHANCE IN HELL

12. Jenna and Jemmye

General Thoughts: Jenna begged the producers to be back after getting injured on Champs vs. Stars season two. And she got her wish, but it came at a price being paired with Jemmye. Now she might be wishing she wasn’t put on Final Reckoning.

Strength: Being funny, whether it’s intentionally (Jemmye) or unintentionally (Jenna). These two also have experience, with 11 seasons between them. Jenna is a solid competitor, having made three finals. She’s bigger than most of the girls, which gives her an advantage.

Weaknesses: Jemmye is just here to give funny one-liners in confessionals. Although she made the finals on Rivals II, she is arguably the worst female competitor on this cast.

Allies: Team Jemma could go far just because they’re not a threat and they have a lot of friends in the house. Jenna of course has Zach and will be reunited with Kailah. Jemmye is close with Veronica and Marie (even though Jemmye had a hand in throwing her in on Vendettas) and is generally cool with everyone else.

Enemies: I don’t think there’s anyone — not just on The Challenge but on planet Earth — who dislikes Jenna. Jemmye runs her mouth, but isn’t threatening enough for anyone to actually come after her. I expect them to be kept around for a long time as a layup team.

Bold Prediction: Fans complain about Jemmye being on the show. Jenna and Zach continue their campaign for most boring couple in the history of The Challenge. Yes, I realize these predictions have gone from scorching hot to freezing cold.

13. Kailah and Kayleigh

Reason for Vendetta: Kailah was a part of the group that threw Kayleigh’s suitcase on the ground on Vendettas, and TJ called Kailah out for bullying. Kailah accuses Kayleigh of starting rumors about her and other girls throughout the season.

General Thoughts: This team just feels like a trainwreck waiting to happen. These two just don’t get along, and Kailah is a lock to complain about Kayleigh being a weak partner.

Strengths: Kailah is an average/slightly above average competitor. She’s one of the bigger girls in the house, and while she’s not going to wow anyone with her athleticism, she’s at least decent at almost everything.

Weaknesses: Kayleigh was a flat out bad competitor on Vendettas. She’s another girl who’s strictly on the show to look good and cause drama.

Allies: Kayleigh didn’t seem to make many friends on Vendettas. Kailah at least has some powerful guy friends like Zach and Tony, and has her number one girl Jenna back. She was also part of the Dolphins group on Vendettas.

Enemies: A lot of people aren’t particularly fond of Kailah. After she voted in Bananas on Vendettas, he should be seeking payback. Kailah and Cara also have a history of disliking each other, going back to Dirty 30. Kayleigh and Nelson were close for most of Vendettas, but their relationship fell apart when it came out that she had kissed Bananas early in the season.

Bold Prediction: Kayleigh gets revenge on Kailah by throwing her suitcase off the plane on the way to filming.

14. Da’Vonne and Jozea

Reason For Vendetta: Da’Vonne orchestrated Jozea’s elimination on Big Brother season 18.

General Thoughts: I enjoy hilariously bad competitors, at least for a season or two. Jozea and Da’Vonne have absolutely no chance of winning Final Reckoning, but with Jozea’s delusions of grandeur and Da’Vonne’s bluntness, they should be fun for the two episodes they’re on.

Strengths: Jozea should be a better competitor than he was on Champs vs. Stars, because it’s literally impossible to be worse. Da’Vonne has been said to be a physical beast, so I’m excited to see her compete.

Weaknesses: Jozea could improve tenfold on Final Reckoning and he’d still be the worst guy on this cast.

Allies: They have their fellow Big Brother castmates Paulie and Natalie in the house. Jozea was on Champs vs. Stars with CT, Kailah, Shane, Kam, Tony and Tori, but it doesn’t seem he made lifelong friendships from that experience.

Enemies: They’re one of just two rookie teams on this season, which means they will likely be going into elimination sooner rather than later.

Bold Prediction: They survive one elimination.

15. Angela and Faith

Reason For Vendetta: Angela was attached to Tor’i from the beginning of Ex on the Beach, but Faith made her attraction to Angela’s man known and there was tension when Faith and Tor’i went on a date.

General Thoughts: Angela, a Bad Girls Club alum, might be the hottest girl to ever be on this show. Faith’s bird call thing is annoying. They’ll probably get in some pointless fights. That’s about all I got with these two.

Strengths: Angela’s ass.

Weaknesses: The whole competition part.

Allies: Paulie and Derrick are the only other Ex on the Beach connections they have.

Enemies: Elimination rounds.

Bold Prediction: Angela is the only rookie from this season to ever return to The Challenge.