UFC on ESPN+ 30: Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Joseph Benavidez odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 30 fight between Deiveson Figueiredo and Joseph Benavidez, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

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Deiveson Figueiredo and Joseph Benavidez square off in a flyweight bout on the main card at UFC on ESPN+ 30 – also known as UFC Fight Night 172 – Saturday at the UFC’s Fight Island facility on Yas Island, United Arab Emirates. The prelims kick off at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+, followed by the main card set for 8 p.m. ET.

Want to place a bet on UFC on ESPN+ 30? Place bets at BetMGM online in CO, IN, NJ and WV! New customer offer: Risk-free first bet! Visit BetMGM for terms and conditions. Bet now!

Figueiredo (18-1) steps into the octagon one inch taller than Benavidez (28-6), while sporting a three-inch reach advantage (68″ to 65″). Figueiredo also holds tremendous advantages in the significant strikes-accuracy percentage department, 52.50 to 34.32, as well as takedown average, 1.81 to 1.50, takedown accuracy, 50.0 to 30.69 percent, and submission average, 2.36 to 0.63. There’s a reason Figueiredo, who has only lost once in his pro career, is such a strong favorite in this rematch. “Deus Da Guerra” won by KO/TKO (Round 2, 1:54) in the previous meeting with Benavidez on Feb. 29 at Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Va.

In that bout, Benavidez did rain down 46 significant strikes to Figueiredo’s 25, but obviously, the Brazilian landed the ones which counted the most. Benavidez also had 10 leg shots to no attempts to the lower body for Figueiredo, so it will be interesting to see if the American employs that type of attack yet again. The southpaw Benavidez has seen three of his past four bouts finish inside the distance.

Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Joseph Benavidez betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 7:30 a.m. ET.

Figueiredo (-213) won the first match in Round 2. Betting him on the 2-way line is a bit of a risky proposition, however, so get a little more specific. You can get FIGUEIREDO BY KO/TKO, DQ or SUBMISSION (+100) at even money, which is quite a bit more attractive. Of course, if the fight goes the distance, or Benavidez (+175) pulls the upset, you’ll be on the short end. Still, taking that 5-way line is a better way to minimize your risk.

As far as length of the fight, taking No (-200): Will the fight go the distance? is a bit pricy, too. A better value is taking UNDER 4.5 ROUNDS (-162), and save a little bit of scratch.

To watch the full card, sign up for ESPN+ now.

If you want some action on this MMA bout, place your wagers at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and analysis, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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UFC on ESPN 13: Tim Elliott vs. Ryan Benoit odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 13 Fight Island bout between Tim Elliott and Ryan Benoit, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

Tim Elliott and Ryan Benoit will tangle in a flyweight bout on the main card at UFC on ESPN 13 Wednesday at the UFC’s Fight Island facility on Yas Island, United Arab Emirates. The prelims kick off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+, followed by the main card set for 10 p.m. ET.

Want to place a bet on UFC on ESPN 13? Place bets at BetMGM online in CO, IN, NJ and WV! New customer offer: Risk-free first bet! Visit BetMGM for terms and conditions. Bet now!

The southpaw Elliott (16-11-1) enters with a two-inch height advantage, but his reach is two inches shorter than his counterpart. As such, he’ll likely be looking to get this fight to the mat early and often, as the canvas is where he does his best work. He owns a sparkling 4.31 to 0.20 takedown-average advantage over Benoit (10-6), a 55.70 to 16.67 takedown-accuracy percentage and a 1.18 to 0.20 submission-average advantage, too. Elliott enters on a three-bout losing skid, as his opponents have turned the tables on him lately. He was submitted by UFC newcomer Brandon Royval May 30 at the UFC’s APEX Facility on the Woodley-Burns card. Previous to that defeat, he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Askar Askarov Jan. 18 and a submission loss Oct. 12, 2019 to Deiveson Figueiredo. In fact, Elliott is 1-4 in his previous five bouts, with four of the past five finishing inside the distance, too.

For Benoit – a.k.a. “Baby Face” – the Janjira Muay Thai team member has alternated wins and losses in each of his past 10 fights as a pro, including 3-2 at the UFC level. His last time out was a disappointing split-decision loss to Heili Alateng on the Edgar-Korean Zombie card Dec. 21, 2019, a bout Benoit felt he should have won. He has been chomping at the bit ever since. The fact both fighters are desperate for a much-needed win should make this a very entertaining bout.

Tim Elliott vs. Ryan Benoit betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 6:35 a.m. ET.

ELLIOTT (-125) is favored on the 2-way line, and rightly so. While he has had a difficult time of it recently, Benoit (+105) hasn’t exactly lit the world afire lately, either. The latter has been rather inconsistent, showing out in some rounds, while completely disappearing in others. Elliott’s tremendous work on the mat will be the difference in this one. In fact, taking ELLIOTT BY KO/TKO, DQ or SUBMISSION (+340) on the 5-way line could be a rather lucrative way to go.

In addition, while the books are fully expecting this one to be decided by the judges, I am really impressed by Elliott’s body of work on the ground. Recently, he has gone to the mat and been overcome by his opponents. Either way, he isn’t going deep into the night, and that makes the UNDER 2.5 ROUNDS (+140) price rather attractive, too.

To watch the full card, sign up for ESPN+ now.

If you want some action on this MMA bout, place your wagers at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and analysis, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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