Tag: heavyweight bout

UFC on ESPN 14: Fabricio Werdum vs. Alexander Gustafsson odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 14 fight between Fabricio Werdum and Alexander Gustafsson, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

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Fabricio Werdum and Alexander Gustafsson square off in a heavyweight bout on the main card at UFC on ESPN 14 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 14? 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!

Werdum (23-9-1) steps into the octagon with a 38-pound advantage, and will likely be looking to take Gustafsson (18-6) to the mat as soon as possible. Werdum doesn’t hold many advantages outside of his weight, but does have a 1.13 to 0.41 submission average over his counterpart. Werdum is coming off a split-decision loss to Aleksei Oleinik at UFC 249, and is on a two-bout skid. Werdum has never lost three consecutive fights in his professional career. In 33 pro fights, he has 11 submission wins and four of his previous six outings have gone the distance.

Gustafsson is also coming off a loss, tapping out against Anthony Smith June 1, 2019. Gustafsson is also 0-2 in his past two outings, and 3-5 in the previous eight bouts. Like Werdum, Gustafsson has never lost three fights in a row at any point of his professional career, so something’s gotta give. Each of Gustafsson’s past three fights have finished inside the distance. The big Swede hasn’t won by submission since he topped James Te Huna at UFC 127 back on Feb. 26, 2011, so you can obviously forget about betting that prop.

Fabricio Werdum vs. Alexander Gustafsson betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 8:55 a.m. ET.

Gustafsson (-358) enters as a huge favorite. The 33-year-old will be looking to snap a two-bout losing skid, and should be able to do it against the 42-year-old Werdum (+275), who is in the twilight of his career. However, Gustafsson is just too expensive, so you’ll have to get a bit creative. GUSTAFSSON BY KO/TKO, DQ or SUBMISSION (+100) is even money, and the far more attractive play on the 5-way line. As long as he doesn’t win on points, or fall to the Brazilian veteran, you’re in good shape.

As far as the length of the fight, Werdum tends to go long into the night, while Gustafsson looks to put the lights out early. Betting NO (-167): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? is a sound play, as is taking UNDER 2.5 ROUNDS (-134), if you want to save a little bit of juice. Another avenue you might want to pursue, if you’re uncertain of the winner, is betting the KO/TKO/DQ (-121) as the method of finish, and it doesn’t matter who comes out with their arm raised.

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 12: Gian Villante vs. Maurice Greene odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 12 fight between Gian Villante and Maurice Greene, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

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Gian Villante and Maurice Greene lock horns in a heavyweight bout on the main card at UFC on ESPN 12 – also known as UFC Fight Night 174 – Saturday at the UFC’s APEX Facility in Las Vegas. The prelims kick off at 5 p.m. ET, followed by the main card set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+.

Villante (17-11) finds himself at a severe disadvantage for this one in more ways than one. First off, Greene (8-5) towers over Villante by four inches, while also having four-inch reach advantage. What’s more, Greene checks in at 243 pounds to just 205 pounds for Villante.

The weight situation could be to Villante’s advantage, however, as he is lighter on his feet and a little more agile. That weight situation is an advantage for Greene should the fight be taken to the ground, however.

Villante’s last time out ended in a Round 1 knockout loss to Michal Oleksiejczuk on the Blachowicz-Santos card Feb. 23, 2019. Villante has lost consecutive bouts on just one occasion in 15 fights at the UFC level, and that was back in 2017. Four of his past five fights have ended up going the distance, and he has never won or lost via submission at the UFC level.

Greene is also coming off a Jan. 18 loss, falling by submission to Aleksei Oleinik at UFC 246. Each of Greene’s previous three outings have finished inside the distance, a stark contrast to Villante, with two of the three ending via KO/TKO. Greene is 1-1 in those two affairs. He has posted five wins by submission in his career, with the last one coming in the TUF 28 Finale against Michel Batista Nov. 30, 2018.

Want to place a bet on UFC on ESPN 12? 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!

Gian Villante vs. Maurice Greene betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday, June 26 at 7:25 a.m. ET.

Greene (-239) is a heavy favorite over the shaky Villante (+190). Playing Greene on the 2-way line is a bit expensive. Instead, consider taking GREENE BY KO/TKO, DQ or SUBMISSION (-112) at near even-money, with the only way you lose is if Villante pulls the upset or the fight is decided by the judges. So, this is easily your best bet.

UINDER 2.5 ROUNDS (-176) is a good way to go, too, as each of Greene’s past three fights have finished inside the distance. He doesn’t like to waste time. In fact, a nice wager would be pinpointing the round for a finish. Taking ROUND 2 (+350) for a finish could be quite lucrative. If you “REALLY” want to roll the dice, Greene by KO/TKO/DQ in Round 2 (note, submission is not included in this wager) pays +550. Why not toss a couple of dollars on that for fun?

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Greene by KO/TKO, DQ or Submission (-112) returns a profit of $8.93. A $10 wager on Under 2.5 Rounds (-176) returns a net profit of $5.68, while a $10 play on the fight ending in Round 2 (+350) would cash a ticket for $35 profit.

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 11: Alexander Volkov vs. Curtis Blaydes odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 11 fight between Alexander Volkov and Curtis Blaydes, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

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Alexander Volkov and Curtis Blaydes square off in a heavyweight bout on the main card at UFC on ESPN 11 – also known as UFC Fight Night 173 – Saturday at the UFC’s APEX Facility in Las Vegas. The prelims kick off at 5 p.m. ET, followed by the main card set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+.

Blaydes (13-2) enters the octagon with a sparkling record, and “Razor” is on a three-bout win streak since being dropped by Francis Ngannou in the headline event Nov. 24, 2018. In fact, Blaydes is 0-2 against Ngannou, but 13-0 with one no contest in his 14 other professional bouts. His last two victories – against Junior Dos Santos in the main event Jan. 25 and against Shamil Abdurakhimov Sept. 7, 2019 at UFC 242 – were Round 2 knockouts. Four of Blaydes’ past five outings have finished inside the distance, including four KO/TKO (3-1) endings. He enters this event leading all active heavyweights with a 53:36 control time and 52.8 control-time percentage. In addition, he leads the class with a 43:03 top-position time, and 42.4 top-position percentage. Blaydes is also tops with 45 takedowns landed and a 55.6 takedown-accuracy percentage, and he knows how to avoid a punch, leading the class with just 1.86 strikes absorbed per minute.

Volkov (31-7) enters this one looking to building upon his unanimous decision victory over Greg Hardy Nov. 9, 2019. Volkov has posted five wins in six fights at the UFC level, including a pair of KO/TKO wins and three unanimous decisions wins. His only setback was at UFC 229 Oct. 6, 2018 when he was decked by Derrick Lewis for the KO/TKO. Volkov’s calling card is his devastating punch, and he is third in the heavyweight division with a 59.8 significant strike-accuracy percentage, while checking in seventh among active heavyweights with 557 significant strikes landed. He also leads the division with an outstanding 6.19 significant strikes landed per minute and a 3.42 striking differential. On the plus side, he is tops in the heavyweight class with a 59.5 significant strike defense, too, and is No. 1 among heavyweights with an 82.8 takedown-defense percentage.

Want to place a bet on UFC Fight Night 173? 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!

Alexander Volkov vs. Curtis Blaydes betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday, June 19 at 3:55 a.m. ET.

Blaydes (-400) is quite expensive at this price, so you’ll have to be a little creative. He should be able to push past Volkov (+305) in what is expected to be a brawl. However, Blaydes is more than just a puncher, as he has strong takedown ability and work on the canvas.

Taking KO/TKO/DQ (-313) for the method of victory by either fighter is a bit of an expensive proposition, too. I think the best bet here, and it’s not as costly, is rolling with BLAYDES BY KO/TKO, DQ or SUBMISSION (-200) on the 5-way line. You have a little wiggle room with how Blaydes wins, and the only way you lose is if it goes to the judges, or, of course, Volkov pulls the upset.

As far as length of the fight, the odds are heavily in favor of this bout finishing inside the distance. No (-400) on “Will the fight go the distance?” is also a lot of chalk to eat. I expect this to be a brawl, but I think it goes into the second half of Round 2, at the very least. Therefore, the best bet on bout length is taking OVER 1.5 ROUNDS (-176).

New to sports betting? A winning $10 bet on Blaydes (-400) to win outright on the 2-way line returns just $2.50 in profit. A $10 play on Blaydes (-200) to win by KO/TKO, DQ or Submission on the 5-way line fetches a profit of $5. A $10 wager on the Over 1.5 (-176) rounds nets a profit of $5.68.

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 9: Blagoy Ivanov vs. Augusto Sakai odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 9 fight between Blagoy Ivanov and Augusto Sakai, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

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Blagoy Ivanov and Augusto Sakai clash in a heavyweight bout on the main card at UFC on ESPN 9 – also known as Fight Night 176 – at the UFC’s Apex Facility in Las Vegas. The card kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+.

Ivanov (18-3) has a four-inch reach disadvantage, and he is four inches shorter than his opponent, too. In addition, Sakai (14-1-1) holds a 5.51 to 3.09 significant strikes landed per minute advantage, and 46.40 to 38.03 significant strikes-accuracy percentage advantage. Sakai’s bread and butter is on the ground, and that’s where he is likely to try and take the fight early and often. “Baga” hasn’t had the same kind of success on the ground at the UFC level as he had in the lower levels, however, going 2-2 with all four of his UFC fights going the distance.

Sakai has been a knockout machine throughout his career, posting 11 of his professional wins via KO/TKO. Since arriving at the UFC level, he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down, going 3-0 with a pair of knockout wins, including a 59-second knockout of Marcin Tybura last time out (Sept. 14, 2019). He quickly turned heads when he outlasted veteran Andrei Arlovski on the Jacare-Hermansson card last April, too. Sakai is for real, and a rising star in the heavyweight class.

Want to place a bet on UFC Fight Night? 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!

Blagoy Ivanov vs. Augusto Sakai betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday, May 28 at 7:30 a.m. ET.

SAKAI (-110) and Ivanov (-110) is basically considered a coin flip at this juncture, as the books expect a close affair between the two sluggers. However, remember that height and reach advantage when looking into a wager on this fight. Sakai has advantages in both departments, and he is a knockout machine. Ivanov will have to be a little more defensive than he is used to. If he lets his guard down, it could be a quick ending.

Betting on KO/TKO/DQ (+160) on how the fight will finish, regardless of winner, is a tremendously attractive prop. If you get specific and take SAKAI TO WIN BY KO/TKO or DQ (+320), you can more than triple your bet and profit handsomely. It’s also a good idea to take NO (+120): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? Plus, betting UNDER 2.5 TOTAL ROUNDS (+135) is an even better value.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Sakai (-110) to win returns a profit of $9.09. A $10 bet of No (+120) on the fight going the distance pays a $12 return, and betting on the fight to end on a KO/TKO/DQ (+160), regardless of fight winner, fetches a $16 profit.

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 8: Alistair Overeem vs. Walt Harris odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 8 fight between Alistair Overeem and Walt Harris, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

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Alistair Overeem and Walt Harris square off in a heavyweight bout on the main card at UFC on ESPN 8 – also known as ESPN Fight Night 172 – at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+.

Overeem (45-18) heads into this one with a three-inch reach advantage over his counterpart, while holding a distinct advantage in the significant strikes categories. He has a 3.54 to 2.96 advantage in significant strikes landed per minute, while dominating with a 62.38 significant strike-accuracy percentage to just 38.16 for Harris (13-7). Overeem isn’t a one-trick pony, however, as he also has a 1.39 to 0.35 takedown-average advantage and he has a 53.57 to 33.33 lead in the takedown-accuracy percentage department.

Overeem is looking to bounce back after a KO/TKO loss to Jairzinho Rozenstruik with four seconds left Dec. 7, 2019. Overeem suffered an ugly cut to the lip as a result. He is 2-3 across the past five outings with each decided by KO/TKO. Nine of his past 10 bouts have finished inside the distance, including nine via KO/TKO (5-4). Keep in mind when betting method of victory, he hasn’t won or lost via submission in 17 career bouts at the UFC level, and he has been submitted just once in 63 career professional bouts overall.

Harris needed just 12 seconds to polish off Aleksei Oleinik by KO/TKO July 20, 2019. Harris is 3-0 with a No Contest over the past four outings with an overturned result Dec. 29, 2018 against Andrei Arlovski at UFC 232. Like Overeem, Harris sees plenty of fights finish early. Seven of his past eight have finished inside the distance. And, like Overeem, work on the canvas isn’t a big part of what Harris does. In 20 career professional bouts he has never won via submission, and lost just once in that fashion.

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

Alistair Overeem vs. Walt Harris betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday, May 14 at 4:45 a.m. ET.

OVEREEM (+130) is the slight underdog in this one, but he is worth a look for a small-unit bet. Both he and Harris (-154) do not go the distance, and will go toe-to-toe throwing hands. Perhaps if this fight were taking place in front of fans, the American Harris could feed off the crowd. But it will be in an empty arena due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation. This is a coin-flip main event, so go with the better value – OVEREEM.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Overeem (+130) to win returns a $13 profit. A $10 bet on Harris (-154) to win fetches a $6.50 profit.

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 249: Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik odds, picks and best bets

Analyzing the big UFC 249 matchup between Francis Ngannou and Jairzinho Rozenstruik with UFC betting odds and picks.

Francis Ngannou and Jairzinho Rozenstruik do battle in a heavyweight bout on the main card at UFC 249 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+, with the main card on pay-per-view.

Ngannou (14-3-0) is looking to keep his impressive knockout streak alive against Rozenstruik (10-0-0), who has yet to taste defeat in his professional career. Ngannou, a.k.a. “The Predator,” has made quick work of his prey over the past three bouts, recording knockouts in the first round in each tilt. The fights haven’t been against slouches either, as he defeated Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos in order – not exactly cupcakes in the division. Ngannou has been on a mission since a title-shot defeat to Stipe Miocic in a unanimous decision loss in the main event of UFC 220 (Jan. 20, 2018), followed by another loss at the hands of the judges to Derrick Lewis at UFC 226 (July 7, 2018).

Rozenstruik, who hails from Suriname, presents a big challenge for the 33-year-old Ngannou. Rozenstruik throws a lot of punches, posting 3.72 significant strikes landed per minute to just 2.15 for Ngannou. He also has a 46.99 significant strike accuracy percentage to 37.70 for Ngannou. Neither of these fighters try to go to the mat, so you can avoid any thoughts of this one ending via submission. Since arriving at the UFC level, Rozenstruik has recorded four straight KO/TKO wins, including a Round 1 knockout of Andrei Arlovski at UFC 244 and a Round 5 KO/TKO against UFC veteran Alistair Overeem last time out on Dec. 7, 2019.

Want to place a bet on UFC 249? Place them at BetMGM. New customer offer: Risk-free first bet! Visit BetMGM for terms and conditions. Bet now!

Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday, May 7 at 5 p.m. ET.

Ngannou (-278) is a heavy favorite, but if you were to bet the 2-way line, Rozenstruik (+225) is a much better value in this potential brawl.

Checking out method of victory, NGANNOU BY KO/TKO or DQ (-125) is a better bet than taking him on the 2-way line. This will be a toe-to-toe street fight, with both fighters throwing titanic blows. Ngannou doesn’t throw and land as many as Rozenstruik on average, but the ones he does land can rock his opponent in just one shot. It’s proven throughout his career.

While both of these fighters have ended things rather early in their recent fights, they might feel each other out early, looking to avoid the big blow from each other. As such, taking OVER 1.5 ROUNDS (-106) for the total number of rounds is worth a small-unit bet, too.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Ngannou (-278) to win returns just a $3.60 profit. A $10 bet on Ngannou to win by KO/TKO or DQ (-125) earns a $8 profit, while a $10 play on the Over 1.5 rounds (-106) nets a return of $9.43.

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 249: Greg Hardy vs. Yorgan De Castro odds, picks and best bets

Analyzing the big UFC 249 matchup between Greg Hardy and Yorgan De Castro with UFC betting odds and picks.

Greg Hardy and Yorgan De Castro square off in a heavyweight bout on the main card at UFC 249 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+, with the main card on pay-per-view.

Hardy (5-2-1), the former Dallas Cowboys player, has had mixed results since making his UFC debut Jan. 19. 2019 in a disqualification loss to Allen Crowder. He has knockout wins over Juan Adams and Dmitri Smoliakov, but also a no-contest against Ben Sosoli and a unanimous-decision loss against Alexander Volkov last time out at UFC Fight Night on Nov. 9, 2019.

Hardy has been involved in eight professional fights, but he has neither won or lost via submission, so remember that when choosing method of victory in this one. In addition, each of his five professional wins have come via KO/TKO, so you know what you’re getting with Hardy – a brawl. As a favorite he has posted a 1-1-1 record, so not much to glean there.

As far as the 33-year-old De Castro (6-0) is concerned, he made his UFC debut at UFC 243 with a Round 1 KO/TKO win over Justin Tafa on Oct. 5, 2019. De Castro, who hails from the Cape Verde Islands, was a slight underdog in that fight against Tafa. Five of his six professional victories are also by KO/TKO, so like Hardy, he likes to fight upright and try to land big punches rather than ground and pound. Four of his professional victories have come in Round 1.

Want to place a bet on UFC 249? Place them at BetMGM. New customer offer: Risk-free first bet! Visit BetMGM for terms and conditions. Bet now!

Greg Hardy vs. Yorgan De Castro betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday, May 6 at 6:15 p.m. ET.

Hardy (-200) is the chalk here, and risking two times your potential return isn’t terribly attractive. In addition, he hasn’t exactly dominated in his previous fights, posting rather uneven results. However, he is a brawler, and he is up against a rather inexperienced fighter, especially at the UFC level. You have to figure De Castro is going to walk into a big blow, and it’s over, especially since Hardy holds a ridiculous 6.5-inch reach advantage.

If you look to method of victory, HARDY BY KO/TKO or DQ (+140) is quite attractive. In addition, it’s extremely unlikely the judges are needed for this one, so playing NO (-250) WILL THE FIGHT GO THE FULL 3 ROUNDS? is the way to go. If you are looking to De Castro to spring the slight upset, he is attractive to win by KO/TKO or DQ (+210), while fetching +165 to win on the 2-way line.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Hardy (-200) to win returns a $5 profit. A $10 bet on Hardy to win by KO/TKO or DQ (+140) earns a $14 profit, while a bet on De Castro to win by KO/TKO or DQ (+210) returns a $21 profit.

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 247: Derrick Lewis vs. Ilir Latifi odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC 247 heavyweight fight between Derrick Lewis and Ilir Latifi, with MMA betting odds, picks and best bets.

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Derrick Lewis and Ilir Latifi will go toe-to-toe at UFC 247 at Toyota Center in Houston in a three-round heavyweight battle on the pay-per-view card (to watch, sign up for ESPN+ now). Below, we breakdown the Lewis-Latifi fight, with UFC 247 betting odds and picks.

Lewis (22-7-0, 1NC) enters this one with two losses to Daniel Cormier and Junior Dos Santos in his past three outings, but he stopped the bleeding against Blagoy Ivanov last time out at UFC 244 with a split-decision victory. He is expected to successfully continue this climb back to the top with this battle. Lewis heads into this one with distinct size advantages, standing 6-foot-3 to the 5-foot-10 Latifi, weighing in at 260 to 205 pounds while also holding the reach advantage at 79″ to 73.5″. In addition, he holds the lead in the significant strikes category at 49.95 significant strike accuracy percentage with 2.63 significant strikes landed per minute. If there is one area Lewis could fail, it’s in the ground game.

Latifi is a compact piece of iron who can take a beating, but his strategy will likely be avoiding a toe-to-toe battle for any length of time, while trying to get Lewis to the canvas early and often. His only advantage in the stats comes in the takedown average (1.85 to 0.52) and takedown accuracy percentage (30.56 to 25.0) departments, while also leading in submission average (0.51 to 0.00). That’s where Latifi will want to fight this main card bout.

Lewis-Latifi odds

Want to place a bet on UFC 247? Place them at BetMGM. New customer offer: Risk free first bet! Visit BetMGM for terms and conditions. Bet now!

Per BetMGM Sportsbook, Lewis (-239) is a moderate favorite in his heavyweight bout over Latifi (+175). The oddsmakers also lean to the match not going the distance (three rounds), with odds there being set at a -334 for No – and the odds to go a full three rounds at Yes +220.

Are you new to sports betting? A $10 wager on Latifi to pull the upset returns $17.50 in profit. A $10 bet on Lewis at -239 returns a profit of $4.20 with a victory.

Also See:

Lewis is a solid favorite, and normally a wager at odds lower than -175 is not my cup of tea. However, you can maximize your profits with a series of other bets while putting down a little lettuce on the big favorite, too.

Lewis-Latifi betting guide

The odds are very good that this bout will not going the full three rounds (-334), but that’s a rather risky play. Instead, go with the fight to go Over 1.5 rounds (-118), which will give you a little room to play with, and make you feel better if it does unexpectedly go the distance.

I think Lewis wins this one in Round 2 (+450) or Round 3 (+800). If you don’t want to pinpoint it, bet both. Unless the fight is decided in Round 1 or it goes the distance, you win, and you can win a lot. In fact, if you were to just bet each of these two wagers exclusively, it could be a tidy little payday. In fact, if you were to bet Lewis to win on points (+500), too, it’s a super hedge, but the only way you lose money is if he wins in Round 1 or Latifi wins. It’s a super safe way to bet this bout, but it could be effective if you don’t feel like risking it.

If you want to watch UFC 247, sign up for ESPN+ and catch all of the action. Speaking of action, if you want to bet on UFC 247, place your wagers at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and analysis, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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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