In a bantamweight bout in the main event, Marlon Vera and Dominick Cruz meet Saturday at UFC on ESPN 41 at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, Calif. Below, we analyze the UFC on ESPN 41 Vera vs. Cruz odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
The card can be viewed on ESPN/ESPN+ with the prelims starting at 4 p.m. ET and the main card beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
Vera aims for his 4th consecutive victory. He posted a unanimous-decision (UD) win against Rob Font in a fight night main event in late April. Three of his last 4 outings have gone to the judges to decide a victor.
Cruz posted a UD victory against Pedro Munhoz at UFC 269 in December, and he has gone the distance in 5 of his last 6 bouts. He is aiming to get back in the championship picture and post a 3rd straight win since suffering a KO/TKO defeat in Round 2 against Henry Cejudo in a title fight at UFC 249 in May 2020.
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UFC on ESPN 41 Vera vs. Cruz odds and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:09 a.m. ET.
- Fight result (2-way line): Vera -240 (bet $240 to win $100) | Cruz +180 (bet $100 to win $180)
- Over/Under: 4.5 rounds (Over -180 | Under +130)
- Will the fight go the distance? (Yes -170 | No +122)
[tipico]
UFC on ESPN 41 Vera vs. Cruz picks and predictions
Records: Vera (19-7-1) | Cruz (24-3-0)
Fight result (2-way line or money line)
Vera (-240) takes the walk to the octagon searching for his 4th consecutive win. However, 2 of his last 3 victories have gone to the judges, so it’s a risky wager.
However, he does have a 2.5-inch reach advantage and holds a 4.33-to-3.82 significant strikes landed per minute advantage. In addition, the favorite has a 1.13 submission average to just 0.05 for Cruz.
For the method of victory, look to VERA BY POINTS (+150) for a much better value. Cruz has also gone the distance in 5 of his past 6 outings, so it’s a good bet.
Over/Under (O/U)
In addition to playing Vera by points, look to YES (-170): FIGHT TO GO THE DISTANCE, which is a strong play. Both of these fighters have struggled to tick off stoppages. You can expect the judges to decide the winner here.
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