UFC 250: Raphael Assuncao vs. Cody Garbrandt odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC 250 fight between Raphael Assuncao and Cody Garbrandt, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

Raphael Assuncao and Cody Garbrandt tangle in a bantamweight bout on the main card at UFC 250 at the UFC’s Apex Facility in Las Vegas. The card kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ and on pay-per-view.

Assuncao (27-7) is looking to pick himself up and dust himself off after dropping his past two fights, a submission loss to Marlon Moraes Feb. 2, 2019 and a unanimous decision setback to Cory Sandhagen at UFC 241 last time out Aug. 17, 2019. Despite the pair of losses, Assuncao still has an overall impressive body of work. He is fourth among all active bantamweights with 651 total strikes landed and he is first overall among active bantams with a 68.7 percent significant strike defense, which will be helpful against the big bomber Garbrandt.

Garbrandt (11-3) heads into this one with a three-inch height advantage over Assuncao, who actually has a one-inch reach advantage. Garbrandt will likely come out throwing a flurry of fists early in this bout. Six of his previous seven fights have ended via KO/TKO, winning three and losing three. His last outing was a Round 1 knockout loss at the hands of Pedro Munhoz March 2, 2019 at UFC 235. While Garbrandt enters on a three-bout losing skid, two of the setbacks were against TJ Dillashaw, including one match for the bantamweight strap, so it looks worse than it appears. Garbrandt ranks No. 1 among active fighters in his class with a knockdown average of 1.60 per 15 minutes. He also hasn’t fought past 2:41 of the second round in six of his past seven fights, so don’t expect a lengthy affair if he has his druthers.


Want to place a bet on UFC 250? 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!


Rafael Assuncao vs. Cody Garbrandt betting odds

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

Assuncao (+115) is a slight underdog against GARBRANDT (-139), and rightly so. Despite a three-bout losing skid, Garbrandt still possesses the ability to end this thing early – remember, two of those three defeats were vs. Dillashaw, a champion.

While Assuncao hasn’t been knocked out in 14 professional bouts dating back to his UFC debut, a KO/TKO loss to Erik Koch March 19, 2011, taking GARBRANDT BY KO/TKO/ or DQ (+170) is worth a small-unit wager. Perhaps hedging with Garbrandt to win on points (+260) is a solid investment, too, just in case.

As mentioned, Garbrandt hasn’t been going very deep into fights lately, while eight of Assuncao’s past 10 outings have gone to the judges with him winning six of the eight decisions. As such, OVER 1.5 (-182) for the total number of rounds is a good play. Lastly, it’s worth taking GARBRANDT TO WIN BY KO/TKO/DQ IN ROUND 2 (+700). Don’t mortgage the kids’ college fund or anything, but that’s quite an attractive prop with a nice 7-to-1 payday.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Garbrandt (-139) to win on the 2-way line returns a profit of $7.19. A $10 wager on Garbrandt to win via KO/TKO or DQ (+170) nets a return of $17, while betting OVER 1.5 total rounds (-182) fetches a profit of $5.49.

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 250: Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC 250 fight between Amanda Nunes and Felicia Spencer, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

Amanda Nunes and Felicia Spencer battle for the women’s featherweight strap on the main card at UFC 250 at the UFC’s Apex Facility in Las Vegas. The card kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ and on pay-per-view.

Nunes (19-4) puts her featherweight belt on the line Saturday night for the seventh consecutive time. She picked up a unanimous decision win over Germaine de Randamie Dec. 14, 2019 at UFC 245 for a sixth consecutive title defense. Three of Nunes’ past four bouts have finished inside the distance, with three KO/TKOs before the UD against de Randamie. Four of the past seven fights for Nunes have ended in the first round, too.

For Spencer (8-1), she enters this bout as a decisive underdog at +450. The Canadian is two inches shorter than the champ, along with a one-inch reach disadvantage. Nunes is much more effective on the mat, posting a 2.33 to 1.36 advantage in takedown average, while posting a dominating 47.62 takedown-accuracy percentage to just 16.67 for Spencer. The Canadian does outpace the Brazilian champ slightly in significant strikes landed per minute, 4.54 to 4.34, and significant strike-accuracy percentage, 55.56 to 49.82. Two of Spencer’s past three bouts have finished inside the distance – the exception was a unanimous decision loss to Cris Cyborg, Spencer’s only setback at the UFC level to date.


Want to place a bet on UFC 250? 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!


Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday, June 5 at 7:35 a.m. ET.

Nunes (-625) is expected to retain her belt for a seventh consecutive title defense, so you’ll have to get creative when betting this match. Taking her on the 2-way line is just too much risk and not a tremendous amount of return. (Every $6.25 wagered on a Nunes win only profits $1 if she prevails).

The fight is not expected to go the distance, but No (-358) is a rather risky proposition as well. It might be better to go with TOTAL NUMBER OF ROUNDS UNDER 3.5 (-209), which is still a lot of chalk to eat, but not that terrible. Better yet, going UNDER 2.5 ROUNDS (-134) is even less risk, and Nunes definitely has enough to put Spencer away quickly. It might also be a good idea to roll with NUNES BY KO/TKO/DQ (-154). If you want to get specific, Nunes to win in Round 1 (+210), Round 2 (+350) or Round 3 (+600) pay handsomely. My suggestion would be taking NUNES IN ROUND 2 (+350).

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Nunes (-625) to win on the 2-way line fetches a profit of just $1.60. Betting Nunes to win by KO/TKO/DQ (-154) nets a profit of $6.49, while playing the UNDER 2.5 rounds (-134) on a $10 bet profits $7.46.

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 250: Aljamain Sterling vs. Cory Sandhagen odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC 250 fight between Aljamain Sterling and Cory Sandhagen, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

Aljamain Sterling and Cory Sandhagen tussle in a bantamweight bout on the main card at UFC 250 at the UFC’s Apex Facility in Las Vegas. The card kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ and on pay-per-view.

Sterling (18-3) is four inches shorter than his counterpart, while possessing a one-inch reach advantage. Sterling, also known as the “Funk Master,” is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Pedro Munhoz June 8, 2019 at UFC 238, improving to 4-0 over his past four bouts with three unanimous decision victories during the stretch. Sterling ranks No. 1 among active bantamweights with a 2.84 striking differential, and checks in third among active bantams with a 50.0 significant strike-accuracy percentage. What’s odd about those two previous stats is that he hasn’t won via KO/TKO since dropping Hugo Viana July 16, 2014. In 21 fights as a pro Sterling has never been submitted, either, winning by that method on seven occasions.

Sandhagen (12-1) has tasted defeat just once in his career, and is a perfect 5-0 at the UFC level, including a unanimous decision victory at UFC 241 (Aug. 17, 2019) over Raphael Assuncao – who is also on this UFC 250 card. Each of Sandhagen’s past two outings have ended up going the distance. In his 13 career pro bouts he has never suffered a loss by KO/TKO (4-0) or submission (3-0). In addition, he has a tremendous 7.14 significant strikes landed per minute, so he should put that striking differential of Sterling’s to the test.


Want to place a bet on UFC 250? 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!


Aljamain Sterling vs. Cory Sandhagen betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday, June 4 at 11:45 a.m. ET.

This is going to be a brawl, and it’s tough to pick a winner between Sterling (-118) and Sandhagen (+100). However, since neither of these fighters have been submitted in their career, it’s a good idea to AVOID the 2-way line as the method of victory. In addition, Sterling just hasn’t been knocking people out, and he has never been KO’d. So, look for this FIGHT TO FINISH VIA DECISION (-209). Plus, back YES (-193): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? Try to parlay this with some other props for a better value.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Sandhagen pays even money, with a net profit of $10. A $10 bet on the fight finishing via decision (-209) nets a profit of just $4.78, and a $10 wager on the fight going the distance (-193) fetches a return of $5.18.

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 250: Neil Magny vs. Anthony Rocco Martin odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC 250 fight between Neil Magny and Anthony Rocco Martin, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

Neil Magny and Anthony Rocco Martin hook up in a welterweight bout on the main card at UFC 250 at the UFC’s Apex Facility in Las Vegas. The card kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ and on pay-per-view.

Magny (22-8) enters this fight with a three-inch height advantage and an amazing 6 1/2-inch reach advantage over his counterpart. The veteran posted a unanimous decision victory over Li Jingliang at UFC 248 last time out March 7, improving to 3-1 over the previous four fights with two ending inside the distance. He hasn’t won a fight by submission in 12 tries dating back to Feb. 14, 2015, while tapping out twice, so Rocco Martin (17-5) would be wise to try and get the veteran to the mat early and often. Magny leads all active welterweight division fighters with 15 wins, and is second all time in the division with nine decision victories.

Rocco Martin posted a unanimous decision victory over Ramazan Emeev at UFC Fight Night Nov. 2, 2019, improving to 5-1 across the past six with only a majority decision setback to Demian Maia June 29, 2019 during that span. He hasn’t been submitted in his past 10 fights while winning two in such method. He has also never been knocked out in 22 career bouts as a pro, winning by KO/TKO once.


Want to place a bet on UFC 250? 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!


Neil Magny vs. Anthony Rocco Martin betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday, June 4 at 11:25 a.m. ET.

MAGNY (-143) is on a roll lately, and the veteran is a good play against Rocco Martin (+120) on the 2-way line.

Rocco Martin will likely do everything in his power to get Magny to the canvas or end his night early with a big hit, but the veteran should be able to keep the challenger at a distance with that distinct reach advantage. Magny has a way of slowly and methodically grinding out fights. It isn’t pretty, but he wows the judges with the technical aspects, which is why he has nine decisions wins at the UFC level. Look for MAGNY BY DECISION (+120) as the method of victory. As such, taking YES (-250): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? is the play, but try and parlay that with something else rather than eating all of that chalk straight up.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Magny (-143) to win straight up fetches a return of $7.69, while a $10 wager on Magny to win by decision (+120) returns a profit of $12.

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 250: Eddie Wineland vs. Sean O’Malley odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC 250 fight between Eddie Wineland and Sean O’Malley, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

Eddie Wineland and Sean O’Malley lock horns in a bantamweight bout on the main card at UFC 250 at the UFC’s Apex Facility in Las Vegas. The card kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ and on pay-per-view.

The MMA veteran Wineland (24-13-1) is a decisive +375 underdog against the young buck O’Malley (11-0), who has yet to taste defeat in his career since turning pro.

Wineland stands four inches shorter than his counterpart, and has a three-inch reach disadvantage, too. The 35-year-old has won just six of his 13 fights at the UFC level, although he posted a nice KO/TKO win over Grigorii Popov at UFC 238 in his most recent bout June 8, 2019. Six of his past nine have resulted in a KO/TKO, with four on the winning side. He has not had a win or loss by submission in 17 bouts as a pro bouts dating back to April 5, 2009.

O’Malley has won each of his two fights since arriving at the UFC level, including a March 7 KO/TKO win over Jose Quinonez in just 2 minutes, 2 seconds at UFC 248. He is unbeaten in his 11 fights as a pro, and seven of the victories have come via KO/TKO, with one win by submission and three unanimous decision victories. Seven of those 11 bouts were over before the end of Round 1, too, so he has worked quick to this point.


Want to place a bet on UFC 250? 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!


Eddie Wineland vs. Sean O’Malley betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday, June 4 at 11 a.m. ET.

O’Malley (-500) is an overwhelming favorite against Wineland (+375). While O’Malley has never lost in 11 career pro bouts, that’s just too much chalk to eat, especially against a veteran scrapper like Wineland. If anything, it’s worth a roll of the dice to take Wineland on the 2-way line and pray for an upset. I’d STAY AWAY from both, however.

Wineland might not win the fight, but he won’t go quietly into the night, either. The best bet is to go with the TOTAL NUMBER OF ROUNDS OVER 1.5 (-139), as the veteran will make the kid work for it. If you want to play it safer, UNDER 2.5 rounds (-200) is also available. That being said, I think this FIGHT ENDS IN ROUND 2 (+310), which will allow you to triple up your investment/wager. If and when the favorite does win, it’s a solid play to bank on O’MALLEY BY KO/TKO or DQ (-118).

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on OVER 1.5 rounds (-139) to win returns a profit of $7.19. A $10 bet on the fight ending in Round 2 (+310) returns a handsome profit of $31, while an O’Malley win by KO/TKO or DQ (-118) returns a profit of $8.47.

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 250: Cody Stamann vs. Brian Kelleher odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC 250 fight between Cody Stamann and Brian Kelleher, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

Cody Stamann and Brian Kelleher will square off in a featherweight bout in the prelims at UFC 250 at the UFC’s Apex Facility in Las Vegas. The card kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ and pay-per-view.

Stamann (18-2-1) enters as a heavy favorite (-278) over the veteran Kelleher (21-10) in one of the better bouts on the preliminary card. The favorite posted a majority-decision draw last time out against Song Yadong Dec. 7, 2019, so Stamann will be champing at the bit trying to get a little redemption after the disappointing result. It was the fifth time in six bouts since arriving at the UFC level where his fate was left in the hands of the judges, going 4-0-1 in those fights. In 21 career professional fights he has never lost via KO/TKO, winning six times. In addition, 13 of his 16 pro bouts have ended up going to Round 3 or longer.

Kelleher heads into this one on the heels of a Round 2 knockout win over up-and-comer Hunter Azure May 13. A quick fight is par for the course for Kelleher, as each of his past four fights have finished inside the distance, and 14 of his past 17 bouts as a professional have done likewise. In 31 career fights he has won eight times by KO/TKO, only losing once in such manner. It’s a coin-flip when he goes to the canvas, as he has nine wins by submission as a pro, but he has also tapped out six times, too.


Want to place a bet on UFC 250? 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!


Cody Stamann vs. Brian Kelleher betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday, June 3 at 7:35 p.m. ET.

Stamann (-278) is the heavy favorite to win, but betting such a chalky favorite is a risky proposition given the small return. If anything, Kelleher (+220) is worth a roll of the dice as a much better value.

The best bet is to look to the total number of rounds and bet UNDER 2.5 (+200). Kelleher often doesn’t go very long into the night. While Stamann has a tendency to see his fights go to the judges, Kelleher has a lengthy mix of knockouts and submissions, and it’s unlikely this bout goes the distance. So, also bet NO (+190): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE?

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Stamann (-278) to win only returns a profit of $3.60. A $10 bet on Kelleher (+220) to spring the upset returns a profit of $22. A $10 bet on UNDER 2.5 rounds (+200) fetches a profit of $20.

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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