UFC on ESPN+ 31 betting odds lines picks

UFC on ESPN+ 31: Joanne Calderwood vs. Jennifer Maia odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 31 fight between Joanne Calderwood and Jennifer Maia, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

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Joanne Calderwood and Jennifer Maia will meet up in a women’s flyweight bout on the main card at UFC on ESPN+ 31 Saturday at the UFC’s APEX Facility in Las Vegas. The prelims kick off at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+, followed by the main card set for 9 p.m. ET.

Want to place a bet on UFC on ESPN+ 31? 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!

Calderwood (14-4) bounced back with a win against Andrea Lee last time out at UFC 242 on Sept. 7, 2019, winning by split decision. Despite the win Calderwood is still just 3-3 across her past six fights with four of the past five outings going the distance. The striker from Scotland has a 1½-inch reach advantage, leads 6.19 to 4.05 in significant strikes landed per minute and leads 47.86 to 38.15 in significant strike-accuracy percentage. She isn’t a one-trick pony, however, as she’ll go to the mat, too, posting a 1.85 to 0.25 takedown advantage.

Maia (17-6-1), the Chute Boxe team Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist, is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Katlyn Chookagian at UFC 244 last time out on Nov. 2, 2019. In fact, each of her past eight fights as a professional have ended up being decided by the judges. So far at the UFC level she has posted just two wins in four fights, so she really could use a win against Calderwood to turn things around.

Also see:

Joanne Calderwood vs. Jennifer Maia betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 10 p.m. ET.

CALDERWOOD (-154) is the more well-rounded fighter in this matchup, as Maia (+130) is a bit more methodical and doesn’t seem to have the power to end things early. Calderwood has won fights by decision, winning via submission against Kalindra Faria Aug. 25, 2018, and also had a KO/TKO against Valerie Letourneau June 18, 2016 at the UFC level. Calderwood can win fights in a variety of ways, while Maia only appears to be capable of winning via decision. Advantage Calderwood.

As far as distance, NO (+230): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? looks like a tremendous value. Sure, you’ll be going against the grain a little, as Maia’s past eight fights have gone the distance. But Calderwood can get it done in a number of ways and will likely be looking to get this fight to the canvas. It’s a much better value than a Yes (-323) wager on the distance. That’s just too much risk and not enough reward.

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. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and follow us on 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+ 31: Vicente Luque vs. Randy Brown odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 31 fight between Vicente Luque and Randy Brown, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

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Vicente Luque and Randy Brown square off in a welterweight bout on the main card at UFC on ESPN+ 31 Saturday at the UFC’s APEX Facility in Las Vegas. The prelims kick off at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+, followed by the main card set for 9 p.m. ET.

Want to place a bet on UFC on ESPN+ 31? 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!

Luque (18-7-1) will step into the octagon and will be staring up at Brown (12-3), who stands four inches taller. The Jamaican-born Brown also holds a 2½-inch reach advantage. The latter might negate Luque’s 5.66 to 3.41 advantage in the significant strikes landed per minute department, as well as the 53.91 to 47.99 slight advantage in the significant strikes-accuracy percentage category.

Luque – a.k.a. “The Silent Assassin” – bounced back from a loss to Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson at UFC 244 (Nov. 2, 2019) with a doctor’s stoppage TKO against Niko Price last time out at UFC 249 on May 9. Despite the loss to “Wonderboy,” Luque is still a very impressive 7-1 across his past eight bouts with five KO/TKO wins and a submission victory. In fact, six of his past eight fights have ended up finishing inside the distance.

Brown has had mixed results since arriving on the scene at the UFC level. He is 6-3 since making his UFC debut Jan. 30, 2016. Brown enters on a two-bout winning streak but hasn’t won three fights in a row since winning his first seven professional fights. He has never won three consecutive fights at the UFC level. Each of Brown’s past three fights – a submission victory against Warlley Alves and KO/TKO wins over Bryan Barberena and Price, have finished inside the distance.

Vicente Luque vs. Randy Brown betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 10:40 p.m. ET.

LUQUE (-197) is a little on the chalky side, but he’s a good bet against Brown (+160), who has never won three fights in a row at the UFC level. If you can find another fight for a two- or three-fighter parlay, it will help lessen the risk. While Luque is at a disadvantage in height and reach, he is still a powerful puncher when he can get in close. Sometimes with lanky fighters, he can be a little disinterested in engaging, and that drives bettors up a wall. Don’t look for Luque to make this a ground-and-pound affair, either, as his last takedown attempt was in a unanimous decision loss to Leon Edwards on March 18, 2017.

Also see:

When Luque wins, it will be via KO/TKO or on points. The better bet is taking YES (+145): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? He might be a bit reluctant to get close to Brown, who has strong punching power. So Luque could work a lot in the clinch, dance around a bit and be very picky when looking for a potential kill-shot. That might mean a much longer fight, and perhaps the distance. Brown won’t be interested in that, so it will be interesting to see who dictates the pace early on.

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. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and follow us on 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+ 31: Lando Vannata vs. Bobby Green odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 31 fight between Lando Vannata and Bobby Green, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

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Lando Vannata and Bobby Green will get together in a lightweight bout on the main card at UFC on ESPN+ 31 Saturday at the UFC’s APEX Facility in Las Vegas. The prelims kick off at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+, followed by the main card set for 9 p.m. ET.

Want to place a bet on UFC on ESPN+ 31? 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!

Vannata (11-4-2) actually has a losing record since being promoted to the UFC, going 3-4-2. He’s coming off a unanimous decision victory against Yancy Medeiros last time out on Feb. 15, 2020 in Rio Rancho, N.M. That’s important to note, mainly because Vannata hasn’t won consecutive fights at the UFC level. The last time he strung together consecutive wins was when he kicked off his pro career by going 8-0 from May 2012 to April 2016. In addition, six of his previous seven outings have ended up going the distance, too.

Like Vannata, Green (25-10-1) is a fighter who likes to land thunderous blows upon the head of his opponent, either with fists or elbows. He has 5.01 significant strikes landed per minute, posting a solid 49.97 significant strike-accuracy percentage. He will go to the mat if he has to, but it seems like the preference of the Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist is to keep it upright. Also like Vannata, wins have been few and far between lately. Green picked up a win over Clay Guida by unanimous decision on June 20 in his latest appearance, a much-needed victory considering he entered the octagon that night with a 1-5-1 run in his previous seven. Each of Green’s past six have gone the distance, too.

Also see:

Lando Vannata vs. Bobby Green betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 11:40 p.m. ET.

GREEN (+125) is a better bet here in a fight between two guys desperately in need of a solid win to change the trajectory of their careers. Both have arrows pointing down at the moment. Green and Vannata (-150) fought to a controversial split-decision draw in their first meeting Oct. 7, 2017, so that makes this an even more intriguing matchup. Vannata was penalized one point for an illegal knee, which many feel did not even connect with Green. Vannata is a sink or swim fighter, looking to catch his opponents off guard with crazy and surprising moves. He’ll use a lot of spinning kicks, something Green will have to be on the lookout for.

Both of these fighters have gone the distance frequently, including their first battle in the fall of 2017. The books expect this bout to be decided by the judges again here, as “Yes (-250): Will the fight go the distance?” is a rather steep price to pay. If you can combine that with two or three other options for a nice parlay, it might help to minimize that juice. If you choose to bet it alone, it’s a high-risk, low-reward wager that I, personally, am not a fan of.

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. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and follow us on 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+ 31: Kevin Holland vs. Trevin Giles odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 31 fight between Kevin Holland and Trevin Giles, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

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Kevin Holland and Trevin Giles lock horns in a middleweight bout on the main card at UFC on ESPN+ 31 Saturday at the UFC’s APEX Facility in Las Vegas. The prelims kick off at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+, followed by the main card set for 9 p.m. ET.

Want to place a bet on UFC on ESPN+ 31? 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!

Holland (17-5) puts his impressive record on the line and will look like an impressive specimen towering over Giles (12-2). Holland stands three inches taller than Giles and owns a ridiculous seven-inch reach advantage. The kung fu expect bounced Anthony Hernandez via KO/TKO in just 39 seconds at UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Harris on May 16, rebounding from a difficult submission loss to Brendan Allen on Oct. 18, 2019. Holland enters on a 4-1 run, and has shown his versatility during the span with a KO/TKO win, a unanimous decision victory, a split-decision win and a submission victory.

Giles will be looking to social distance himself, literally, from the long reach of Holland. With a seven-inch reach disadvantage, Giles will have to get creative picking and choosing his spots to go in for shots. The wrestler/striker would probably like to take it to the canvas, but his last two submission results are losses to Gerald Meerschaert and Zak Cummings, so perhaps Giles will go another way. Since coming up to the UFC level, four of his five fights have finished inside the distance – he had a split-decision win over James Krause at UFC 247 last time out as the outlier. You can chalk that up to the fact he took the fight on just one day of notice.

Also see:

Kevin Holland vs. Trevin Giles betting odds

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

Holland (-213) is heavily favored for a reason, as he can win fights in a number of ways, and his height and reach advantage should be too much for Giles to overcome. He replaces Jun Yong Park, who was forced to bow out due to travel issues. It should be a war, as Giles will want to look good in a battle of Lone Star State residents. Conditioning and defense might be just as important as anything. Holland and Giles have combined for 24 stoppages in their careers, so there will be a lot of big blows. If anything, GILES (+170) is worth a SMALL-UNIT BET, as the bout won’t be as lopsided as the line, and it could even be the best fight on the card when the dust clears.

Four of the past five bouts for Giles have finished inside the distance, while just two of the past five for Holland have been decided by the judges. As such, YES (+110): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? is a solid value. Both of these guys are big punchers, and a TKO/KO seems especially likely.

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. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and follow us on 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+ 31: Derek Brunson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 31 fight between Derek Brunson and Edmen Shahbazyan, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

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Derek Brunson and Edmen Shahbazyan will meet up in a middleweight bout in the main event at UFC on ESPN+ 31 Saturday at the UFC’s APEX Facility in Las Vegas. The prelims kick off at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+, followed by the main card set for 9 p.m. ET.

Want to place a bet on UFC on ESPN+ 31? 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!

Brunson (20-7) will meet the unbeaten Shahbazyan (11-0) in the main event after Irene Aldana was forced to withdraw from her bout with Holly Holm. UFC president Dana White said those two women will meet later in the year.

The southpaw Brunson holds a three-inch reach advantage, but the other numbers are skewed in favor of Shahbazyan. The latter has a slight 4.11 to 3.39 advantage in significant strikes landed per minute, while outpacing Brunson 52.90 to 45.94 in significant strike-accuracy percentage. Shahbazyan also loves to go to the mat, posting a 6.77 takedown average to just 2.80 for Brunson. Shahbazyan also has a significant 40.91 to 29.27 takedown-accuracy percentage advantage.

Brunson bounced back after a pair of KO/TKO losses to Jacare Souza and Israel Adesanya, where he was completely outclassed. Brunson posted unanimous decision wins over Elias Theodorou and Ian Heinisch to get back on track. Despite those two fights going to the judges, four of his past six fights, and nine of the previous 12, have finished inside the distance.

Shahbazyan is a perfect 3-for-3 since arriving in the UFC, posting a pair of KO/TKO wins and a submission victory over Jack Marshman at UFC 239 in just 72 seconds. While all of that is impressive, neither Marshman nor Charles Byrd or Brad Tavares have the resumes of Brunson. This will be a huge step up in competition for Shahbazyan, who has seen 10 of his 11 fights as a pro finish inside the distance.

Also see:

Derek Brunson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 3:40 a.m. ET.

Shahbazyan (-323) is still rather raw to be this huge of a favorite, and the risk is too great at three times your potential return. The Ronda Rousey managed fighter has been impressive, yes, and Brunson’s early-round defense can be a little questionable. Still, Brunson (+255) is very tempting at this price.

Brunson’s lack of defense is dangerous against a guy like Shahbazyan, who will look to go lights out early on. If Brunson can weather what is expected to be an early shower of fists and elbows, he could hang in there and keep the ship righted. Still, playing the 3-way line is risky. Look to get creative.

SHAHBAZYAN (-193) BY KO/TKO, DQ or SUBMISSION is quite a lot of chalk, too, but not as bad as the 3-way line. If you’re not feeling a specific winner, playing KO/TKO/DQ (-239) could be a better move.

Shahbazyan is known for his short fights, with 10 of his 11 bouts finishing inside the distance. Brunson has also had some early finishes recently. Betting that the fight doesn’t go the distance (-371) is just too much risk. Instead, take OVER 1.5 ROUNDS (-106). It’s doubtful Brunson will finish Shahbazyan early, and the veteran should hang around long enough to make this prop cash.

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. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and follow us on 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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