Point of interest: Odds and opinions

The oddsmakers and public are heavily favoring the current champ, listing Nunes -600 and Spencer +450 as of this writing.

Given the double champ’s current run, it’s hard to be surprised to see such a spread in the betting odds above. But as I’ve warned my audience before, always be skeptical of wide, inflated lines in MMA.

Although Nunes’ game is much more complete than previous female predecessors like Ronda Rousey, she, too, will not be beyond being blindsided by an upset.

Spencer, who I believe is a much livelier dog than the odds above would indicate, checks off a lot of the stylistic boxes that have troubled Nunes in the past.

Akin to a younger Diego Sanchez, Spencer displays the durability and grappling savvy to go along with her inherent sense to pressure that could potentially pay some serious dividends down the stretch of a five-round affair. So, by that logic, Nunes could hypothetically find herself struggling to tread water if she fails or exacerbates herself in seeking a finish.

It would be awesome to see Spencer upset the odds on Saturday but it’s ultimately hard to bet against Nunes in her current form.

Though seeing Spencer surge late wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest, Nunes – to her credit – has shown to slow down and lose focus a lot less in the latest chapter of her career. I don’t know if she can secure a stoppage against the durable challenger, but I do see her doing enough damage and surviving any potential scares down the stretch to take the scorecards should it get there.

Prediction: Nunes by decision

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