In a light heavyweight bout on Saturday’s main card, Thiago Santos and Aleksandar Rakic meet at UFC 259 at the UFC’s APEX Facility in Las Vegas. The early prelims kick off at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+, followed by the prelims on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. and then the main card on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. Below, we analyze the UFC 259 odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
UFC 259 Santos vs. Rakic: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:40 a.m. ET.
- Fight result (2-way line): Santos +140 (bet $100 to win $140) | Rakic -165 (bet $165 to win $100)
- Over/Under: 2.5 rounds (Over +125 | Under -150)
- Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +165 | No -200)
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UFC 259 Santos vs. Rakic: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Records: Santos 21-8 | Rakic 13-2
Fight result (2-way line or money line)
RAKIC (-165) straight up on the 2-way line is the best bet here, as he enters 5-1 at the UFC level, and he has a pair of KO/TKO under his belt since joining the company. Last time out, Aug. 29, 2020, in the main event, he took care of Anthony Smith by unanimous decision.
Santos (+140) enters this one two inches shorter and with a two-inch reach disadvantage. Rakic also has a 4.66-4.36 significant strikes landed per minute, with a 54.91-to-48.37 significant-strikes-accuracy-percentage advantage. Santos enters on a two-bout skid, falling to Glover Teixeira in the follow-up to his title bout loss to Jon Jones at UFC 239.
In addition, RAKIC BY KO/TKO, DQ OR SUBMISSION (+190) on the 5-way line is a strong play, as you have a chance to nearly double up. Playing RAKIC IN ROUND 1 (+400) and RAKIC IN ROUND 2 (+725) in round betting is a good play. Yes, you will lose on end, but you’ll still be well ahead if he gets the early finish.
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Over/Under (O/U)
Four of the past five fights for Santos have finished inside the distance, and 13 of his past 15 have resulted in stoppages., including 10 KO/TKOs (8-2). Two of the past four for Rakic have finished inside the distance, so UNDER 2.5 ROUNDS (-150) is a solid play.
To watch the early prelims and prelims, sign up for ESPN+ now.
Want some action on UFC 259? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.
MMA Junkie:
- Thiago Santos: ‘I need a good performance’ at UFC 259 to be considered for title
- UFC 259 play-by-play and live results (5:15 p.m. ET)
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