UFC 290: 1 best and worst bet of the night
International fight week is here and the UFC has made sure to stack the card with one electric matchup after another. On Saturday, July 8, live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, UFC 290 sees one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world Alexander Volkanovski (25-2) defend his featherweight title against interim champion Yair Rodriguez (16-3).
That is far from it though. Flyweight champion Brandon Moreno (21-6-2) makes the first defense of his second reign against an old foe in Alexandre Pantoja (25-5). The card also sees the return of former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (25-6) as well as Robbie Lawler's (29-16) final professional fight.
With such a monumental event just over the horizon, it's always tempting to drop a few (or a lot of) dollars on the fight card. If you are struggling with who or what to put money on, here is the best and the worst bet you can make for UFC 290.
*All odds are curtesy of DraftKings.com. Head over closer to fight line for potential line changes.
The best bet to make for UFC 290
Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja under 3.5 rounds (+145)
It's always a huge risk to bet on finish, particularly in a championship fight. Moreno is looking to finally reign as champion without another Deiveson Figueiredo fight looming over him and Pantoja is a first time UFC title challenger.
It wouldn't be the most shocking outcome to see go the distance but when you start looking at both men's resume, particularly in their most recent fights, the likelihood of a finish certainly increases. Moreno's last three victories have all come via stoppage and before the 3.5 round mark.
Pantoja has done the same to his last two opponents, finishing them well before the final bell sounded, although those were three round fights compared to Moreno's championship bouts.
Both men chase the finish and tend to go for it once they see it is in sight. Predicting the winner of such a close fight might be too risky but making a bet that the fight won't go past 3.5 round?
It is almost guaranteed money.
The worst bet to make for UFC 290
Any bet against Alexander Volkanovski
It always happens whenever a champion becomes too dominant, when they absolutely clean out the rest of the division, that fans begin questioning and doubting their abilities to win in the hopes of seeing something different.
Perhaps it is because as MMA fans, we would like to think that every championship fight will be an absolute war, where everything and anything can happen, especially when the high stakes of a title are on the line.
This has been the narrative surrounding the UFC's featherweight champion. With Rodriguez looking dominant in his win over Josh Emmett to capture the interim strap and having such a unique skillset on the feet, many fans have began thinking that he could be the one to remove the title from Volkanovski.
Unfortunately, Volkanovski is just too many levels ahead. He's coming off a razor thin decision loss to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in a fight many thought he won. He's also returning to defend his featherweight strap, and every champion who has failed to claim double-champ status is undefeated when going back to their division.
Do what you want with that information but picking against a fully focused Volkanovski who wants to continue to prove that he is the pound-for-pound king, picking against him in any shape or form is the worst bet you can make.
**The bets made above are simply advice. Do not take these suggestions as guarantees. If you or anybody you know is struggling with a gambling addiction, please reach out to 1-800-GAMBLER for help.
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