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The UFC is closing its 2022 schedule with UFC Vegas 66. The card is set to be a great fight night with a handful of close and entertaining bouts. From a betting perspective, close fights are great because it gives us a great chance to find some winners that have good value. Here are four of the best bets for UFC Vegas 66.
*All lines are taken from BetMGM and are accurate as of 4:00 pm on Friday, Dec. 16, 2022.*
In the main event of UFC Vegas 66, Jared Cannonier will fight Sean Strickland. This bout is closely lined as Strickland sits at a -115 favorite while Cannonier is a -105 underdog. I think Cannonier wins this fight and I’ll gladly take him at a -105 price tag.
I imagine that the majority of this fight will take place on the feet. Strickland is good from the outside. He lands a lot of jabs, straights, and teeps. This helps him manage range and distance. Typically, he stays sound defensively as he has good defensive instincts. Cannonier is a very different type of striker. He has far more power than Strickland and is much better on the inside. One of his lesser-known weapons is his leg kick. Cannonier has powerful leg kicks that can do a lot of damage. In this fight, I think Cannonier can land leg kicks on the outside before he eventually gets inside and lands a knockout blow. I see a clear path of victory for Cannonier and I think he gets it done. I will gladly bet on Cannonier at -105.
Amir Albazi is set to fight UFC debutant Alessandro Costa at UFC Vegas 66. This one seems to be a mismatch as Albazi is ranked at No. 8 in the UFC flyweight division and Costa is making his UFC debut. Now, Costa is a UFC-caliber fighter and could eventually work his way to the rankings, but this is too much too soon. As a result, Albazi is sitting as a -450 favorite while Costa is a +333 underdog. That is not the play though. Albazi to win inside the distance at -115 is the play (this may be listed as Albazi via submission or knockout depending on your sportsbook).
Albazi and Costa are both great grapplers. The difference is that Albazi’s grappling is focused on wrestling and Costa’s grappling is BJJ oriented. Despite Albazi being a wrestler, he does have good submissions too. In his three UFC bouts, he has finished two by submission. I think that is what he does here. I think he proves that there are levels to fighting and he is on a higher level than Costa. Although, I am playing it safe here. Rather than taking Albazi’s submission prop, I am taking him inside the distance. This is just in case he opts to display his striking against a lower-level opponent. The line is still in a good place at -115 so that is the play.
Said Nurmagomedov will fight Saidyokub Kakhramonov at UFC Vegas 66 in a fight that is one of the most interesting fights on the card. These two are each great fighters and the winner will be set up for a lot of success in the future. The talent on each side has resulted in a closely lined fight as Kakhramonov is a -120 favorite and Nurmagomedov is a +100 favorite.
I can’t express how much I like and respect each of these fighters. It is a shame I have to bet against Kakhramonov, but I think Nurmagomedov is a little better and he has the style to get the job done. Both of these guys are elite grapplers. Kakhramonov is a wrestler who can control the position from the top and land submissions when the opportunity is presented. Nurmagomedov has similar skills, but his submissions are a little better. On the feet, Nurmgomedov will have a large advantage. He should be able to utilize his length to land kicks and control the distance. I think Nurmagomedov will win the striking exchanges and can deal with Kakhramonov’s wrestling. Plus, between the two, he is more likely to find a finish. I like Nurmagomedov and I think he finds a win here. More importantly, even money is a good price tag.
The UFC Vegas 66 has a solid prelim card. I think one of the more interesting fights is Maheshate vs Rafa Garcia. This bout is currently lined with Garcia as a -140 favorite with Maheshate as a +115 favorite. I am on the underdog.
I really like Maheshate. His striking offense is off the charts. He has quick hands and a ton of power. In his last fight, he put his power on full display as he brutally knocked out Steve Garcia. Although, I understand why Garcia is the favorite. Garcia is an experienced veteran that can wrestle. Against Maheshate, his best path to victory is to control the fight on the ground. Still, Maheshate has the power to land one strike that ends the fight. I think that is what happens here. Garcia will be winning this fight until Maheshate lands a strike that puts Garcia out cold. I do like the prop line of Maheshate by knockout at +300. I am not going to get fancy and take the prop though. It makes more sense to take the underdog on the money line.
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