UFC Vegas 70 Best Bets
If you are looking to place bets on UFC Vegas 70 there is an opportunity to make a lot of money or lose it. The card features a handful of closely lined bouts that have live underdogs. That leaves us to shift through the card and figure out which fighters are worth betting on. That is exactly what I did. Here are five of the best bets you can make on UFC Vegas 70.
*All lines are taken from BetMGM and are accurate as of 1:00 p.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 24.*
Ryan Spann +145
The UFC Vegas 70 main event features a light heavyweight fight between Nikita Krylov and Ryan Spann. The books have Krylov lined as a -175 favorite while Spann is the +145 underdog. I am taking a shot at the underdog in this one.
I am riding with Spann in this fight because he has the higher potential to find a finish. In a five-round light heavyweight fight between two fighters that rarely go the distance, that is important. On the feet, Spann has more power and speed. In a fight between two fighters with suspect striking defense, I like the guy with more power. Plus, Spann has submission upside if Krylov attempts a takedown.
Krylov does have a path to victory in this fight. Spann has shown durability issues in the UFC that could hurt him in this fight. Krylov also has a potential backup plan as he could look to wrestle in an attempt to avoid Spann’s lethal striking. Those concerns are not strong enough to get me off this line though.
Augusto Sakai -135
At UFC Vegas 70, Augusto Sakai will fight Don’Tale Mayes. The odds makers are on the side of Sakai as he sits as a -135 favorite while Mayes sits at +110.
Sakai’s UFC career has been a story of two parts. At 4-4, Sakai got off to a hot start in the UFC as he started his career at 4-0, but he dropped his next four fights to bring his record to .500. The catch is that those four losses all came against elite competition. In this fight, Mayes will be a massive step down in competition. If Sakai gets back on track it will be against a fighter of Mayes caliber.
Another key factor in this fight is that Sakai is only 31. That is not young, but it is not like I am betting on a 38-year-old to find his top form again. In terms of age, Sakai still has enough in the tank to get a win here.
Additionally, Mayes is not a bad fighter to bet against. His two UFC wins have come against Roque Martinez and Josh Parisian. Martinez has been cut from the promotion and Parisian could be cut at any second. It is not like I am betting against an elite fighter.
Gabriella Fernandes -125
On the prelims of UFC Vegas 70, Gabriella Fernandes will fight Jasmine Jasudavicius. Once again, we have a closely lined bout as Fernandes sits as a -125 favorite while Jasudavicius is a +105 underdog. I’ll take the favorite here.
Fernandes is making her UFC debut, but she looked good on the regional scene. She is a southpaw that has a powerful left kick that she throws to the head and body. Fernandes has above-average power in her hands too and can deal damage with her hooks.
The path to victory for Jasudavicius will be to get this fight to the ground and control Fernandes. If Fernandes can deal with that game plan, she will have an easy fight on her hands. In the past, her takedown defense has not always held up and she has been willing to lay on her back and chase submissions.
Although, in this fight, I think she can use her physical strength to fight off takedown attempts. Plus, the striking advantage that she holds may dissuade her from accepting the bottom position. I am confident enough that she can follow that game plan and get a win in this fight.
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