UFC Vegas 97 Best Bets

UFC Vegas 97 Best Bets

The UFC is back after a week without fights. That means it is time to place some bets for UFC Vegas 97. Unfortunately, despite being a strong late of entertaining fights, it is a tough card to attack from a betting perspective. Thankfully, there are two plays worthy of being a best bet. That is less than most cards, but that is better than providing picks without value,

*All lines are taken from DraftKings and are accurate as of 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 6, 2024. *

Natalia Silva -3.5 -135

The betting odds are wide on the UFC Vegas 97 co-main event. At the moment, Natalia Silva is a -310 favorite against Jessica Andrade. The comeback on the underdog is +250, but the favorite is the side in this matchup. Thankfully, the -3.5 spread brings the price on Silva down to -135.

Silva is a sensational prospect with a ton of skill. On the feet, she is fast, controls distance, lands counters and has ridiculous kicking ability. The biggest issue with Silva is that she is small for the flyweight division. That concern is not present in this matchup. Andrade fights at strawweight and flyweight. In the higher-weight class, her physicality edge is not as evident. On top of that, her height and reach hinder her ability to land shots.

Andrade will likely pressure Silva is big hooks. That provides Silva will copious opportunities to land counters on the outside. I expect her to consistently tag Andrade while the shorter fighter tries to crash the pocket. If they compete at a distance, Silva will be able to use her speed and size to land big shots without getting hit.

I expect Silva to dominate this fight. In this case, betting her -3.5 point spread encaptures that results. It covers a dominant decision as well as a finish. I expect Silva to knockout Andrade, but the -135 price tag is generous considering I expect her to dominate the bout. That makes it one of the best bets on the board of UFC Vegas 97.

Andre Lima -162

At UFC Vegas 97 flyweight prospects Andre Lima and Felipe dos Santos will throw down. Lima sits as a -162 favorite while dos Santos is a +136 underdog. I am siding with the favorite at those prices.

I am going to continuously side with Lima while he fights unranked flyweights. On Dana White’s Contender Series, he showed a ton of potential and lived up to the expectations in her early UFC run.

Lima is a strong striker who lands damaging shots. This begins with boxing, but he also throws a ton of leg kicks. Lima’s ability to land and check leg kicks is notable. Furthermore, he has good defense and digs to the body.

This fight should largely be contested on the feet. dos Santos is a pressure fighter who will get into striking exchanges with Lima. That is great for Lima. In his UFC run, he has struggled with fighters being hesitant to exchange. In a violent fight, he will have a plethora of opportunities to land big shots to the head while also landing leg kicks. It should also be noted Lima will have a better defense than dos Santos.

Lima can win a decision by landing the more damaging strikes throughout three rounds. In addition, he can land a strike that ends the fight. At -162, he has a few different paths to victory. That makes him a strong bet for UFC Vegas 97. If you do not like betting favorites in that price range, Lima’s -3.5 point spread sits at +120. That is another betting angle to attack.

***

CLICK HERE for more of our UFC/MMA content

Check out the Vendetta Shop

Subscribe to Vendetta’s YouTube