Open an Account and
Get a 10% Bonus
Visit Bodog
|
|
2008-06-30 01:12:39
UFC 86 Betting Odds and Fight Predictions
|
UFC 86 is just around the corner.
The event will be taking place on Saturday, July 5th, from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card will be headlined by Forrest Griffin vs Quinton "Rampage" Jackson for the light heavyweight title.
Bodog is currently offering odds on six of the fights. Here are the current betting odds for each fight, plus our predictions:
Patrick Cote (-105) vs Ricardo Almeida (-125)
Definitely the toughest fight on the card for us to call. There is plenty on the line in this fight, as the fighter will presumably be the next in line for a shot at the middleweight title. Cote has looked invincible in his last three fights - he destroyed Jason Day, Kendall Grove and Andrew McFedries, all in the first round and all by knockouts. Almeida is an extremely proficient BJJ fighter who has a third degree black belt under Renzo Gracie. He has fought all over and done extremely well, tallying a 9-2-0 record. This will be an interesting stylistic match-up, but I think that Cote is on a direct course for the title shot, and I'm picking him to win this fight. Should be a great fight though.
Joe Stevenson (-220) vs Gleison Tibau (+180)
Can Joe avenge his painful loss to BJ Penn at UFC 80 - Rapid Fire? Both fighters are looking to get back onto the winning track, as Tibau lost his last fight as well, losing via unanimous decision to Tyson Griffin at UFC 81 - Breaking Point. In our opinion, Stevenson is the more complete fighter, and will overcome Tibau at UFC 86. We like Stevenson via decision.
Josh Koscheck (-315) vs Chris Lytle (+240)
Koscheck is just too athletically gifted to lose this fight. He was easily handled by Georges St. Pierre at UFC 74, and then came back and dismantled Dustin Hazelett at UFC 82 - Pride of a Champion. I have a great deal of respect for Lytle, but Koscheck is just too much on the ground. Koscheck wins this fight - if Lytle pulls out a victory, I would be shocked.
Jorge Gurgel (EVEN) vs Cole Miller (-130)
Another tough match to call. We like Gurgel a lot - he has tremendous heart, as shown in his fight against Diego Saraiva at UFC 73. I probably wouldn't put money on this fight, but if I had a gun to my head, I would take Gurgel.
Gabriel Gonzaga (-600) vs Justin McCully (+400)
Gonzaga has a 9-3-0 lifetime MMA record, but look at who his three losses came against - Fabricio Werdum (twice) and Randy Couture. He really pushed Couture to the limit in their fight. McCully won his UFC debut against Antoni Hardonk at UFC - Fight Night 9, but I don't think that he will be able to withstand the barrage from Gonzaga. I hate taking -600 favorites in UFC fights, as there is never enough value. On the other hand, I can't take McCully either. I would probably skip this one. Gonzaga should definitely win.
Quinton Jackson (-260) vs Forrest Griffin (+200)
Tough fight to call. Jackson and Griffin are both nine months removed from their last fights. Jackson's last fight was a five round unanimous decision victory over Dan Henderson at UFC 75, and Griffin's last fight was a third round submission victory over Mauricio Rua at UFC 76. This fight is much closer to me than what the odds-makers have it at - Jackson should not be a -260 favorite in this fight. It's much closer than that. Because of that, I need to go with my gut and take Griffin at +200. Jackson may be the more talented fighter, but I can't say no to Griffin at +200. There's just too much value there to me. Looking for Griffin to shock the world and win this fight.
|
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
|
|
Open an Account and Get a 10% Bonus
Bet on UFC - Visit Bodog
|
|
