Please note: These closing numbers are provided by a sportsbook we supply lines to, and we will keep their identity private. These numbers are intended to show you what is going on behind the scenes in the sports gambling industry regarding MMA betting. 
This week we go back to the same sportsbook we visited last week to show the difference between what the UFC 146 closing numbers were against the NBA compared to this week’s TUF 15 Finale vs. Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, with UFC president Dana White going up against his hometown Celtics. There was much more betting action on this particular matchup in the Eastern Conference Finals than Game 7 between the 76ers and Celtics last Saturday. Here’s how Game 3 matched up with the TUF Finale including closing MMA odds (winner in bold)… Miami Heat +2.5 ($228,997 on 1,169 bets) vs. Boston Celtics -2.5 ($189,448 on 1,779 bets) John Albert vs. Erik Perez was not offered by this book Jeremy Larsen +230 ($282 on 13 bets) vs. Joe Proctor -300 ($1,232 on 52 bets) Cristiano Marcello +170 ($1,080 on 40 bets) vs. Sam Sicilia -210 ($11,580 on 37 bets) Chris Saunders +275 ($538 on 39 bets) vs. Myles Jury -350 ($13,759 on 59 bets) Chris Tickle +150 ($1,602 on 22 bets) vs. Daron Cruickshank -180 ($7,621 on 82 bets) John Cofer +290 ($5,352 on 29 bets) vs. Justin Lawrence -360 ($7,046 on 108 bets) Pat Schilling +130 ($15,295 on 41 bets) vs. Max Holloway -160 ($8,870 on 75 bets) Jonathan Brookins +170 ($17,930 on 95 bets) vs. Charles Oliveira -220 ($6,442 on 92 bets) Mike Chiesa +225 ($7,080 on 81 bets) vs. Al Iaquinta -285 ($9,388 on 171 bets) Martin Kampmann +145 ($3,113 on 93 bets) vs. Jake Ellenberger -175 ($18,222 on 232 bets) Total UFC bets came out to 1,361, for an approximate volume of $250k on the night. The NBA total bets were more than double at almost 3,000 wagers with an approximate volume of $460k on the night. Last week’s UFC 146 heavyweight card drew much more attention from the betting world. While the TUF 15 Finale card provided action packed value for your betting dollar with some good sized underdogs coming away with wins in the biggest two fights of the night, the new names just did not have the same drawing power to compete against the NBA. Other interesting things worth noting in the UFC charts:
- There were an equal amount of bets in the Brookins vs. Oliveira bout while 3x the amount of money on Brookins. That tells us the sharp side was Brookins, but it obviously did not turnand that dint turn out to well for the Wiseguys.
- There was an equal amount of money bet on the TUF finalists while double the bets came in on Iaquinta, so the wiseguys get one back here.
- In the main event, I was surprised by the lack of faith in bettors taking Kampmann, who could be had at a good dog price. Kampmann is a very talented fighter yet almost 5x the amount of money came in on Ellenberger and more than double the bets.
- A $100 parlay on Chiesa and Kampmann in the last two fights would have won nearly $700. The favorites ended up going 7-2 on the night, but the two dogs that won were in the last two fights.
If there is anything you are interested in knowing about MMA from a bookmaker’s perspective, just drop me an e-mail at Anthony@mmaoddsbreaker.com, and I will do my best to get the info to you or discuss in a future article.