Bellator 162: Shlemenko vs Grove Date: October 21, 2016 Arena: FedEx Forum City: Memphis, TN Bellator is back tonight with Bellator 162: Shlemenko vs Grove. The four fight main card is set to kick off on Spike TV at 9pm ET, with preliminary action preceding it on the promotion’s website at 6:45pm. If interested in wagering on any bouts for this fight card, all betting lines will be made available at Several Bookmakers. My Over/Under Totals are: Heavyweight bout: Bobby Lashley (-390) vs Josh Appelt (+320) Gabe’s Thoughts: I see this fight ending in a late stoppage, though I would not be surprised to see it go the full three round distance. I think these big boys take the fight into the second and possibly the third round. I agree with Lashley being the betting favorite, however I think he is being over-valued at the current odds. I see this as a “dog or pass” situation and I am ultimately opting to pass a play on the dog, though I do like the Total of Over 1.5 rounds at -135. Gabe’s Call: Lashley by T/KO (punches, 3:47 round 2) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Over 1.5 rounds (-135) 1.35u to win 1u Welterweight bout: Gilbert Smith (-145) vs Ricky Rainey (+115) Gabe’s Thoughts: I think Rainey is going to try to put Smith away early here but I don’t think Smith will be going anywhere. I see this being a closely contested match-up, and despite the fact that public action has been coming in on Rainey, I do favor Smith in this spot, as I think he is capable of grinding this one out. That said, I don’t think there’s any betting value on him to pull the trigger there, but I do think he wins this fight on the judges’ scorecards much more often than not. For Rainey, I think a decision victory is more likely than a stoppage win, as well, despite the fact that he is a very capable finisher. I think this particular match-up has a good chance of reaching the judges’ scorecards for a decision and the betting lines reflect that, too, with the Total of Over 2.5 rounds currently being -215. The juice is more than I’d like it to be, but I still think there’s a little bit of value there, so I’ll take a shot. Gabe’s Call: Smith by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Over 2.5 rounds (-215) 2.15u to win 1u
