UFC 213
Date: July 8, 2017
Arena: T-Mobile Arena
City: Las Vegas, NV
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back home in Las Vegas, NV for International Fight Week with UFC 213: Nunes vs. Shevchenko II slated for this Saturday (July 8, 2017). The 12-fight card is scheduled to kick off with preliminary action at 6:30 p.m. (ET), which will continue on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. The main card will get underway on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. If interested in wagering on any bouts for this fight card, all betting lines are available at Several Bookmakers.
Here are my top prop plays for UFC 213…
Robert Whittaker (-115) vs. Yoel Romero (-105)
Romero by T/KO (+221)
Romero in Round One (+425)
Romero in Round Three (+975)
I think Romero’s most likely route to victory in this five-round, middleweight interim-title fight is by T/KO, and at +221, I think that’s worth a play. If he does not get the job done in the first, it’s a good gamble that he may wrap it up in the second, as he owns all but one of his T/KO victories in the UFC inside of the third round of action.
Curtis Blaydes (-800) vs. Daniel Omielanczuk (+550)
Blaydes by Decision (+179)
I think Blaydes winning a decision is the most likely outcome to this heavyweight contest, and I really like it for a play at +179, considering Blaydes is -800 straight up on the moneyline. I expect Blaydes to have no trouble putting Omielanczuk on his back and employing his ground-and-pound attack, but I favor the Pole to survive and see the judges’ scorecards for a unanimous-decision defeat.
Anthony Pettis (-245) vs. Jim Miller (+205)
Miller by Submission (+1235)
Miller by Decision (+315)
Value plays — I think there is a good chance Miller finds some success with his grappling in this matchup, likely taking home a decision victory or a submission finish.
Thiago Santos (-145) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (+125)
Meerschaert by T/KO (+1065)
Meerschaert by Decision (+740) Meerschaert by Submission (+220)
It’s rare to say, but I think all three of these betting lines hold value. Clearly, I agree with the odds in that a submission is Meerschaert’s most likely route to victory. However, I think T/KO and decision victories are very possible too, and I believe the chances of those outcomes are greater than the betting lines indicate. I think Meerschaert is capable of catching Santos on the feet as well as grinding him out for a unanimous-decision victory on the judges’ scorecards.
