UFC Fight Night 68 Date: June 6, 2015 Arena: Smoothie King Center City: New Orleans, Louisiana The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to New Orleans, LA tonight with UFC Fight Night 68: Henderson vs Boetsch. The 12-fight card will feature a six fight card to be live on FOX Sports 1 at 10pm ET, and preliminary action will precede it on the same channel at 8pm ET, with a pair of bouts streaming live prior to that on UFC Fight Pass at 7pm ET. If interested in wagering on these underdogs, all betting lines will be made available at Several Bookmakerss. Here are my live dogs for UFC Fight Night 68 in New Orleans: Lightweight bout: Brian Ortega (+155) vs Thiago Tavares (-165) Gabe’s Thoughts: At this stage in their careers, I think Ortega is the better fighter and has the brighter future in the sport. I see value in him at his current underdog tag of +155, as I think he should be a -170 betting favorite heading into this 155-pound contest. I could see him winning this card on the judges’ scorecards, as well as by T/KO or submission. I see several routes to victory for Ortega, while only being able to see one for Tavares. I think the only way Tavares wins this fight is if he keeps Ortega on his back for the majorit of the bout, while successfully defending his submission attempts. Considering Tavares’ solid top control and phenomenal Jiu-Jitsu, I think that is a very realistic outcome to this contest. However, I am not counting on it and think Ortega managing to get his hand raised is much more likely. Whether it comes inside the distance or on the judges’ scorecards, I like “T-City” to remain undefeated with a win over the veteran this evening. Gabe’s Call: Ortega by T/KO (punches, 1:38 round 1) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Ortega (+155) 2.55u to win 3.95u Bantamweight bout: Anthony Birchak (+160) vs Joe Soto (-170) Gabe’s Thoughts: In short, I think Birchak is the superior mixed martial artist of the two heading into this 135-pound scrap and feel he should be the favorite. At his current underdog betting price of +160, I do favor him for a play. Gabe’s Call: Birchak by Submission (guillotine choke, 1:34 round 3) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Birchak (+160) 2.5u to win 4u Lightweight bout: Chris Wade (-165) vs Christos Giagos (+155) Gabe’s Thoughts: I think this will be a fun, back-and-forth battle that likely goes the distance, where more often than not, it could be anybody’s fight. At his current underdog price of +155, I have to side with Giagos for a play here. This is a coin-flip type of fight where I lean towards the underdog to pick up the win. Gabe’s Call: Giagos by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Giagos (+155) 2u to win 3.1u Lightweight bout: Joe Proctor (-200) vs Justin Edwards (+185) Gabe’s Thoughts: I think this fight is a lot closer than the betting odds currently suggest. This is another coin-flip type of scenario where I lean towards the underdog to get his hand raised. I think Edwards’ heart and toughness will benefit him in this one, as I see him grinding out a decision against Proctor. A finish would not surprise me, but I do favor this scrap to go all 15 minutes, where I think Edwards will stand a decent chance of having his hand raised. Maybe he wins two rounds, maybe he wins all three. At +185, my money is on “Fast Eddy” to get the job done in New Orleans this evening. Gabe’s Call: Edwards by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Edwards (+185) 1.65u to win 3.05u
