Bellator 153 Date: April 22, 2016 Arena: Mohegan Sun Arena City: Uncasville, CT Bellator Fighting Championship returns to Connecticut tonight (April 22, 2016) with Bellator 153: Koreshkov vs Hendeson. Main card action will get going at 9pm ET on Spike TV, with preliminary action preceding it on the promotions website at 7pm ET. If interested in wagering on these plays, or any plays for this fight card, all betting lines will be made available at Several Bookmakerss. Here are my live dogs: Welterweight title bout: Andrey Koreshkov (+250) vs Benson Henderson (-300) Gabe’s Thoughts: I think Koreshkov’s advantages in size and stength are going to play a big factor in this match-up. I see him keeping this fight on the feet and outstriking Henderson, potentially finishing him with strikes. However, should he fail to secure the finish, I think he will do enough over the course of five rounds of action to pick up a unanimous decision victory on the judges’ scorecards and successfully defend his welterweight crown. I am high on Koreshkov and think he is an elite welterweight, so I don’t see him getting completely outclassed by a natural lightweight, which is what Henderson is. I think Koreshkov hands Henderson a defeat in his promotional debut and sends him down to 155-pounds, where he will likely challenge Will Brooks for the Bellator lightweight title. I think Koreshkov should be a 2-to-1 betting favorite heading into this title fight, so I love him for a play at his current underdog price of +250. Gabe’s Call: Koreshkov by Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Koreshkov (+250) 4u to win 10u Featherweight bout: Henry Corrales (+410) vs Patricio Freire (-460) Gabe’s Thoughts: Putting it simply, I think this fight is closer than the current betting odds suggest and see this as a classic “dog or pass” situation, and I opt to take a stab on the dog for a value play. Gabe’s Call: Freire by T/KO (strikes, 3:46 round 1) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Corrales (+230) .5u to win 2.05u
