Midweek odds: Khabib big favorite over Gaethje, Whittaker-Cannonier even

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Check out the midweek betting odds for Saturday’s UFC 254 event, where lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov is favored over Justin Gaethje in the main event.

UFC 254 is going down this Saturday (October 24th) and will be the promotion’s final event of their most recent stint in Abu Dhabi. The night will be capped off with a lightweight title fight between the undefeated king, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and the challenging interim champion, Justin Gaethje. The co-main event is getting a top-tier middleweight matchup between the former champ, Robert Whittaker, and the #3 ranked, Jared Cannonier. Bloody Elbow is here with the betting odds for these fights as well as the rest of the UFC 254 lineup.

The oddsmakers like the some Khabib over Justin, and do so by a lot. A straight up wager on Nurmagomedov comes at a heavily favored cost of -335. That means a $100 bet on Khabib would win you $29.85 plus your $100 back. Khabib is a perfect 28-0 in his career as nobody has found a way to solve his puzzle. He brings the pressure with a stifling wrestling game with plenty of ground and pound. Nurmagomedov’s takedown threat is so real that it often opens up his striking game — see the overhand right that dropped Conor McGregor. “The Eagle” has been dealing with a lot outside of the Octagon with the passing of his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, but there is no telling how that x-factor will affect his performance, if at all.

As for Gaethje, he finds himself as the biggest betting underdog of his career. “The Highlight’s” straight up moneyline currently sits at a value of +275, so a $100 wager on Justin would win you $275 plus your $100 back. Gaethje has always been a murderer but it was his most recent killing spree that got him here. Tony Ferguson, Donald cerrone, and Edson Barboza are not light work by any stretch of the imagination. Justin comes forward swinging powerful hooks and thudding leg kicks, and he can wrestle too — although it’s usually to keep the fight standing. This is a great clash of styles and Gaethje is rightfully getting more respect than a lot of Khabib’s previous opponents.

UFC 254 has a pick’em fight in its co-main event in the form of Robert Whittaker vs. Jared Cannonier. Both men can be found with minus lines next to their name, but Whittaker is the only that can be found with a plus sign. Cannonier is currently tracking around the -115 mark, while Whittaker is ranging anywhere from -115 up to +100. As the odds reflect, this one is tough to gauge. On one hand you have a former champion that is battle tested and proven amongst the elites. On the other hand you have a monster that has whittled down from heavyweight and has been collecting scalps at 185-pounds. A coin-flip sounds about right.

**It should be noted that UFC 254 will have an early main card start time of 2:00 PM ET, with the prelims kicking off at 10:30 AM ET.

Check out the UFC 254 betting odds, courtesy of BestFightOdds.com:

Be sure to check back in with Bloody Elbow to catch the final betting odds on fight day, as the moneylines tend to shift a bit following the weigh-ins. Be sure to subscribe to our Bloody Elbow Presents YouTube channel to stay up to date with all of our podcast content. Happy hunting!