Check out the midweek betting odds for Saturday’s UFC 286 card, where Kamaru Usman is looking like the popular pick over Leon Edwards in the main event.
UFC 286 is set to blast off this Saturday, March 18th, from the O2 Arena in London, England. The main event will feature welterweight title fight rematch between the current king, Leon Edwards, and the former champ, Kamaru Usman. Before we get to that, though, let’s go see what the midweek betting odds look like.
Edwards got no respect from the oddsmakers in his first encounter with Usman at UFC on FOX 17 (+220), and then he was an even larger betting underdog in their rematch at UFC 278 (+290). Despite finishing Usman with a head kick to win the title, the newly minted champion is still a betting underdog heading into this weekend’s PPV.
It looks as though the bookies don’t foresee lightning striking twice. They have Edwards on deck with a +205 dog tag, which means dropping $100 on the champ could result in a complete payout of $305 if he successfully defends his belt on home soil.
As for the thrice-favored former champion, bettors can lay the chalk on Usman for a sizable cost of -245. Essentially, fans would have to bet $245 in order to win $100. That’s not exactly the most tantalizing line, especially considering how abruptly the last encounter ended.
Overall, Usman has won most of the moments shared between the two, and was 56-seconds away from defeating Leon for the second time before that epic come from behind KO took place. Yes, I think Kamaru should be favored, but this line feels a little wide. Who knows what Usman will look like after returning from a brutal knock out loss. I can see him being much more risk adverse, making it a point to keep the fight on the floor at all costs. On the flip side, I can definitely envision an infinitely more confident Edwards firing away more freely than before, now that he knows for a fact he can finish Usman.
Check out the UFC 286 betting odds, courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook:
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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. Don’t forget to subscribe to our Bloody Elbow Presents YouTube channel to stay up to date with all of our podcast content. Happy hunting!
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About the author: Eddie Mercado has covered combat sports since 2015. He covers everything from betting odds to live events and fighter interviews. He holds a 1-0 record in pro MMA and holds a purple belt in Jiu-Jitsu. (full bio)