UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Strickland Best Bets, Odds, and Predictions
The UFC calendar year has finally run its course, as we are presented with the final event of the year this Saturday, December 17th, starting at 5 PM EST. The main event between Jared Cannonier and Sean Strickland should leave a great taste in the mouths of UFC fans as we enter the holiday break, which is much needed considering the travesty that was UFC 282.
Beyond the main event, this weekend’s card is filled with notable names and great fights, so it should be a great way to spend a Saturday evening. If you’re thinking about betting on this weekend’s fights, you’ve come to the right place. You can bet on the UFC through any of these online casinos. The odds I will be using are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, one of the best sportsbooks on the market.
UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Strickland Best Bets
Said Nurmagomedov (+100) over Saidyokub Kahramonov (-120)
I’m going to keep this one brief because if I try to write these names out over and over again I won't have the article finished by Saturday night. It’s rare you find a 7+ syllable name, so to have two of them in the same contest is just jawdropping. Speaking of jawdropping, I’m expecting a great performance out of Nurmagomedov (no relation to Khabib, surprisingly). Said is on a three-fight win streak right now, grabbing a KO, Submission, and Decision victory in order to complete the trifecta. Saidyokub is on a streak of his own winning his last four, but most of his success in those fights were found on the ground. I’m not sure that Kahramonov will be able to just dummy Said like he has his previous opponents, and for that reason, I’m giving this one to Nurmagomedov.
Drew Dober vs Bobby Green UNDER 2.5 Rounds (+140)
I love betting unders in the UFC because all you have to do is root for a finish. While I think Dober will ultimately have his hand raised in this one and will probably win via KO/TKO (which is +225 currently) I think the safer bet here is to just rely on the under. Six of Dober’s last seven fights have not gone to a decision and he loves to stand and bang, so this is the perfect recipe for a quick fight. Chucking knucks with a guy like Bobby Green is scary because Green can very easily catch you lacking and put you to sleep as well. So, all in all, I see this one staying within the first two rounds and ending via KO/TKO.
Jared Cannonier (-110) over Sean Strickland (-110)
We have ourselves a pick ‘em here, and to be honest, Vegas sees this one a lot closer than I do. Don’t get me wrong, Strickland is a great fighter–I just think Cannonier is on a completely different level. Since moving to Middleweight, Strickland has only lost two fights–both decision losses to Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya, who have been the most dominant middleweights for the last half a decade. Cannonier is one of the most brutal knockout artists in all of the UFC which could forbode a bad night for Stickland, who has two KO losses on his UFC resume.
I think Strickland’s key to winning here is keeping Cannonier away from him by using kicks and long punches, but then quickly closing that distance with clinch work and takedowns. Unfortunately for Sean, I don’t see him doing that. He’s been relying way to heavily on his kickboxing recently (just look at the Pereira fight) and that will get you in trouble with a guy like Cannonier.
