Middleweight champion Michael Bisping (30-7, 16 KOs, 4 SUBs) will defend his title against welterweight legend Georges St. Pierre (25-2, 8 KOs, 5 SUBs) at UFC 217 on Saturday, November 4, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. The main card airs live on pay-per-view starting 9 p.m. ET. Bet on the latest UFC odds at BookMaker.eu now.
We’re just a month away from the biggest UFC 217 - the marquee MMA event this fall. And with the return of one of the promotion’s original superstars, the main event between Georges St. Pierre and Michael Bisping has had odds up since early August. This is definitely a money fight, and that means there’s going to be a significant amount of action that could drive these odds.
Today, we’re checking in on line movement and dishing out some betting tips based on which the fighter odds are trending. Stay tuned for our in-depth analyses, which we post during fight week.
Opening UFC odds at BookMaker.eu, August 2
Georges St. Pierre -160
Michael Bisping +130
Current UFC odds at BookMaker.eu (as of September 25)
Georges St. Pierre -140
Michael Bisping +120
Inside the Betting Lines
St. Pierre’s line is now 20 points cheaper than what it was two months ago. That means that most of the action went on Bisping, causing sportsbooks to give better odds on St. Pierre in order to prompt more action on the former welterweight champion. In general, online sportsbooks and casinos want an equal number of bets on both fighters to reduce having too much liability on a single fighter.
Bisping’s money line has gone down 10 points from +130 to +120, which isn’t a huge difference. Still, it’s something you should be paying attention to. There’s a good chance that his line goes down even further, as there are a ton of questions surrounding GSP’s return.
Playing the Odds
If you were going to bet Bisping, it’s probably better to act sooner than later. I don’t expect to see a huge shift, but it’s plausible that he ends up at even money. You don’t need me to tell you that getting an extra $30 for every $100 to bet is a much better deal than a 1:1 payout.
On the flip side, it’d be a good idea to wait to bet on St. Pierre. He’s already gone from -160 to -140, which is a pretty good chunk. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up around -110 or -120, which is a lot cheaper than what it was at opening. In some sportsbooks, he’s already in the -130 range.
Checking in on the Round Total
Here’s where we’re seeing a LOT more movement. The round total is 4.5 rounds, and the over opened at -165. Now, it’s at -125. At the same time, the under’s gone from +125 to +105. This indicates that most of the action has been on the under, which is interesting considering that neither man has been a finisher.
Our early advice here would be to take the over right now, as -125 is a great value that likely won’t stick around for much longer. Bisping has gone to decision in four of his past five, and GSP retired on a seven-fight decision streak. The former welterweight champion doesn’t have the type of knockout power or dominant submission game to finish a bigger fighter like Bisping, and the betting public will likely wise up to the favorable odds you can get on the over.
UFC odds pick: Over 4.5 rounds -125
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UFC 217 takes place on Saturday, November 4, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. The main card airs live on pay-per-view starting 9 p.m. ET.
