Let the games begin. This Thursday, lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos will kick off an epic weekend for MMA, defending his title in the main event of UFC Fight Night 90 against a gritty Eddie Alvarez. The rest of the card is an amazing starter course for the festivities, with barnburners, undefeated prospects and intriguing style matchups all over the card.
You’ve only got a few days left to lock in your bets, so let’s jump right into making some picks.
Bet on current UFC odds at BookMaker.eu
Please note, the UFC odds at BookMaker are updated daily. The lines listed here may have changed since this article was posted.
MAIN EVENT
Lightweight championship
Eddie Alvarez +345
Rafael dos Anjos -430
Over/under 3.5 rounds, over +105, under -125
PREDICTION: Dos Anjos SUB Alvarez, Round 3
Over the past few weeks, Dos Anjos’ line has moved 30 points from -400 to -430, indicating that most of the action has gone his way. This makes sense, since Alvarez has done nothing in his UFC career thus far that suggest he has a remote chance of beating Dos Anjos. His wins over Pettis and Melendez were split decisions that could have gone either way, while Dos Anjos has been running through the division’s best for the past two years now. This is a bad matchup for Alvarez, who will be outclassed and outgunned.
CO-MAIN EVENT
Heavyweights
Roy Nelson -160
Derrick Lewis +135
Over 1.5 rounds, over +160, under -185
PREDICTION: Lewis UD Nelson
It’s a bit surprising that Lewis is the underdog here, given how poor Nelson has looked for the better part of three years now. “Big Country” has lost five of his past seven, and he’s taken some brutal beatings in those losses. Lewis comes in on the strength of three consecutive knockout victories, and his stock -- along with his confidence -- has to be at an all-time high. Lewis is younger, fresher and more explosive than Nelson.
Lightweights
Joe Duffy
Mitch Clarke
Over/under rounds, over , under
PREDICTION: Duffy UD Clarke
Both Duffy and Clarke are coming off losses to rising contenders and should be desperate to avoid back-to-back defeats. With all due respect to Clarke, it’s Duffy that justifiably has all the hype -- partly because he’s one of the few men to beat Conor McGregor. As a former pro boxer with plenty of submission savvy, Duffy has a lot of tools to work with. His ceiling is much higher than Clarke’s, and it has to be noted that Clarke has lost to some no-name UFC fighters in the past.
Welterweights
Alan Jouban
Belal Muhammad
Over/under rounds, over , under
PREDICTION: Jouban TKO Belal Muhammad, Round 2
The undefeated Muhammad steps in for an injured Nordine Taleb for his UFC debut, and he’s getting thrown right into the fire. Jouban is a big welterweight, super aggressive with scary knockout power. Muhammad is a Titan and Bellator vet, and his most significant win was over Steve Carl. He’s taking a big step up in competition.
Bet on UFC odds at BookMaker now
HOW TO BET
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook! You can even wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Money lines, totals, props and money line are all available now. UFC Fight Night 90 takes place Thursday, July 7 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card will air on UFC Fight Pass starting 10 p.m. ET.
