UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman smiles at opponent Luke Rockhold in front of UFC President Dana White at a UFC 194 preview Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015, at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015 | 2 a.m.
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UFC 194 may set a record betting handle in local sports books.
Not only is tonight’s event at MGM Grand Garden Arena, which airs on pay-per-view at 7 pm. following a preliminary card on Fox Sports 1, one of the biggest of the year, but it’s also conducive to gambling. None of the four fights at the top of the bill has a favorite of more than 2-to-1, meaning gamblers can earn a decent return by betting on whomever they like.
The last card Conor McGregor headlined, this summer’s UFC 189, was constructed similarly and left bookmakers gushing about the volume they drew. UFC 194’s two title fights are even more high profile.
McGregor knocked off Chad Mendes for the interim title on that night in July, but tonight it’s a championship unification bout against Jose Aldo. Welterweights Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald supported McGregor and Mendes with what turned out to be one of the greatest fights in UFC history.
But the showdown between middleweights Chris Weidman and Luke Rockhold, who clash in the co-main event this time around, is even more anticipated. The odds are also closer as Weidman is holding as a short minus-130 (risking $1.35 to win $1).
That’s the same slight-favorite price attached to McGregor against Aldo. The Sun’s four-man picks panel is split right down the middle on both fights.
Check below to find picks from KSNV’s Randy Howe (89-50), Las Vegas Sun’s Case Keefer (88-51), ESPN Radio’s Steve Cofield (82-57) and Las Vegas Sun’s Ray Brewer (82-57) along with odds and a breakdown of every fight.
Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.
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