Since I began betting on MMA fights, I’ve noticed that most of the MMA sportsbooks really have no consistency as to when they post their lines for upcoming events.  My observations thus far are as follows…

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My picks for UFC 77. I did very well on UFC 76, however we had a publishing problem and they didn’t get posted so I’m not counting them on the record. From top to bottom, I’m very excited about this card.

Tim Sylvia (+125) vs. Brandon Vera (-155)

• This bout has received a lot of attention from bettors. Vera is the new golden boy, with an 8-0 record and some great kicking power. Sylvia is coming off surgery, but from what I’ve read it really hasn’t affected his training as much as we thought. From a betting point, I really think almost everything has to go right for Brandon Vera to win this match. He could be much better than we all thought and blow Sylvia away. However, he also could get rattled very easily on such a large stage and buckle under the pressure. With a veteran like Sylvia as an underdog, I’ll take him in this spot.

My bet : $200 on Tim Sylvia at +125 at Bodog

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Anderson Silva (-210) vs. Rich Franklin (+170)

• How can anyone go against Silva right now? He’s the hottest fighter in the middleweight division and has shown no signs at all of slowing down. This is precisely why, i’m not backing him in this bout. There is an overwhelming amount of people betting on Silva in this bout and at -210, that seems a bit fishy to me. In most other sports a scenario like this spells doom for everyone on the Silva ship. I’m actually going to lay off this fight totally, but if I had a gun to my head I’d take Franklin for a small amount.

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Kalib Starnes (-130) vs. Alan Belcher (+100)

• This is probably going to be a very close fight that goes all three rounds. I have some serious questions about Kalib Starnes, and from talking with a few other knowledgeable UFC fans, they all feel the same way. I’m going to place a value bet on Alan Belcher here at +100.

My bet : $100 on Alan Belcher at +100 at BetUS

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Yushin Okami (-240) vs. Jason Macdonald (+190)

• I really like Okami in this bout, but I just can’t force myself to lay a lot of money on him with the odds this high. Yushin will probably win this bout via technical knockout in the 2nd or 3rd round. I’ve seen a lot of people talking about Macdonald to win this fight, but I think there are a lot of question marks with him. I think his submission ability is very good, but is that enough to beat someone as strong and versatile as Okami?

My bet : $120 on Okami to win $50 at BetUS

Other bouts for the night

Many of the undercard bouts on UFC 77 have some really unflattering odds on them. I can’t really pick out any of the fights that I would even want to put money on, let alone a good chunk of money. I’m going to lay off the other fights for now. If I do add a bet or two, I will make sure to post it tomorrow before 4 PM ET.

Get your bets in now!

If you don’t have a sportsbook account yet, I use both Bodog and BetUS. Bodog usually has better underdog lines, and BetUS usually has better favorite lines. Check em out now… Go to Bodog – Go to BetUS

The odds for UFC 77 have been moving all over the place in the past 2 weeks. Follow along as I go over the changes in this article.

Line changes at Bodog Life

• Rich Franklin vs. Anderson Silva opened at Silva (-270) and Franklin (+210). Since then the odds have shifted drastically and Silva is now listed at (-190) and Franklin is (+155). Bodog currently has the best odds for betting on Silva out of all the major online sportsbooks.
• Brandon Vera and Tim Sylvia haven’t really drawn much action yet from bettors at Bodog. The line for this bout opened at Vera (-200) and Sylvia (+160). Currently they are listed as Vera (-180) and Sylvia (+160). Not a significant change at all really.

Line changes at 5dimes

• The biggest jump in lines at 5dimes has to be for Jason Macdonald and Yushin Okami. Macdonald opened as a (-105) favorite and is currently a (+200) underdog! That’s a hell of a jump. Okami was slated to start at (-135) but has since come all the way up to (-260). 5dimes seems to have really dropped the ball on the opening line of this bout.

• 5Dimes seems to be keeping their prices up for the main bout. Silva opened at a whopping (-300) with Franklin at (+220). The lines have dropped down, but they still are sporting the highest odds for Silva at (-225). However if you’re a Franklin fan for this bout, then 5dimes has the best odds available right now with Franklin listed at (+185).

Line changes at Sportsbook.com

• Sportsbook.com currently only has odds up for the main two bouts. In the Silva/Franklin match not much has changed there, but in the Vera/Sylvia match Sportsbook.com currently has the best odds available for betting on Brandon Vera at (-175). Compare this with most other books which have -200, -185 and -190. It might not seem like much, but every little bit helps over the long haul.

Line changes at BetUS.com

• BetUS.com just got their odds up for UFC 77. They haven’t moved enough to comment on yet. They currently have the best odds available for Kalib Starnes at (-145) and also for Yushin Okami at (-240)

I’m sure the odds will move a bit more before the fight. Most of the casual betting money will come in the day of the fight and this will cause the odds on every fight to jump around. Fortunately for us, unlike horse racing in sports betting if you get in on a good line, you get to keep that good line. Those guys that dawdle around with the ponies are nuts if you ask me.

UFC 77 odds are out at most online sportsbooks. As I said before, my internet connection was all messed up, but it’s back in working order now, so I’ll be posting much more frequently. UFC 77 has a few very interesting fights, and it’s going to be tough to gauge public opinion for this event, due to the amount of underdogs that triumphed at UFC 76.

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