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Betting lines, best bet and biggest favorites at UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs. Thompson
Stephen Thompson might sit behind Rory MacDonald in the UFC rankings, but according to various sportsbooks, "Wonderboy" is the betting favorite heading into their No. 1-contender matchup at UFC Fight Night in Ottawa.
At BetOnline.ag and SportsBetting.ag, Thompson sits at -120, while Bovada and William Hill have him at -125. Those same books have MacDonald at +100 and -105, respectively.
Despite their standings in the welterweight rankings, Thompson has momentum heading into Ottawa. "Wonderboy" has won six straight, including four by knockout. He just blasted a former champion, Johny Hendricks, in February and only MacDonald stands in Thompson's way of a shot at the title.
I picked Thompson over MacDonald as one of the three potential upsets at UFC Ottawa based on ranks, but it looks like sportsbooks don't consider "Wonderboy" an underdog at all.
Here's how the rest of the card shapes up in the eyes of oddsmakers.
If you're going throw down cash on anyone on this card, budding Canadian star Olivier Aubin-Mercier is probably your best option. Aubin-Mercier, affectionately called OAM by fans, enters Saturday's event as much as a -375 favorite over opponent Thibault Gouti. Not only will he be fighting in front of a home crowd, but he'll have plenty of statistical advantages over Gouti as well. Cut from the same mold as fellow Tristar athlete Georges St-Pierre, OAM averages over three takedowns per fight, well above the 1.93 UFC average, and has a habit of finishing his opponents once he gets the fight to the ground as seen by his seven submissions in eight career wins.
Gouti, like all fighters on the UFC roster, is talented but has yet to taste victory in the Octagon and that will likely remain the case after Saturday night.
Elias Theodorou (-300) vs. Sam Alvey (+230)
Theodorou isn't only a captivating personality, he's a damn good fighter. He's lost just once since winning his season of The Ultimate Fighter Nations and despite his reputation as a grinder, he's finished two of his three UFC wins.
Colby Covington (-300) vs. Jonathan Meunier (+230)
UFC newcomer Meunier will definitely have his hands full with four-fight UFC veteran Colby Covington. Covington will be eager to rebound from a loss against Warlley Alves, his first in four UFC fights after scoring stoppages in his first two appearances.
Ali Bagautinov (-260) vs. Geane Herrera (+200)
Bagautinov is just two fights removed from a flyweight title fight against Demetrious Johnson. And while he's coming off a loss to title contender Joseph Benavidez, it's no surprised 10th-ranked flyweight veteran Bagautinov is favored of unranked Hererra, who has just two UFC fights under his belt.
UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs. Thompson, live from Ottawa, Canda, goes down Saturday night on FS1. Stick with us throughout the weekend for the latest news, analysis and results from UFC Ottawa.
