UFC 73: “Stacked” takes place on July 7 at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California.
It is one of the most loaded fight cards from top to bottom in recent memory — hence, the moniker for the show.
Of course, there are three main bouts of the evening out of the nine that are receiving the most attention. And we want to take a quick glance at the betting lines to get a feel for where we can find the best value.
Here’s a brief rundown:
Anderson Silva vs. Nate Marquardt — This is a match up for the UFC middleweight title, which Silva has yet to officially defend since defeating Rich Franklin at UFC 64 in October 2006 (the bout against Travis Lutter was a nontitle fight because Lutter failed to make weight).
Odds on this one — the main event of the evening — have been holding steady for some time now. Marquardt as the underdog has some value at +135, which you can more than likely lock-in at most online sportsbooks as we speak.
Keep an eye on this one, especially if the lines begin to move more toward Silva. That’s because Marquardt has a good chance to pull off the upset.
Sean Sherk vs. Hermes Franca — This is a match up for the UFC lightweight crown, which Sherk has yet to officially defend since defeating Kenny Florian at UFC 64 in October 2006 for the vacant title (he has been rehabbing from shoulder surgery).
Betting lines recently moved to +225 at a few sportsbooks, making Franca a rather enticing play. In fact, this is one of the best values on the entire UFC 73 card thus far. If this gets near the +250 range for Franca, it may be worth making this bet … literally.
Franca is a bit undersized for “The Muscle Sherk,” and it may be hard to sink in a submission on the stocky and stubby limbs of the champion. But, stranger things have happened. Don’t count out Hermes … not at +250, anyway.
Tito Ortiz vs. Rashad Evans — Although it’s a nontitle fight, this is perhaps the biggest attraction of the evening. Ortiz represents the past in the light heavyweight division, while Evans is a future star.
Bookmakers have been hovering around -105 to -110 for Evans, but a few sites have him as a true underdog at +120. This is a nice line, especially since it is widely believed that Evans is a more complete fighter.
Tito, on the other hand, has all the intangibles such as experience to go along with his talents, which can often mean the difference. Let’s wait to see how this pans out before we make any recommendations.
Clearly, all three of these featured fights are tight matchups — close to 50/50 in true probabilities.
However, current belt holders and fan favorites are often overvalued, especially in the early stages of betting. Therefore, if you’re looking to shop for solid odds on a few of the underdogs, now is the time to do it.
These are not necessarily our predictions … we’ll be back again real soon to provide a comprehensive analysis.
The purpose of this was to point out the current value on the dogs for UFC 73. Get on ‘em before it’s too late.
