The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to Maricana (Phoenix) on July 28th, with UFC 229. One of the most anticipated events of the year, UFC 229 features a headlining fight between UFC legend Conor McGregor and top star TNF light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier.
The line on McGregor – Cormier at UFC 229 has reached an incredible 7-1 and there are a number of compelling wagers available. We examine the best approach to take when placing a bet on this highly anticipated matchup.
The In-Game Odds
The in-game odds in this case are set by the bookmakers and can be found by clicking on the tab above the betting ring. As an example, if you go to sportsbook.com and search for “UFC 229”, you will see that McGregor is listed as 1.51-2.5 (-110) and Cormier is listed as +145, meaning that the odds of Cormier winning are 4.2 (142.5) to 1 (51.2) against. In other words, bet $100 on Cormier and win $445. This is the type of information that you need to keep in mind if you want to place a winning wager on UFC 229.
The Point-Spread
This is the money line associated with the McGregor vs. Cormier bout. The point-spread sets the amount of points (0.5 for a half-point, 1 for a single point) that a team will score against the spread. In the above example, the point spread is -110 (Cormier is -110 and wins by more than 2.5 points) so you would need to bet $110 to make $100 and win $450. Points and spreads are also sometimes referred to as “over/under” numbers because one team must beat the spread to win the game.
The Total Wins
Total wins consist of the total number of games a team won during the regular season. While total wins don’t necessarily have anything to do with money, people who bet on total wins usually consider it a low-risk, high-reward wager. The downside is that if your team doesn’t win the total, you don’t necessarily earn back your original $100. If you’re looking for a risk-free wager that may return a smaller amount, go with total wins.
The Over/Under The Total
Over/under bets allow you to make a wager on the total goals scored by both teams. This kind of bet gives you the flexibility to make a wager either way and consider it a low-risk wager. However, if your team scores less than the over, you don’t necessarily earn back your original $100. Some bookmakers may even subtract the over if your team loses, so you may end up losing money on an over/under bet.
The Exacta/The Trifecta
An exacta (6) bets on the winning players of a particular matchup. A trifecta (3) bets on the top-3 placings for three or more horses in a single race. For example, you may place a trifecta wager on Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones to win the above-mentioned matchups. If you’re lucky enough to win, you would earn $600 rather than $445 if you followed the example above. Exactas and trifectas are more difficult to win than the simple bets described above, but can be worth the extra money if one of your wagers happens to pay off. Keep in mind that if you lose with an exacta or trifecta wager, you may end up losing more money than you would have won if you had just placed the bet on the in-game odds or total wins.
The Parlay
The lay bet (also known as a “handicap” or “straight” bet) is simply placing two or more bets on the same game. In football, a parlay allows you to make a wager on the outcome of multiple games. For example, you can make a $110 wager on the outcome of the McGregor vs. Cormier fight and the Jones vs. Stipe Miocic fight. If you win with the parlay, you would earn $660 rather than $445 if you followed the examples above. Keep in mind that there’s a reason why most bookmakers don’t offer a lay bet on UFC fights- because most people who play the game lose money with lay bets!
As you can see above, the line on this fight is extremely volatile and changes frequently. The betting public is expecting a McGregor victory, which makes the line move frequently in his favor. If you’re looking for a risk-free wager that may return a smaller amount, go with the under or the over/under the total. Otherwise, lay off the bookmakers and go with one of the above strategies that have a better chance of paying off.