Gambling Spotlight: UFC 99 Undercard Preview

Mike Fagan will have his gambling picks for the UFC 99 main card soon, so I'll be focusing on the UFC 99 undercard lines courtesy of BestFightOdds.com. The lines are looking pretty ripe for some solid money-making, but there are some pretty lengthy lines that fight fans may want to stay away from or blow their paycheck on. I suppose it depends on how "ballsy" you are when it comes to hard-earned cash. Here's a preview of UFC 99's undercard:

Welterweights (170 pounds): John Hathaway (-140, 5Dimes) vs. Rick Story (+120, BetCRIS, Bodog)

The undefeated John Hathaway with another stiff test at home against newcomer Rick Story. This is a very interesting battle because Story actually defeated formidable opponents in Ryan Healy, Jake Ellenberger, and Brandon Melendez within his last four fights. This could be an upset bid waiting to happen. Get in on the line while you still can.


Heavyweights: Denis Stojnic (+110, BetCRIS) vs. Stefan Struve (-130, 5Dimes)

Stojnic wasn't impressive against Cain Velasquez with the exception of showing a natural talent for taking huge shots to the chin. He won't need to worry about Struve imposing the same type of power, but Struve's ground acumen is by far the biggest threat to Stojnic. Struve is a solid bet at -130, and I think we'll see his ground tactics on display in this matchup


Lightweights (155 pounds): Paul Kelly (-400, BetCRIS) vs. Rolando Delgado (+325, Bodog)

Kelly should be the better fighter in this matchup as he has some solid wrestling ability along with a great camp in the Wolfslair. Delgado could present problems to Kelly on the floor, but most fans believe Kelly's power is going to be a huge factor. I tend to agree.


Welterweights (170 pounds): Paul Taylor (-350, BetCRIS) vs. Peter Sobotta (+300, Bodog)

Taylor should be the better fighter here with some dynamic striking ability to use both his hands and legs to damage opponents. Sobotta is coming in as a German fighter with a solid 8-1 record. He'll likely try to tap Taylor on the floor, but I think Taylor will be too much in the standup game for Sobotta. Bet on Taylor.


Lightweights (155 pounds): Dennis Siver (-170, Bodog) vs. Dale Hartt (+150, BetCRIS)

Siver will have the home advantage as he's one of the few German fighters who has been successful enough to warrant a bid in the UFC. Siver is mostly known for his submission ability, but he also packs quite a powerful punch. Hartt is mostly known for his hands, so I'll likely go with Siver as he's got a little bit more in his skillset to defeat Hartt. At -170, I'll take that bet.


Lightweights (155 pounds): Terry Etim (-350, BetCRIS, Bodog) vs. Justin Buchholz (+300, Sportsbook)

Etim is a fairly tough man to catch with a big blow, and Buchholz doesn't have the ground game to compete with Etim. I imagine Buchholz will have to fend off more attacks from Etim than actually laying leather to Etim in this matchup. Even if Etim can't finish off Buchholz, I believe he'll win a decision regardless. At -350, I may stay away from this line, but it isn't out of the realm of possibility to lay some serious money on Etim.

Picks

I'll take Etim, Siver, Taylor, Kelly, Struve, and Story in this event. Story is probably the most risky as Hathaway has some solid ground skills, but Story has been able to defeat some able wrestlers in Healy and Ellenberger. Story, Struve, and Siver is the best possible parlay out of the picks here, but you may want to mix up some other picks with your parlays in case Story comes up short. Hartt also has the opportunity to produce an upset as he's only a slight underdog.

Happy Betting!