Betting Preview for UFC 290 with Latest Odds & Expert Picks

The UFC 290 odds are out, meaning you can place your bets now. But why would you want to do that? Because this is one of the biggest MMA events of 2023!

Taking place at T-Mobile Arena in Vegas on Saturday, July 8, the event is headlined by the UFC Featherweight Championship fight between the reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski and the interim champ Yair Rodriguez.

That’s not the only title bout on the fight card. In the co-main event, Brandon Moreno will try to get his revenge over Alexandre Pantoja in the UFC Flyweight title bout.

As if that wasn’t enough, there’s also a UFC Middleweight title eliminator between Robert Whittaker and Dricus du Plessis, as well as many other interesting matchups.

The UFC 290: Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez odds suggest the Aussie will unify the Featherweight titles.

The top UFC betting sites also believe the -185 favorite Brandon Moreno will beat his archnemesis, Alexandre Pantoja. Robert Whittaker is also seen as a big favorite in the title eliminatory fight with the UFC 290 odds of -400.

Still, none of them are as a huge favorite as Bo Nickal in the main card opener. The 4-0 rising star is the fighter with the shortest UFC 290 betting odds of all the fighters coming to Vegas on Saturday.

The great betting value on favorites is one of the many reasons why I used Bovada as my source for UFC 290 betting odds. The sportsbook also quickly published the betting markets for the July 8 event.

And, of course, we mustn’t forget that Bovada is a 100% legit site that gives away an amazing welcome bonus (50% up to $250 for sports betting), has 24/7 customer support, and so on. 

It’s also one of the most trusted sites online, but you can read all about that with our thorough Bovada review.

If you’re ready to place your UFC 290 odds, head over to Bovada.

It’s great to see Yair Rodriguez headlining the event, as the Mexican really deserves it.

He’s an incredibly fun fighter to watch, the evidence being that five of his fights were crowned the Fight of the Night, while he personally won the Performance of the Night bonus on four occasions.

This guy is famous for his creative moves that surprise anyone. Just think of the time he beat Josh Emmett by submission or when he KO-ed The Korean Zombie in literally the final second of the fight.

If you think Rodriguez can stage an upset in the UFC 290 main event, why not back the guy?

Bovada, BetUS, and MyBookie all give +325 on “El Pantera.” Still, I wouldn’t go crazy on that bet. In fact, my UFC 290: Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez prediction is that the Aussie will triumph in the end.

Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski is one hell of a wrestler with amazing grappling skills. The evidence of this is that even Islam Makhachev failed to submit him in the UFC Lightweight title fight last February.

That said, Rodriguez’s only chance of winning is to knock him out.

But Volk is of the toughest guys in the UFC, with only one KO loss in his entire career – and it happened more than a decade ago. For all these reasons, my UFC 290 pick for the main event is Volkanovski. And I think he will likely win the fight by decision.

Each of Volk’s last six fights was a 5-round bout, and only one of them did not last for full 25 minutes. I think the UFC 290 main event will also be a marathon fight.

That’s why my best bet for this fight is over 4.5 rounds, which comes with the UFC 290: Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez odds of -125 at BetUS. 

Next on my list of the best UFC 290 bets is Brandon Moreno. “The Assassin Baby” rules the UFC Flyweight realm, but there’s one thing left before he can become the true king of the 125-pound division.

Finally, there’s Robert Whittaker, a former UFC Middleweight champ who’ll get to fight for the title again if he wins on July 8.

He’s got the motivation and the skillset (and even the stamina) needed to beat Dricus du Plessis, whom I don’t think is as good as his 5-0 UFC record suggests.

If you scroll up to the UFC 290 odds section, you’ll see that almost all my top picks are betting favorites. I say “almost” because one stands out – the Tresean Gore vs. Bo Nickal fight.

Shana Dobson beating the -1400 favorite Mariya Agapova remains the biggest betting upset in UFC history. Priced at -1500 at BetUS, Bo Nickal could change that if he loses on Saturday.

Nickal is one of the best wrestlers on the planet, who also has a BJJ black belt. He’s 3-0 in the UFC, getting punched only once in those three fights. His opponents just didn’t get a chance to hit him before getting finished by submission.

But his next opponent Tresean Gore knows this, so he’s (probably) working hard on his striking game. If he doesn’t get finished by Nickal right at the start, I think there’s a very good chance he can outbox him and win by points.

This is why the UFC 290 main event opener looks ideal for live sports betting. If you see Nickal struggle to take the fight to the ground, it means you should bet live on his opponent.

For MMA fans, the UFC 290 main event is the biggest fight of the year, even bigger than the possible Elon Musk vs. Mark Zuckerberg bout.

My prediction is that Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez will be a real battle.

Over 4.5 rounds in the Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez fight is my top bet for the entire UFC 290 event, while I also like Brandon Moreno and Robert Whittaker.

My favorite longshot bet is Tresean Gore, which I understand isn’t very likely to win. But with the UFC 290 odds of +750, it’s definitely worth making this wager, even with a small stake – a $20 bet would bring a $150 profit your way.

Do you crave fights all the time? Then bookmark my MMA best bets column, which I update with my favorite wagers every week.

Footnote:

• Bleacher Report reported on Yair Rodriguez beating Josh Emmett via Submission at UFC 284.