UFC 94 Betting – A Prodigy and a Psycho in the Octagon

While Affliction put on a fantastic card last weekend, headlined by the Fedor Emelianenko-Andrei Arlovski bout, UFC head honcho Dana White is not taking a backseat to anybody on January 31. Arguably, UFC 94 betting will be one of the hottest events of the year among sports betting sharps and casual MMA fans as well—and it’s only the first month of the year!

The card will kick off with a potential show stealer between Stephan Bonnar and Jon Jones. What’s interesting about this tilt, at first glance, is that Jones is virtually in the same place Bonnar was many years ago when he put on that fantastic display against Forrest Griffin. Bonnar was once a promising fighter, looking to progress up the light heavyweight rankings. Now, he is a valuable cog in any card, however he is a long way from contender status. Jones, however, is a promising up and comer at 21 years of age. The youngster will likely come in with all kinds of energy, but don’t expect Bonnar to be docile—he’s every bit the showman he once was, and UFC 94 betting fans can expect an up tempo opener out of these two.

Best Bet: Bonnar -175

Bonnar has gone the distance with some of the best the sport has to offer, including Griffin (twice), Rashad Evans and Keith “The Dean of Mean” Jardine. He’s also coming off two consecutive victories on pay-per-view, and should make it three on Saturday.

Nonetheless, everyone will be lining up to watch, and wager on, the St. Pierre vs Penn betting matchup. The UFC media hype maching has been firmly behind this bout, and for good reason. Many MMA betting experts are calling this the fight of the decade, and the UFC odds suggest that the bout will be extremely closely contested. St. Pierre enters the fight as a -175 favorite, being as Penn is moving to his weight class to challenge for the title.

But how often do you get to wager on a fighter considered to be the best pound-for-pound combatant in the world…as an underdog? BJ Penn sits at +135 in this bout, which is excellent value when you consider that in his first meeting with St. Pierre, he nearly defeated him in the first round! If Penn can come out and make this a stand-up match, he is the favorite to win it, despite what UFC 94 lines are saying.

Best Bet: BJ Penn +135

Penn is a better striker than St. Pierre, without question, so if he can remain on his feet, the fight is his to lose. With all of the anticipation around this fight, and the rivalry between these two men, it is likely to start with a bang, and with many punches thrown. Look for an early knockout.

UFC 94 Machida vs. Silva – Battle of the Unbeaten

Before B.J. Penn takes to the Octagon to face off against Georges St. Pierre, one of the most intriguing bouts of the year – - yes, I feel comfortable writing that already – - will take place between two undefeated brawlers.

Thiago Silva and Lyoto Machida have been a boon to BetOnline online sportsbook UFC betting fans since they started their careers. Both guys are undefeated with 13 and 0 records. Both guys are considered tops in their division and both guys will go into the ring with enough heart to fill a Wal-mart Valentine’s Day candy section.

Okay, that wasn’t the best I could have come up with but it works. The point is that the winner of the Machida and Silva jumps to the top of the 205 lb weight division.

Let’s take a closer look at this fight!

Lyoto Machida

Strengths: He’s a Karate master. That’s pretty much it. He doesn’t have to ground and pound. He doesn’t have to strike like a superior boxer. He just Karate’s his opponents’ asses all over the Octagon. This guy is a monster. Okay, he will ground and pound you but it’s all from the Karate style. It’s amazing how fast Machida is in the ring. Karate chops, kicks…whatever you think he can’t do, this guy can do.

Weakness: I don’t know if there are any. I’ve seen this guy fight a few times and I have to admit that he’s pretty freaking impressive. If there is a weakness, it has to be that he doesn’t have a fantastic ground game. Then again, he did choke Rameau Sokoudjou into submission two fights ago. So, maybe he just hasn’t had to use a ground game yet.

Thiago Silva

Strengths: He’s a bad ass. While Machida is a terrifically gifted and experienced Karate master, Silva is simply a bad mother-f. The man gets in the ring and tries to tear his opponents apart with incredible strength and pit-bull like viciousness. Style? What style! Silva’s style is to beat his opponent’s ass by any means necessary. He’s not as technically sound as Machida but he’s an incredible talent.

Weaknesses: Silva doesn’t have the technical expertise that Machida has. For all of his aggressiveness and strength, it could take only one brilliant punch or kick from Machida to put him on his back. Silva will have to be controlled in the ring in order to beat Machida.

BetOnline online sportsbook Odds:

Thiago Silva +200 vs. Lyoto Machida -300

Analysis: Machida just looks like a winner in this but anybody who has read any of my articles knows that I absolutely love the underdog. When the underdog has the same record as the favorite, and is just as impressive, I’m all over it. The reason that Thiago Silva is the bet in this match is because Lyoto Machida isn’t twice as good of a fighter as Silva. +200 on an undefeated pit-bull like Silva? I have to take the odds. I do believe that technically Machida is a better fighter and his Karate skills might win out in the end, but Silva is stronger, at least he appears stronger, and he’s flat out mean.

I’m betting that Thiago Silva upsets Lyoto Machida at the BetOnline online sportsbook wagering odds of +200.

Good Luck!

Betting on Everything Super Bowl

Even if you’re not the biggest football fan, or haven’t dabbled in the world of NFL betting before, the Super Bowl offers something for everybody on the BetOnline sportsbook. This year, with thousands of odds and lines available, Super Bowl betting is truly a universal event—whether you’re a music fan, a TV fanatic, or a die-hard follower of the nuances in a football game.

One of the more entertaining Super Bowl odds listed are surrounding the halftime show featuring Bruce Springsteen. ‘The Boss’ is the latest installment of superstar talent that have graced the Super Bowl airwaves, and will be packing a full list of hits spanning several decades. BetOnline sportsbook customers and superbowl betting sharps are given the chance to guess the first song of his performance, which can be a fairly profitable venture, given the size of Springsteen’s catalogue. The Super Bowl lines have it narrowed down to seven songs, however there is plenty of value on the sports betting board. “Born in the USA” is a prime candidate to kick the performance off on a high note, and thus is listed at even money. However, a dark horse is Springsteen’s newest ditty, which won a Golden Globe last month, “The Wrestler.” Another scanario could see ‘The Boss’ finish the set with “Born in the USA” and open up with “The Rising,” which he played at Barack Obama’s inauguration celebration.

Perhaps you’re like millions of others worldwide, and watch the Super Bowl just for the spectacle and the fancy commercials. Lucky for you, BetOnline has Super Bowl lines offered on the best commercial of the night, as chosen by USA Today’s annual rating system. Budweiser is currently the favorite at -150, as a result of their over the top, creative ads every single year. Former winner GoDaddy.com offers tremendous value at +800, however their formula of a scantily clad Candice Michelle appears to be getting tiresome. Pepsi and Doritos, listed at +325 and +350 are the two other real contenders, as their edgy campaigns allow for more creativity in their commercials on Sunday. As always, a darkhorse could come along, making Other an option at +200 as well.

Or, maybe you’re an NBA fan, and don’t follow football too intently. There’s still Super Bowl betting options and Super Bowl spreads for you! In the prop betting section of BetOnline, customers have the option of wagering on Kurt Warner’s TD passes vs. LeBron James’ three point field goals made on Sunday. An exceptional game from a quarterback is often a two touchdown performance, however ‘King James’ routinely drops 28 points or more in a game, which can easily include three or more baskets from long range. Another option is the Super Bowl line comparing Santonio Holmes’ receptions to Tayshaun Prince’s free throws made. Holmes’ injury will prevent him from taking in his usual volume of receptions, however Prince is healthy, and will continue to drive the basket and play his rugged game.

Head over to the BetOnline Sportsbook for more than a thousand more Super Bowl betting options!

UFC 94 Penn vs St Pierre – The Ultimate Main Event

It’s been called one of the most anticipated rematches in UFC history and it’s almost here. On Saturday, January 31, Georges St-Pierre and B.J. Penn will battle at 170 pounds in a super fight that spans two weight classes and thousands of miles.

The fight is so big that the UFC has even been airing a weekly “UFC Primetime” show chronicling both fighters’ training routines, with St-Pierre in Montreal and Penn in Hawaii, as they approach what could be the biggest MMA fight of the year.

The Betus oddsmakers have St-Pierre listed as a -175 to +135 favorite over Penn, which makes a lot of sense considering that St-Pierre won their first match in 2006.

Penn still thinks that he won that UFC 58 match, however, and one of the judges thought so as well since St-Pierre only won by split decision. Since that time in which both fighters were pretty evenly matched, both fighters have been on hot streaks.

St-Pierre defeated Matt Hughes twice since his win over Penn and also has beaten stars like Sean Sherk, Jon Fitch, Matt Serra, and Josh Koscheck. He also had a shocking loss to Serra earlier, however.

Penn meanwhile lost his next fight to Matt Hughes but has since defeated top lightweights Joe Stevenson, Jens Pulver, and Sean Sherk in succession. Looking at each fighter’s recent body of work, a slight edge goes to St-Pierre because of all of the top opponents he’s beaten.

Another advantage St-Pierre has over Penn is the fact that he’s used to walking around at a weight conducive to fighting in the UFC’s welterweight class and therefore is likely to have more muscle mass than Penn who has had to gain some weight to move up.

Since their last fight, both fighters have evolved a great deal, with Penn improving greatly upon his one weakness, conditioning, showing it off by outlasting Sherk, one of the best-conditioned fighters in the business.

St-Pierre meanwhile learned an important lesson against Serra and has begun to fight with more of a mean streak in the Octagon, and that has served him well. But the biggest area where St-Pierre has improved since the first fight against Penn is probably his wrestling. St-Pierre has trained a great deal with members of the Canadian National Wrestling Team and has more than held his own. St-Pierre’s strength advantage plus his ability to control the fight against the smaller Penn (an inch shorter but visibly smaller in terms of thickness) will be the difference in this fight.

While Penn is ridiculously flexible and capable of snatching an arm or sinking in a guillotine choke in a flash against just about any fighter in the UFC, the smart money at BetOnline Sportsbook will be on St-Pierre for UFC 94 because of his strong all-around game.

Penn has good takedown defense but in the heat of battle against St-Pierre, one slip-up could lead to a takedown and plenty of punishment by St-Pierre, who should prove that he is one of the most dominant fighters in the world yet again at UFC 94.

UFC 94 – Profitable Undercard Action

Everyone has their opinions on who will win the highly anticipated Georges St. Pierre vs. BJ Penn bout, but does anyone truly have a good read on what will happen? The two bitter rivals are too evenly matched for any sports betting sharp to make a play that is any more than a leap of faith. Such is the case with most MMA cards however—that’s why the main event is the main event. However, a great deal of UFC betting value can always be found on the undercard, where up and comers make their debut, and seasoned vets are often fed cupcake opponents to prepare them for their next bout (WWE style!).

UFC 94 odds are no exception, as there are a handful of bouts that are ripe for the pickin’! The first is Jon Fitch vs. Akhiro Gono, which is almost a laughable contest for someone considered to be the No. 2 welterweight in the world. Fitch was involved in a contract dispute with Dana White, and it would appear that he is being punished by being relegated to lowly undercard fights. It was mere months ago that Fitch took this month’s headliner, Georges St. Pierre, to five rounds in a Welterweight title match. This month, Fitch will do battle with a very mediocre Gono, who lost to Dan Hardy at UFC 89 by split decision. The “Magic Man” is noted for his wacky submissions, but will struggle to gain position on a strong wrestler like Fitch, just as he did against Dan Henderson in PRIDE.

The Pick: Fitch -600

This should be a cake walk for Fitch, so add it to a UFC betting parlay for the night.

Another great UFC betting pick will be the Karo Parisyan vs. Dong Hyun Kim bout, a matchup with a little international flavor. Currently, Parisyan is ranked tenth in the world in terms of UFC odds and rankings amongst welterweight contenders. The former Olympic judo practitioner has a very unorthodox style, as the first fighter to employ such a style in the caged octagon. He is fresh off a back injury that kept him from taking part in UFC 88, which is probably why he is back on the undercard in a bout such as this one. Kim is a relative unknown to UFC lines and UFC betting fans, which doesn’t help his case against an experienced and unorthodox fighter such as Parisyan.

The Pick: Parisyan -350

Experience, once again, is the key. UFC betting customers get added value in this bout due to Parisyan’s injury, and the fact that Kim fought less than three months ago, and is thought to be fresh coming into this contest. However, Parisyan should be able to take Kim down early, and control him on the mat—a position Kim is not particularly used to, especially underneath an elite welterweight! Head over the the UFC odds on the BetOnline sportsbook and lock in your picks for Karo Parisyan in a UFC betting parlay!

UFC 94 Upset Alert – Bones Jones is For Real

Stephan “The American Psycho” Bonnar (11-4) vs. Jon “Bones” Jones (7-0)

Most online UFC betting fans remember the fight between Forrest Griffin and Stephan “The American Psycho” Bonnar for TUF Season 1′s six-figure UFC contract. Griffin was the eventual winner, but as arguably the best fight ever in UFC history, Bonnar was handed a six-figure contract, too. It was certainly a fight for the ages that put both men on the Octagon map and assured a bright future for TUF series.

Year’s later a lot has happened since the light heavyweight slugfest, including the winning and losing of the title by Griffin, who’s made a big impact on the sport as a fan favorite. However, much less has been heard from Bonnar partially due to injury and other set backs, including a suspension for the use of steroids.

But not having seen action inside the Octagon in over a year, Bonnar’s back and ready to battle. Bonnar returns coming off a surgically repaired lateral collateral ligament in his left knee, which was suffered while training for a bout against Matt Hamill at UFC Fight Night 13 back in April, 2008. The injury put a two-fight win streak on hold, after beating Eric Schafer and Mike Nickels, respectively, establishing himself once again as a threat in the light heavyweight division.

Now Bonnar has to re-establish himself against two opponents in one fight on Saturday. First, ”ring rust” following a 15 month absence, which makes his conditioning, or lack thereof, a factor. Bonnar’s second and biggest opponent is one of the most promising prospects in the division in the likes of Jon ”Bones” Jones.

In Jones’ most recent bout, he scored a unanimous decision win over veteran Andre Gusmao at UFC 87 in April, 2008, electrifying the crowd with his raw talent and flashy spinning backfists and double spinning back elbows. Jones earned the win on just days notice, which is equally impressive as the victory itself and his 7-0 record. A record compiled in only the year of 2008.

Jones is a former collegiate wrestler who just recently made a successful transition to MMA and did so naturally while learning along the way. With just seven fights under his belt, and the talents he’s shown as a student of the game, Jones has the potential to make a lot of noise in the UFC.

Analysis: Jones’ wrestling background could create havoc for Bonnar, especially if the rookie can keep Bonnar grounded to test his cardio after the layoff. One of Bonnar’s four loses came against current champion Rashad Evans at UFC Fight Night 5 when Evans effectively kept Bonnar on the mat to score the win.

Also, Jones has all the momentum after going 7-0 in 2008. BetOnline UFC odds are giving the veteran Bonnar modest respect as the UFC wagering favorite of -175. But if you bet on UFC, the faster and youthful Jones is the wise selection at +135.

Free UFC Picks: Jon “Bones” Jones +135

UFC 94 Bonnar vs Jones – Young Buck takes on an Old Warrior

As the UFC has evolved into a league filled with top-notch athletes, many of the old guard of fighters has seemingly been left behind. The only question is when it will happen to each fighter.

Chuck Liddell for example had a long reign of terror at the light heavyweight division, but the faster, more technically sound boxer Quinton “Rampage” Jackson came over from PRIDE Fighting in Japan and knocked him out with ease.

Stephan Bonnar is in the same class as Liddell and some other similar fighters in that he’s been around since the first “The Ultimate Fighter” TV show and he’s seen the infusion of exciting young talent enter the sport since then in subsequent seasons and years.

Bonnar is a big, powerful, old-fashioned brawler who’s tough to knock out and has the heart of a lion. He’s beaten some quality fighters in the weight class including Keith Jardine, James Irvin, and Eric Schaefer. But at UFC 94, he faces a different kind of challenge as he goes up against promising young contender Jon “Bones” Jones. Jones is an excellent athlete with explosive knockout power to boot and Bonnar hasn’t faced a whole lot of fighters who have that combination yet during his time in the UFC. Speed is Bonnar’s one weakness and if Jones keeps his hands up and fights his fight, he could have the edge.

Bonnar is currently listed as a -175 to +135 favorite over Jones in the BetOnline sportsbook.

So, can Jones pull the slight upset in this one? Absolutely. To win the fight, however, Jones will need to stay out of trouble on the ground and keep Bonnar off of him. While Jones is almost the same size, Bonnar probably has a slight advantage in terms of brute strength in this one.

If this fight were five rounds, Bonnar would be a good bet to outlast Jones with his conditioning, chin, heart, and experience, but the undefeated (7-0) Jones stands a good chance of winning this one because it’s only a three round fight and he can use his quickness and striking skills to either out-point Bonnar or perhaps set him up for the knockout punch.

While this is a close matchup at UFC 94, making a bet on Jones could be a good idea because of the better ufc odds and because he has the kind of raw ability Bonnar hasn’t quite seen yet in the Octagon. Betting against the favorite Bonnar is tough for a lot of people to do but Jones is a promising prospect with a lot to prove this weekend.

UFC 94 Main Event – Penn vs Pierre in a Rematch for the Ages

Georges “Rush” St Pierre (-175) vs. BJ “The Prodigy” Penn (+135)

UFC 94 from the famous MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada will be one of the most anticipated cards in UFC history. Online betting have it all: the rematch, the undefeated records and the veteran versus the up and comer. It has all the elements to justify the media attention and the main event could be the pinnacle year if it lives up to the hype.

It pits arguably two of the best fighters in the sport today that have already gone toe-to-toe in a war which resulted in a somewhat questionable decision. There has been hype building over the fight for months as a war of words, mostly from the Penn camp, has ensued since their last meeting nearly three years ago. Honestly, I get excited just thinking about it.

What makes this fight even more special is that so rarely in MMA, or sports in general, do two fighters of this caliber meet at the pinnacle of their respective careers with so much on the line. There has been so much made of this fight in the MMA world that you wonder if nerves are going to a factor coming in. Both men are on record stating that this is the biggest fight of their careers, which is a little cliché, but for this fight I would have to agree.

Penn brings his bad-boy, laid back image into the ring with an in your face attitude that comes off a little cocky but this man is just confident. He deserves to be confident as he is the most decorated American jiu-jitsu fighter in history. He also rearranged St Pierre’s face in the first round of their first fight and only lost the decision because he couldn’t finish Georges and succumb to the superior fitness of the French-Canadian.

St Pierre is much more the gentleman as he respects his fighters and trains very hard with their skill set in mind. This has actually hurt Georges before as he open stated that he was scared to fight Matt Hughes in their first bout because he respected him so much. I doubt that will ever happen again though, as it is usually the fighters standing across from Rush that owe the respect. He trains in virtually every aspect of MMA and will not be out worked by anyone.

If you don’t believe this fight is as big as it gets in the world of mixed martial arts then know that the UFC spent $1.7 million dollars to follow every move of these two fighters through their preparations and aired it on Spike all this week. Everyone is pumped up for this fight and the betting world has possibly the best weekend of sports wagering in the history with UFC 94 followed by Super Bowl XLIII.

With Penn a (+135) underdog at BetOnline I feel that he has prepared himself for victory physically but more important, mentally. He’s been waiting for this fight ever since GSP’s arm was lifted rather than his nearly three years ago and I think he’s going to get it. “Fighting GSP is all I think about every day…I will 100 per cent guarantee victory if we fight again…” . Penn has called it, now it’s your turn to pick the winner.

UFC 94 Picks – St. Pierre has Something to Prove

From casual MMA fans, to hardcore UFC betting sharps, UFC 94 has truly bridged the gap and become the biggest card Dana White and his crew have ever put on. The reason? The feud between Georges St. Pierre and BJ Penn sells itself.

Viewers of UFC Primetime have witnessed the battle between the man who came from the streets of Montreal and the ‘rich kid’ from Hawaii unfold before their eyes, and the excitement and UFC betting numbers have been going through the roof ever since. St. Pierre vs Penn odds currently favor the Montreal native at -175, given that he was victorious in the last bout several years ago, however many suggest that the decision was controversial.

Observers of UFC 94 lines point to value in betting BJ Penn, due to his natural striking ability and relative dominance of St. Pierre in the early stages of their last bout. A determined man, Penn has fended off a who’s who of MMA in his quest for a rematch with St. Pierre, dominating Sean Sherk, Joe “Daddy” Stevenson and Jens Pulver in his last three bouts—a TKO and two submissions. In addition to momentum being in his favor, he will also be moving up to Welterweight to face St. Pierre, which is arguably his optimal weight, as it will allow for more power behind his already lethal strikes.

Meanwhile, St. Pierre has been sticking to his normal weight, as he defends his UFC Welterweight Championship. Arguably, the Canadian dynamo is the most well-rounded fighter in all of UFC, and perhaps in MMA history. Believe it or not, St. Pierre is trained in karate, boxing, Jiu-Jitsu, Muay-Thai and wrestling, meaning he cannot be uncomfortable in any situation this bout throws at him. Of course, having controlled rounds two through five in his last battle with Penn, he knows exactly what will need to be done in order to retain his title. Not to mention that Penn, having moved up in weight, will arguably not be as quick as he once was, according to UFC betting pundits.

At first glance, a winner is certainly difficult to pick. However, if props become available, there is a fantastic chance that this bout will go to a decision, given how closely contested the last bout was, and how evenly matched the two fighters are. Both men are in tremendous physical condition, and are in superhuman cardiovascular shape as well, meaning either man would have no problem going all five rounds this weekend.

However, given the momentum he has generated, and his all-around game, St. Pierre will be too prepared and too elusive for Penn to take advantage of. If you’re evaluating UFC 94 betting lines, Georges St. Pierre at -175 is the play of the night.

Be sure to check the BetOnline Locker Room all week long as we break down the entire supercard from a online betting perspective!

Big Boys on the Big East – Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh

A day before the Super Bowl another Pittsburgh team will be in action when the #3 ranked Pitt Panthers hosts Notre Dame. Pittsburgh has been pretty much brilliant this season going 18 and 2 straight-up. Against the BetOnline online wagering spread, their record of 8-6-1 isn’t the best in the nation. Sports betting fans can’t like how they have trouble scoring, but their defense is phenomenal. The Panthers did lose by 10 points in their last game to Villanova. So, they might drop in the rankings.

Notre Dame is one of those Big East teams that just hangs around long enough to maybe make the NCAA Tournament. They are currently ranked #22 in the nation with a 12 and 7 straight-up record. Against the BetOnline online betting spread, the Irish are 4 and 9. So college basketball betting fans really can’t consider a wager on the Irish unless everything sets up for them.

Game-day: 1/31/2009

Tip-off: 12:00 pm est.

Here are my personal online betting NCAAB odds for this game.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish +13 ½ -110 O 146 ½ -110

Pittsburgh Panthers -13 ½ -110 U 146 ½ -110

Here are a few online basketball wagering trends that might help us find a good online bet in this game.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are 0 and 5 against the spread in their last 5 games overall.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish is 5 and 1 against the spread in their last 6 games against the Panthers in Pittsburgh.

The Pittsburgh Panthers are 6 and 1 against the spread in their last 7 games following an against the spread loss.

The Pittsburgh Panthers are 15-7-1 against the spread in their last 23 games following a straight-up loss.

I don’t like wasting readers’ time by simply pasting in every single trend available. But let me tell basketball betting fans out there that there isn’t a single trend that says Notre Dame gets close in this game.

I can’t go against so many negative trends. It would really make the gods of gambling angry. So, I’m consigned to the fact that Pittsburgh definitely wins this game straight-up.

But by how many points?

I believe that the BetOnline Sportsbook odds makers will make the Pitt Panthers at least a -13 ½ point favorite against the spread. I’m hoping that I’m wrong. Giving up 13 ½ might be too many points since Pitt has lost two out of three straight-up.

But Notre Dame just isn’t the quality team that the Panthers are.

I’m going to say that if the BetOnline odds makers set a point spread at Pitt -12 ½ or lower, then I’ll make the wager. I’ll bet on Pittsburgh to cover the spread.

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