UFC Austin Odds: Best underdog and prop picks
Are you ready to cash-in on UFC Austin? Check out our UFC odds series for our best underdog and prop picks.
The UFC touches down in the Lone Star State on Saturday night for another UFC Fight Night event from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. We’ll see multiple ranked matchups on the Main Card and the Prelims are stacked with fun fights from top to bottom. 24 fighters took to the scales Friday morning and weighed in for their respective bouts.
The Main Event is set to feature No. 4 Beneil Dariush square off against No. 8 Arman Tsarukyan. Dariush is coming off a loss to Charles Oliveira in the biggest fight of his career. Prior, he was on a terrifying eight-fight winning streak and will be determined to return to that form in Austin. Arman Tsarukyan has made a quick climb up the rankings and he’s fresh off back-to-back wins against ranked opponents. He’ll have his toughest test in Dariush as he tries to take his ranking from under him.
The Co-Main Event will feature a clash of ranked lightweights as No. 12 Jalen Turner takes on No. 13 Bobby Green. Previously riding a five-fight winning streak, Jalin Turner has lost back-to-back fights against top opponents in Mateusz Gamrot and Dan Hooker. He stands to bounce back in a big way with a win over Bobby Green. Green is on a two-fight winning streak as he notched a submission over Tony Ferguson and a stunning knockout over Grant Dawson.
There’s tons of value all over this betting card and we could see a few upsets with how close these fights are. For all those looking to cash in on UFC Austin, let’s take a look at our favorite underdog and prop picks.
Zach Reese Wins by KO/TKO in Round 2 (+1100) vs. Cody Brundage
Zach Reese will be making his UFC debut on Saturday as a perfect 6-0 prospect. He impressed Dana White with an armbar finish on Contender Series and he’ll be getting his first opportunity against a skidding fighter in Brundage. Reese loves to push the pace and get in his opponent’s face, so expect him to have the same approach in this one. All six of his professional fights have ended in the first round, but Brundage will have his back against the wall and could be tough to put out. Additionally, Reese will be making his debut and he’ll want to avoid any adrenaline dumps during the first round. Still, I expect Zach Reese to get the knockout win here as he hurts Brundage in Round 1 and finishes the job in Round 2.
Clay Guida (+270) vs. Joaquim Silva
Make no mistake, Joaquim Silva is a very dangerous finisher with his hands and is equally lethal with his submission skills on the ground. After all, there’s a reason he’s a -350 favorite against the aging legend Guida. However, Guida believes that he can negate all of this with his cardio and as he says so many times, “Wrestling is life.” During his fight week press conference, Guida mentioned he’ll be looking to put on a good show and represent the wrestling community, so expect him to have a smart and measured approach during this fight. He’s also dead-set on fighting at UFC 300 and wants to hold the record for most takedowns in UFC history. Take a chance on him as he works towards that goal on Saturday night.
Bobby Green (+172) vs. Jalin Turner
Jalin Turner was very vocal about not wanting this fight during his fight week press conference and it’s clear he didn’t want to face a lower-ranked opponent from him. However, he felt he had to take the fight coming off two losses and it’ll be interesting to see how his motivation levels and energy are throughout this fight. Bobby Green, on the other hand, is streaking with two finishes and a massive upset win over Grant Dawson. He’s fighting with a ton of confidence right now and if he can withstand the initial onslaught of Jalin Turner, he should be able to outlast him over three rounds. Once Green gets his hands going, expect him to be looking for the finish and performance bonus on top.
Beneil Dariush (+225) vs. Arman Tsarukyan
While Arman Tsarukyan is the rightful favorite in this matchup, I believe the line is a bit inflated due to Dariush’s recent loss to Charles Oliveira. Prior to that, he was riding an eight-fight winning streak and looked like one of the best lightweights on the planet. It may be a testament to how good Tsarukyan may be, but Dariush will still have a size and experience advantage during this fight. He also have very good takedown defense and may be able to counteract some of Tsarukyan’s grappling with jiu jitsu of his own. At such a high underdog price, it would be unwise not to at least take a chance as Beneil Dariush tries to prove himself once again.
