UFC 229: Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov Betting Odds
Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov is a battle of styles that the sport of MMA was made for. Maybe the best striker at the match vs the best grappler in this game is a fantasy struggle for UFC fans and Nurmagomedov, the current UFC lightweight winner, is preferred to succeed -170 with McGregor coming back at +140. The mega-fight will occur tonight in vegas in UFC 229.
From a promotional standpoint, making that the fight is a dream come true for the UFC since it will definitely be one of the most profitable events in their history, and by a gaming perspective, there’s plenty of money to be made too. McGregor fans will probably be foaming at the mouth to put a bet on the Irishman, particularly at plus-money, however is that a smart bet vs the 26-0 Nurmagomedov, whose smothering grappling style has been completely unsolvable?
McGregor’s grappling skills are most likely in the average range and that’s an area where he has been taken advantage of before. A considerably smaller Chad Mendes easily took McGregor to the mat whenever he wished to at UFC 189 (yes, I understand McGregor won the struggle ), and he had been choked out by Nate Diaz at UFC 196.
He does have a significant disadvantage when it comes to wrestling, however, there are other regions where McGregor could have a certain upper hand, most especially with his hands. Eighteen of his 21 professional wins have come via T/KO and he’s got a very impressive hit list that includes finishes of Jose Aldo, Eddie Alvarez, Dustin Poirier and, needless to say, Paulie Malignaggi (insert smiley face emoji here).
Line Movement (or lack thereof)
If the quantity of betting action McGregor received vs Floyd Mayweather is some indication, some bettors certainly do not care how he matches stylistically — following launching at +950 vs Mayweather, McGregor closed at +265 due to an avalanche of stakes placed on him.
Many, including myself, presumed we would have seen much more movement online as a result of plenty of public cash coming in around McGregor, but this has not been the case yet. On the afternoon Khabib vs McGregor has been announced, Nurmagomedov opened -200 with McGregor in +160. Together with the champ currently at -170 and Conor at +140 on the day of the struggle, there is still pretty excellent value on McGregor as a puppy and those who are confident in Khabib should feel great about getting him at a far greater number than his starting odds.
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