Want to make money off UFC 302 betting? Then you need to read this! We’ve picked out three fights on the card you should be betting on. Our UFC 302 picks are free if you keep on reading!
- What: UFC 302
- When: Saturday, June 1
- Where: Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier Betting Pick
What a main event we have ourselves in 302 between the pound-for-pound best fighter (Makhachev) versus arguably the most-liked fighter (Poirier). Rather than bet on the moneyline, we’re most inclined to bet on the Makhachev-Poirier over/under. Here’s how the odds are being pegged at top UFC betting sites:
| Outcome |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Over 1.5 Rounds | -160 | -160 | -160 |
| Under 1.5 Rounds | +130 | +130 | +130 |
The moneyline is just too lopsided to command a bet — unless you think an upset is happening. That's because the reigning lightweight champion, Makhachev, is a staggering -450 favorite to win. Personally, we have a tough time seeing any result outside of Makhachev having his hand raised.
This is just a bad matchup for Poirier. The UFC veteran is a fantastic striker, who can piece up his opponents at will. The issue is, Makhachev is going to take this fight to the ground. He’s arguably the best wrestler in the world who gets takedowns at will.
Having a killer ground game has been the gameplan for beating Poirier in the past. This marks Poirier’s third-ever title fight. The first was against Khabib Nurmagomedov — who is a carbon copy of Makhachev style-wise — and the other was Charles Oliveira. Both those fights ended in a third-round submission.
We predict that will happen here again, which warrants betting the over. Even at this age and against a world-class wrestler, Poirier can hang at least one and a half rounds. His cardio is next level. However, once the fight wears on, we fully expect Nurmagomedov to be too much and get a submission. Take the over here!
Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa Betting Pick
This might be the most entertaining fight of the night featuring two middleweights who will let their hands go. Indeed this will be a striker’s delight fight and as it stands, Strickland is the favorite to win against Costa. Here are the moneyline odds:
| Fighter | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sean Strickland | -210 | -210 | -210 |
| Paulo Costa | +170 | +170 | +170 |
Both fighters go about striking differently. Costa, for sure, is the more dangerous fighter. His physique is one of the best in the division and it’s not just for show — the Brazilian hits hard. The thing is, Costa’s name has superseded his talents. Here you have a fighter that’s lost three of the last four and somehow still getting a shot at the No. 1-ranked foe at middleweight.
Strickland is coming off a razor-close loss to Dricus Du Plessis — a fight many believed he did enough to retain the middleweight championship. Still, his career is at an apex from both an in-ring and commercial standpoint. Strickland’s specialty is his technique and cardio. He has a boxing background and knows how to bring it standing up without getting tired.
We’re firmly behind Strickland in this one so long as he can avoid a KO shot from Costa. Strickland is the more skilled fighter and is trending in the right direction. Costa, as we said, has seen his career flounder inside the ring despite remaining well-known. We think Strickland beats him by judge's decision after three rounds.
Jailton Almeida vs. Alexander Romanov Betting Pick
As of this writing, only the moneyline odds are out for Almeida vs. Romanov (and Almeida is a big favorite to win). We will wait for the Almeida-Romanov over/under line cause that’s where we see betting value in this matchup.
To start, Almeida had all the hype at heavyweight at the start of the year. He had won all his UFC bouts up to that point — most by first-round finish too. However, the hype train was derailed when Curtis Blaydes defeated him in March by knockout. He was exposed in that fight, mostly for his lack of striking ability.
However, his opponent at 302, Romanov, doesn’t have the stand-up ability to make him pay like Blaydes did. No, in fact, both heavyweights are quite similar in the octagon. Both are superb grapplers, who will fight for control on the ground. You don’t always think of heavyweights as submission technicians, but these two definitely are.
The difference is Almeida is in tip-top shape. He’s athletic and has solid cardio — two things you can’t say about Romanov, who many would call “fat.” Romanov might gas out halfway through the first round, and we’re not even joking. Once the over/under is released, we’re taking the under. Almeida should be able to get him out early due to the athleticism and endurance we’ve mentioned.
How To Bet On UFC 302?
Bet on UFC 302 at one of the bookmakers below (all five rated the highest in our latest sportsbook reviews). Not only will you find odds for the three fights above, but for the rest of the card too. Across the dozen or so bouts, and factoring in the props, there’s easily a hundred different UFC 302 betting lines. That’s a lot of different ways to make money on the big card.
Moreover, you could bet on UFC 302 for free. That’s because there are lucrative sign-up bonuses available from bookie to bookie. The best ones are listed in the table. As you can see, some offers go for as much as $2500 in free play. That’s a whole lot of dough to bet UFC with so don’t overlook this.
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