Well, hello there my fellow bettors! If you thought I would be tilting after going with a best bet on a fight that ended on a technical decision, you are correct! But not even that would stop me from trying to get back on my feet. We live by the “Tubthumping” mindset. You know the song…and now you’re probably humming it.
Anyways, I digress. The good news after UFC Vegas 51 is that we, as a group, managed to go from 1-4 in our first week to 3-2 after Dave, Ed and Matt nailed their picks and ideally, you tagged along just those. Hopefully, this Saturday we’ll get the sweep.
On to UFC Vegas 52 as the action continues in the “Baby Cage” (patent pending) and we have a great card headlined by the Amanda Lemos and Jessica Andrade fight. Spoiler alert: Two of our suggestions are for that bout so stick around and read what we have in store for you this week. Now, let’s break down some UFC odds.
Dean Barry vs. Mike Jackson
UFC Welterweight Preliminary Card Bout
Saturday, April 23, 2022 - 08:05 PM EDT at UFC Apex
We start off the night with the first of two preliminary bouts we'll be reviewing in this article. For this fight, we get the up-and-coming prospect Dean Barry via Dublin, Ireland. While his professional MMA record (4-1-0) is far from impressive, his opponent this week is even far less stellar. Let's see what Dave has to say about this bout.
"Jackson isn’t an avid MMA competitor; evaluating his skillset is difficult because he isn’t that notable in any single area. In addition, he’s barely competed at a professional level since his promotional debut versus Mickey Gall in 2016.
More Picks: UFC Vegas 52 Prop Betting Picks: The Perfect Proposition
"Barry was an exceptional kickboxer, and although he isn’t on the level of guys such as Michel Pereira, he can unquestionably present a dangerous striking skillset for a fighter on the level of Jackson. Speed, power, and diverse strikes should be enough to hand Barry a TKO victory upon his arrival in the UFC.
"The available odds with Bookmakers Review favor Barry with a -1500 price tag. It's infrequent to witness such a high-priced line, and there’s a good reason for this.
"The moneyline is unplayable but expecting Barry to finish this fight within seven minutes at -120 looks very tempting. The moneyline odds alone suggest this fight should be a dominant one-sided affair, so they naturally support this fight ending inside the distance as the favorable fighter is primarily a striker." David Manyun
David's UFC Vegas 52 Pick: Under 1 ½ Rounds (-120) [1.20u returns 1u profit] at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
Marcin Prachnio vs. Philipe Lins
UFC Light Heavyweight Preliminary Card Bout
For the second prelim fight, we are going with Prachnio vs. Lins. While the Polish might not have the same mustache game as Pichel, he does have a little bit more continuity than Philipe Lins. The last time we saw the Brazilian nicknamed "Monstro" was almost two years ago after he lost to Tanner Boser in their Heavyweight fight.
That's the first red flag for Lins, who's moving down to a new division as this fight will be in the Light Heavyweight category. Second strike for Monstro, in my opinion. While the lack of punch he faced in his previous category shouldn't be an issue in this new class, his durability and adaptability do worry me.
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Now, you might be thinking that I'm going to back Marcin Prachnio and, to be honest, I was tempted. But just like Lins has been suspect for not having the toughest chin during his career, Prachnio also tends to go all out in his fights, having finished four of his most recent fights inside the distance.
It is true that Prachnio is on a two-win streak but I'm more interested in how long this fight will end and I believe these two fighters won't leave it to the judges as their defense of significant strikes tends to be lacking.
Ricky's UFC Vegas 52 Pick: Fight to Go the Distance - No (-210) [2.10u returns 1u profit] at BetOnline
Maycee Barber vs. Montana De La Rosa
UFC Women’s Flyweight Main Card Bout
Maycee Barber comes into this fight with an awful lot of confidence after stating that her next opponent, Montana De La Rosa, "can be easily broken...". Our expert Ed predicts a Barber victory but much closer than expected. Since he loves to hunt for value, we'll let him do the explanation for this one.
"Maycee Barber is priced as a heavy favorite but her UFC odds are just too favorable! I wasn’t impressed with her decision win against Miranda Maverick at UFC Vegas 32 on July 24. Barber could have easily lost that night and that would have given her a three-fight losing streak, after dropping decisions against Roxanne Modafferi and Alexa Grasso.
"Yes, Montana De La Rosa is not exactly the top fighter in the division but she’s better than the best sportsbooks think and I see value investing in her losing a close decision." Ed Solano
Ed's UFC Vegas 52 Pick: Montana De La Rosa +3.5 points (-150) [1.50u returns 1u profit] at BetOnline
Amanda Lemos vs. Jessica Andrade
UFC Women’s Strawweight Main Event Bout
This is it! The main event for UFC Vegas 52 gets two best bets, cause that's just how we roll...also this is the handicappers' version of dressing the exact same so trust us, it wasn't planned!
Then again, when we get a fighter like Jessica Andrade on the card, it's hard not to be immediately hooked. Add into the mix an opponent like Amanda Lemos and all we can think of is popcorn gifs to post on the forum thread for this article when you guys are talking about this fight. I'll let the experts elaborate while I do some googling.
Matt's Take
"From a destination unknown, please read the following from my UFC picks column for this week and wager responsibly: While Jessica Andrade was a killer and one of the fiercest names in Mixed Martial Arts, from the moment she defeated Rose Namajunas on a controversial and sudden TKO in 2019, she’s had a target on her back and has gone 2-3 since.
More Picks: UFC Vegas 52: Lemos vs. Andrade Lock on the Card
"Meanwhile, Lemos has won her last five fights dating back to 2019, three of which did not go to the scorecards and showcase a fighter with a killer instinct. But her last fight against Angela Hill is a bigger red flag than finding me attractive, as it was a split decision. For the above reasons, invest in the total". Matt Ryan
Le's Take
"The past two weeks have kicked my butt in terms of my UFC picks, but I’m definitely confident in redeeming myself by putting my money on Jessica Andrade this weekend.
"Andrade is a powerful and impressive striker with a high output, and she is equally as dangerous on the ground. She is a small fighter standing at 5 feet 1 inch tall, but this does not hold her back in any way. Her strength is impressive; remember her slam victory over “Thug” Rose Namajunas?
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"Her losses have been against the absolute toughest women in the division including Valentina Shevchenko. But let’s take a look at Lemos real quick. She is a decently aggressive striker, however, she leaves too many openings for herself to get hit. This is a trait that worries me against a powerful and accurate martial artist like Andrade.
"I will side with the more accurate and powerful striker who has fight experience against the baddest women in the division. Take Jessica Andrade to win." Le Martin
Le's UFC Vegas 52 Pick: Jessica Andrade to Win ML (-177) [1.77u returns 1u profit] at BetOnline
Matt's UFC Vegas 52 Pick: Under 2 ½ Rounds (+120) [1u returns 1.2u profit] at BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
