UFC Vegas 90 is a teaser to the massive pay-per-view card we have ahead of us.
This weekend’s fights, headlined by Brendan Allen opposite Chris Curtis, aren’t the biggest draw ahead of next weekend’s UFC 300 slate.
UFC Vegas 90 has 13 fights on its slate, with the prelims beginning at 3 p.m. ET and the main card beginning at 6 p.m. ET. The entire card is on UFC+.
Expect plenty of upsets on this card, with only four fights with favorites higher than -250 odds.
There are also many fighters who are virtual unknowns, with nine fighters out of 26 having fought two times or less in the UFC and a few making their promotional debut.
Be sure to chop up some regional film before betting on those fights.
Here are some of the best bets for UFC Vegas 90.
UFC Vegas 90 odds and predictions
Brendan Allen vs. Chris Curtis
These two have actually fought before, with Allen losing by TKO as a -340 favorite in December 2021.
That loss was the last that Allen sustained in his UFC career, but oddsmakers don’t expect that to reoccur this weekend.
I scored the first round of the first fight for Allen, who had close striking numbers and damage, but he showed off some impressive grappling during the round. Allen took Curtis’ back during the opening minute of the fight and nearly heel-hooked him at the end of the round; this fight was close to finishing.
In striking exchanges, Curtis is mostly a low-volume power hitter, while Allen should have more volume at his disposal. Decisions should generally go to Allen.
But Curtis does hit like a Mack Truck when he lands clean.
My issue with Curtis is that he’s now 36 years old and coming off a dicey split-decision win against Marc-Andre Barriault. He has lost two of his last five fights, including one no-contest he was likely about to lose.
All things considered, with what Allen has shown us of late he’s probably closer to the -350 favorite he was in the first fight than the -210 favorite he currently is.
Allen is a well-rounded fighter who proved he can grapple with Curtis early. I expect him to get this one done this weekend, with his decision price particularly intriguing.
The favorite should look to clinch against the cage where Curtis struggles rather than bail on unsuccessful takedowns and stand at range to get the victory.
PICK: Allen ML (-210, BetMGM) | Allen by decision (+280, BetRivers)
Alex Morono vs. Court McGee
The extremely unreliable Alex Morono faces veteran Court McGee, a fighter who has been knocked out in each of his last two fights.
McGee, the wily veteran, might not have much left in the tank, but Morono has been a -300 favorite only once in his career.
In February 2020, Morono was a -400 favorite and was knocked out in 27 seconds in that fight.
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In the early moments this weekend against McGee, the veteran will be extremely live in this one.
Of course, once we hit rounds two and three the much younger Morono could take over.
The smallest of bets, less than a half-unit, going on McGee here.
PICK: McGee wins by KO/TKO in round 1 (35/1, DraftKings, .1unit)