UFC on ESPN 8, also known as UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Harris, and UFC Jacksonville will be held on May 16 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.
Below are The Odds, courtesy of Joey Oddessa. Follow the Father of MMA Odds on Twitter.
ALISTAIR OVEREEM +116
WALT HARRIS -146
CLAUDIA GADELHA -213
ANGELA HILL +163
EDSON BARBOZA -130
DAN IGE EV
ERYK ANDERS +125
KRZYSZTOF JOTKO -155
SONG YADONG -172
MARLON VERA +142
ANTHONY HERNANDEZ -120
KEVIN HOLLAND -110
MIKE DAVIS -215
GIGA CHIKADZE +165
CORTNEY CASEY -155
MARA ROMERO BORELLA +125
DARREN ELKINS -130
NATE LANDWEHR EV
RODRIGO NASCIMENTO -111
DON’TALE MAYES -119
MATT BROWN +144
MIGUEL BAEZA -174
How Odds Work
Unlike a spread on an NFL game where one team is ahead by a certain number of points (ex. Saints +7), in MMA fights, the line on the game is called a moneyline. These are the +/- used on UFC broadcasts. The figure is how much money you have to bet in order to win $100 (-), and how much a $100 bet will earn (+). They are perhaps best explained via an example:
ALISTAIR OVEREEM +116
WALT HARRIS -146
In this fight, Harris is the -146 favorite, meaning if you bet $146 on him and he wins, you would profit $100. If he were to lose though, you would lose the full $146.
If you were to bet on 'Reem at +1166 if you bet $100 on him and he wins the fight, you will profit $116 If he were to lose the fight, you would lose your original $100 bet.
Depending on how people are betting on the fights, the odds can shift from the moment they open, right up until the night of the fights.
The sport is built on moments that make you involuntary think “HOLY FING S!!!” Those can come at any time, on any portion of the card, from any fighter. Thus, some bettors look to the underdogs, sometimes big ones, as the best bets.
And they say never bet until the weigh-ins.