UFC 274: Oliveira vs Gaethje Betting Odds, Analysis & Picks

We all look forward to Saturday’s, and the return of the UFC, but we can all admit that the excitement is a little more whenever we get the numbered events on the schedule, as that usually means we have a title fight to look forward to. UFC 274 will go this coming Saturday, starting at 5:30 PM EST and it will deliver not one, but two title fights at the top of the 5-fight main card. This is a card that looks to be a blast from top to bottom, so it makes sense that we should break down all the fights, with UFC betting and predictions included for each. Let’s get straight into the action.

MMA Betting Preview for UFC 274: Oliveira vs Gaethje

Donald Cerrone (-180) Vs Joe Lauzon (+150)

We get the ball rolling with a Lightweight bout and a fighter who looks to be coming to the end of his career. Donald Cerrone is one of the more popular guys in the sport, but he is now winless in each of his last 8 fights, falling to 36-16. Lauzon is 28-15 and comes into this bout on the heels of a win, although that victory snapped a 3-fight losing streak. This is a tough one to call, but I think Cerrone has enough left in the tank to get the win.

Ovince St. Preux (-245) Vs Mauricio Rua (+205)

Next up we have a Light Heavyweight bout between a pair of fighters who last fought back in 2014. St. Preux won that one in the opening round, but he has been struggling of late, losing 2 in a row and 3 of his last 4 fights. Rua comes into this bout with a 27-12-1 record and a bit of a shaky run of form. He is 2-2-1 over his last 5 fights, so not what you would call convincing. Losing streak or not, St. Preux has too much power and should get the KO win.

Michael Chandler (-360) Vs Tony Ferguson (+285)

Before we get to the title fights, we have a Lightweight bout between a pair of fighters in need of a win. Chandler is 22-7, but he has been struggling of late and comes into this fight on the heels of back-to-back losses. Things are even worse for Ferguson, as he has lost each of his last 3 fights to see his record fall to 25-6. At their best, both of these fighters can deliver the goods, but I think it will be Chandler who breaks out of his slump with the win.

Rose Namajunas (-215) Vs Carla Esparza (+175)

The co-main event of the night is for the women’s Strawweight Championship, with Namajunas coming into this one to defend her title. The champion has won 3 in a row and 6 of her last 7 to get to 11-4 overall, but she will be well aware that one of those losses came to Esparza back in 2014. With 4 straight wins, Esparza has fought her way to a shot at the title as she looks to do the double on the champ. Namajunas is much better now than she was in 2014 and should keep the belt and you can see it just by looking at her MMA odds for the fight.

Charles Oliveira (-170) Vs Justin Gaethje (+140)

We close the night out with a battle for the Lightweight Championship, with Oliveira looking to once again defend his belt. The champ is at the top of his game and is currently on a run that has seen him win 10 in a row, taking his overall record to 32-8 in the process. Gaethje lost his previous shot at a title with a loss to Khabib, but he has since bounced back with a win and is ready to go again. I think, though, that he will come up short, as I like Oliveira for the submission win.

I have read enough, I need to place my bet now. What to do?