UFC Vegas 19 Betting Guide

UFC Vegas 19 aka UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs Lewis goes down this weekend, and surprisingly the fight card has remained somewhat intact thus far. And, not surprisingly, we’ve got all the winning picks for you right here in our UFC Vegas 19 betting guide.

So, let’s get it on, c’mon!

UFC Vegas 19 Betting Guide

Curtis Blaydes (-440) vs Derrick Lewis

The main event on Saturday pits two big boys in heavyweights Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis. While I’m obligated to pick winners and only winners for this column, I’m not interested in betting any serious money on a heavyweight fight with odds this high. There is always a chance, especially with a guy who hits as hard as Lewis, for an upset, but I’m expecting Blaydes to take him down early and often and ground and pound his way to victory.

Ketlen Vieira (-275) vs Yana Kunitskaya

Ketlen Vieira is one of the rising stars in the women’s bantamweight division, which her betting line speaks to for this week’s fight against Yana Kunitskaya. Her knockout loss to Irene Aldana in December of 2019 slowed her roll a bit, but it was her only pro loss and she has since bounced back with a win over Sijara Eubanks. Look for her to chalk up another W this weekend.

Charles Rosa (-190) vs Darrick Minner

Speaking of chalk, here’s another chalky pick. Charles Rosa vs Darrick Minner will be pitting two great grapplers against each other, but I think ‘Boston Strong’ is the better of the two. While Rosa has never won two fights in a row in the UFC, I’m betting on him changing that Saturday night.

Chris Daukaus (-190) vs Aleksei Oleinik

After winning his first two UFC fights, Chris Daukaus is being fast-tracked in the heavyweight division and is getting a highly ranked opponent this week. He’s 12 years Oleinik’s junior and has the punching power and grappling chops to beat the old man.

Nassourdine Imavov (-110) vs Phil Hawes

I’m finally taking an underdog (albeit as slight as they get) in Nassourdine Imavov. This fight was scuttled last minute at the starting of this year and has been rescheduled for this week. Imavov was my pick originally and he remains it, as he’s bigger, younger and a superior striker.

Tom Aspinall (-255) vs Andrei Arlovski

Tom Aspinall is another heavyweight on the rise in the UFC, winning his first two octagon fights and five straight overall, all via (T)KO. While grizzled veteran Andrei Arlovski (who made his pro debut in 1999!) has become adept at avoiding taking the big shot and getting his lights put out, I still think Aspinall beats him.

Rafael Alves (-190) vs Pat Sabatini

Two debuting featherweights headline the prelim portion of UFC Vegas 19. Sabatini is taking this on short notice, and Alves has won five straight, so he’s my choice.

Danny Chavez (-140) vs Jared Gordon

Big things are expected of Chavez (at least by insiders) after winning his UFC debut, and I expect it to be 2-0 in the octagon for him after Saturday night.

Drakkar Klose (-170) vs Luis Pena

Luis ‘Violent Bob Ross’ Pena has had a precipitous fall from grace in the UFC, going 4-3 thus far after winning three of his first four. Make that 4-4 after Saturday, as taking on a powerful fighter like Drakkar Klose on short notice isn’t a recipe for a win.

John Castaneda (-125) vs Eddie Wineland

Tough pick here, as both men have only won once in their last four fights. I’m giving the nod to John Castaneda as he’s younger and longer, and Wineland got KO’d in his last fight.

Nate Landwehr (-115) vs Julian Erosa

A pick ’em fight here, as both men are in the -115 range currently. Nate Landwehr is the superior striker, and has won eight of his last nine fights, so I think he gets past journeyman Julian Erosa.

Shana Dobson (+120) vs Casey O’Neill

Finally some sweet, sweet plus money! Both fighters are very inexperienced, especially the debuting Casey O’Neill, so I’ll go with UFC veteran (five fights) Shana Dobson for plus money, coming off a big upset win last summer.

Jamall Emmers (-240) vs Chas Skelly

Jamall Emmers is bigger, younger, has better striking and grappling stats, and has won five of six. Chas Skelly, meanwhile, has been on the shelf since September of 2019.

Drako Rodriguez (-185) vs Aiemann Zahabi

It hurts to pick against a fellow Canadian, but I’m going with Drako Rodriguez to beat Aiemann Zahabi. Zahabi has been out since May of 2019 while Rodriguez is 7-1 as a pro and has finished all of his victories except one.

Sergey Spivak (-250) vs Jared Vanderaa

Heavyweights kick things off on Saturday for this heavyweight-heavy card. Sergey Spivak is more experienced, yet younger, than the debuting Jared Vanderaa, so my money is going there.