When its broke, or at least not paying out like it should be, its time to fix it. Instead of putting together Parlays based on what type of bettor you might be, we are going to rank each parlay/ single bet based on 3 things- Value, Risk, and Confidence. It will be up to you to decide which plays you feel like making and which ones you are going to pass on.
Keep in mind this is gambling- there is massive risk involved any time you lay money on the line and with the unpredictability of a sport like MMA it only makes it tougher. All we can do is prepare ourselves to the fullest extent and make bets that we feel good about. Let’s make some money!
GOLD- Bets posted in this section will have a solid payout, involve moderate risk, but my confidence level will be high. Single bets and 2-3 fight parlays, potentially the odd prop bet.
SILVER- Bets posted in this section will have a solid to slightly higher payout, but will involve a little more risk and while I am confident enough to post these bets, I do see where we could go wrong. Single bets, 3-4 fight parlays and prop bets. More Underdogs involved.
BRONZE- Bets posted in this section will normally have the highest payouts, but also involve the most risk. Major Underdogs, larger parlays, and higher risk prop bets.
WILDCARD- This section will include bets only to be made if you have some extra cash. Most posts in this section will be long shots to hit or at least have a lot of working parts involved, but if they do the win the payout will be significant.
Betting Units
“What is a unit?”A popular term in sports betting is “unit” and below I will explain what bettors mean they refer to a unit, and examples of it being used.
A “unit” in sports betting is a measurement of the size of someone’s bet. Because everyone has different sized bankrolls for sports betting, using the term unit is a way for us to show your profit or loss in universal terms.
Someone who is betting $10,000 per bet and is up $18,000 on the season isn’t nearly as impressive as someone who bets $10 per bet and is up $180 on the season. Using units gives us a tool to keep track of profits and losses without the dollar value.
Because basic sports betting strategy tells us that you should be betting somewhere between 1-5% of your bankroll on each wager, it is generally accepted that a unit is equal to approximately 1% of your bankroll. Nothing is set on stone with this, but that is an easy way to calculate a single unit.
Using the above formula, someone who has a $1,000 bankroll would be betting $10 per unit, while someone with a $50,000 bankroll would be betting $500 per unit.
Using the bankroll management strategy that recommends 1-5% of your bankroll on each bet you would essentially want to bet between 1-5 “units”.
Many sports handicappers will release their plays with units, with the most common being 1-5 units or sometimes 1-7 units. The 1,2, and 3 unit plays are more of the average plays, while the 4, 5 and sometimes 6 and 7 unit plays are the big plays where the handicapper feels they have found a lot of value on a play.
If a handicapper released a 5 unit play and you had a $1,000 sports betting bankroll you would be risking 5% (5 units) or $50 on the play.
Depending on your betting style, you can select the Hardcore Betting Cluster which employs a betting strategy focussed on straight and 2-leg parlays that limit the risk and offer a decent return based on your financial commitment. If you are willing to take a little more risk and aren’t interested in putting as much cash in play, but still want a shot at a big return- then the Casual Betting Cluster is for you. Playing both of these strategies together is not recommended.
Hardcore Betting Cluster (HBC)
Gold Plays
BET #1
+ Neil Magny
to Win
-138
+ Chase Hooper
to Win
-188
ODDS:
+164
BET:
12u
RETURN:
31.7u
BET #2
+ Gerald Meerschaert
to Win
+100
ODDS:
+100
BET:
7u
RETURN:
14u
Silver Plays
BET #1
+ Aljamain Sterling
to Win
-110
ODDS:
-110
BET:
6u
RETURN:
11.45u
BET #2
+ Raphael Assuncao
to Win
+110
ODDS:
+110
BET:
6u
RETURN:
12.6u
BET #2
+ Jussier Formiga
to Win
+110
ODDS:
+110
BET:
6u
RETURN:
12.6u
Bronze Plays
BET #1
+ Devin Clark
to Win
+187
ODDS:
+187
BET:
3u
RETURN:
8.61u
BET #2
+ Cody Stamann
to Win
-275
+ Charles Byrd
to Win
-175
+ Herbert Burns
to Win
-220
ODDS:
+212
BET:
4u
RETURN:
12.47u
Wildcard Plays
BET #1
+ Chase Hooper
to Win by Submission
+150
ODDS:
+150
BET:
3u
RETURN:
7.5u
BET #2
+ Gerald Meerschaert
to Win
+100
+ Sean O’Malley
to Win Inside the Distance
-150
ODDS:
+233
BET:
4u
RETURN:
13.33u
BET #3
+ Neil Magny
to Win
-138
+ Aljamain Sterling
to Win
-110
+ Amanda Nunes
to Win by TKO/KO/DQ
-135
ODDS:
+473
BET:
5u
RETURN:
28.66u
Casual Betting Cluster (CBC)
Gold Plays
BET #1
+ Neil Magny
to Win
-138
+ Chase Hooper
to Win
-188
+ Gerald Meerschaert
to Win
+100
ODDS:
+428
BET:
12u
RETURN:
63.41u
Silver Plays
BET #1
+ Aljamain Sterling
to Win
-110
+ Raphael Assuncao
to Win
+110
+ Jussier Formiga
to Win
+110
ODDS:
+742
BET:
10u
RETURN:
84.19u
Bronze Plays
BET #1
+ Cody Stamann
to Win
-275
+ Herbert Burns
to Win
-220
+ Devin Clark
to Win
+187
ODDS:
+469
BET:
7u
RETURN:
39.85u
BET #2
+ Cody Stamann
to Win
-275
+ Herbert Burns
to Win
-220
+ Charles Byrd
to Win
-175
ODDS:
+212
BET:
5u
RETURN:
15.58u
Wildcard Plays
BET #1
+ Gerald Meerschaert
to Win
+100
+ Devin Clark
to Win
+187
+ Jussier Formiga
to Win
+110
ODDS:
+1105
BET:
5u
RETURN:
60.27u
BET #2
+ Herbert Burns
to Win Inside the Distance
-120
+ Sean O’Malley
to Win Inside the Distance
-150
+ Chase Hooper
to Win by Submission
+150
ODDS:
+664
BET:
5u
RETURN:
38.19u
BET #3
+ Neil Magny
to Win
-138
+ Aljamain Sterling
to Win
-110
+ Amanda Nunes
to Win by TKO/KO/DQ
-135
ODDS:
+473
BET:
7u
RETURN:
40.12u
Draftkings Lineup
Lineup
+ Raphael Assuncao
$7600
+ Chase Hooper
$8500
+ Gerald Meerschaert
$7800
+ Sean O’Malley
$9300
+ Amanda Nunes
$9400
+ Devin Clark
$7200
Spares
+ Neil Magny
$8700
+ Herbert Burns
$8900
+
+
Betting Breakdowns
Amanda Nunes -600 vs Felicia Spencer +450
Spencer is underrated here and while Nunes has smashed bigger names, there is nothing worth looking at for a straight-up bet.
I would almost consider a small bet on Spencer to win the title, but we will see how the Counter Bet section plays out.
No Play.
Prop Bet:
Amanda Nunes to Win by TKO/KO/DQ -135
Nunes had finished 4 of her last 5 opponents by knockout prior to GDR- who she used a ground heavy attack against.
Spencer is a BJJ Black belt so Nunes scoring a submission is far less likely than a TKO.
Decent return, make an investment.
DK Lineup:
I have Nunes in my lineup.
She hits hard, has submissions skills, and has shown she can finish early or late.
Spencer is no easy out and will push her.
Look for the combo of exhaustion and damage to get the best of the challenger late.
This scenario is ideal for point production.
Add her.
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Raphael Assuncao +110 vs Cody Garbrandt -138
It is hard to back a fighter with a trio of KOs, especially this early in his career.
Assuncao doesn’t have big power, but he has the timing to stagger Cody if he catches him coming forward.
Cody gets in trouble when he opens up, Assuncao style will create that scenario.
We aren’t seeing a lot of movement on this fight which is fine with me.
Assuncao is routinely undervalued
Silver Bet.
Prop Bet:
No Play.
As much as I want to play the finish prop, I want the win SU.
DK Lineup:
At just $7600, Assuncao is super affordable.
He doesn’t have unreal stopping power, but with “No Love’s” chin, that might not matter.
Also, consider the possibility of a knockdown and submission.
Add him.
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Cory Sandhagen -110 vs Aljamain Sterling -110
This is going to be a great fight!
There is some money coming in on Sandhagen, which has moved him from a light dog to even or closer on other books.
The tapology split is 53/47 in favour of Sterling which makes sense.
I feel like Sterling is a little more advanced in his career and has made adjustments/ improvements that Sandhagen hasn’t been forced to do yet.
Close fight.
Silver play for Aljo.
Prop Bet:
No Play.
DK Lineup:
No Play.
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Neil Magny -138 vs Anthony Rocco Martin +110
I love this fight and I love the direction of the line.
Magny was closer to -150 at his open and is trending in the right direction.
Martin beats grapplers that he prevents from grappling and then outworks on the feet.
He doesn’t offer the volume to hang with Magny and his cardio is suspect if he is forced to keep up or shoot for takedowns.
R1 could be close, but Magny will poor it on in R2 & R3 with Martin struggling to deal with reach, speed, pace, volume, cardio.
Gold play for Magny.
Prop Bet:
No Play.
DK Lineup:
Magny was close to getting the call based on volume
Martin is hard to finish and I could see Neil wanting to sit at range and outwork him without exposing himself to danger.
I don’t expect a finish, but close to 100+ sig strikes.
Add him to your spare list and sub him in whee needed for variety.
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Sean O’Malley -500 vs Eddie Wineland +380
No play straight up.
I love Eddie Wineland, but unless he cracks O’Malley with a big right he is up against it here.
No play.
Prop Bet:
Sean O’Malley to Win Inside the Distance -150
O’Malley seems like the type that will want to showcase the full breadth of his offense.
I could see him scoring a knockout or hurting Eddie and looking for the sub on the floor.
Let’s keep it all in play with the (T)KO more likely.
DK Lineup:
O’Malley also gets the call for our Fantasy lineup.
He throws a nice variety and strikes long, especially with his kicks.
Wineland’s chin is a concern and his willingness to fight with his hands down even more so.
O’Malley catches him with something unexpected.
Add him.
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Alex Caceres +162 vs Chase Hooper -188
The Tapology split is far greater than these odds would suggest; 84/16 in favour of Hooper.
Chase is getting the rub from the promotion- is it too soon?
Caceres is vulnerable to what Hooper does well and doesn’t have the massive power to concern us- at least early.
Look for Hooper’s length and aggressive grappling to exploit Caceres’s biggest defensive gaps.
Lots of money coming in on Chase, near even at the open- I still like this line.
Gold play for Hooper.
Prop Bet:
See the Betting Scenario Section.
DK Lineup:
Hooper showed impressive and relentless finishing skills in his debut.
The door should be open for something similar here.
Caceres is too willing to fight to his opponent’s strength.
Add him and expect a finish or a lot of ground control.
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Ian Heinisch -125 vs Gerald Meerschaert +100
On, Off, On…again.
I am glad we get this fight as it is certainly a fun one.
Is there some distraction for Heinisch with his cornerman situation, maybe- hard to say.
What I do know is that I have successfully faded him against both Brunson and Omari and feel the same here.
His cardio isn’t as great as everyone thinks and he struggles against strong grapplers.
If GM3 can take him down, especially once Ian starts to tire- look out or the finish.
Gold play for GM3.
Prop Bet:
No Play.
DK Lineup:
28 or his 32 career wins by finish including all his UFC wins.
At $7800, he is the type of fighter that can finish and leave cash on the table to spend elsewhere.
Add him.
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Brian Kelleher +225 vs Cody Stamann -275
I have seen a lot of predictors dismiss Kelleher in this fight and I’m not sure that is a smart move.
Tapology 77% in favour of Stamann.
Kelleher has a lot of momentum and will be loose having fought just a month ago.
I liked this line at the open around -180, but I like it less and less as Cody climbs.
Bronze play for me, most likely combined with Burns in my HBC.
Prop Bet:
No Play.
DK Lineup:
No Play.
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Charles Byrd -175 vs Maki Pitolo +150
Charles Byrd don’t let me down.
I have picked him in all 3 of his fights and he has come up short in his last 2.
Pitolo did not look good in his debut against a very beatable fighter.
Fighting at MW, how will Maki’s power hold up? Big issue if it is not there.
CB has more tools and that should be enough, but he needs to prove himself here.
Bronze play for Byrd.
Prop Bet:
No Play.
DK Lineup:
No Play.
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Jussier Formiga +110 vs Alex Perez -138
Formiga is the sexy dog on this card.
He actually opened as the favourite around -130, but public money has come in on Perez.
Most predictors around the web are backing Jussier.
Perez looks good, but he really relies on his wrestling to score points and that is not good.
Formiga needs this win or he is done contending.
Jussier steps up in the feet, finds the edge on the mat, improves on his last performance.
Silver play for Formiga.
Prop Bet:
No Play.
DK Lineup:
No Play.
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Devin Clark +187 vs Alonzo Menifield -225
There are 2 ways this fight goes; 1) Menifield knocks him out early or 2) Clark avoids the KO and grinds to a decision or late stoppage.
Menifield has faced a pair of below-par athletes who wanted to grapple. He stayed vertical and smashed them.
Clark can be finished, but he has wrestling and should be able to match Zo’s physicality.
Menifield was taken down by Jolly in his first Contender’s bout and was stuck until the ref bailed him out.
He also started looking a little sluggish against the Bear Jew after the early exchanges.
Clark will take him down, hold him down, and the potential for a KO diminishes as the fight goes.
Bronze play on Clark.
Prop Bet:
See the Betting Scenario Section.
DK Lineup:
Clark has his own power, but there are other reasons for an add.
First, he is super affordable.
Secondly, takedowns in bunches are there to be had.
If those takedowns start piling up, Zo will get tired and finish- GNP or arm triangle will follow.
Add him.
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Herbert Burns -220 vs Evan Dunham +180
Dunham is back after 2 years away, he is closing on 40 and cutting down 5 extra pounds.
Burns is still green, but this is a winnable fight.
Burns could target the vulnerable body of Evan and either get a TKO or follow him to the ground for a sub.
Bronze play.
Prop Bet:
See the Betting Scenario section.
DK Lineup:
Burns can finish and Dunham can be finished.
Still want to see how Burns holds up in a longer fight at this level.
Add him as a spare and use him to mix your lineups up.
The Value Bet list is a list of fighters ranked based on a combination of their ability to win their fight and the potential financial return you would receive if they win.
Even on a good night I don’t anticipate winning every fight on this list, realistically 2-3 correct picks would be considered a successful event.
I do not recommend backing every fighter listed, these are just suggestions where the greatest betting value on the card lies, it is up to you to make the decision where to invest your money.
Counter Bets
1. Felicia Spencer +450 wait as late as you can because the value will climb. Ideally, you have a parlay with Nunes to finish on the line and hedge it with Spencer (possibly to finish).
The Counter Bet list consists of fighters ranked based on a combination of their ability to win their fight and the potential financial return you would receive if they win. These 5 fighters are the best betting options available of all of the fighters that I predicted to lose and although I fully endorse my own predicted winner I feel that giving this type of information is only fair to my followers as it gives them further insight into my opinion on each match-up.
Some people might question the use of one fighter in a parlay and the other (an underdog) in a straight-up bet, but here is my logic.
Scenario: the Fav is in a 3 fighter parlay and it pays $5 x your bet of $30 and the dog pays $3.50 x your bet of $10.
The underdog single bet offers a nice safety net. If he wins then you bet a total of $40 and won $35, your losses are minimal. If your parlay wins then you bet $40 and won $150, so it is still a decent profit line.
There is the possibility that you might not win either bet, but having an “insurance” style bet can keep you from going broke a lot of nights.
Betting Scenario
Scenario Breakdowns
The section will always be a work in progress, as I hopefully continue to find different scenarios that produce consistent winners. Click the names below to read each scenario’s explanation.
No Play. Menifield gets him early or Clark grinds his way to a decision or late stoppage- too much and I just want the dog to cash. Keep it simple.
2. Herbert Burns Inside the Distance -120
It is hard to overlook Dunham’s body durability. Burns hits hard and will throw kicks to midsection which could be enough to get it done. Watch Herbert follow Dunham to the floor for an RNC or triangle choke if he hurts him. Keep everything on the table.
EPU
Under 1.5
Under 2.5
Over 2.5
Over x2
2014
42
46
46
11 of 46 Events
2015
28
35
42
10 of 39 Events
2016
28
38
41
11 of 41 Events
2017
27
40
35
8 of 38 Events
2018
26
35
30
8 of 33 Events
2019
18
27
49
15 of 39 Events
2020
12
16
23
7 of 22 Events
FP
W
L
Win %
2015 Picks
47
24
23
51%
2016 Picks
55
31
24
56%
2017 Picks
47
20
27
43%
2018 Picks
42
25
17
60%
2019 Picks
32
13
19
41%
2020 Picks
23
8
15
35%
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FPO Candidate
1. Chase Hooper to Win by Submission +150
Caceres has a bad history of getting submitted. Hooper good GNP him to the finish, but Caceres is hard to control and land strikes against. Instead, look for him to lock in an RNC from a dominant back mount once he get’s “Bruce Leeroy” where he wants him.
Starting in 2010, Scott began posting UFC and NFL predictions videos on youtube under the name Kamikaze Overdrive MMA Predictions. Eventually, MMA became his main focus and as the channel’s popularity grew Kamikaze Overdrive eventually expanded to include a website. Scott has worked for various MMA and Sports betting information sites and now posts UFC Predictions, Betting Breakdowns, and Content along with other sports-related betting information.