UFC 243 will be held on Saturday October 6, at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.
These are The Odds, courtesy of Joey Oddessa. Follow him on Twitter.
ISRAEL ADESANYA -115
ROBERT WHITTAKER +115
DAN HOOKER -172
AL IAQUINTA +142
SERGEY SPIVAK +292
TAI TUIVASA -392
LUKE JUMEAU +115
DHIEGO LIMA -145
ROSTEM AKMAN +282
JAKE MATTHEWS -382
JUSTIN TAFA -125
YORGAN DE CASTRO -105
CALLAN POTTER +260
MAKI PITOLO -360
ZARAH FARIN DOS SANTOS +350
MEGAN ANDERSON -500
JAMIE MULLARKEY +147
BRAD RIDDELL -177
JI YEON KIM -177
NADIA KASSEM +147
BRUNO SILVA +172
KHALID TAHA -232
How Odds Work
Unlike a spread on an NFL game where one team is getting a certain amount 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 example:
DAN HOOKER -172
AL IAQUINTA +142
In this fight, Hooker is the -172 favorite, meaning if you bet $172 on him and he wins, you would profit $100. If he were to lose though, you would lose the full $172.
If you were to bet on Ragin’ Al at +142, if you bet $100 on him and he wins the fight, you will profit $142. If he were to lose the fight, you would lose your original $100 bet.
In addition to Moneyline (or American) odds, there are also Decimal odds and Fractional odds, which are different expressions of the same numbers.
Decimal Odds are the easiest to understand. To calculate your gross, multiple what you bet by the number. For example:
DAN HOOKER 1.58
AL IAQUINTA 2.42
If you bet $100 on Hooker and he wins, you will get $258 back, leaving you with a gain of $58.
If you bet $100 on Iaquinta and he wins, you will get $242, leaving you with a gain of $142.
Fractional Odds are particularly favored in the UK and Ireland. For example:
DAN HOOKER .58/1
AL IAQUINTA 1.42/1
The denominator (or second number) is the amount bet, while the numerator (or first number) on the left is the amount that your bet will profit.
Any minor discrepancy in the numbers is due to rounding, and not inherently a part of the bet.
Depending on how people are betting on the fights the odds will 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 F***ING 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.
