Joey Oddessa is the dean of MMA odds makers, and in a recent interview with Patrick Everson for Covers.com, he threw some cold water on giddy McGregor fans.

When MayMac odds first appeared many months ago, the bout between the greatest boxer of his generation and someone without a single prizefight were naturally around -2000, with McGregor a +1000 underdog or better. Then McGregor talked a lot, and when the fight was made official two months ago, Mayweather was close to -1000, with McGregor around +600 to +700.

Then McGregor talked some more, and some Vegas books went to as low as -500 on Mayweather. Some offshore books got as low as -400, or less. They are up a little since, but not much. McGregor is now in the ballpark of +400 to +450.

I think the sportsbooks went down too soon on McGregor’s odds, said Oddessa. The value was gone when he dropped below +800, if there was even value there. Because there’s no value in a losing wager.

If you take the emotion out of it, go from a 10 to a 1 on the emotional meter and put common sense in, use their heads to actually bet on the winner, then they’ll bet Floyd Mayweather or sit this one out. The one word that can sum up this whole fight is ‘believe.’ The people betting Conor McGregor truly believe he can beat Floyd Mayweather.

I’d want to root for McGregor, but I can’t. He’s not gonna win. I’m not a fan of anybody. I’m a fan of money.

If you believe Mayweather is so superior to McGregor in boxing that he can do whatever he wants to, then you have to ask what ‘Money’ would want to do. The obvious answer is, of course, is that Mayweather will quickly knock out the man who has been verbally berating him for months. That’s the wrong answer though because ‘Money’ loves money.

Floyd Mayweather spends a reported $75 million per year, and does not have sufficient liquidity to pay $22 million that he owes the IRS from 2015. McGregor is his golden goose and he won’t kill it. If Mayweather can do whatever he wants with the Irishman, then what he will want to do is take the fight the distance, and allow McGregor to appear competitive, so that there will be rematch. Maybe even a trilogy fight.

If you believe maximizing revenue is Mayweather’s sole concern, then losing to McGregor would be the way to go. However, Money also has his eye on legacy. McGregor is Mayweather’s sole means to break with certainty Rocky Marciano’s cursed 49-0 record, and boxing is a superstitious business. Anyone other than McGregor that will make a 40-year-old Mayweather any money might win. So neither is not going to crush Notorious early, and crush any chance of a rematch. Expect a decision, in a bout where at points it appeared as if McGregor had a chance.