Photo of Las Vegas, the area where the fight will be held this weekend. Gamblers are getting ready with their UFC 290 best bets in preparation.

The UFC is back with another highly anticipated event that has gamblers across the country rushing to study for UFC 290 best bets. The event will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, this Saturday and can be purchased through pay-per-view.

UFC 290 will feature a much-anticipated unification bout in the featherweight division. Alexander Volkanovski is the longtime defending champion, though his absence due to injury allowed challenger Yair Rodriguez to claim the title of interim champion. These two will face off in the UFC 290 main event with the featherweight championship on the line.

There are plenty of UFC 290 best bets to get involved in as well. We will look at the UFC 290 betting odds, featuring big names like Niko Price, Robert Whittaker, and the main event of Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez. Who are the UFC 290 best bets? Let’s get into the nitty-gritty ahead of the event on July 8.

UFC 290 start time and how to watch

  • When: July 8th, 2023
  • Where: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV
  • Start time: Prelims start at 8PM EST with the main card starting at 10PM on PPV
  • How to watch in Canada: Early prelims are available only on UFC Fight Pass, prelims are available on TSN and RDS, and the main card is available on PPV through providers like SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Rogers, Bell, Shaw, and UFC Fight Pass.
  • How to watch in the U.S.: The prelims can be found on ABC and ESPN while the main card will be exclusively on PPV

UFC 290 betting odds and schedule

While much of the action will be focused on the fights, there is also a betting aspect to consider for all the bouts. Taking a long look at the latest UFC 290 betting odds is a good place to start. Eventually, you will be able to make your UFC 290 best bets and win just as big as the gladiators in the octagon. Let’s take a look at the UFC 290 betting odds and matchups going into the event.

All betting lines displayed with American format betting odds

Early Prelims
FightOdds
Tatsuro Taira vs. Edgar ChairezTaira -1050, Chairez +700
Vitor Petrino vs Marcin PrachnioPetrino -285, Prachnio (+240)
Cameron Saaiman vs. Terrence MitchellSaaiman -540, Mitchell +390
Shannon Ross vs. Jesus AguilarRoss +120, Aguilar -140
Kamuela Kirk vs. Esteban RibovicsKirk +130, Ribovics -150
Prelims
FightOdds
Robbie Lawler vs. Niko PriceLawler +220, Price -260
Jack Della Maddalena vs. Josiah HarrellDella Maddalena -950, Harrell +600
Yazmin Jauregui vs. Denise GomesJauregui -410, Gomes +310
Jimmy Crute vs. Alonzo MenifieldCrute -120, Menifield +100
Main Card
FightOdds
Bo Nickal vs. Val WoodburnNickal -2400, Woodburn +1200
Jalin Turner vs. Dan HookerTurner -255, Hooker +215
Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus Du PlessisWhittaker -400, Du Plessis +300
Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre PantojaMoreno -190, Pantoja +160
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair RodriguezVolkanovski -380, Rodriguez +290
UFC 290 betting odds

UFC 290 best bets

Now that we know all about the UFC 290 betting odds, there is one thing left to focus on. What are the UFC 290 best bets that will help you beat the sportsbooks? Which fights are worth taking a shot at? We’ll get into the nitty gritty on some of the UFC 290 betting odds, including talking about three of the UFC 290 best bets that make the most sense.

As laws have changed across the United States, legal sportsbooks have continued to add more betting markets for all types of events. When looking at the UFC 290 best bets, you’ll notice that we’ve gone far beyond just the money line, finding value in smaller betting markets offered by legal sportsbooks.

Robbie Lawler vs. Niko Price: winning method (Price to win by KO/TKO/DQ, +100)

Price comes into the bout as a sizable favourite (-260) against Lawler, who is one of the more experienced and well-known fighters on the card. That said, this doesn’t size up favourably for Lawler, who may very well be on his last gasp to compete at the UFC level.

Lawler has just two wins over the last five years, including one of them where Nick Diaz quite literally quit right in the middle of the fight. He’s been finished before (by Bryan Barberena) and should be finished here as well.

Price might be 1-3 in his last four fights, but all three are losses to good fighters in Vicente Luque, Michel Pereira, and Phil Rowe. Lawler is way past his prime and Price is a much better fighter than his odds indicate. Look for Price to win this one by finishing Lawler via KO/TKO/DQ (+100).

Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus Du Plessis: winning method (Whittaker to win by KO/TKO/DQ, -110)

This is one of the more confusing fights from the outside looking in. On paper, it seems like Du Plessis should be favored given that he’s undefeated since entering the UFC. That said, he finished his last two fights against a guy who tore his ACL (Darren Till) and one who has a history of getting finished (Derek Brunson).

While UFC 290 best bets are not exactly sure things, this fight is a big question mark for Du Plessis on a number of fronts. For starters, Whittaker is without a doubt, his toughest test yet throughout his career. Moreover, Du Plessis has questionable cardio, which isn’t something you want to have against a tenacious fighter like Whittaker.

Whittaker is also one of the best strikers in the game today. He has two losses, but both of them came to Israel Adesanya who is one of the best of the best in MMA. The UFC 290 betting odds are pretty steep for the money line (Whittaker is -400) but the real question is as to how this will end.

Whittaker doesn’t have nearly as many finishes as one would think but his striking power is legit. If he can get on top of Du Plessis early, look for him to win by KO/TKO/DQ (-110) pretty early on in the bout.

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez: Over 4.5 rounds (-125)

This is the fight that will have all the attention on it. Volkanovski is the unquestionedking of the welterweights. He might even be the best to ever do it in the 145lbs class. He has 12 straight wins with his only loss coming to Islam Makhachev, who might be the best fighter in the world period.

Even then, that fight was close and Volkanovski went up a weight class to take on Makhachev. Volkanovski is elite in just about every aspect of his game and his odds to win this fight show that (-380). If you want a conservative UFC 290 best bet, taking Volkanovski’s money line would be the safest play.

Having said that, Rodriguez have plenty of motivation as he’s looking to prove that he isn’t interim champion because of a fluke. He’s performed at high levels in the past but he will have to keep the fight upright if he wants the best chance to win. He has a terrible takedown defense (63%) and it will end quickly if things go to the mat.

The matchup is a bad one for Rodriguez, but if he can keep things standing he could have a chance. Volkanovski is cerebral in every way. He might not finish this fight, but he should walk away with a decision victory at least, so take the over on rounds.

UFC 290 FAQ

Can UFC fighters bet on themselves?

What’s interesting about the UFC is the relaxed approach to betting. Whereas other sports have a strict policy forbidding betting on sports, the UFC does allow for it. Even cooler, the UFC allows fighters to bet on themselves, though they cannot (for obvious reasons) bet against themselves. It is the most literal form of “bet on yourself” in the sports world.

Who is fighting in the UFC 290 main event?

In the main event of UFC 290, UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski will take on the interim champ, Yair Rodriguez. This will be a unification bout and many of the UFC 290 betting odds have Volkanovski as the clear favourite.

What is the biggest mismatch at UFC 290 according to the bookmakers?

Without a doubt the biggest mismatch is Bo Nickal (-2400) vs. Val Woodburn (+1200). Nickal was initially scheduled to face Tresean Gore, who had to bow out due to injury. Woodburn is stepping in on short notice to take the fight, putting him at a major disadvantage heading into the bout.

Why is there an interim champion?

Whenever a champion cannot defend their title due to injury, an interim bout is held. For that reason, Yair Rodriguez heads into the bout as interim champion against UFC welterweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.

What kind of UFC 290 prop bets are available?

Depending on the book you choose some of your UFC 290 best bets can include specific fight props. These props include things like whether the bout will go the distance, the time of the finish, whether it will end in a decision, predicting first-minute finishes, and more. It is a way to take the UFC 290 betting odds and create some interesting scenarios.

By Ryan Womeldorf

I’ve been passionate about writing and sports for as long as I can remember, so why not combined the two? It helps to take the sting out of my inevitably bad picks. I've written for The Farm Club, Fansided, and even the very early days of Bleacher Report. Now you can find me across the web writing about sports betting on hockey, football, basketball, golf, and more.