There are three basic kinds of bets available to those who want to wager on Mixed Martial Arts (MMA): Money line, over/under, and decision betting. During the course of a week, you may find a dozen fights to wager, so it is important to find odds that provide you with an edge. In order to be able to identify such fights, you’ll need to know the fighters and how they matchup. Not all online betting websites will provide all three types of betting opportunities.
The Money Line
The money line for MMA is the simplest of the three kinds of bets. You are making a wager on which fighter will win the bout. It’s that simple.
A money line will look like this:
June 28, 2014
UFC Fight Night 44 – AT&T Center – San Antonio, Texas
Both must fight for action
Money line
Joe “Excalibur” Ellenberger -260
10 pm
Bryan Barberena +200
The fight will be readily identified, and the money line will include the date and time of the fight as well as the location. Plus, there’s always the warning that both fighters listed must participate for there to be action.
To win $100 on the favorite, Joe “Excalibur” Ellenberger, you’ll need to wager $260. In order to take down $200 on underdog Bryan Barberena, you’ll need to bet $100.
The Over/Under
Fights are scheduled for either three or five rounds. With the over/under, you’re betting whether the fight will be short or go into the later rounds. The over/under on the three-round fight is 1.5. That means that the fight must go past the midpoint of round two to pay out on the over. Rounds are 5 minutes long, which makes the midpoint of a round 2:30.
Most MMA bouts are three rounds. Those that are slated for five rounds are title matches. These will offer different over/under wagers. Five-round bouts are often listed at 2.5, which means they must go past the midpoint of round three to pay, or 4.5, which means they must get past the midpoint of round five.
The over/under will look something like this:
-1.5 +350
+1.5 -250
If the fight ends before 2:31 of round two, then the under would win. However, if the fight goes beyond 2:30 of round two, you’re in the money on the over.
Decision Betting
You may also find decision betting available on certain bouts. With decision MMA wagering, you actually have to make two selections, and that makes this bet a tough one to win. First, you are betting on the fight being decided by a decision. That means that it will go the full three or five rounds. Then, you are deciding which fighter will win by a decision. This is very different than wagering on the money line where you are simply choosing who will win the match and not the manner in which they will win.
June 28, 2014
UFC Fight Night 44 – AT&T Center – San Antonio, Texas
Both must fight for action
Decision
Joe “Excalibur” Ellenberger -300
10 pm
Bryan Barberena +380
Note that in decision wagering the favorite and underdog remain the same but in our example it costs a bit more to bet on the favorite while the payout on the underdog is larger.
To Parlay or Not?
When you are first starting to wager on MMA, it is best to stay away from any type of parlay betting. Concentrate on money line wagering. In order to become successful at this type of MMA bet, you’ll need to become very familiar with the sport and the fighters. Once you start to see some success, you may want to expand to over/under wagering. However, stay away from parlays, as they greatly complicate the process and are prohibitive in terms of your realizing positive results. Decision wagering is the toughest nut to crack. Be very careful with this kind of bet. If you can find odds that favor you, especially in betting on the underdog, then take them. Only parlay once you’re ahead and know MMA inside out.
The Three Basic Components
When you’re considering each fighter in a match, it’s usual to break down a fighter’s strengths into three components.
- Stand-up Striking: This category focuses on how adept a fighter is on his feet when attacking and defending. It includes a wide range of techniques, such as Muay Thai kickboxing and western boxing, and considers punches, kicks, elbows and knee strikes. A good stand-up fighter is always a knockout threat.
- Ground Grappling: This particular category is concerned with a fighter’s ability to control his opponent on the mat, as well as his ability to make his opponent submit. Typical styles include jiu jitsu and sambo and techniques utilized are arm lock, leg lock, and choke.
- Wrestling: This area looks at how well an opponent can bring the other fighter to the ground while stopping the other fighter from throwing him down. Both wrestling and judo are included in this area. Strong wrestlers may be able to take the fight to the mat rather than play it out on their feet.
Other Considerations
There are some other considerations to keep in mind when determining how well positioned a fighter is for a certain bout.
- Past Performance Against Similar Opponents: Look at recent matches the fighter has had with opponents who fight in a style similar to their current opponent. This will give you some insight into how the fighter deals with particular techniques.
- Past Performance Against This Opponent: When you’re looking at a rematch, especially one that is fairly recent, this can be an indicator of how the next fight will play out. However, be aware of any adjustments either fighter may have made in the interim, as these also can be a factor in the next fight.
- Injury: As it is in many sports, professional MMA fighters will usually try to hide an injury or underplay its seriousness. Injuries usually occur during training, and may be difficult to recognize. If an opponent knows about an injury, he may have both a tactical and psychological advantage.
- Win Streak: The confidence that winning creates can lead to more winning. If a fighter develops a solid winning streak, he may be unbeatable in his next bout.
Plenty of Betting Opportunities
With MMA, there are plenty of sports betting opportunities each week. Online sportsbooks offer a range of fights on which you may wager. Know the fighters, know the sport, and know the most current news.