Uriah Hall among best bets for UFC on ESPN in Las Vegas

Uriah Hall won his past combat successful April astatine UFC 261 erstwhile erstwhile champion Chris Weidman suffered a gruesome breached limb throwing a kick.

Hall returns to the cage against Sean Strickland successful a middleweight combat Saturday nighttime successful the main lawsuit of a UFC connected ESPN paper astatine the Apex.

Handicapper Lou Finocchiaro is backing Hall to bushed Strickland arsenic a +170 underdog.

“Hall is simply a legit 185-pounder who has fought the elite of the the part and fared precise well. When he’s on, he’s a lethal kickboxer and Muay Thai striking savant,” said Finocchiaro (@GambLou). “Strickland has fought astir of his vocation astatine 170 pounds. He’s a brash, abrasive benignant who truly wants to irritate whoever listens to him and does an fantabulous occupation of that.

“He’s going to instrumentality the combat close to Hall and effort to bully him and propulsion him back. The contented is Hall’s legit 185-pound size. I judge he’s focused and wholly acceptable for Strickland’s attack. This is simply a large accidental connected Hall astatine +170.”

Here are Finocchiaro’s different 2 champion bets connected the card:

Chavez (-105) implicit Kamaka

Kai Kamaka, who trains astatine Xtreme Couture MMA successful Las Vegas, was a precocious replacement for Doo Ho Choi, who had to propulsion retired of this featherweight combat against Danny Chavez successful the prelims with an injury.

“Both fighters mislaid their past combat and participate this 1 struggling. They’ve each besides gone to larger, much legimitate gyms,” Finocchiaro said. “Kamaka takes this combat connected abbreviated announcement and lone had astir 10 days to get acceptable for the fight.

“At 34, Chavez knows a nonaccomplishment present could easy beryllium the extremity of his UFC career. He had a afloat camp, is wholly focused and situationally is successful a truly bully position. Kamaka is successful a atrocious position.”

Rowe-Cosce goes the region (+145)

Finocchiaro is banking connected the opening combat connected the paper betwixt welterweights Philip Rowe and Orion Cosce to spell the distance, which pays +145 astatine Circa Sports.

“Rowe is immense for the division, but his contented is the level of contention he’s faced is frighteningly thin,” helium said. “Cosce is simply a overmuch much balanced fighter. He comes from Team Alpha Male and has a well-rounded warring arsenal.

“What you’ll spot aboriginal connected is 2 game, consenting kids. When Rowe is outside, he’ll beryllium successful control. When Cosce is inside, he’ll musculus him up. I similar Rowe and Cosce to beryllium a competitive, three-round decision.”