This article is part of our UFC Picks series.
The UFC heads to Tennessee on Saturday, August 5 for UFC Nashville. The main event sees top-five bantamweights meet at a 140lbs catchweight due to the short notice booking, as Cory Sandhagen takes on Rob Font.
Below, I'll share my favorite play, an underdog, a prop and a two-fighter parlay. All odds are via the DraftKings Sportsbook and are accurate as of the post date of this article.
Weight Class: Welterweight
Jeremiah Wells (12-2-1) vs. Carlston Harris (18-5)
Jeremiah Wells is a perfect 4-0 in the UFC and gets a tough test in Carlson Harris. In what should be a very competitive fight, I like Wells here.
Both Wells and Harris are super well-rounded, but both can be a bit chinny, as we have seen them get rocked and dropped in the UFC. To me, however, Wells has more power and should be able to keep it standing. Furthermore, if he wants it to get the mat, he should be the one to do so.
Harris does throw more volume than Wells, but he is also easier to be hit, and I expect Wells to catch Harris and get a knockout win here. To me, Wells should be around -160, so to get him at -135 is great value.
UFC Nashville Best Bet: Jeremiah Wells (-135)
Weight Class: Light heavyweight
Dustin Jacoby (18-7-1) vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu (12-3)
For my underdog pick, I'm backing Dustin Jacoby to get back into the win column against Kennedy Nzechukwu.
Jacoby is an excellent kickboxer and has a great chin, in addition to being a technical fighter. He can also wrestle, but doesn't choose too often, though that may change here. Nzechukwu, meanwhile, is also a good striker, but sometimes he doesn't show up.
I expect Nzechuwku to try and wrestle Jacoby, but on the feet, Jacoby should be able to land the better shots and get a decision win. To me, this is a pick'em fight, so to get plus-money on Jacoby makes it the play, as he is the better striker.
UFC Nashville Best Bet: Dustin Jacoby (+130)
Weight Class: 140lbs catchweight
Cory Sandhagen (16-4) vs. Rob Font (20-6)
In the main event, Cory Sandhagen was supposed to fight Umar Nurmagomedov, but the Dagestani native fell out of the scheduled bout. Font was supposed to fight at UFC 292, but his fight was also called off, so he gets stepped in to face Sandhagen.
This is a great scrap, but I like Sandhagen here by decision. Both Sandhagen and Font are great on the feet, but I think Sandhagen is the better and faster striker. I doubt either man wrestles all that much.
Ultimately, both men are super durable, and I expect Sandhagen to out-land Font to get a decision. We saw Font's ability to go all five rounds against Jose Aldo and Marlon Vera, so we know he can take a ton of damage. Effectively, I trust his durability here.
UFC Nashville Best Bet: Cory Sandhagen by decision (+140)
Weight Classes: Strawweight & Lightweight
Tatiana Suarez (9-0) vs. Jessica Andrade (24-11)
Ignacio Bahamondes (14-4) vs. L'udovit Klein (19-4-1)
For my parlay, I'm taking Tatiana Suarez and Ignacio Bahamondes to get their hands raised Saturday night.
Bahamondes is a phenomenal striker who throws a ton of volume and has great takedown defense. He will also have a three-inch reach advantage over Klein, which will make his jab much more effective and help him land the better shots. Klein got pieced up by Jai Herbert, and had it not been for a point deduction, he would have lost. To me, Bahamondes is much better and will either cruise to a decision or get a TKO win.
In the co-main event, Tatiana Suarez is back at strawweight and facing a former champ in Jessica Andrade.
First off, I do not like this fight for Andrade, who has lost two in a row (both this year) and coming off a knockout loss in May. She is returning too soon for my liking, and Suarez is super dominant with her wrestling and she should be able to take Andrade down -- similar to what Valentina Shevchenko did -- and get a TKO win.
UFC Nashville Best Bet: Tatiana Suarez & Ignacio Bahamondes parlay (-119)
UFC Nashville Best Bets
Here is a recap of this weekend's best bets:
- Jeremiah Wells (-135)
- Dustin Jacoby (+130)
- Cory Sandhagen wins by decision (+140)
- Tatiana Suarez & Ignacio Bahamondes parlay (-119)
For up-to-date information on the latest odds and props from multiple sportsbooks, check out the UFC odds page on RotoWire.
If you're in Ohio where legal betting just launched, check out Ohio sports betting promos. Sports betting is also officially live in the state of Massachusetts. To get the most bang for your buck when selecting a sportsbook as a new customer, check out these Massachusetts Sports Betting Promos.
If you prefer to deposit at a sportsbook via PayPal, RotoWire has an up-to-date list of all the top-rated PayPal betting sites in one place. We also list all major sportsbooks accepting credit card.
