UFC Predictions & Expert Betting Picks Tonight: UFC Vegas 49 Makhachev vs Green

The UFC is continuing its Fight Night run at the apex with a main event that was supposed to be Islam Makhachev vs. Benil Dariush, but Dariush had to withdraw due to injury and Bobby Green stepped up and took the fight on short notice. Green just fought and beat Nasrat Haqparast on Feb. 12, so this is a 14-day turnaround for him. There are some very intriguing matchups on this card, including another big matchup at Lightweight between Joel Alvarez and Arman Tsarukyan. There are a lot of juiced money lines on this card but a lot of props that bettors can use to make their UFC predictions tonight. As always, when shopping for the best UFC betting odds and lines, make sure to use OddsShopper to find the top odds at various sportsbooks. It is easily the best tool when it comes to shopping for the top ROI odds for the fights, and it will save bettors a lot of money in the long run. Below are my UFC picks for tonight when filling out your betting card. Let’s dig into some of the best UFC Vegas 49 predictions, picks and best bets for this amazing card for UFC Vegas 49 Makhachev vs Green.

Expert UFC Vegas 49 Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Tonight

Misha Cirkunov vs. Wellington Turman

In a battle of chinny middleweights, Misha Cirkunov will take on Wellington Turman. Making the walk to the octagon for the 12th time, Cirkunov will look to get back in the win column after losing three of his last four fights. Four of five Cirkunov losses have come via finish, and all six of his victories have also come inside the distance. Turman is a wrestler by trade and will take you down and grind out rounds. Two of his three losses have come via first-round KO loss, leaving him with some durability issues. Cirkunov does have power in his hands but most of his finishes have come via submission or ground and pound. That being said if Turman does take Cirkunov down, Turman will be at a BJJ disadvantage. Cirkunov is very slick on the mat and have quite a variety of submissions. It is also a possibility that Cirkunov will try to take Turman down. Turman does not have any losses by submission in the UFC but if Cirkunov can get into a dominant position he could end this fight either by ground and pound or submission. I was hoping there would be an over/under 2.5 line, which there wasn’t, but getting -110 on the fight not starting Round 3 is good value.

The Bet: Cirkunov/Turman Won’t Start Round 3 -110 (FanDuel)

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Joel Alvarez vs. Arman Tsarukyan

In a battle of two of the top lightweight prospects Joel Alvarez will take on Arman Tsarukyan. Alvarez will look to extend his winning streak and finish streak to five this weekend, but faces a stiff task in Tsarukyan. Alvarez most recently fought Thiago Moises in November, and Alvarez won via first-round knockout. A very impressive performance, however, he missed weight, which had been a recurring issue for him. He was on weight this weekend, which is a good sign. Alvarez is massive for the light weight division and packs a lot of power in his hands and is a very good wrestler with good submissions as well. Tsarukyan will also look to extend his winning streak to five and is coming off a performance-bonus knockout Christos Giagos in the first round back in September. Tsarrukyan has one loss in the UFC and it is to this week’s headliner — Islam Makhachev. Makhachev is hailed the best fighter in the division, so that loss does not look terrible on his resume as Tsarukyan lost a decision but he held his own and won a fight of the night bonus. This should be a great fight. Tsarukyan has incredible wresting and also has power in his hands, but as long as Alvarez can defend the takedowns I think he is live here. FanDuel has a very interesting bet where you can bet on Alvarez to win inside the distance, but if it goes to decision you get your money back. Tsarukyan is generally a fighter who takes fights to decision in his wins, and Alvarez has a good chance if he wants to win inside the distance, so this is a great bet getting Alvarez at plus money and the possibility to get your money back if the fight hits the scorecards.

The Bet: Joel Alvarez – Decision No Bet* +130 (FanDuel)

*Per FanDuel, Decision No Bet is defined as — If the fight goes to a decision (including technical decision) bets on this market are void. If a fighter wins by KO/TKO or Submission they will be settled as the Winner and the opponent the Loser.

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