UFC 261 Betting Trends and Splits – Masvidal Receiving Majority of Public Money
By Ryan Sura in Mixed Martial Arts News
Published:
- UFC 261 goes down on Saturday, April 24th in Jacksonville, Florida, with the main event featuring Kamaru Usman vs Jorge Masvidal
- Are the majority of bets on Jorge Masvidal or Kamaru Usman?
- See a full breakdown of the betting handle at DraftKings for the UFC 261 main card
Jorge Masvidal will take another swing at the welterweight champion when he fights Kamaru Usman in the main event of UFC 261 on Saturday, April 24th, 2021 in Jacksonville, Florida. Usman is the favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, but is that who the public is backing?
The UFC 261 betting trends list Jorge Masvidal receiving a larger portion of the handle in the main event.
UFC 261 has a loaded main card, with three title fights. Excluding Usman vs Masvidal, the other title fights are Valentina Shevchenko vs Jessica Andrade and Zhang Weili vs Rose Namajunas. Let’s take a look at the breakdown of money and bets wagered on each fight in the main card at DraftKings.
UFC 261 Betting Trends & Splits
| Fighter | Odds at DraftKings | % of Total Money | % of Total Bets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jorge Masvidal | +350 | 67% | 42% |
| Kamaru Usman | -455 | 33% | 58% |
| Fighter | Odds | % of Total Money | % of Total Bets |
| Rose Namajunas | +165 | 33% | 38% |
| Weili Zhang | -200 | 67% | 62% |
| Fighter | Odds | % of Total Money | % of Total Bets |
| Jessica Andrade | +350 | 17% | 15% |
| Valentina Shevchenko | -455 | 83% | 85% |
| Fighter | Odds | % of Total Money | % of Total Bets |
| Chris Weidman | -125 | 50% | 41% |
| Uriah Hall | +100 | 50% | 59% |
| Fighter | Odds | % of Total Money | % of Total Bets |
| Anthony Smith | +160 | 27% | 34% |
| Jim Crute | -200 | 73% | 66% |
Data provided by DraftKings Sportsbook as of April 23rd
Jorge Masvidal Seeing Majority of Handle
Kamaru Usman vs Jorge Masvidal 2 has been the highest anticipated rematch since McGregor vs Poirier 2. With Usman winning the first fight via decision, Masvidal is receiving 67% of the money coming into their second matchup.
Given Masvidal’s odds, this is not totally surprising. A revenge story is always easier to back as a bettor, especially as an underdog for the second time. That being said, Usman started the week as a -400 favorite and is now listed at -455 just a day before fight night.
Usman is seeing 58% of the total bets on the fight. With his betting line moving that much, it leads me to believe there is a decent amount of sharp money on him to win. One tidbit to note, Kamaru Usman’s father recently got out of jail and will watch him fight live for the first time in his life.
Shevchenko Getting Most Action on Main Card
Valentina Shevchenko will defend her flyweight belt against Jessica Andrade in the main card. Shevchenko is a -455 favorite and is seeing a ton of money in her favor.
A legacy continued or a legacy restarted?
🏆 @BulletValentina vs 🇧🇷 @JessicaMMAPro
[ #UFC261 | Saturday on E+ PPV | https://t.co/yqAnGjWuJz ] pic.twitter.com/iLUHkZg6yT— UFC (@ufc) April 22, 2021
The “Bullet” is receiving 83% of the total money and 85% of the total bets on this fight. Jessica Andrade has a 21-8-0 record, while Shevchenko boasts a 20-3-0 record. Like Usman’s betting line, Shevchenko’s odds have shortened from -400 to -455 throughout the week. If you’re looking for more value, Shevchenko to win by TKO/KO or DQ is listed at +195 at DraftKings.
Weidman vs Hall Even Split
Uriah Hall fights Chris Weidman in the main card at middleweight. Hall holds a 17-9-0 record, while Weidman sits at 15-5-0 in his career. Despite Hall being a small underdog (+100), he is receiving 59% of the total bets at DraftKings.
"I just feel like there is this resurgence inside of me."@ChrisWeidman discusses why he's excited to fight Uriah Hall at #UFC261 🔊⬆️
Order the PPV ➡️: https://t.co/MkJRTcmPxj pic.twitter.com/YK0wyWMpie
— UFC News (@UFCNews) April 21, 2021
Uriah Hall started the week listed as a -115 favorite. Even though he is seeing a higher percentage of the total bets, the handle is a 50-50 split. With the recent line movement, it would seem as if the sharps are hitting Weidman. This is a very even matchup as Hall is ranked ninth at middleweight and Weidman is ranked 11th.
This article contains links to external sports betting services. SBD may receive advertising revenue from these links, however editorial has hand-picked each individual link based on relevance to the article, without influence on the coverage.
Editor & Sports Betting Expert
With 5+ years of sports journalism under his belt, Ryan Sura may be young, but he's already making his mark. Ryan is the lead NHL editor at SBD, along with managing content for MMA, Boxing, and Racing. He is also the commercial manager, highlighting the best promos at online sportsbooks across US.
