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UFC 261 Betting Trends and Splits – Masvidal Receiving Majority of Public Money

Ryan Sura

by Ryan Sura in Mixed Martial Arts News

Updated Apr 23, 2021 · 1:34 PM PDT

UFC 261 Betting Trends - Usman vs Masvidal & Valentina Shevchenko
Kamaru Usman kicks Colby Covington in a mixed martial arts welterweight championship bout at UFC 245 in Las Vegas, in this Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019 file photo. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
  • 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.

DraftKings Promo for UFC 261 Gives Bettors 26-1 Odds on Kamaru Usman or Jorge Masvidal
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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.

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.

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.

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