UFC 234 takes place on Saturday, February 9, 2019 at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. The main card airs live on pay-per-view starting 10pm ET.
In the first UFC pay-per-view of 2019, Robert Whittaker will defend the middleweight title against Kelvin Gastelum. The matchup will be the 28-year old’s second title defense, as “Bobby Knuckles” is coming off a thrilling split decision win over Yoel Romero. The victory marked Whittaker’s ninth straight, quietly setting up the Aussie as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport.
Now a rapidly growing star in his native Australia, Whittaker will defend home soil in the main event of UFC 234. Gastelum has won two straight, knocking out former champion Michael Bisping and eking out a split decision against Ronaldo Souza. The 27-year old American is 4-1 with 1 No Contest in his last six fights - his knockout win over Vitor Belfort was overturned after Gastelum tested positive for marijuana metabolites.
Now, the pair meets in an awesome clash of quick, dynamic strikers. This one’s got all the characteristics of a Fight of the Year contender: two young studs with aggressive boxing styles and extraordinary toughness, fighting for the belt. Both guys are under 30, can bomb for days, and take a beating and keep cracking.
The UFC odds at BookMaker.eu opened with Whittaker as a heavy favorite, and we can see how online oddsmakers would set those prices. We’re taking an early look at the fight odds, tracking the line movements and offering you some insights on how you should bet this fight at BookMaker.eu.
Remember, live UFC betting at BookMaker.eu lets you hedge your bets during fights as well. Now onto the preview.
UFC 234 Betting at BookMaker.eu
Kelvin Gastelum: +188
Robert Whittaker: -234
Significant Striking Stats
Landed per minute: Whittaker 4.82 / Gastelum 3.86
Accuracy: Whittaker 40% / Gastelum 43%
Absorbed per minute: Whittaker 3.65 / Gastelum 2.87
Defense: Whittaker 61% / Gastelum 61%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Whittaker 0.37 / Gastelum 0.82
Takedown accuracy: Whittaker 57% / Gastelum 50%
Takedown defense: Whittaker 84% / Gastelum 62%
Submission average: Whittaker 0 / Gastelum 0.18
Opening Fight Odds at BookMaker.eu
Online sportsbooks opened with Whittaker at -245, with Gastelum at +175 on the comeback. That was back in early November, so it appears that the lines haven’t moved much in over a month. But our odds tracker showed a crazy spike in the few days after opening, where Whittaker’s price went up to -172, and Gastelum’s odds to win actually dropped to +138.
The prices quickly returned closer to their original price within a week, and since then Gastelum’s price has moved slightly to +188.
We’re not sure what caused the initial huge movement, but this indicates that there must have been some major action on Gastelum, prompting sportsbooks to improve Whittaker’s line until it evened back out. We see the challenger as a live ‘dog at his current price, and if it hits +200 in the coming weeks, there’s your sign to play Gastelum.
We post our in-depth fight previews during fight week, where we’ll break down exactly why we like Gastelum. By then, prop bets and round totals should be out as well, and we’ll point you to the best values to bet online at BookMaker.eu. While we always pick a winner, a lot of the times we see better plays elsewhere - and we always focus on the bets that pay out more than you risk. Everybody loves an underdog, including us.
As the first pay-per-view title fight of 2019, we’re keeping a close eye on this one - so make sure to check back here as we’ll post any more changes and how you should react as a sports bettor.
Stay Tuned for UFC 234 Odds and Updates
Bet on UFC odds at BookMaker.eu
Check back for latest line movements and odds updates for all your online UFC betting. The UFC odds at BookMaker Sportsbook are updated daily and provide you with some of the best prices to bet online. Make sure to check in during fight week for our expert picks, underdog specials and value picks!
