UFC 141 closes out what has been an extremely exciting and captivating year for the company, and the main event features two of the largest men to ever step into the octagon. Here is a look at the odds for the main card.

Brock Lesnar (5-2) vs. Alistair Overeem (35-11, 1 NC) – Heavyweight

Overeem is a -145 favorite at BetOnline, but he opened at -160 as Lesnar is gaining support from the sportsbooks at +125. It is also likely because of Lesnar’s stature in the company as a former champion and the public knows him from his time in the WWE, while Overeem is well known to diehard MMA fans, but not to the casual player who would wager on this bout. The winner gets a shot at current champ Junior Dos Santos, who may need knee surgery.

Nate Diaz (14-7) vs. Donald Cerrone (17-3, 1 NC) – Lightweight

In a match that price per head companies that help set lines would have at the top of the list when it comes to “Fight of the Night” contenders, Cerrone is a -255 favorite against the younger Diaz brother, who comes in at +215. Diaz has seven UFC fight bonuses to his name, while Cerrone has only three, but he has had only four UFC fights and he has a number from the WEC. Cerrone has ended his last two fights in the first round, so that may be a reason while sportsbooks have him as such a big favorite.

Jon Fitch (23-3) vs. Johny Hendricks (11-1) – Welterweight

Fitch enters this match as a -220 favorite, while Hendricks is rated at +190 and the winner could get a shot at the interim 170-pound title, which will be won by either Nick Diaz or Carlos Condit in February. Fitch is coming off shoulder surgery, but that hasn’t scared off the linesmakers and those who use price per head services, but he’ll have his hands full with Hendricks; this will be a match for the wrestling fan as both excelled in the sport in university.

Vladimir Matyushenko (26-5) vs. Alexander Gustafsson (12-1) – Light Heavyweight

Gustafsson is a massive -335 favorite, while Matyushenko is listed at +280 in a fight that was originally supposed to take place in August, but Matyushenko was injured and Gustafsson instead sent Matt Hamill into retirement. Only once in his career has Gustafsson gone the distance and that was a two-round fight in Poland. He is extremely explosive and can knock you out as well as submit you, which is why he is such a large favorite, but Matyushenko is a veteran with a lot of experience and he could be valuable to sports betting players on December 30^th.

Even WWE fans should check out Saturday night’s UFC card, and while they can find the majority of the card on Facebook or FoxSports.com, the main event is on the main Fox network and it’s a heavyweight title fight between champion Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos, two explosive fighters who don’t really aim for submissions, unless it’s via punches. Here is a look at the line and a couple of questions about the odds.

Why Cain Velasquez Should Be Favored?

Velasquez (9-0) is a -165 favorite, and it’s obviously no BetOnline scam because he is the champion and he has dominated virtually every opponent he has faced. With the exception of a couple of punches from Cheick Kongo at UFC 99, Velasquez has never been in trouble and even then, he recovered quickly and dominated Kongo in his only fight to go to a decision. Velasquez may be favored because of his wrestling: Jon Jones, Georges St. Pierre and Frankie Edgar are all wrestlers, and they’re all champions, so that may play into this pay per head line.

Should Junior Dos Santos Be Favored?

Dos Santos comes in at +145 and like Velasquez, “Cigano” has never really been in trouble in the octagon, but his lone loss (which came back in Brazil in November 2007, his sixth professional fight) may be the reason he is the underdog. Still, Dos Santos has been more active since Velasquez has been out as he dominated Shane Carwin in June, and he has been able to train steadily while Velasquez had to wait a few months before he could really ramp up his training. Dos Santos may also be the best striker in the heavyweight division, and he is also trained in jiu-jitsu by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria, an MMA legend (who also lost to Velasquez last February). His trump card may be his takedown defense, which will be his biggest weapon in a price per head sports upset.

The Verdict

Velasquez should be the favorite, but the line may be a little high given his inactivity over the last year. His dominance in past fights is probably the reason that he is favored at -165, but Dos Santos has also been dominant in the octagon. Some may wonder why Dos Santos couldn’t knock out Roy Nelson and Carwin in fights that he clearly had the upper hand, but that is more of a testament to his opponents and he is going to have a tough time knocking out Velasquez as well. Either way, the line is what it is and it’s going to be a very tough call for players to make before they head to their betting sites.

There is no BetOnline scam when it comes to the lines for UFC 137; there are a trio of massive favorites on the main card, while the two big fights are relatively close and we’re going to tell you why.

B.J. Penn (16-7-2) vs. Nick Diaz (25-7, 1 NC) – Welterweight

Penn is favored at -135 while Diaz is rated at +115, and Penn gets the edge as he is more known to UFC fans, but Diaz earns some respect for a 10-match winning streak and he held the Strikeforce belt. BetOnline reviews for this match are picking a close battle and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see this line come closer to even odds by fight night.

Cheick Kongo (16-6-2) vs. Matt Matrione (5-0) – Heavyweight

Matrione is a -135 favorite in this heavyweight clash against Kongo, who comes in at +135 and he is the typical mid-pack fighter in the UFC; not good enough to be a champion, but he’s better than the lower-tier fighters. Price per head services will favor Matrione as he is a fan favorite from his time on the “Ultimate Fighter”, and he has four KOs in his first five fights.

Mirko Filipovic (27-9-2, 1 NC) vs. Roy Nelson (15-6) – Heavyweight

Nelson is favored at -280 against “Cro Cop”, who is near the end of his career and he may even be finished if he loses this fight. Nelson has an iron chin and an outstanding ground game for a man his size, while Filipovic has looked disinterested and has been knocked out in his last two fights.

Scott Jorgensen (12-4) vs. Jeff Curran (33-13-1) – Bantamweight

Jorgensen is a -425 favorite according to price per head odds, even though this is his first fight on a UFC pay-per-view. Curran is a veteran, but Jorgensen had a title fight against Dominick Cruz just two bouts ago and is high in the bantamweight rankings, which is why he is such a big favorite on Saturday night.

Hatsu Hioki (24-4-2) vs. George Roop (12-7-1) – Featherweight

Hioki is another sizeable favorite at -330 over Roop, and Hioki is also making his UFC debut against a fighter that matches up well for him; Roop has problems defending submissions, and Hioki is a submission specialist. Those in the know have Hioki up there in the featherweight rankings and some think it’s only a matter of time before he earns a shot at the title, while Roop is the quintessial mid-card fighter. He can take on the lower fighters, but he’ll never get a title shot. Hioki was brought in to fight for the championship at some point, which is why he’ll be a popular pick at sportsbooks on Saturday.

UFC fans in Toronto are going to get a treat at UFC 140 on December 10^th as the main card is a contender for best card of the year, highlighted by a title fight in the 205-pound division. Here is a preview of who we think will be favored.

Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida – Light Heavyweight Title Bout

The champion, Jones, will be favored and probably by a lot as he has run over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (who took the belt from Machida) and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (who robbed Machida of a victory). But Machida is a former champion himself and smart Bet Online players will know not to count out the “Dragon”, who sent Randy Couture into retirement in the first UFC card in Toronto back in April.

Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira – Heavyweight

In this matchup of former UFC champions, look for Mir to be a slight favorite in your bookie software over “Big Nog”, who stopped Brandon Vera (who beat Mir) in Brazil in August. He really needed that win to keep him afloat in the division. Mir should still be favored, though, especially after knocking out “Big Nog” in December 2008 to take the interim heavyweight belt.

Rory MacDonald vs. Brian Ebersole – Welterweight

MacDonald should be the favorite among price per head bookmaking agents for a couple of reasons: he is riding a two-match winning streak, he will have the crowd on his side being a Canadian boy and the last time he was in Toronto, he was seen suplexing Nate Diaz all over the octagon. But don’t sleep on Ebersole, who is 2-0 in the UFC and has won nine fights in a row overall. The young MacDonald shouldn’t overlook Ebersole.

Tito Ortiz vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira – Light Heavyweight

Both of these fighters need a win as Ortiz is 1-5-1 in his last seven fights, while “Little Nog” has dropped two in a row. Nogueria will probably come in as the favorite as his recent history is better and even though he hasn’t been that impressive since joining the UFC, he isn’t the one fighting for his job. President Dana White won’t confirm it, but it’s possible that Ortiz will be cut if he gets knocked out like he did against Rashad Evans in August.

Mark Hominick vs. Chan Sung Dung – Featherweight

Hominick, another Canadian fighter, should get the edge in your sportsbook in December, and this is his first fight since the last card in Toronto, where he fought through a massive hematoma against champion Jose Aldo, gamely losing in a draw. Dung earned a submission win in his UFC debut in March, but that was at a Fight Night card. A PPV card is a different animal, so nerves could factor into Dung’s performance and that’s why he’ll be an underdog in your online wagering picks.

This week’s NBA action saw the Boston Celtics drop another humbling defeat, this time to the Memphis Grizzlies – and at home, no less. The Celtics broke a four game winning streak with a loss on the road to Milwaukee on Tuesday night, then headed back to Boston to face the surging Grizzlies at home. The tired Celtics got picked apart by a more confident team in Memphis.

In NHL news, off the ice NHL GMs approved a so-called “blindside head-shot” ban at their recent annual meeting in Boca Raton. In their own words, “A lateral, back pressure or blindside hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principal point of contact is not permitted. A violation of the above will result in a minor or major penalty and shall be reviewed for possible supplemental discipline.” One can only salivate over just what exactly “supplemental discipline” is. In any event, this was an expected move that would make hits such as the Mike Richards-David Booth monstrosity illegal – next season, that is.

The Pacquiao-Clottey fight is the big combative sports news of the weekend, and while fans are still deprived of the Mayweather bout, Joshua Clottey is a shockingly tough individual, and while boxing odds list him as a prohibitive underdog, expect him to go the distance and possibly even steal a round or two from pac-man.

Now, if you’re in the mood for some betting online – and really, why wouldn’t you be? – may I suggest a horse of a different colour? While that might sound like an introduction to Kentucky Derby odds (trust me, my mom is psyched for the Derby this weekend), instead, I’m talking about boxing. Specifically, the biggest boxing match of ’09 thus far, the marquee poster of which can be seen right here:

Seriously, my dear readership, sports betting online was practically MADE for boxing. Don’t believe me? If you’ve ever placed a wager on a fight before, then you’ll know how much added excitement you get from watching two guys pummel each other into submission. You can really get behind a certain fighter if you’ve got money riding on him, and in this case, it’ll just ramp up the anticipation that much more. Come on now — we’ve got Manny Pacquiao, who’s pretty much second only to God in the Phillippines, taking on Ricky Hatton, England’s fan favorite and a strong boxer in his own right. All this going down on Saturday. Who wouldn’t be excited? Crazy people, that’s who.

Hatton odds on the match are giving the edge to Pacquiao instead. It seems that, no matter how popular “Hitman” Hatton is in his native England, most true boxing fans haven’t forgotten the beating Hatton took from Floyd Mayweather. And so it’s only natural that betting sharps would be placing their wagers on Pacquiao, who displayed a huge amount of speed and stamina in his takedown of Oscar De La Hoya late last year. Yet the Hitman’s fans aren’t willing to lose their faith just yet, and so the sportsbook may find a serious divide between not only their fighters, but their national countries and their respective denizens as well.

But if you want the bottom line, boxing lines say take Pacquiao at -250. Exempt if you’re British — you’re allowed to be patriotic. Either way, tune in on May 2nd for all the ring action!

Boxing is a funny sort of sporting event, whether or not you take into account its constant presence in offshore sportsbooks. Although it feels like it gets eclipsed by the larger-than-life personalities of its offspring – WWE and UFC, respectably – there’s still plenty of oldskool lovers of the old-fashioned ring out there and, as the saying appropriately goes, boxing isn’t going down without a fight.

Rocky agrees. (Though I’m more interested in his son, one Mr. Ventimiglia…rrrrrrr)

But wait! We have a Rocky-style star-studded matchup coming to us live this Saturday, and while it doesn’t feature Mr. T or any prototypical boxer character from a video game, it does have a ring champ taking on a national superstar. Ladies and gentlemen, the Pacquiao vs De La Hoya line.

C’mon now, everybody’s heard of Oscar De La Hoya. He’s one of the household names when it comes to the boxing world (and when I say household, I’m not just talking about George Foreman and his grilling contraptions). So while De La Hoya may already be a legend, it’s the up-and-comer, Manny Pacquiao, that’s holding more of my interest in this bout. Turns out Pacquiao is probably the most popular man in the Phillipines, complete with singing career and the ability to sway the presidential election. And now he’s moving up two weight classes just to take on De La Hoya. In a word, whoa. What’s that say for your boxing odds, hmmm?

Anyway, while there won’t be much man candy to ogle in this event (I dunno, that’s just my preference — but then again, I’m a puck bunny, so what does that say about my love for mullets?), there will be plenty of beatdowns to cheer on. Although it seems like Pacquiao has the disadvantage here weight class-wise – and the betting lines reflect that – he has “heavyweight power” and the distinct advantage of still being in his prime. It’s not quite another Lesnar vs Couture, but this is still a matchup of youth vs. experience, and it looks to me like Pacquiao might claim the throne. At least until Foreman gets tired of inventing grill machines.

Or, you know, until they let Laila Ali take `em all out. Go girl!