SportsLine's Andrew Gombas locked in his MMA picks for Jorge Masvidal vs. Colby Covington
Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington may not agree on a lot, but the two welterweight contenders promised a lot of violence when they met in the main event of UFC 272 on Saturday. His long-awaited performance anchors the pay-per-view portion of the main UFC. 272 Fight Cards (10 p.m. ET) from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Former teammates and training partners exchanged personal insults and accusations during a wild press conference on Thursday, when they gave different accounts of how their friendship turned into a fierce rivalry.
Covington is a -310 favorite (risk $310 to win $100), while Masvidal is introduced at +255 in the latest UFC 272: Masvidal vs Covington Odds from Caesars Sportsbook. In the co-main event, lightweight contenders take the spotlight as Rafael dos Anjos (-165) takes on Renato Moicano (+145). Before making any UFC 272: Masvidal vs Covington pick, make sure you check out MMA betting advice and predictions from SportsLine expert Andrew Goombas.
Gombus is a former NCAA wrestler who taps into his experience on the mat to dissect the X and O of MMA matchups in a way that sets him apart from other MMA analysts. He started the MMA handicapping service MMA Knockout Bets in 2018 and has shown profits every year since then.
With over 1,400 selections tracked by third-party monitoring service Bet MMA, they have shown a 6 percent return on investment for their followers. Over the past two years, his followers have made a profit of over $10,000.
Gombas began the 2022 UFC season in January by informing Sportsline members to back Calvin Katar (+200) against Giga Chikadze (-240) in a matchup of ranked featherweight contenders in the main event. The skewers dominated wire to wire to give Goombas' followers an easy winner. Anyone who has followed him has already seen massive returns.
Now, looking back to the date of UFC 272, Goombas has studied the cards from every angle and released his top MMA picks and expert analysis. You can only watch UFC 272 pics of Gombas on SportsLine.
UFC 272: Masvidal vs Covington Preview
Masvidal served as a mentor for Covington when both were on the American top team. Masvidal was already an accomplished MMA pro, while Covington was looking to make and break a name for himself. The veteran fighter helped with housing, food, and coaching the younger student, and at one point they considered each other close friends.
His rift began nearly five years ago when Covington (16-3) defeated Damon Maia and began to gain recognition as a top welterweight contender and alter ego that saw him hurl insults at his opponents.
Ultimately, Covington and Masvidal (35–15) were kicked out of the US top team for breaking the rules regarding public humiliation of teammates, although Masvidal has since returned.
The two made their way to the top of the division, but found similar misfortunes against Osman, with a stoppage loss and a decision loss in each of the two tries against the champions. With the prospect of a third title for any fighter in the near future, Covington and Masvidal decided it was time to settle their beef in the Octagon. You can just watch who is back at UFC 272 on SportsLine.
UFC 272 Predictions
We'll share one of Gombas's UFC 272 predictions here: He's with Greg Hardy (+180) to pull off the upset of Sergei Spivak (-210) in a battle for heavyweight prospects.
Hardy (7-4-1), 33, is a former All-Pro NFL defensive lineman who turned to mixed martial arts after finishing his career on the gridiron. He worked his way up the ranks and earned a UFC roster spot after two victories over "Dana White's Contender Series." He has shown punching power and resilience, leading 4-4-1 in nine UFC outings, but has lost back-to-back fights. Their last appearance ended in a stoppage loss against Tai Tuiwasa, now ranked No. 3 in the division.
Spivak (13-3) is a versatile fighter who has garnered six submissions and five knockouts from his 13 professional MMA victories. He has gone 4-3 in the UFC, all defeats coming against upper-tier opponents. He saw off a three-fight winning streak in September with a stoppage loss in the first round against rising contender Tom Espinall.
"Spivak has to watch this fight to get off the ground. He has good takedowns, but his top control isn't great. Hardy is hard to take down because of his strength, size and athleticism. I believe That's going to land on Spivak and kick him out," Gombas told Sportsline.
How To Make UFC 272 Selections
Goombas also has strong options for Masvidal vs Covington and other fights at UFC 272. He is also backing a fighter who is "better everywhere" to emerge with a major victory. Those UFC 272 pics are only available on SportsLine.
UFC 272 odds, fight card
Colby Covington (-310) vs. Jorge Masvidal (+255)
Rafael dos Anjos (-165) vs. Renato Moicano (+145)
Bryce Mitchell (-150) vs. Edson Barboza (+130)
Kevin Holland (-300) vs. Alex Oliveira (+250)
Sergey Spivak (-210) vs. Greg Hardy (+180)
Marina Rodriguez (-280) vs. Xiaonan Yan (+240)
Mariya Agapova (-190) vs. Maryna Moroz (+170)
Jalin Turner (-145) vs. Jamie Mullarkey (+125)
Kennedy Nzechukwu (-140) vs. Nicolae Negumereanu (+120)
Tagir Ulanbekov (-240) vs. Tim Elliott (+200)
Dustin Jacoby (-190) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (+170)
Umar Nurmagomedov (-600) vs. Brian Kelleher (+450)
Devonte Smith (-200) vs. Ludovit Klein (+175)