Bout: George Roop (+275) vs. Hatsu Hioki (-335)
The Bet: Bet on George Roop to defeat Hatsu Hioki ($10 to win $27.50)
It’s time to face the fact, fellow PRIDE and Japanese MMA fans… Japanese fighters just don’t excel in American mixed martial arts. Takanori Gomi, Kid Yamamoto and Michihiro Omigawa all floundered in their hyped-up UFC debuts. Even Yoshihiro “Sexyama” Akiyama’s UFC career has been lackluster. Despite winning his first bout against Alan Belcher (which many say he should have lost in the first place), he’s gone on a three fight losing streak. There comes a point when a superstition and myth become eerily real… and I think we have already surpassed that point. The training outside of Japan is different, the altitude is different, and the breed of athletes is completely different. Hioki definitely has all the tools he needs to make quick work of Roop, but when it comes to gambling on Halloween weekend… you’d feel a bit goofy betting against the superstition.
Final Word: Bet small on this fight. It’s the opening bout of the night and, in case you lose, you don’t want to be bummed for the rest of the card.
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Don’t Bet Too Much on BJ Penn…
BJ Penn is a spectacular athlete and is personally one of my favorite fighters to watch in any sport. With that being said, he isn’t the safest bet in the world. In fact, he’s quite the opposite. The problem with betting on him is that you never know which BJ Penn is going to walk into the octagon, and it’s frustrating! Is it going to be the BJ Penn that demolished guys like Matt Hughes, Diego Sanchez and Kenny Florian? Or will it be the BJ Penn that couldn’t handle Frankie Edgar or Georges St. Pierre? Betting on fighting isn’t safe enough as is… why complicate it by betting on a fighter that has so many variables in his career already?
Parlays are your friend… but not your best friend.
Hitting a multiple team parlay in any sport is one of the best feelings in the world. Watching the magic of you predicting the outcomes of seven different games correctly and turning a measly $5 into a cool $100 is sweet. The truth: You got lucky. What usually happens when a bettor hits big on a parlay is that they try again to land a big payday. Then they try again. Then they try AGAIN. Even though they are $3 and $5 bets, they add up. It’s like going out to eat at Taco Bell, KFC and Burger King all week. It’s an amount of money so small it’s easy to spend it, and then you find out you spent $100 on food in two weeks when you look at your bank statement. Don’t be THAT guy/girl. Limit yourself to three or four parlays a month.
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**Disclaimer: The betting advice in this column is only a suggestion. If you or anyone you know has a gambling problem, please visit www.ncpgambling.org. Remember, play with patience and intelligence or don’t play at all.**
