We have ourselves an absolutely stacked Bellator 297 card headlined by former UFC favorite, Yoel Romero, challenging for the title. Out of the whole card, there are three Bellator bets you should target to win big bucks. In this article, we’ll lay out those three picks for free!
- What: Bellator 297
- When: Friday, June 16
- Where: Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois
Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero Betting Pick
What a headliner we have in this light heavyweight title match. You have one of the best fighters in all of Bellator (Nemkov) going against one of the most famous (Romero). There’s almost zero value in betting the Nemkov vs. Romero moneyline. That’s because the champion is a massive -600 favorite to win. Therefore, we’re piling our money on the fight’s over/under instead, which is as follows:
| Outcome |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Over 4.5 rounds | +115 | +115 | +115 |
| Under 4.5 rounds | -145 | -145 | -145 |
Spoiler alert: we do NOT think Romero has much of a chance in this title fight. The elephant in the room is always his age. Romero is 46 years old — 16 years the senior of Nemkov. That’s obviously not ideal, but putting it aside, Nemkov is simply the better fighter right now by a mile.
We weren’t kidding when we called Nemkov one of Bellator’s best. He’s unbeaten in 11 consecutive fights. Nemkov has shown an uncanny ability to improve every time he steps into the ring. We’d be stunned if Nemkov loses. That raises the question that matters to over/under bettors: how does he win? Decision or stoppage?
What makes Nemkov so good is his balanced fighting style. Ten of his 16 wins have come by knockout. In particular, he’s deadly with his kicking. The Russian is also a competent wrestler, though, likely not at the level of Romero, a former Olympian. Therefore, expect Nemkov to lean on his striking to take this win. Our money says he gets the stoppage under that 4.5-round mark. Romero has only been knocked down once in his career, but at this age against this caliber of opponent, he could get caught at any point.
Patricio Pitbull vs. Sergio Pettis Betting Pick
A pair of bantamweights co-main event Bellator 297, and oh boy, is this about to be a doozy. Pettis is the reigning champion yet finds himself as a convincing underdog against Pitbull. As it stands, here are the Pitbull-Pettis odds at betting sites for MMA Bellator:
| Fighter | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patricio Pitbull | -200 | -200 | -200 |
| Sergio Pettis | +160 | +160 | +160 |
Pitbull is the measuring stick in this promotion. He’s the reigning featherweight champion but moves down to 135 for this one. With a win, Pitbull would be the first-ever Bellator fighter to win three championships in three divisions (he previously held the lightweight belt too). Pitbull’s even mentioned competing in the newly-created featherweight division and going for gold there.
Still, Pitbull shouldn’t overlook Pettis. The champion will have an almost four-inch reach advantage over Pitbull even after moving down. Pettis is an excellent striker with good range. Paired with that reach, Pettis should be dangerous when the fight is standing up. Moreover, Pettis is six years younger than Pitbull, a fighter that hasn’t fought in 18 months.
But if there’s a fight where Pitbull should lean back on his black belt in jiu-jitsu, it’s this one. As of late, Pitbull has preferred to go for the highlight-reel knockdown. That might be less feasible given the differences in reach.
We don’t think this is a layup fight for Pitbull. Bettors should question how he’ll look dropping weight. But still, we’re giving him the benefit of the doubt. He’s the most accomplished Bellator fighter ever and deserves that benefit. Barring a bad weight cut, Pitbull should win this off his high-level fight IQ.
Phil Davis vs. Corey Anderson Pick
Here’s another solid fight worth betting on. This one pits a pair of wrestlers at light heavyweight against one another. Anderson is the slight betting favorite to win over Davis:
| Fighter | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corey Anderson | -165 | -165 | -165 |
| Phil Davis | +135 | +135 | +135 |
As we said, both fighters are mat-based wrestlers by nature. But if we had to pick, Davis has the superior wrestling game. He was an NCAA champion whilst at Penn State about 15 years ago. Even at 38 years old, Davis' wrestling technique hasn’t wavered.
At the same time, Anderson is the better striker. So this fight will be won depending on where the fight takes place — standing or on the ground? We’re of the belief that wrestling is the best skill to have in this sport, which is why we’re taking the underdog Anderson to win.
Where To Bet Bellator 297?
Need a trusty sportsbook to bet on Bellator 297 (and future cards)? Start with one of the bookmakers listed in the table below. These are all the “best of the best”, per our latest sportsbook reviews.
Best of all, you’ll find every type of bet you can imagine for MMA at any one of these sites. Take Bellator 297, for instance. There are a handful of more fights on the card that are available for betting beyond what we covered. Plus, there’s a plethora of prop bets too unrelated to who wins (moneyline) and how long the bout lasts (over/under). Visit one of the below sites before Friday to lock on your Bellator betting.
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