UFC 277 Betting Picks: Can Amanda Nunes Hold Off Julianna Pena?

Dan Favale
By , Updated on: Jul 29, 2022 12:00 AM
Amanda Nunes will beat Julianna Pena at UFC 277.

The latest betting odds on UFC are currently hyping up what has turned out to be loaded card for UFC 277. Though one of the primary fights has been pulled from the schedule on Saturday, July 30, The Company has already replaced it with a humdinger. And beyond that, we'll be treated to a pair of main event matchups with Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Pena and Brandon Moreno vs. Kai Kara-France. Suffice it to say, there is no shortage of reasons to be pumped up for some UFC 277 betting.

Even better, we have a full catalog of UFC 277 picks to roll through. But before we drop our predictions for the top-five fights, here are the latest UFC 277 betting odds, courtesy of the folks over at BetOnline:

FavoriteBetOnlineBetOnlineUnderdog
Amanda Nunes-345+285Julianna Pena
Brandon Moreno-210+180Kai Kara-France
Derrick Lewis-135+115Sergei Pavlovich
Magomed Ankalaev-450+350Anthony Smith
Alexandre Pantoja-160+140Alex Perez

As you can see, Nunes is heavily favored to beat Pena while Moreno is projected to kick butt against Kara-France. But are those the right bets for you? And what about the matchup between Derrick Lewis and Sergei Pavlovich? Or the showdown between Magomed Ankalaev and Anthony Smith? Let's also not forget the fill-in fight for Paulo Costa vs. Luke Rockhold, which will now be taking place at UFC 278. While Alexandre Pantoja vs. Alex Perez isn't the battle people were expecting to watch, it still offers plenty of intrigue.

Please remember to double-check all these odds on UFC 277 until you actually submit your MMA picks. All UFC 277 betting lines are subject to shift right up until the opening bell on July 30, and our odds are accurate entering Wednesday, July 6.

And with so much time to kill before the start of UFC 277, you might as well check out our reviews of all the top online sportsbooks. We even have a section dedicated to bringing you the best betting apps for UFC in 2022. Basically, if you need any help at all finding a home for all your UFC 277 betting, we have you covered!

Should Amanda Nunes Be UFC 277 Betting Favorite Over Julianna Pena?

Nunes and Penna are meeting once more after the latter pulled out an impressive victory at UFC 269 in December. Many bettors, in turn, might see value in rolling the dice on Pena to win again. But we're more inclined to believe her victory was a fluke.

Pena pulled out the win at UFC 269 by getting Nunes in a triangle chokehold and forcing her to submit just 2:03 into the match. That's not something she can bank on happening again.

Nunes is normally among the best in the business at preventing those submission holds, and she also has the edge as both the wrestler and striker whether you're judging by speed, power or accuracy.

OSB Prediction: Amanda Nunes (-345)

Amanda Nunes To beat Julianna Pena
BetOnline
-345

Is Kai Kara-France a Match for Brandon Moreno?

Oddsmakers would likely be giving Moreno even more preferential treatment if he didn't just lose two of his past three matches while struggling to land his best striking combinations.

Here's the thing: Both of Moreno's losses came against Deiveson Figueiredo. Kara-France is not him.

Moreno's vertical defense will hold up much better in this head-to-head, and Kara-France operates at a slow enough speed that the former should have no issue connecting on his combinations.

OSB Prediction: Brandon Moreno (-210)

Brandon Moreno To beat Kai Kara-France
BetOnline
-210

Trust Derrick Lewis to Take Care of Business vs. Sergei Pavlovich

Don't be afraid to bet on Lewis even though he's working off two losses in his past three fights.

Losing by knockout is an inherent risk of Lewis' high-leverage style. He is going to operate on the offensive quickly and furiously.

That can be a net negative against certain opponents schooled in the art of lateral evasive maneuvers and who know how to deliver punches within tight openings. Pavlovich doesn't currently profile as that type of fighter. Lewis could win this one with a knockout of his own.

OSB Prediction: Derrick Lewis (-135)

Derrick Lewis To beat Sergei Pavlovich
BetOnline
-135

Does Anthony Smith Stand a Chance vs. Magomed Ankalaev?

Ankalaev only has one official UFC loss on his resume so far. We don't see Smith getting him to No. 2.

To be blunt, Ankalaev is just too comprehensive of a fighter for us to envision a loss. He is landing 54 percent of his significant strikes while warding off 61 percent of these same moves from the opposition. He is also among the best takedown deliverers and defenders in The Company.

At the risk of oversimplifying Ankalaev vs. Smith, is this the easiest UFC 277 betting decision you'll make.

OSB Prediction: Magomed Ankalaev (-450)

Magomed Ankalaev To beat Anthony Smith
BetOnline
-450

Alexandre Pantoja vs. Alex Perez Could be a UFC 277 Betting Classic Hidden in Plain Sight

This isn't your average fill-in fight. Perez, in fact, recently earned a crack at Deiveson Figueiredo. He lost, of course, but the road to get there highlighted a well-rounder fighter on the come-up.

Perez's experience against Figueiredo should serve him well against Pantoja. He already held up his average strikes per minute (4.62) and takedown completions per fight (2.92) versus Figueiredo, and Pantoja doesn't pose nearly as imposing of a challenge. We're penciling in this fight for an upset that we actually believe should be the easily favored outcome.

OSB Prediction: Alex Perez (+140)

Alex Perez To beat Alexandre Pantoja
BetOnline
+140

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Meet the author

Dan Favale

Dan first began writing about sports back in 2011. At the time, his expertise lied in the NBA and NFL. More than one decade, that remains the case. But he's also expanded his catalog to include extensive knowledge and analysis on the NHL, MLB, tennis, NASCAR, college ba...

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