Best UFC 299 Bets: Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera 2 Picks

Eric Uribe
By , Updated on: Mar 4, 2024 07:00 PM
Best UFC 299 Bets: Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera 2 Picks

Want to make money betting on UFC 299? Of course, you do if you’re reading this right now. Welp, we think we can help you do just that. That’s because we’ve picked out the three best bets of UFC 299 — all on the top fights too. Stay with us if you want money-making betting advice!

  • What: UFC 299
  • Where: Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida
  • When: Saturday, March 9

Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera Betting Pick

O’Malley headlines the show. He’s one of the brightest new stars in the sport, but his shine has only been dimmed by one man, Vera. We’ll get to their shared history soon, but let’s take a gander at the O’Malley-Vera over/under odds first. These are available at the top UFC betting sites:

OutcomeBovadaBetUSMyBookie
Over 4.5 Rounds-160-160-160
Under 4.5 Rounds+130+130+130

Yes, these two have fought before — way back back at UFC 252 in 2020. The first meeting ended with a first-round TKO win for Vera and the only loss in O’Malley’s career. O’Mallet has routinely said the defeat was more of a fluke than a reflection of Vera’s skills because of a foot injury he sustained. At the same time, the effectiveness of Vera’s leg kicks is why the injury even happened. Cope for the champion? Sure feels like it.

But despite this, O’Malley is a comfy -280 favorite on the moneyline. To us, that line and Vera’s +220 odds feel like a misprice. This should be a competitive fight in the second go around despite what the odds say.

But these fighters are striking-based but go about it quite differently. O’Malley thrives at counter-punching. It’s not that the bantamweight champion is deadly powerful, but his pinpoint accuracy makes him a KO threat. On the other hand, Vera is a more pressure fighter. His strikes land with more power, but less accuracy. So either this fight is a rock ‘em sock ‘em type affair or more cautious as neither fighter “takes the bait” of the other.

We honestly don’t know who wins this title bout. Vera’s moneyline is attractive cause it’s way undervalued. Still, we’re more comfortable taking the under 4.5 rounds bet. Both men are very capable finishers, and given the bad blood between the two, we have a sneaking suspicion one gets caught with a KO punch at some point.

Under 4.5 Rounds in O’Malley vs. Vera fight at UFC 299
+130
BetUS

Dustin Poirier vs. Benoit Saint-Denis Betting Pick

The co-main event should be a barn burner. Here again, it features two fighters that wow fight fans with their fight style. For this reason, it’s being fought at five rounds, not the usual three. Here’s how oddsmakers have pegged the Poirier and Saint-Denis betting line:

FighterBovadaBetUSMyBookie
Benoit Sant-Denis-215-125-125
Dustin Poirier+175-105-105

This feels like classic UFC matchmaking — pitting a rising star against an aging fan favorite. Most of the time, these fights are meant to build up the new star, and if odds are any indication, that’s what this is. Saint-Denis is the new star in this example. He’s won four in a row and with style too. Each of Saint-Denis’ last four fights were finished before the third round thanks to his aggressive, offensive-first style.

Stylistically, Saint-Denis’ approach meets his match with Poirier. That’s because Poirier is also a striker, but he thrives at the counter-punch. Poirier had built a decade-plus career in the UFC off his boxing, and in particular, just how accurate he throws. For a hit-able fighter like Saint-Denis who can get sloppy in the octagon, Poirier’s precision could make him pay dearly.

But here’s the catch: Poirier is 35 years old now. He’s probably not the Poirier of old. The last time we saw Poirier he was head-kick KO’d by Justin Gaethje. We saw what a similar knockout did to Alex Volkanovski at the same age, and you can’t help but think the same decline is in store for Poirier. In that case, we’re squarely behind Saint-Denis. We predict the Frenchman gets Poirier out early.

Benoit Saint-Denis to beat Dustin Poirier t at UFC 299
-215
BetUS

Kevin Holland vs. Michael Page Betting Pick

UFC 299 is heavy on striking fighters cause we get another one in this welterweight clash — and this one is the closest of all. Just take a look at how close the betting lines are for Holland and Page:

FighterBovadaBetUSMyBookie
Kevin Holland-125-125-125
Michael Page-105-105-105

Page is the newest, hyped-up UFC signee. If you watch Bellator, you’re familiar with Page. He’s one of the most accomplished fighters in Bellator history with a 21-2 record. He has an unorthodox karate-type fight style that can land blows in many different directions. This unpredictably, paired with power, is why Page has 13 career KO wins.

However, Page isn’t the usual up-and-coming signee. He’s 36 years old, the age most fighters are unofficially “over the hill.” We have our worries not only about the age, but also the jump in competition going from Bellator to the UFC.

Holland, for sure, is no tune-up fight either. He too can absolutely stand up and play head-hunter with his opponents. Our money is on Holland spoiling Page’s UFC debut here.

Kevin Holland to beat Michael Page at UFC 299
-125
BetUS

How To Bet On UFC 299?

Any and all UFC 299 bets can be had at one of the bookmakers below. There are over a dozen fights to bet on — each with different types of bets (moneyline, over/under, and props). You can do the math and there are close to 100 UFC betting options for this show alone.

Any one of the underneath sportsbooks has you covered for UFC 299 or future shows like UFC 300. Per our unbiased sportsbook reviews, these five listed are among the best for fight wagering. Check ‘em out and see for yourself:

Meet the author

Eric Uribe

Eric has been passionate about sports since he was 10 years old. He brings over 10 years of sports journalism experience to his expert coverage of sports betting. Hailing from the US, Eric leverages his diverse expertise covering sports at all levels – from high sch...

Online Sports Betting may receive compensation if you sign up through our links. Rest assured, we avoid biases and provide honest opinions on sportsbooks. Read more here.