ODDS! Stephen Thompson and Khabib Nurmagomedov expected to win gold at UFC 209

In less than one week’s time, the UFC will return to glimmering Las Vegas, Nevada with the stacked UFC 209. This anticipated pay-per-view card will be headlined by a welterweight title rematch between champion Tyron Woodley and challenger Stephen Thompson, who fought to a frequently debated draw back in November. The co-main event, meanwhile, will see undefeated Dagestani star Khabib Nurmagomedov take on the streaking Tony Ferguson in an interim lightweight title fight, which will keep the division moving while undisputed champ Conor McGregor takes some time off to father his first child.

Without a crystal ball, it’s impossible to say how either of these two anticipated title fights will unfold. Both battles seem very capable of going either way. While there’s no way of knowing the outcome of these fights till fight night, however, the betting odds do give us a clear picture of the favorites.

According to the BODOG betting lines, UFC 209’s main event will produce a new welterweight champion, as Stephen Thompson has been identified as a -145 favorite. This means that a successful bet of $145 on the challenger would earn you $100. Woodley, meanwhile, has been pegged as a +115 underdog, which means that successfully betting $100 on him would earn you $115. This line is bound to surprise a few people, given how competitive the pair’s first fight was.

In the co-main event, meanwhile, Khabib Nurmagomedov has been identified as a notable favorite over Tony Ferguson. The Dagestani contender is currently sitting at -210, which means a successful bet of $210 on him would earn you $100. Ferguson, meanwhile, is a +170 underdog, which means successfully betting $100 on him would earn you $170.

So according to oddsmakers, both Thompson and Nurmagomedov are likely to leave Las Vegas with gold next weekend. What do you think of these odds? Do you think Woodley and Ferguson deserve to be underdogs? Sound off, PENN Nation!

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 2/26/2017.