UFC 133 betting odds and picks

By Case Keefer (contact)

Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2011 | 8 p.m.

PHILADELPHIA — Las Vegas sports books and Rashad Evans are in agreement when it comes Tito Ortiz’s chances of winning in Saturday’s UFC 133 main event.

Neither Evans nor oddsmakers think it’s very likely. While Evans spent Wednesday’s open workouts telling reporters why Ortiz wouldn’t beat him, betting boards 2,500 miles listed “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” as a sizable underdog.

The Venetian/Lagasse’s Stadium is offering Ortiz at a price of +300 (risking $1 to win $3) with Evans at -400. The odds on Ortiz winning are only slightly below the 4-to-1 tag he wore last month when he stunned Ryan Bader less than two minutes into their UFC 132 bout.

“What the public saw out of Ortiz against Ryan Bader, they liked,” said The Venetian/Lagasse's Stadium head MMA oddsmaker Rob Akers. “No one likes to lay a big number, so I think we’ll have some parlays with Rashad. I think we’re going to have good two-way action.”

The Las Vegas Sun’s picks panel doesn’t agree with the sudden support Ortiz is drawing. Each of the Sun’s four prognosticators who make their picks for every UFC fight on the pay-per-view cards sided with Evans.

Ortiz has undoubtedly embraced the underdog role.

“Are you going to believe in odds that has someone as a 6-to-1 underdog and all of a sudden he chokes a guy out in 1:56,” Ortiz asked in reference to his win over Bader.

Unanimous decisions were also reached in the picks section on the other two featured bouts slated for Saturday’s card at the Wells Fargo Center. All four participants selected Vitor Belfort, a -360 favorite, over Yoshihiro Akiyama, a +280 underdog. They also liked 3-to-1 favorite Rory MacDonald over Mike Pyle, whose price is listed at +220.

For full betting odds and breakdowns on every fight, click here.

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.