Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Vegas Play of the Day: Kamaru Usman vs. Hayder Hassan

We've reset the Play of the Day with fresh bankrolls and turned it into a yearly competition. Our three sports writers have restarted with $10,000 bankrolls to continue using on odds from the South Point.

Kamaru Usman minus-200 vs. Hayder Hassan: $400 to win $200

We’ve seen this fight so many times before. Not this exact fight, of course, but ones with the same premise: two up-and-coming prospects, an electric striker versus a rugged wrestler.

The latter wins a disproportionately high percentage of the time, certainly more often than the 64 percent win expectancy this line implies for Usman. Hassan, a member of American Top Team, has the hype coming into the final fight of “The Ultimate Fighter: American Top Team vs. Blackzilians.”

He had the show’s only knockout and won two other wars in exciting fashion. Usman only fought twice but controlled the action far better than Hassan.

There’s always the risk of Hassan catching Usman with the perfect punch or kick, but the chances will diminish as the fight drags on. Usman is too strong for Hassan.

He should dictate where the fight takes place, which usually produces a victory.

I’m desperate for any sort of win with my horrendous two-month stretch now reaching 2-16. Yesterday brought another painful loss as Rory MacDonald just needed to survive the fifth round to nearly get me back to even. But Robbie Lawler shattered MacDonald’s already-broken nose to come away victorious in the likely Fight of the Year. I hope my Play of the Day bankroll isn’t already permanently broken.

Current Standings (as of July 1): Brewer (3-1, $11,000), Bern (1-0, $10,400), Keefer (0-5, $7,060)

Lifetime Records: 2014-15 champion Bern (86-74-1), Keefer (83-91-2), Brewer (74-90-2)

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

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