UFC 187: Latest Vegas odds, lines and betting guide for 'Johnson vs Cormier'

Two titles, a sprinkling of bad blood and a whole heap of potential for action.

After three events abroad, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will once more grace its ancestral home of Las Vegas, Nevada, crashing MGM Grand Garden Arena this Saturday night (May 23, 2015) with a pair of quality title showdowns. Both the Light Heavyweight and Middleweight titles will be on the line as Blackzilians representatives Anthony Johnson and Vitor Belfort challenge Daniel Cormier and Chris Weidman in the main- and co-main events.

Elsewhere, Donald Cerrone will face late replacement John Makdessi in a match up of two of the 155-pound division's most entertaining strikers, Travis Browne will collide with Andrei Arlovski up at 265, and Joseph Benavidez will lockhorns with John Moraga at Flyweight.

It's a hell of a pay-per-view (PPV) card. Here's how to make it pay for itself:

UFC 187 Odds For The Undercard:

John Dodson (-470) vs. Zach Makovsky (+375)
Dong Hyun Kim (-280) vs. Josh Burkman (+240)
Uriah Hall (-350) vs. Rafael Natal (+290)
Rose Namajunas (-280) vs. Nina Ansaroff (+240)
Colby Covington (-270) vs. Mike Pyle (+230)
Islam Makhachev (-320) vs. Leo Kuntz (+260)
Justin Scoggins (-350) vs. Josh Sampo (+290)

Thoughts: In an undercard full of young guns, the value, in my opinion, lies with the oldest man on the card: "Quicksand" himself, Mike Pyle.

Covington is a physical monster with tremendous upside -- I would not be surprised at all to see him knocking on the door of the Top 10 within the next two years. Right now, though, he's quite green and lacks the aggressive striking attack that has historically been Pyle's bane.

In recent years, Pyle has developed a lethal clinch game and, against Rick Story, demonstrated the rare sort of bottom game that remains a threat at the highest levels of mixed martial arts (MMA). Combined with the short notice, I'm confident Pyle can catch Covington either on the inside or from his guard and the +230 line is enough to override my reservations.

Bet accordingly.

UFC 187 Odds For The Main Card:

Daniel Cormier (-135) vs. Anthony Johnson (+115)
Chris Weidman (-525) vs. Vitor Belfort (+415)
Donald Cerrone (-500) vs. John Makdessi (+400)
Travis Browne (-450) vs. Andrei Arlovski (+360)
Joseph Benavidez (-600) vs. John Moraga (+450}

Thoughts: Honestly, I think Cormier is undervalued at -135. Despite "Rumbles" recent run of destruction, I still have some reservations about him, namely, his lack of technical boxing. He tends to throw single punches with crazy power, but without any subtlety or setup.

I just don't think raw power is going to be enough against Cormier, who has proven terrifically crafty on the feet. In addition, we've yet to see if Rumble's improved off his back or how well his cardio will hold up against the kind of debilitating clinch work Cormier brings to the table.

I'm quite confident in "DC," enough to put my money where my mouth is.

If you'd like him a bit closer to even odds, Cerrone, Hall and Makhachev strike me as the safest parlay boosters.

UFC 187 Best Bets:

• Single bet -- Mike Pyle: Bet $30 to make $69
• Parlay -- Daniel Cormier and Donald Cerrone: Bet $50 to make $54.50

All I can say is that you damn well better watch this ... it's going to be great.

See you Saturday, Maniacs!

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver live UFC 187 results on fight night, which is as good a place as any to talk about all the action inside the Octagon, as well as what you've got riding on the sportsbook.

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