UFC 96 – Rampage Jackson v Jardine: Preview, Odds, and Predictions
UFC 96 Quick Preview:
- Date: March 7, 2009
- Time: 7:00 PM ET
- TV Schedule: Live on Pay-Per-View
- Location: Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio
- UFC 96 Headline Fight: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson v Keith “The Dean of Mean” Jardine
- UFC 96 Main Card Fights: Shane Carwin v Gabriel Gonzaga (Heavyweight); Matt Brown v Pete Sell (Welterweight); Matt Hamill v Mark Munoz (Light Heavyweight); Gray Maynard v Jim Miller (Lightweight)
- MSF UFC 96 Preview by Plough
UFC 96 betting is upon us, which means it’s time to start doing some handicapping and picking. While the last UFC took place in front of a rowdy crowd in London, England, UFC 96 will feature a blue-collar, raucous crowd in Columbus, Ohio. The main card everyone is excited about is the Quinton “Rampage†Jackson skirmish with Keith Jardine. Many people want to see how Jackson responds after his first big win since having some legal problems outside the octagon.
Without further a
do, here are the UFC 96 picks along with some analysis:
Jackson vs Jardine line: Jackson -300
Rampage Jackson squares of with the Dean of Mean in the UFC 96 main event in what should be an absolute brawl. Rampage had an interesting year in 2008 but, as most sports betting fans know, the last thing seen is the most remembered. The last outing we saw from Rampage was stepping into the octagon as an underdog against Wanderlei Silva and knocking him out.
Rampage had a lot of personal problems which appear to be in the past. He was an underdog against Silva for many reasons but one of them was because those who bet on UFC just weren’t sure where his head was.
Now he’s focused and now he’s motivated. He should take care of business with Jardine.
UFC 96 betting pick: Jackson -300
Gonzaga vs Carwin line: Gonzaga -200
Gonzaga is typically a Cinderella when it comes to March Madness betting but this Gonzaga is a -200 in a heavyweight fight against Shane Carwin at UFC 96. Carwin has been perfect in his 10 fights with five wins by knockout and five by submission.
Carwin has fought some cupcakes in his time but now he’s taking a step up in competition. Gabriel Gonzaga will bring the heat and really put some pressure on Carwin with kicks and punches right from the get-go.
Carwin is a big underdog but he has shown that he has plenty of skill. No opponent he’s faced has made it out of the first round so don’t be surprised if Carwin takes this bout at UFC 96.
UFC 96 betting pick: Carwin +160
Hamill vs Munoz line: Hamill -200
Odds on UFC 96 have Hamill favored to beat Mark Munoz and hand him his first defeat. Munoz is 5-0 so far but he is very much a no-name fighter yet to be tested by anyone with credentials.
Hamill is a veteran of The Ultimate Fighter 3 but he has struggled to find consistency in the UFC. He hasn’t won back-to-back bouts since March 2007, going 2-2 in his last four fights.
For Munoz, this will be his UFC debut and, generally, new fighters have a tough time. This isn’t the stiffest challenge he could face but it’s one that will likely cause his first loss.
UFC 96 betting pick: Hamill -200
Tags: MMA, Rampage Jackson, ufc 96
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