UFC on ESPN odds, predictions: Renowned MMA expert picks Velasquez vs. Ngannou, Vick vs. Felder

The legendary Cain Velasquez enters the octagon for the first time since 2016 for a showdown with Francis “The Predator” Ngannou in the main event of the UFC on ESPN 1, broadcast Sunday from Phoenix. A total of 13 matches are on the card, which begins at 5:30 p.m. ET with the main event at 9 p.m. ET. Velasquez (14-2), 36, makes his long-awaited return from injuries and takes on a younger and larger challenger in Ngannou (12-3), a dangerous striker who has eight wins by KO/TKO. Velasquez is the current Vegas favorite, posted at -175 (risk $175 to win $100) in the latest Velasquez vs. Ngannou odds, with “The Predator” at +145 (bet $100 to win $145). Meanwhile, it’s a dead heat for the co-main event, as lightweights Paul Felder (15-4) and James Vick (13-2) are each at -110 (bet $110 to win $100) in the latest Felder vs. Vick odds, as each needs a win here to vault into major contender status. Before making any UFC on ESPN 1 picks of your own, you’ll want to see the MMA predictions from renowned expert Kyle Marley.

Marley won the first-ever “ToutMaster” UFC betting contest sponsored by MMAOddsBreaker and appears regularly on multiple MMA betting and daily Fantasy shows. He watches every single fight for every single UFC card and does extensive research before each event. 

Over the past nine months, $100 bettors who have followed Marley’s picks are up nearly $19,000. It’s an astonishing cash rate that shows the depth of Marley’s knowledge. And at UFC 234 last week, Marley nailed nine of 11 fights. He said, for instance, that Shane Young would beat Austin Arnett by a 30-27 unanimous decision. The result: Young won the lightweight bout with all three judges scoring it 30-27.

Just three weeks ago, Marley said Henry Cejudo, a +175 underdog, would beat TJ Dillashaw by TKO — and that’s exactly what happened. He’s the same expert who called Amanda Nunes’ stunning upset of Cris Cyborg in UFC 232 and nailed Max Holloway’s TKO of Brian Ortega in UFC 231. 

Now, with UFC on ESPN 1 fast approaching, Marley has studied the card and the UFC on ESPN 1 odds and released his MMA picks for every single fight. He’s sharing them only over at SportsLine. 

We can tell you he’s backing Manny Bermudez at -190 (13-0) to beat Benito Lopez (9-0, +160) in a clash of unbeaten bantamweights. “The Bermudez Triangle” has demolished the opposition so far in his young career. Only twice in 13 matches has the 24-year-old been pushed to the third round.

“This is one of my favorite fights on the card and I think both of these guys will have solid UFC careers,” Marley told SportsLine. “Benito Lopez is a well-rounded fighter and I think he should have a slight edge on the feet in this matchup. But he is going against a guy with some of the slickest submissions I have seen. If Bermudez can get the fight to the ground, I don’t think it will take long for him to lock up a submission.”

Marley also has very strong picks for Cain Velasquez vs. Frances Ngannou and James Vick vs. Paul Felder. He’s only sharing who to back for every bout on the UFC on ESPN fight card over at SportsLine.

Who wins Velasquez vs. Ngannou and Vick vs. Felder? And how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on all 13 fights at UFC on ESPN 1, all from the sizzling expert who’s up nearly $19,000 on MMA in the past nine months alone, and find out.