UFC on ESPN 9: Smith vs Teixeira Odds And Picks

The Octagon will remain set up at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, on May 13 after hosting UFC 249 just four days prior. Headlining this fight night is a bout that was scheduled to be the main event of UFC Fight Night 173 in Nebraska, with Anthony “Lionheart” Smith vs Glover Teixeira.

Unsure of how to place a wager on a UFC fight? Don’t worry, we have a great betting tutorial on how to bet on the UFC.

See Odds Shark’s Best UFC Sites

Online sportsbook [Sportsbook not available for your region] has listed Smith as the -190 favorite with Teixeira coming back as a +155 underdog.

For the latest up-to-date odds, check out our UFC Odds Page.

Anthony Smith vs Glover Teixeira

Odds as of May 13 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]

We are seeing Anthony Smith (-190) for the first time since his fourth-round submission win over Alexander Gustafsson last June. In that fight, Smith suffered a badly broken hand that has left him on the sideline since. Looking to make it an unwelcoming return for Smith is Glover Teixeira (+155), who is riding a three-fight winning streak.

Lionheart is an aggressive fighter who takes away the space of his opponents looking to exchange hands. Although he likes to get in the face of his counterparts, he does a good job staying patient before engaging, reading their movements first and then varying his attack with kicks, knees and overhand punches.

Teixeira also likes to get in the pocket and throw hands with his foes but is a little more rigid in his approach. The 40-year-old tends to stick to his boxing, which has slowed over the years, but the power is still there. When Glover struggles to find success on the feet, he will seek the takedown and he averages two takedowns per 15 minutes.

Prediction: Anthony Smith (-190) via knockout

Ben Rothwell vs Ovince Saint Preux

Odds as of May 13 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]

Ovince “OSP” Saint Preux (-135) is set to try his hand in the heavyweight division after dropping three of his last five fights in the light heavyweight division but is coming off a submission win over Michal Oleksiejczuk last September. A true heavyweight in Ben Rothwell (+105) looms for OSP. Rothwell picked up his first win in nearly four years in December, scoring a second-round knockout win over Stefan Struve.

Rothwell is an imposing figure in the cage, slowly marching his opponents down with an outstretched lead hand that he uses to gauge distance for his heavy left straight. The Wisconsin native has very little head movement and can be a little slow to react to his opponents’ movements, but when he fires back it could be lights out if he lands.

OSP does his best work when he’s leading the dance, throwing kicks to keep his foes at bay and keeping them off balance before he shoots in for a takedown. The 37-year-old averages 1.34 takedowns per 15 minutes and has an incredible Von Flue choke. When he’s being backed down, he is slow to react to punches and he really has to use his footwork and explosiveness to get out of danger.

Prediction: Ben Rothwell (+105) via decision

Alexander Hernandez vs Drew Dober

Odds as of May 13 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]

A Sportsbook in five of his last six fights, Drew Dober (-120) eyes a third straight win after back-to-back first-round knockouts over Marco Polo Reyes and Nasrat Haqparast. Meanwhile, after losing for the first time in the UFC to Donald Cerrone in January 2019, Alexander “The Great” Hernandez (-110) rebounded with a decision win over Francisco Trinaldo last July.

After needing just 2:17 to secure his last two wins by knockout, it should come as no surprise to read that Dober is a quick starter. The Nebraska native is extremely active on his feet, closing the distance and firing heavy shots toward his counterparts. With this aggressive style, Dober averages 4.51 significant strikes per minute but also absorbs 4.16 significant strikes as defense isn’t high up on his priority list.

Hernandez prefers more space to work, using a more kickboxing-style approach, throwing long kicks before storming in with crisp powerful punches. The Texas native has a good chin as well, absorbing plenty of damage in the Cerrone fight before ultimately falling in the second round.

Prediction: Drew Dober (-120) via knockout

Ricky Simon vs Ray Borg

Odds as of May 13 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]

Two fighters trending in opposite directions are featured in this bout as Ray “The Tazmexican Devil” Borg (+125) has won back-to-back fights, while his opponent, Ricky Simon (-155), is on a two-fight losing skid. Simon had been on an eight-fight winning streak prior to his recent losing slide to tough competitors Urijah Faber and Rob Font. Meanwhile, Borg fought for the belt in October 2017 and lost his next fight by decision but has looked great in his last two.

Simon likes getting in brawls with his opponents, biting down on his mouthguard and swinging for the fences. In doing so, though, the 28-year-old has a bad habit of leaving his chin in the air, which caused him to get clipped in the Faber loss. If the striking isn’t going so well, Simon does have good wrestling, averaging 6.53 takedowns per 15 minutes and landing multiple takedowns in four of his five UFC fights.

Borg is a lot more patient in his striking, not wasting any extra energy bouncing around, rather standing just outside of range waiting to counter or shoot for a takedown. The 26-year-old has great wrestling, averaging 4.26 takedowns per 15 minutes, and lands 51 percent of his attempts. When Borg has his hands on his opponents, he is like a wet blanket: he smothers them and gives them no room to breathe.

Prediction: Ray Borg (+125) via decision

Karl Roberson vs Marvin Vettori

**This fight has been canceled after Karl Roberson fell sick from the weight cut**

Odds as of May 13 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]

A winning streak will come to an end in the first fight on the main card. Karl “Baby K” Roberson (+160) has won his last two fights, scoring a split-decision win over Wellington Turman last July and then a third-round submission win over Roman Kopylov in November. Similarly, Marvin “The Italian Dream” Vettori (-200) is riding a two-fight winning streak, with back-to-back decision wins over Cezar Ferreira and Andrew Sanchez.

Baby K is a very patient striker, very calm in the pocket, and has exceptional kickboxing skills. He has outstanding kicks, strong and fast, and he’s very technical, averaging 3.16 significant strikes per minute while only absorbing 1.80, making his opponents miss 64 percent of their strike attempts. He has outstruck five of his six opponents in the Octagon.

The Italian Dream is much more aggressive cutting the cage off and forcing his foes to strike with him. Vettori also has a good strike differential, averaging 4.05 significant strikes per minute while only absorbing 2.85, and he makes his opponents miss 66 percent of their strike attempts. If he can get the fight to the floor, Vettori has eight submission wins and both of Roberson’s career losses have come in that manner.

Prediction: Marvin Vettori (-200) via decision

Here’s a look at the full list of odds for UFC Fight Night: Smith vs Teixeira:

Odds as of May 13 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]

Odds as of May 13 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]

Odds as of May 13 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]

Odds as of May 13 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]

Odds as of May 13 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]

Odds as of May 13 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]