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Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez Odds, Picks, Predictions: Return of The King

Ramirez Madeline

Updated as of July 8, 2023 at 3:36 PM EDT. Read time: 2 minutes and 37 seconds. Links to Twitter and Google News provided.

Alexander Volkanovski of Australia celebrates his unanimous decision win over Max Holloway in their featherweight title bout during UFC 276 as we look at our Volkanovski-Rodriguez pick.
Alexander Volkanovski of Australia celebrates his unanimous decision win over Max Holloway in their featherweight title bout during UFC 276. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images/AFP.

The featherweight title will be on the line as interim champion Yair Rodriguez takes on division leader Alexander Volkanovski in the main event of UFC 290. Check out our Volkanovski-Rodriguez UFC predictions based on the odds from our top sports betting apps.

After coming up short in his attempt to become a dual champion against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 284, Alexander Volkanovski is determined to resume his dominance in the featherweight division. The undefeated “Alexander The Great” has defeated top contenders such as Chad Mendes, Brian Ortega, Chan Sung Jung, Max Holloway, and Jose Aldo, solidifying his status as a force to be reckoned with at 145 pounds.

Rodriguez is eager to remove the interim tag from his title. He earned his spot in the interim title fight by defeating Brian Ortega with a TKO in July 2020. Rodriguez was dominating the fight before Ortega had to stop due to a shoulder injury.

After defeating Ortega, Rodriguez claimed the interim championship title by decisively defeating Josh Emmett. The 30-year-old Mexican unleashed a barrage of powerful strikes on Emmett before securing a victory with a triangle choke in the final minute of the second round.

Will Volkanovski be able to retain his featherweight crown on Saturday, or will Rodriguez ruthlessly dethrone the reigning king?

This is our top pick for the Volkanovski-Rodriguez fight at UFC 290, with odds provided by DraftKings Underscoreg. Our confidence level in this pick is rated on a 1-5 star scale.

Take a look at our Moreno-Pantoja selection.

Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez pick 

Volkanovski (-375 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rodriguez is one of the top fighters in the featherweight division, but Volkanovski is considered the best in the weight class. Barring a perfectly executed, unexpected knockout, it’s difficult to imagine many ways for “El Pantera” to secure a victory.

Rodriguez is known for his creativity in striking, while Volkanovski is recognized for his accuracy, landing 56% of his strikes compared to Rodriguez’s 46%. Volkanovski also has a higher output, landing 6.35 significant strikes per minute compared to Rodriguez’s 4.78, and he absorbs less punishment, only taking 3.40 significant strikes per minute compared to Rodriguez’s 4.03.

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The champion has performed better against the top contenders in the division. Rodriguez endured a tough five-round battle against former champ Holloway, while Volkanovski has defeated the Hawaiian fighter three times. While MMAth is not always accurate, Rodriguez’s struggles against Holloway may indicate a challenging fight for him on Saturday night.

Anticipate Volkanovski to dominate Rodriguez throughout five rounds and secure a unanimous decision win. If the -375 odds aren’t enticing enough, consider placing a bet on him to win by points (+140 on DraftKings), as we previously recommended in our UFC 290 best bets.

Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez best odds

DraftKings (-375)

DraftKingsFanDueltheScoreBetCaesarsPointsBet
-375-375-385-400-400

Volkanovski was initially a strong -425 favorite, but has since seen his odds shift to around -400 to -375 at top sports betting sites. The best move would be to take advantage of the -375 odds at either DraftKings or FanDuel.

For those wanting more substance, consider backing a particular outcome, such as betting on Volkanovski to win by decision for added value.

Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez fight info

The event is scheduled for Saturday, July 8th and will be available on PPV and ESPN+. It will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

Volkanovski-Rodriguez selection was finalized on July 7, 2023 at 6:12 p.m. Eastern Time.

Here are our best sports betting apps:

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Written By:
Ramirez Madeline
A sportswriter for more than a decade, Ramirez Madeline was once voted “World’s 78th Greatest Lover” by ‘Relatively Attractive People Magazine’.* After covering nearly every sport under the sun for theScore, Smith settled in as head MMA writer where he helped shape the company’s coverage and establish its combat sports identity. Since then, he’s dipped his toes (cannonballed) into the world of betting, where he specializes in the UFC and NHL. Constantly chasing that gigantic Parlay Dragon, Smith was devastated when a Leon Edwards head kick completely obliterated a recent five-leg parlay. You can read his rantings and ravings on Twitter @Heldrificus. *Not a real publication.