UFC 185: Main Card Betting Odds and Predictions

At UFC 185, Anthony Pettis and Carla Esparza will defend their UFC championships in bouts against respective opponents Rafael dos Anjos and Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

This will be a big moment for both champions. Pettis will be headlining a UFC event as champion for the first time in his UFC career. Esparza, meanwhile, will be looking to defend her strawweight championship for the first time since being crowned with a win over Rose Namajunas in December.

Winning on Saturday would take both Pettis and Esparza to another level of success. While neither is competing against a huge name, both champions have tough tests coming up.

Pettis and Esparza are both expected to retain their belts, but how much are they favored over their opponents? Here are the odds for all the UFC 185 main card bouts via Odds Shark.

Chris Cariaso (+450) vs. Henry Cejudo (-600)

USA TODAY Sports

Following numerous weight-cutting issues, Henry Cejudo made his UFC debut at bantamweight in December. However, the former Olympic wrestling gold medalist is now set to return to the flyweight division for a bout with former title challenger Chris Cariaso.

In his latest outing, Cariaso was surprisingly awarded a title shot against Demetrious Johnson. While it was a big accomplishment for Cariaso, he was no match for Mighty Mouse and suffered a submission loss during the second round.

While Cejudo hasn't competed against elite flyweights to date, he still poses a scary matchup for Cariaso, whose technical striking is his greatest asset. One of the best amateur wrestlers to ever step into the Octagon, Cejudo should be able to take that away from Cariaso on Saturday.

Barring another bad weigh cut, Cejudo should cruise to a win over Cariaso on the ground and emerge as a legitimate title threat in the 125-pound division.

Prediction: Cejudo

Play: 3 percent bankroll on Cejudo

Roy Nelson (+165) vs. Alistair Overeem (-190)

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

With a knockout win over Brock Lesnar in his UFC debut, Alistair Overeem looked to be on his way toward big things inside the Octagon. Instead, he has lost three of his past five bouts and was knocked out in all those defeats.

Having lost three of his past four, Roy Nelson hasn't been much more successful lately. However, Big Country does match up well against Overeem, given his solid chin.

Considering he willingly took Frank Mir to the ground, Overeem may decide to avoid striking with Nelson. Overeem's chin has become a big question mark, and Nelson is one of the last fighters on the UFC roster that anybody would want to trade punches with.

That said, Nelson has never been submitted, so Overeem will likely need to start three different rounds standing. The talented kickboxer might have better striking technique than Nelson, but he's not going to be able to withstand Nelson's power. 

With 15 minutes to work, Nelson will eventually touch Overeem's chin, and that should result in a moderate upset when he does.

Prediction: Nelson

Play: 1 percent bankroll on Nelson

Johny Hendricks (-380) vs. Matt Brown (+315)

Isaac Brekken/Associated Press

Before getting a rubber match with Robbie Lawler or a chance to reclaim his belt against Rory MacDonald, Johny Hendricks will need to go through Matt Brown. Hendricks is a favorite in this matchup for good reason, but Brown is never one to make things easy on his opponents.

Prior to a loss against Lawler in his most recent outing, Brown had won seven in a row. This certainly isn't the same Brown who was on the verge of being released after three straight losses in 2010.

Hendricks' wrestling should be the deciding factor in this bout. However, the former champion does tend to get into brawls that he doesn't need to get into, and Brown is one of the worst welterweights to do that against.

For that reason, even though he can also win a stand-up bout with Brown, Hendricks isn't worth betting on this weekend.

Prediction: Hendricks

Play: Pass

Carla Esparza (-165) vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk (+145)

USA TODAY Sports

Esparza's wrestling was crucial in her run to the inaugural strawweight championship on The Ultimate Fighter 20. She'll need to have a good night in that department again on Saturday in order to retain her belt.

With wins in her first two UFC outings, Jedrzejczyk has taken advantage of a developing division and made a surprisingly quick run to the top. The Polish fighter has looked excellent, especially as a striker, but she'll be facing her biggest test at UFC 185.

With the ability to take away Jedrzejczyk's striking with takedowns, Esparza should be able to win this one on the ground. I expect it to look a lot like Esparza's win over Namajunas, with the champion possibly having an even bigger advantage on the canvas in this matchup.

Prediction: Esparza

Play: 1 percent bankroll on Esparza

Anthony Pettis (-470) vs. Rafael Dos Anjos (+375)

USA TODAY Sports

With five straight wins and four straight stoppages, Pettis is looking better than ever and could emerge as one of the best lightweights in UFC history.

Dos Anjos has been on a roll and won't be a pushover, though. The Brazilian has won three in a row including a knockout win over Benson Henderson.

Although Dos Anjos' improved striking could make this bout competitive, it still hasn't come along enough for him to capture the 155-pound championship. He might be able to steal a round or two with takedowns by exploiting Pettis' only apparent weakness, but it's hard to envision Dos Anjos completely shutting the champion down with wrestling.

However, at these odds, the return on investment isn't great enough to lay money down on Pettis.

Prediction: Pettis

Play: Pass