Khabib/McGregor Betting Props: UFC 229 Odds Cover All Aspects of Marquee Bout

Both oddsmakers and bettors alike seem to believe the main event of UFC 229 on Saturday in Las Vegas between unbeaten lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov (26-0) and former champ Conor McGregor (21-3) will end within five rounds. However, how it will end is certainly up for debate.

Many MMA bettors supporting Nurmagomedov think he will control the fight on the ground and eventually submit McGregor to successfully defend his title. The wagering return on that scenario playing out is +205 (bet $100 to win $205) on the UFC 229 props at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.

The 30-year-old Russian has finished opponents 16 times among his 26 wins, equally split between submissions and knockouts, with five of his previous seven bouts going to the judges for a decision.

On the other side, McGregor backers like his chances to score a KO since he is a superior stand-up fighter. The 30-year-old Irishman has 18 knockouts among his 21 wins, compared to only one submission (in 2012 when he won the Cage Warriors featherweight title via rear-naked choke). The line on McGregor winning by KO, TKO or disqualification is +165 at UFC betting sites.

In addition, it is worth noting that McGregor has been submitted in each of his three MMA losses by kneebar, arm triangle and rear-naked choke. Grappling has long been viewed as his biggest weakness and also happens to be his foe's biggest strength.

If Nurmagomedov can take McGregor down and keep him on the mat, he figures to eventually wear him out and either submit him or work ground-and-pound into a TKO. The big question is, will McGregor let that happen to him, or will he defend the takedown attempts to keep the fight on his feet?

Nurmagomedov winning inside the distance is the favored result at -105, compared to McGregor's line of +165 for the same method of victory. A decision either way would be somewhat surprising, and the Khabib/McGregor odds reflect that with Nurmagomedov again the +400 favorite to have his hand raised after five rounds of action over McGregor (+900).

For more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week's top sports betting news, check out the OddsShark podcast with Jon Campbell and Andrew Avery. Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify or listen to it at OddsShark.libsyn.com.