UFC Fight Night 87 Overeem vs. Arlovski Betting Preview

After a short hiatus from UFC action, MMA betting returns with UFC Fight Night 87, headlined by pivotal mouthwatering showdown with title implications between former UFC title holder Andrei Arlovski and former Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem. This heavyweight clash is set to take place this weekend in Netherlands and we have our UFC Fight Night odds picks specially prepared for you in the Fight Card preview below.

UFC Fight Night 87 Overeem vs. Arlovsky Betting Analysis and Predictions

It’s FIGHT WEEK! Get ready for #UFCRotterdam: @AlistairOvereem vs @AndreiArlovski w/ #UFCMinute!https://t.co/kdJMjOc01g

— UFC (@ufc) May 2, 2016

When: Sunday, May 8, 11:00 p.m. EST Where: Ahoy Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands TV: Fox Sports 1 MMA Odds: Overeem (-200), Arlovski (+170)

Why Bet on Overeem 40-14 (17 KOs, 19 Submissions)

The 35-year old Overeem comes into this game on the back of a solid run, winning his last three straight fights, including an important 2nd-round TKO victory over former champ Junior dos Santos. This former K-1 Grand Prix champion boasts of one the best ground games in the UFC, as can be attested to by his 19 submissions and with the advantage of fighting in Netherlands, you can expect the Dutchman to feed off the home support for a solid performance in the quest to validate his championship challenger status.

Why Bet on Arlovski 25-11 (17 KOs, 3 Submissions)

Despite being two years older than his competitor, the 37-year-old Arlovski has been involved in fewer fights. That, however, isn’t to say that he is not a quality fighter. As a former UFC champion, Arlovski knows what it takes to win in the octagon. Plus, since making his return to UFC, he’s rattled off 6 straight wins, before suffering the loss to Stipe Miocic in January. The 54-second TKO loss to top contender Miocic was definitely a setback, but this is a man who has lost just twice in his last 13 fights since 2011, including marquee wins over quality fighters like Brendan Schaub, Travis Browne and Frank Mir but; so bouncing back should be within strong realms of possibility for Arlovski.

My Expert MMA Predictions and Picks

Both fighters bring a lot of pedigree to this fight and the fact that both have a lot at stake here will make this clash interesting. That said, Arlovski’s age seems to have taken a sting off his speed and potency, which is likely to lead to more of a ground battle, playing right into Overeem’s comfort zone. Add that to Overeem’s better form and home advantage, the home fighter should be the best pick for the win here. MMA Pick: Overeem (-200) wins (via Decision).