Best bets for UFC Fight Night 186 in Las Vegas
UFC fighter Kevin Croom is a colorful character known as “The Hard-Hitting Hillbilly.”
Handicapper Lou Finocchiaro is counting on Croom to be all business in his featherweight bout against Alex Caceres on the main card of UFC Fight Night 186 on Saturday at the Apex in Las Vegas.
Finocchiaro, who went 3-1 on his plays for last week’s UFC card in the Review-Journal, likes Croom, a +165 underdog, to upset Caceres as one of his best bets.
“He asked for this fight against Caceres, and I think he wanted this fight for a reason,” said Finocchiaro (@GambLou). “Caceres needs to keep Croom on the outside because Croom’s ambition will be to crowd Caceres, get him in the corner and take the fight to the ground, where he can do damage from the top position.
“Croom is much stronger in the clinch and on the ground.”
Here are Finocchiaro’s other best bets:
De La Rosa, +105
In a women’s flyweight fight on the main card, Finocchiaro is banking on Montana De La Rosa to upset Mayra Bueno Silva.
“De La Rosa is the much more well-rounded fighter,” he said. “Her goal is to keep the fight standing and keep her distance against an opponent whose strength is grappling, and I think she’s prepared to do so.
“She’s going to take advantage of the fact that she’s the taller woman and the longer woman.”
Cachero, +150
Finocchiaro is backing Vince Cachero to upset Ronnie Lawrence in a bantamweight bout. Lawrence is making his UFC debut, and it will be Cachero’s second fight.
“There’s nerves with a debut fight. But just like in any sport, there’s tremendous improvement between event one and event two,” Finocchiaro said.
Cachero took his first fight on two days notice and lost to a much larger fighter in Jamall Emmers.
“He was in a tough position,” Finocchiaro said. “But he enters this fight off a full camp and with total focus. He’s in a beautiful spot.”
Yoder, +315
Finocchiaro called Derrick Lewis’ upset of Curtis Blaydes last week for a +400 long shot winner. This week, he recommends a half-unit play on underdog Ashley Yoder over Angela Hill in a rematch on the preliminary card.
Hill beat Yoder by unanimous decision in their first fight in 2017.
“Hill has had spells of doing really well, but then she’s had some serious lapses,” Finocchiaro said. “Yoder has steadily improved, by my estimation, coming into this fight. And she’s three years younger, four inches taller and has a reach advantage.”
The over 2½ rounds is -365. For those looking for a longer bomb, Finocchiaro recommends taking Yoder by decision, which is +442 at Circa.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.