UFC 96 Picks

Another UFC card is less than a week away, meaning the UFC 96 betting lines are posted. Let’s take a look through the lineup and make some picks for the main fights from the upcoming event in Columbus, Ohio:

Sportsbook Odds: Hamill -200

Matt Hamill will step into the octagon with the “Philippine Wrecking Machine” Mark Munoz at UFC 96 in a battle of two fairly equal fighters.

Hamill has been wildly inconsistent n the UFC, going 2-2 in his last four fights and he hasn’t won back-to-back outings in nearly two years. He’s coming off an impressive win against Reese Andy in December, though. Considering this will be Munoz’s UFC debut, Hamill should earn a victory.

UFC 96 picks: Hamill -200

Sportsbook Odds: Gonzaga -200

Gabriel Gonzaga is close to the No. 1 contender at heavyweight and, with a win against the up-and-coming Shane Carwin, Gonzaga could earn a title shot. But Carwin will be a challenge for Gonzaga and potentially a challenge he won’t overcome.

Carwin is 10-0 in his MMA career and none of his opponents has even made it halfway through the first round. Carwin has fought some crème puffs, which is why it’s fairly likely that Gonzaga will make it further than the other guys.

Carwin is on even footing in this fight so he’s a good value pick as an underdog.

UFC 96 picks: Carwin +160

Sportsbook Odds: Jackson -300

The Dean of Mean will step into the ring with Rampage Jackson in the main event at UFC 96 and a lot of people are curious to see how Rampage responds after his most recent, dominant victory.

Rampage had a rough year outside the Octagon in 2008, getting into some legal trouble, but he appears to be refocused and ready to return to his dominant ways.

Jardine is a tough opponent for Jackson but he might not be the opponent that Jackson wanted right now. Jackson reportedly wanted to fight a bigger fish, like Rashad Evans, but chose a tune-up fight instead, so this will give us a good indication if Jackson can focus on what is in front of him.

Jardine usually fights with a chip on his shoulder, so he is more than capable of being a dangerous spoiler but look for Jackson to take care of business and set up the big-time showdown he’s looking for.

UFC 96 picks: Jackson -300