Every so often, there is an opportunity to bet on Bellator MMA matches that you simply cannot afford to pass up. The Bellator 279 fight card—which will take place Saturday, April 23, in Honolulu, Hawaii—is absolutely one of these opportunities.
Just consider the stakes. There's a women's featherweight title fight, two quarter-final matches as part of the MMA Bantamweight Grand Prix Tournament and an interim bantamweight championship bout. It doesn't get any more loaded than this.
As part of our Bellator 279 predictions, we'll go deep on the rematch between Cris Cyborg and Arlene Blencowe for the women's featherweight title. But we'll also have picks for the three other major battles on the card.
To start us off, here are the latest Bellator 279 betting odds:
| Favorite |  | | Underdog |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rauteon Stots | -300 | +230 | Juan Archuleta |
| Kyoji Horiguchi | -280 | +215 | Patchy mix |
| Cris Cyborg | -900 | +550 | Arlene Blencowe |
| Ilima-Lei MacFarlane | -300 | +230 | Justine Kish |
Remember to double-check these Bellator 279 betting lines before making your MMA picks. All odds on Bellator 279 are liable to move right up until the opening bell.
Before we get to our Bellator 279 picks, also be sure to look through our reviews of the top online sportsbooks as well as our list of the best apps for MMA betting in 2022. These tools will help give you the lowdown on all the best Bellator betting sites and promotions so you can optimize your sportsbook experience.
Can Blencowe Even Up the Score vs. Cyborg?
The first time Cris Cyborg and Alrene Blencowe met, things didn't go too well for the latter. Blencowe was overwhelmed by Cyborg's unique blend of power, precision and side-to-side mobility across every angle of the octaton.
Some think the end result might be different in this matchup. Blencowe is considered the second most talented fighter on the women's Bellator circuit and has dramatically improved her accuracy with both hands while using a cornucopia of different footwork machinations to generate varying amounts of power.
Still, do you know who the No. 1 ranked women's fighter is in Bellator? That would be Cyborg. She has damn near crushed everyone she's faced since debuting with the company.
Oddsmakers haven't found a reason to believe she'll be stripped of her women's featherweight title. And we can't find one, either. Cyborg is as close as Bellator currently gets to an infallible fighter. This match feels like it'll be over rather quickly.
OSB Prediction: Cris Cyborg (-900)
Juan Archuleta is a Heavy Underdog vs. Rauteon Stots
Though the reigning Bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis was supposed to headline this fight, he has been forced out of action due to injury. No matter. Bellator is creating an interim title belt for the occasion, and we still get to see two premier mixed martial artists square off inside the Octagon.
Juan Archuleta is considered the next fighter up in this weight class. He previously lost the title to Pettis, back in May 2021. This was supposed to serve as his rematch. He continues to draw acclaim for his fast-twitch footwork and surgical combinations when he has opponents on the ropes.
And yet, Rauteon Stots boasts admirable accuracy on strikes of his own. Some might even consider his one-two combinations more devastating, if only because he's been known to land them when his feet aren't fully planted on the mat.
It's also worth noting that Stots has won nine consecutive matches, all while displaying the stamina necessary to take hard-fought battles to decisions. He's our guy.
OSB Prediction: Rauteon Stots (-300)
Kyoji Horiguchi Has Clear Advantage Over Patchy Mix
Kyoji Horiguchi is yet another bantamweight-title hopeful being put under the microscope at Bellator 279. He lost his match against Pettis, just after the latter won the belt from Archuleta, and has been looking for a way back ever since.
Injuries haven't helped his cause, and since healing, he's struggled to hang with fighters who can effectively land their kicks.
It just so happens Patchy Mix falls under that umbrella. He is an expert in spinning kicks. Except, well, he tends to rely on them too much. And his accuracy rate on them isn't great. While his 15-1 record suggests he deserves serious consideration, we're going with the steadier style of Horiguchi.
OSB Prediction: Kyoji Horiguchi (-280)
Ilima-Lei MacFarlane Should TKO Justine Kish
For those who aren't yet familiar with Ilima-Lei MacFarlane, it's time to remedy that. She has gone 11-1 at the Bellator level, a record that includes a combined eight knockouts and submissions.
That is borderline dominant. The only reason to doubt her is that her last fight was actually her only loss. But that letdown came all the way back in December 2020, and it was also a tightly contested decision.
Justine Kish, meanwhile, is working off three consecutive losses—as well as five losses over her last six matches. Her fighting style has regressed in recent years; she no longer seems quick enough to hang with the bigwigs. And make no mistake, MacFarlane is a bigwig.
OSB Prediction: Ilima-Lei MacFarlane (-300)
Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all of your Bellator and general MMA betting:
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