Between the gridiron and the octagon, there is plenty of action to be had on sports this weekend. And the sixth episode of Upsets & Underdogs will get you ready for Week 3 of the NFL season as well as UFC 266 on Saturday.
Former NFL defensive back Will Blackmon and producer/gambling guru Nick Dais offer up their analysis on all the biggest NFL games this weekend, including Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There was plenty of disagreement on the marquee games, so it is worth hearing both sides!
In addition, Blackmon dives into a sport other than football for the first time since this podcast debuted. UFC’s very own Jon Anik joins the show to help preview all things regarding UFC 266 ahead of Saturday.
Here is the full episode:
Bolt up: Backing Chargers in Kansas City
On every preview show, Blackmon and Dais plan to give out their favorite underdog picks on the weekend. It was a smashing success in Week 1, when Dais picked the Steelers prior to their outright win over the Bills, and Blackmon’s pick of the Browns covered against the Chiefs.
Both picks fell short in Week 2, however. Blackmon backed the Bengals (+2) prior to their 20-17 loss to the Bears, while Dais was in on the Eagles (+3) ahead of their 17-11 defeat to the 49ers. This means that they are due, right?
Well, the interesting thing is that BOTH of them chose the Los Angeles Chargers against the Kansas City Chiefs this week. The Chargers are 6.5-point underdogs against the Chiefs as of Thursday.
Anik joins the show
At around the 15-minute mark of the show, Anik hopped on the show to talk about UFC 266. The interview began with Anik discussing his career path, which included more than five years as an anchor with ESPN before moving to UFC as a color commentator in 2011.
Here are the notable fights they talked about:
Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler
Daiz, 38, is making his first appearance in over six years. This particular fight is a rematch of UFC 47, which was over 17 years ago. Despite the layoff, Blackmon and Dais are both backing Diaz in this fight.
Valentina Shevchenko vs. Lauren Murphy
The conversation around this fight was mostly spent talking about Shevchenko’s dominance. In her fourth year competing in the 125-pound weight class, Shevchenko is 7-0 with five consecutive successful title defenses. She is -1300 on this fight over at WynnBET, the largest favorite on the board on Saturday.
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega
The main event on the card has featured plenty of action on both sides. Volkanovski is hoping to defend his title for a second time, while aiming to push his record to 10-0. Ortega is +150 on WynnBET as of Thursday, while Volkanovski is -180. Dais and Blackmon both picked Ortega to win this fight.
