The UFC is the premium mixed martial arts brand in the world. Global superstar fighters attract millions of fans and bettors to events across the globe and on pay-per-view all year long.
The only thing growing faster than the UFC is UFC betting. Online sportsbooks in Maryland offer dozens of pre-fight and in-fight betting odds. Here’s how to begin placing UFC bets online.
Best UFC betting sites in Maryland
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How to bet on UFC fights in Maryland
UFC betting is not overly complicated. Here are the basic wagering options you are likely to find at a Maryland sportsbook:
- Moneyline: Maryland online sportsbooks post moneyline odds on each combatant in a fight. You wager on one side to win, and even though the odds might fluctuate ahead of the fight, you lock in the currently posted odds at the time you place your bet. The odds on the favorite will be negative, indicating how much you need to bet to win $100, plus your bet back. The odds on the underdog will be positive, indicating how much you stand to win — plus your bet back — for every $100 you bet. At UFC 229, the moneyline was Khabib Nurmagomedov -170 and Conor McGregor +140. That meant every $170 bet on Nurmagomedov paid out $270 when he won. A $100 bet on McGregor would have paid $240, but McGregor did not win.
- Specifics: Higher moneyline odds may also be available if you bet on a fighter to win in a specific round or range of rounds. Plus, you can place moneyline bets on a fight to go the distance or end in a specific round.
- Total rounds: Bet on whether the total number of rounds in a fight will land over or under a line that the sportsbook sets. Place your totals bet at slightly negative odds with a small vig for the sportsbook worked in on both sides.
- Winning method: Bet on how a fight will end: by knockout, submission or judges’ decision. It doesn’t matter who wins, just how that fighter wins.
- Parlays: Put two or more basic UFC bets together to make it a parlay sports bet. Payouts increase because you have to win each leg in the parlay to get paid anything at all.
- UFC props: Bet on fighter stats during a fight, like a number of knockdowns or takedown and submission attempts. Or bet on specific results of a fight, such as the bout ending in a draw or not starting a specific round.
- Live UFC betting: Bet on props and other UFC lines during a fight at odds that change along with the action inside the octagon.
- UFC futures: Bet on a specific fighter to win a title within a calendar year or some other specific time period.
How and why do UFC odds shift?
The odds on many of the UFC betting lines listed above are subject to change ahead of a fight. News that may impact the outcome can cause sportsbooks to move a line. Plus, increased betting on one fighter or the other can do the same.
Sportsbooks set lines in an effort to draw an equal amount of betting to each side. That way, they can realize what is known as the vig and make a small profit on all the betting without sweating the outcome of the fight. If one fighter draws a bunch more money in bets over the other, a sportsbook may move the line to try to get a more even split.
Of course, you lock in at the odds as posted when you place your bet, regardless of any changes ahead of the fight. However, a change in the odds might make you want to rethink how you’re betting.
Vegas odds vs. MD sportsbook odds
The biggest secret in sports betting is that sportsbooks often follow one another’s lines. It’s how they stay competitive. It’s also why the lines on a UFC fight at an online sportsbook in Maryland start out the same or similar to the betting lines at a sportsbook in Las Vegas.
Like we said above, lines can change, but when betting forces the change, only the sportsbook that takes those bets will make the change. That’s why the line on a UFC fight might start out similar at a Maryland online sportsbook and Las Vegas sportsbook, but end up different by the time the bell rings.
These changes can also make the lines at one sportsbook different from another one, which is why you should always shop around when betting on a fight. You may find a better price on a fighter you like, increasing your potential profits.
Live betting on UFC fights
Live betting lets you bet during fights at odds that change alongside the action in the octagon. The odds and lines will change rapidly to reflect what is happening during the fight. Maryland sports betting apps let you bet along with the changes.
Maryland sportsbook apps that host the UFC Event Centre in-fight betting product give you the chance to wager on more than 50 live betting options during fights, using official UFC data.
This includes every knockdown, submission, and takedown attempt. You can hedge your pre-fight bets, double down on a wager you like, or just enhance your fight-watching experience. You can do it all from anywhere inside Maryland where you are watching the fight, whether that’s a bar or your home.
UFC odds boosts & bonuses
The leading sportsbook brands in the business are making their way to the Free State, offering a variety of Maryland sports betting bonuses and enhanced odds in their efforts to attract bettors. Here are some examples of the best UFC betting sites and bonuses currently available in Maryland:
- DraftKings Maryland app has offered a 20% payout boost for all bets up to $50 on an entire UFC card. Plus, it’ll often add +100 odds to main event bets.
- FanDuel Maryland app has boosted the odds on UFC main event favorites and offered +500 odds on bets up to $20.
- Fox Bet Maryland app has also boosted the odds on at least one bet for every fight on a UFC card.
- PointsBet Maryland app has offered fight specials for every fight on a UFC card, including making one fight its booster of the week.
Sportsbook rules for UFC betting
Read the published MMA and UFC betting rules at the sportsbook you’re using before you bet so you know what to expect when certain circumstances arise. These terms and conditions often spell out exactly how a sportsbook handles the different situations that may come up during a UFC fight. The rules will include information on when betting markets close, alongside things like what happens if a fight ends in a draw or a disqualification.
Why bet on the UFC over other sports?
On its own, any UFC event is fun and exciting. And betting on a fight can enhance that experience. In addition, UFC betting can reward research and preparation. Study the matchups and the fighters, carefully select the lines and the odds you bet on, and it’s possible to give yourself a pretty decent edge.
The information you need to study about the matchups and the fighters is all over the internet. Plus, public betting can heavily influence UFC lines, potentially making it easier to find numbers that may work in your favor.
Betting on other MMA competitions
The world of mixed martial arts is more than just the UFC. Maryland sportsbooks may also list wagers on fights from other MMA competitions. Here are some potential names:
- Bellator
- Professional Fighters League
- LFA
- Invicta FC