I was hit by another loss night as the Mavericks could not hold a 19-point second-half lead to even get a cover. Dallas shot the ball better in this game but was getting destroyed in the paint by a Warriors team who are not exactly known for their paint domination. That is a disturbing trend for Dallas if it continues. Despite my recent bad run, my NBA Playoffs picks are still in the green at 19-16.
I will once again be on the Colorado Avalanche (-167) @ St.Loius Blues tonight as they should rebound after their first bad performance of the playoffs on Thursday. But I will take a break from the NBA tonight and look to get a win in the UFC Fight Night card.
UFC Fight Night: Tabatha Ricci (-118) Vs Polyana Viana $
The main card futures two Brazilian super hotties who are both BJJ specialists.
Neither of these girls is likely to challenge for the belt anytime soon but they do set up for an interesting style matchup. Knockouts in the UFC Straw-weight division are rare, so do not expect to see that. Both girls have excellent Jiu-Jitsu so I would be surprised to see a submission by either of these fighters as well. The line for the fight going the distance is (-162), so you can be quite sure this fight is going to be in the hands of the judges.
Whenever I see a matchup that I expect to go the distance, my first question is likely to be is who is the better wrestler? In this area, Ricci has a clear advantage. The better wrestler generally gets to dictate where they want the fight to be. Viana has a big reach and height advantage so Ricci will certainly be pushing forward into a clinch or a takedown.
Viana relies heavily on her submissions, particularly her armbars, to get her victories. But I do not see her being able to lock in a stray limb against the compact Ricci who knows how to defend. Ricci should use her positional advantage to get some good ground and pound taking at least 2 of the 3 rounds.
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