Ride with the Rebels Newsletter: 8/18

Record: 10-15 (-1.97U)

*Odds taken from DraftKings

Our Cubs/Reds under total bet hit no problem. However, Fulham couldn’t get the job done against the Wolves, so we broke even last week. On to the next.

August 20- UFC: Usman vs Edwards

This Saturday, we’ve got a Welterweight title fight between the defending champ Kamaru Usman and #2 ranked Leon Edwards.

Usman is a heavy favorite at -380 with Edwards coming in as a +295 underdog. Like Vegas, we’d put our money on Usman to defend his title, but there’s no value there. Instead, we’re looking at the total Over/Under on rounds.

The O/U is set at 4.5 rounds with the Over (-155) being favored and the Under coming in at +125.

Usman’s background is in freestyle wrestling, but through training with Trevor Whitman (one of UFC’s top coaches), Usman has become a savage striker. Of Usman’s last 5 fights, three have been won by TKO (and two of those in under three rounds).

Edwards is a talented striker with a two-inch height advantage that he’ll surely have to leverage if he wants to dethrone Usman as the Welterweight champion.

Make no mistake: both Edwards and Usman are menacing opponents, but we think Usman has the most well-rounded arsenal. If Edwards focuses too much on Usman’s takedowns, Kamaru can finish him off in the opening rounds with a strike over the top.

We see Usman ending this fight in the third or fourth round.

Rebel’s Pick: Under 4.5 Rounds (+125) @ 1U

August 20- La Liga Soccer: Barcelona vs Real Sociedad

La Liga started last week, and we’re jumping in on the action.

Barcelona is heading to Reale Arena for a match against Real Sociedad as +105 favorites. Real Sociedad are +225 underdogs and the odds for a draw stand at +245.

After last week’s 0-0 result against Rayo Vallecano, Barcelona needs to pick up some points — and that’s exactly what we expect to happen.

Robert Lewandowski should have a better performance against Real Sociedad after shaking that ‘first week rust’ off, and we’re banking on Barcelona showing some more urgency this week. Another draw or full-time loss would push them further away from the heavy hitters atop the league.

We see Barcelona taking home the win this Sunday.

Rebel’s Pick: Barcelona ML (+105) @ 1U