
(Now that’s gangster. Photo courtesy of CombatLifestyle.com)
Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons II goes down Saturday night (Showtime, 10 p.m. ET/PT), and it’s not too late to put some cash on the fights. If you’ve already blown your kids’ college fund — hey, it happens — please swing by MMA Fightpicker and made your picks there. Otherwise, check out the Internet’s most favorable betting odds (below, courtesy of BestFightOdds.com) and let’s get to work…
MAIN CARD
Nick Diaz (-199) vs. KJ Noons (+200)
Sarah Kaufman (-290) vs. Marloes Coenen (+273)
Josh Thomson (-160) vs. Gesias "J.Z." Cavalcante (+159)
Tyron Woodley (-240) vs. Andre Galvao (+220)
PRELIMINARY CARD
Bret Bergmark (-124) vs. James Terry (+120)
Eric Lawson (-110) vs. Ron Keslar (EV)
The Main Event: You already know how I feel about this; KJ’s a bad style matchup for the scowling champion, and I think the prospect of doubling your money by betting on Noons is worth the risk. But if you’re a Stockton nuthugger or you just want to hedge your Noons bet, you can stick Nick Diaz in a parlay with one or two other favorites.
The Women: As skilled as Marloes Coenen is, the 135 pound division belongs to Sarah Kaufman right now. Kaufman eats grapplers for breakfast; Coenen will get shut down the same way Modafferi, Tate and Baszler did. We’re not in the business of putting straight bets on 3-1 favorites, though. What did we say about pairing Diaz in a parlay with another likely winner?
The Question Mark: Thomson vs. Cavalcante is a true toss-up. An in-shape JZ is a force to reckon with, but it’s hard to say if he’s completely "back" at this point. The Punk gets to be a favorite based on home-field advantage, but it’s hard to predict who will really have the edge. Great fight, but you may want to save your money.
The Good ‘Dog: Tyron Woodley is a wrestler who’s 6-0 against mediocre competition. Andre Galvao is a BJJ specialist who’s 5-1 against slightly better competition. I see this as a close matchup, and +220 for Galvao is more than tempting.
Suggested Wagering Breakdown, Based on a Hypothetical $40 Stake:
$20 on Noons
$10 on Galvao
$10 parlay on Diaz + Kaufman + Woodley


My prediction: KJ Noons def. Nick Diaz 0:01 after the end of the 1st round.