How the public is betting Louis Smolka vs. Casey Kenney

UPDATE 6:56 pm: Casey Kenney wins by submission at 3:03 of the first round. It’s his first stoppage in the UFC.

Two bantamweights with very different career paths face off at UFC on ESPN 9 tonight as Louis Smolka takes on Casey Kenney live from UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

While Kenney enters as a strong favorite, the money has moved slightly towards Smolka in trading this week. Kenney was the last fighter to make weight yesterday, maybe leading to so trepidation from bettors, but he was a half-pound clear of the limit.

Smolka returned to the UFC in November 2018, having been dropped in December 2017 after losing four straight fights. The 28-year-old is 2-1 since coming back, with all fights being a stoppage. His 16-6 career record has seven knockouts and seven submissions, so he’s not afraid to mix it up.

The 29-year-old Kenney is from Tucson, Arizona, and has seven decision wins on his 13-2-1 career record, with all fights going to the scorecards in his 2-1 UFC career. He took a unanimous decision loss to Merab Dvalishvili in February his last time in the octagon.

Here are the betting splits at DraftKings Sportsbook for Louis Smolka vs. Casey Kenney at UFC on ESPN on May 30th:

Betting splits

Louis Smolka: Opened at +225, now at +215 — 23% handle, 25% bets
Casey Kenney: Opened at -305, now at -278 — 77% handle, 75% bets

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