What a slow weekend of sports we have. NBA All-Star festivities will begin on Friday night, but there isn’t much money to be made with any of those events. The UFC is our saving grace, mercifully putting together an afternoon card that could easily fill an arena with fans. We’ve got coverage of all the best bets, as well as a preview for the upcoming NFL free agent period.

Here’s what we've got today:

• UFC Fight Night: Best Bets of the Card

• UFC Fight Night: Main Event Spotlight

• NFL Free Agency: Top Quarterbacks And Their Fits

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UFC Fight Night: Best Bets of the Card

This event might not have a number attached to it, but there’s plenty to watch for. There’s a nice mix of fun veterans and excellent prospects, and nearly every bout promises some sort of high-level MMA. As a result, there’s plenty of good betting spots. Let’s get right into it.

Valter Walker (-230) vs. Don’Tale Mayes (+185)

I can’t claim that this will be a particularly exciting matchup, but the line is too good to be ignored. Walker, the proud owner of a 1-1 UFC record, is a massively overrated fighter. He’s got decent grappling, but his striking is liable to get his chin incinerated by any given opponent. The Brazilian has the distinction of being the 1 in Lukasz Breski’s 1-5 UFC record, a loss that stands out because of Breski’s status as perhaps the worst heavyweight on the roster.

Mayes isn’t anything to write home about, but he’s won in this situation before. Caio Machado, another prospect, entered a fight as a favorite against Mayes before getting walloped for three rounds. Plus money is insanity here. We can’t pass the opportunity up.

Gabriel Bonfim (-220) vs. Khaos Williams (+176)

We’re used to seeing Bonfim, one of the biggest prospects in the welterweight division, as a -500 favorite. A loss well over a year ago is bringing his odds closer to even when they should be much worse. Bonfim has a solid kickboxing base, above-average wrestling, and black belt level jiu-jitsu skills, as evidenced by his three submission wins under the Endeavor banner.

Across from him stands journeyman Khaos Williams. Williams, known as an exciting, stand-and-bang fighter, will not make it to the scorecards in this fight. He just went life and death with Rolando Bedoya, who is no longer on the UFC roster, and while his stats don’t reflect a wrestling deficiency, it’s because he’s constantly matched up with strikers to make exciting fights.

This is the fight game, so there is of course a path for Bonfim to lose. If he fights intelligently, initiates the clinch along the fence, and attacks body lock takedowns and trips, he will find a submission.

UFC Fight Night: Main Event Spotlight

This is the third week in a row of middleweight main events. Jared Cannonier will look to defend his ranking against Gregory Rodrigues, a surging knockout artist on a three-fight win streak.

Much to the delight of the fans, this should be a straight-up striking affair, one that is nearly a mirror match in some aspects. Cannonier employs an excellent boxing-heavy approach, leaning on a crisp jab, head movement, and the occasional leg kick to wear down his opponents. The veteran prefers to fight on the front foot, taking the initiative in most exchanges despite his subpar finishing power.

Rodrigues is almost an identical stylistic fighter. He fights going forward with his boxing, mixing in some leg kicks while shooting takedowns at opportune moments. The major difference is the pop behind Rodrigues’s strikes. There’s legitimate one-shot power in both his jab and cross, a factor that looms large given Cannonier’s recent history.

The 40-year-old threshold is real in every sport, but it’s particularly brutal, and visible, in mixed martial arts. Cannonier will be 41 in just over a month, a fact punctuated by his recent defeats.

Prior to a June loss to Nassourdine Imavov, Cannonier had not been knocked down since 2022. Since that TKO loss, he was knocked down and nearly put out cold once more by Caio Borralho. There’s real concern that Cannonier’s age is leading to a deteriorating chin, a horrible progression when heading into a matchup with a knockout artist.

To be fair, Rodrigues isn’t exactly a defensive maestro either. His fight style means he walks into the opponent’s strikes, amplifying their power when they lace through the guard. His lack of head movement as he marches opponents down provides a massive, almost unmissable target that Cannonier should be able to land on at will.

Despite the discrepancy in rankings and betting odds, this will be a razor-close fight. Betting it is a bit too risky to recommend confidently, but if you’re itching to sprinkle, a look at Rodrigues by knockout in the later rounds is the way to go.

NFL Free Agency: Top Quarterbacks And Their Fits

We’ve got about a month before NFL free agency opens for good, so there’s no better time to take a look at the best free agents on the market at each position. Below are the three quarterbacks most likely to make a big impact on whichever team they sign with.

1) Sam Darnold: 4,319 passing yards, 35 passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions

No one did more to improve the size of their next contract than Darnold in 2024. The Vikings expected league-average play at best. Darnold promptly evolved into a top-ten quarterback, leading a 14-3 Vikings offense that looked like the league’s best at times. The perception around him is an accurate one: with excellent weapons Darnold can produce an excellent offense, but he alone will not rejuvenate a passing attack.

It’s hard to see how Darnold doesn’t get a massive deal from a quarterback-needy team. There are plenty of suitors that should yield mutual interest from Darnold’s camp thanks to their offensive roster. The Steelers are without a quarterback on roster, and they’ve got a solid receiver room, a promising young tight end, and an immediate path to the postseason. The Jets are a team in a remarkably similar situation, although getting any free agent to sign there will be a tough prospect (thanks Woody Johnson). Either team would be happy to bring Darnold on, despite the massive price he’ll almost certainly command.

2) Justin Fields: 1,106 passing yards, 5 passing touchdowns, 1 interceptions (4 games started)

Fields’ competitor, Russell Wilson, could easily slot in here, but the market for Fields should be significantly more entertaining. The Ohio State product is still remarkably young, and he showed that he’s reliable enough to win games he’s supposed to with the Steelers. He won’t be as hot of a commodity as Darnold, but there will be a competitive market here.

Teams in win-now mode will likely pass on Fields. His best fit is as an in-betweener, a guy who keeps a good roster winning while the front office hunts for a long-term replacement. The Jets are a prime candidate for this approach, thanks to the overall quality of their roster. Seeing the Saints throw their hat in the ring wouldn’t be a surprise either, seeing as Derek Carr’s play declined while the roster remained solid, albeit injured.

3) Zach Wilson: No 2024 stats

General managers looking for intrigue should certainly take a look at Wilson. After Aaron Rodgers struggled to do anything right with the Jets, Wilson’s failure in the same situation nearly looked a success. He’s 25 years old with plenty of starting experience under his belt. Any team looking for a future should give him a call at the very least.

Namely, the Rams and the Giants should be involved in the Wilson market. Los Angeles has a 37-year-old Matthew Stafford at the helm. It’s fair to wonder how many more Sundays he’s got left in him. The Giants, should they decide against taking a quarterback at the top of the draft, could use a young, potentially developmental guy like Wilson at the reigns. He’s one of the biggest wild cards of the offseason, ensuring a good storyline wherever Wilson lands.

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