Before UFC 309 Unfolds Saturday, ESPN MMA Analyst & Combat Sports Betting Expert Ian Parker’s provides insights
Parker: " . . . I’m alongside the fans – winning and losing together – so it’s very important to me to be informed and strategic with these picks"
Betting picks don’t just appear out of thin air.
It might seem that way for fans consuming betting content because that’s what it feels like when sports betting analysts provide picks across ESPN platforms.
Fans can turn on their favorite ESPN programming, listen to a betting analyst provide a pick, and place a bet if interested.
ESPN MMA Analyst & Combat Sports Betting Expert Ian Parker will tell you that it’s much more intricate than that, but he’ll also tell you part of his job is to make it that seamless for fans.
#UFCVegas100 Best Bets Recap
Best Bets 4-1
Radtke✅
Bollanos / Romious over 1.5 rounds✅
Robertson inside the distance ❌
Malik/Todorovic under 1.5✅
De Ridder and over 1.5 rounds ✅Parkers Prop of the night 2-0
Malik by tko/ko ✅
Gomes by Dec ✅Parkers Parlay ✅ (+123)…
— Ian Parker (@IanParkerMMA) November 10, 2024
Parker uses a blend of data, recent knowledge and past experiences over sometimes countless hours to come up with a set of picks to present with his co-host and ESPN MMA Reporter Brett Okamoto.
“My approach to being a betting analyst is to educate and entertain fans,” Parker said. “There’s no doubt it can be a taxing process with all the research and analysis it takes, but I’m alongside the fans – winning and losing together – so it’s very important to me to be informed and strategic with these picks, all while entertaining them in the process.”
Fans can find Parker and Okamoto’s best bets on the ESPN BET YouTube channel. UFC 309: Jones vs. Miocic from New York City begins Saturday at 6 p.m. ET (prelims), with the main card beginning at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Spencer T. Jackson produced the video above
