UFC 260 best bets: Back O'Malley inside the distance

Saturday's UFC 260 event features a highly anticipated rematch between heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic and feared knockout artist Francis Ngannou.

Despite losing the first fight in convincing fashion three years ago, Ngannou is slightly favored to capture the title, sitting at -130 on theScore Bet. I'm leaning toward Miocic to repeat history, so the plus money is definitely enticing. But Ngannou can change the trajectory of a fight with one punch, so it's tough to pick against him. I'm avoiding betting the fight altogether because there are too many variables at play.

On that note, here's a look at the two best bets for the pay-per-view card before the action gets underway at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Woodley-Luque over 2.5 rounds (-170)

The co-main event between former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and Vicente Luque is bound to go the distance.

Woodley has made it to the fifth round in his last three fights, two of which went the distance. Once known for his devastating knockout power, the 38-year-old hasn't shown much urgency in his recent outings.

On the other side, Luque has gone past this mark in three of his past four fights. He can be a very dangerous finisher at times, but his most recent stoppages have generally come in the later rounds. Additionally, Woodley remains durable despite the fact he's been dominated in his last three fights.

This ultimately feels like the kind of fight in which Woodley is going to sit back and Luque is going to respect his opponent's power. It has the potential to be entertaining, but the judges will most likely be needed for Saturday's co-headliner.

Sean O'Malley by T/KO (+140)

O'Malley, a top bantamweight prospect, will look to rebound from his first career loss when he faces Thomas Almeida in a pivotal main-card bout.

This feels like somewhat of a setup fight for O'Malley, who lost to Marlon Vera in August after starting his UFC tenure with four straight wins. The 26-year-old should have his way with Almeida en route to an impressive victory.

As the more precise striker, look for him to land several counter shots until he connects with a fight-ending blow. Almeida has a predictable style and is hittable, absorbing an average of 4.69 strikes per minute, while O'Malley usually stays very busy in the stand-up department.

Though Almeida used to be considered a future contender, he didn't look like the same fighter when he ended nearly a three-year layoff with an October loss to Jonathan Martinez by unanimous decision. His chin won't hold up against O'Malley's power shots. Instead of taking O'Malley straight-up at the hefty price of -335, you can get him by knockout or TKO at plus money. That's the most likely way he'll beat Almeida, so there's a ton of value on that prop.

Here are the full odds from theScore Bet for UFC 260 on March 27:

Main card

• Francis Ngannou (-130) vs. Stipe Miocic (+100)
• Vicente Luque (-265) vs. Tyron Woodley (+215)
• Sean O'Malley (-335) vs. Thomas Almeida (+265)
• Miranda Maverick (-170) vs. Gillian Robertson (+140)
• Khama Worthy (-140) vs. Jamie Mullarkey (+110)

Preliminary card

• Alonzo Menifield (TBD) vs. Fabio Cherant (TBD)
• Abubakar Nurmagomedov (-225) vs. Jared Gooden (+180)
• Michael Oleksiejczuk (-170) vs. Modestas Bukauskas (+140)
• Shane Young (TBD) vs. Omar Morales (TBD)

Early preliminary card

• Marc-Andre Barriault (-115) vs. Abu Azaitar (-115)