UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Neal odds, predictions: MMA insider reveals surprising fight card picks
Kyle Marley has nailed 24 of his last 33 UFC main event picks

Geoff Neal hasn't made enough money from fighting to quit his day job, but a big win on Saturday night could quickly change his fortunes. The No. 11-ranked welterweight takes on former title-challenger and fifth-ranked Stephen Thompson in the first main event of his career at UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Neal in Las Vegas. Their battle tops the final UFC' fight card card of 2020 from the Apex facility, with the main card slated for 7 p.m. ET. Neal waits tables at a popular chain restaurant in between fights to keep himself afloat and attributes his relative inactivity to the difficulty in getting opponents to agree to face him. Thompson took the fight in hopes of returning to title-contention for a third time.
Neal is a -115 favorite (risk $115 to win $110), while Thompson is at -105 (risk $105 to win $100) in the latest Thompson vs. Neal odds at William Hill Sportsbook. In the co-main event, former featherweight champion Jose Aldo (-140) takes on Marlon Vera (+120) in a key bantamweight showdown. Before making any UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Neal selections of your own, make sure you see the MMA predictions from SportsLine analyst Kyle Marley.
Marley won the first-ever "ToutMaster" UFC betting contest sponsored by MMAOddsBreaker and appears regularly on multiple MMA betting and daily Fantasy shows. He watches every single fight for every professional MMA card and does extensive research before each event.
Over the past 22 months, $100 bettors who have followed Marley's picks are up more than $22,000. The accomplished MMA analyst has been on a massive run in 2020 as he has hit on 24 of his last UFC 33 main-event selections, a stretch that includes a streak of five straight underdogs.
At UFC 256 last weekend, Marley's winners included telling SportsLine members to back Charles Oliveira (+145) against former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson (-165) in the co-main event. Oliveira dominated from the opening bell to earn a unanimous decision and give Marley's backers another easy winner with lucrative underdog odds. Anyone who has consistently followed Marley is way up.
Now, with UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Neal fast approaching, Marley has carefully studied every matchup on the card, identified the best value in the UFC odds and released his MMA picks for every fight. You can only see them here.
Thompson vs. Neal preview
Thompson (15-4-1) is widely considered one of the most likable fighters in UFC history because of his easy smile and gregarious demeanor outside the Octagon. But the 37-year-old South Carolina native is ruthless when the bell sounds and took a seven-fight winning streak into his memorable two-fight battle against Woodley.
He went on to lose two of his next three amid speculation that he was perhaps headed towards the twilight of his career. But Thompson looked rejuvenated in his dominant decision win over rising prospect Vicente Luque last November.
Neal (13-2) has won seven consecutive professional MMA fights, with his last defeat coming against fellow UFC prospect Kevin Holland in an Xtreme Knockout event in January 2017.
The 30-year-old Texan has shown a polished and well-rounded skill set while stopping four of his five UFC opponents. His last performance ended with a first-round knockout of the rugged Mike Perry in December of last year. You can only see Marley's coveted Thompson vs. Neal picks here.
UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Neal predictions
We'll share one of Marley's UFC Fight Night picks here: He is taking Marcin Tybura (+100) to get his hand raised against Greg Hardy (-120) in a matchup of heavyweight contenders. The winner will likely crack the top-15 rankings in the suddenly rejuvenated division.
Hardy (7-2-1) is a polarizing former NFL star whose off-the-field issues led to an early retirement from pro football in favor of taking up mixed martial arts. He won two fights on "Dana White's Contender Series" and has gone 4-2-1 under the UFC banner, with one of the losses coming by disqualification.
However, the 32-year-old Tennessee native has proven he can compete at the highest level and is coming off his most impressive UFC victory. He stopped veteran Maurice Greene in the second round of their October fight.
Tybura (20-6) is a veteran contender who has never fought for a title but has faced several of the division's biggest names. He has won three straight fights since losing to No. 9-ranked Augusto Sakai in September of last year.
"Tybura can keep this fight close on his feet, if not even win the striking battles," Marley told SportsLine. "However, if I were his coach, I would have him looking for takedowns. If he can land one each round, he can keep Hardy on his back long enough to win the rounds."
How to make UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Neal picks
Marley also has strong picks for Thompson vs. Neal and every other bout on the UFC Fight Night card. He's also backing one fighter who "looks like he's in his prime" to pull a monstrous upset. You can only see who to back here.
Who wins Neal vs. Thompson? And how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight at UFC Fight Night, all from the incomparable expert who's up more than $22,000 on MMA in the past 22 months, and find out.
UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Neal odds:
Geoff Neal (-115) vs. Stephen Thompson (-105)
Jose Aldo (-140) vs. Marlon Vera (+120)
Michel Pereira (-120) vs. Khaos Williams (+100)
Marlon Moraes (-145) vs. Rob Font (+125)
Greg Hardy (-120) vs. Marcin Tybura (+100)
Gillian Robertson (-110) vs. Talia Santos (-110)
Anthony Pettis (-230) vs. Alex Morono (+195)
Belal Muhammad (-360) vs. Dhiego Lima (+300)
Sijara Eubanks (-165) vs. Pannie Kianzad (+145)
Karl Roberson (-265) vs. Dalcha Lungiambula (+225)
Antonio Arroyo (-155) vs. Deron Winn (+135)
Drako Rodriguez (-190) vs Aiemann Zahabi (+170)
Tafon Nchukwi (-320) vs. Jamie Pickett (+260)
Jimmy Flick (-150) vs Cody Durden (+135)
Rick Glenn (-330) vs. Carlton Minus (+270)














