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THE MAIN EVENT BEST BETS: UFC 152

It sure has been awhile.

Used to MMA cards every week or two, having to wait more than a month was difficult. Your patience has been rewarded, though. UFC 152 on Saturday night is just a few hours away, meaning the window is closing for some last-minute wagers.

The line on the Jon Jones-Vitor Belfort main event has come down quite a bit since it opened. Jones was favored at one point by more than 10-to-1. I figured that wouldn’t stick and it didn’t – Belfort can end a fight quickly with just a single punch and make people a whole lot of money in the process.

Without further ado, here are the lines courtesy of 5dimes:

MAIN CARD (PPV)

Jon Jones (-800) vs. Vitor Belfort (+550)

Joseph Benavidez (-265) vs. Demetrious Johnson (+225)

Brian Stann (-200) vs. Michael Bisping (+170)

Matt Hamill (-370) vs. Roger Hollett (+310)

Cub Swanson (-250) vs. Charles Oliveira (+210)

PRELIMS (FX)

Igor Pokrajac (-165) vs. Vinny Magalhaes (+145)

Evan Dunham (-175) vs. TJ Grant (+155)

Lance Benoist (-210) vs. Sean Pierson (+175)

Jimy Hettes (-500) vs. Marcus Brimage (+400)

PRELIMS (Facebook)

Seth Baczynski (-135) vs. Simeon Thoresen (+115)

Walel Watson (-210) vs. Mitch Gagnon (+175)

Charlie Brenneman (-230) vs. Kyle Noke (+190)

Do you have the guts to take Belfort? The payout would be really nice and his punching power can be the X-factor in this fight. I’m not sure if I’d take him outright though. If you’re really into underdogs that big, put Jones in your parlay and put some small action on Belfort to cover yourself.

Benavidez and Johnson are going to be buzzing around the cage fighting in the first-ever flyweight title fight. With guys like that, anything can truly happen. Benavidez is a favorite and should win, but who knows. Johnson is arguably the fastest, quickest guy in the UFC. That’ll be a close fight and one to shy away from when it comes to wagering.

I’m slightly surprised Stann is that large of a favorite against Bisping. I’m no Bisping fan – to me, he’s always been overrated. I read somewhere this week that Bisping has been so overrated that he’s now underrated. Good point. I like him to use his wrestling and ground game in this fight to beat Stann via decision. If Bisping can stay away from Stann’s excellent hands, he’ll take this one.

Hamill-Hollett is impossible to bet on if you’re conservative with wagers. Hamill was retired for a full year and Hollett is only in the UFC as an injury fill-in for this fight. There’s no telling what either of them will bring to the table. Steer clear.

Like Bisping, I’m surprised about the Swanson-Oliveira line. Since moving down to featherweight, Oliveira has looked so good. At 22, he’s a rising star. Swanson is more of a gatekeeper – since his days in the WEC he’s never done enough to reach the upper echelons of the division. Take Oliveira in this one – a solid underdog selection.

In the prelims, Hettes is a massive favorite and for good reason. He’s a dominant ground fighter. Stick him in your parlay. Same for Dunham, who is on track for a rebound fight after not being very good lately. Odds are solid enough there to grab him in a straight bet. Brenneman was headlining an Ultimate Fight Night card not too long ago. He’s better than Noke. Parlay material.

BEST BETS

Bisping over Stann

Oliveira over Swanson

Dunham over Grant

Parlay: Jones, Dunham, Hettes, Brenneman

LOOKING BACK

It’s been so long, that we’veforgotten our last edition of Best Bets. OK, not really. We’d like to not remember, them though. Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman was not kind to us. We lasted a little longer than Sarah Kaufman against Ronda Rousey – just a little.

Lumumba Sayers wasn’t able to hold up our parlay – yet the four other fights won. That’s pretty much how it’s been going lately. Tarec Saffiedine outpointed our pick, Roger Bowling, to complete the 0-for. Not a good weekend. Maybe a break was needed.

RECORDS

Straight bets: 0-4

Parlays: 1-2

mraimondi@nypost.com