Bet Sports

While UFC 113, a fight card which boasts a rematch between challenger Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and champion Lyoto Machida is still weeks away, sportsbook betting lines have started to come out, and there is some intriguing action to be found.

In particular, Patrick Cote is being listed as a pretty significant underdog by many oddsmakers across the board. Cote is returning to action after a long layoff following surgery to repair a torn meniscus and ACL. The fighter has not competed since he suffered the injury in a bout against champion Anderson Silva at UFC 90 in October of 2008. Cote suffered the career-threatening knee injury at the start of the third round in his fight against Silva. Up to that point he had been unable to deliver an effective offense, but had avoided most of the champion's offense as well.

Against Belcher, he faces a formidable Muai Thai specialist who trains under Duke Roufus. Belcher has been hot and cold in the UFC, but mostly hot, nabbing upset wins over ATT products Denis Kang and Wilson Gouveia recently. Some lines have Belcher as a prohibitive favorite, and these lines should be exploited by savvy bettors who are so inclined.

Fans of UFC betting know that Cote has a serious beard. Punches to the dome will not hurt this man, rendering one of Belcher's chief offensive tactics useless. While Belcher may have more success with leg kicks, Cote possesses formidable power, and Belcher's proclivity to engage will likely be his downfall. Get on this line early before the cappers wise up and look for Patrick Cote to knock out Alan Belcher and UFC 113.