UFC on ESPN+ 33 predictions: Are we picking Anthony Smith to upset favored Aleksandar Rakic?

	Smith vs. Rakic	Lawler vs. Magny	Grasso vs. Kim	Algeo vs. Lamas	Ankalaev vs. Cutelaba
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2020: 85-57	Rakic (57%)	Lawler (57%)	Grasso (71%)	Lamas (79%)	Ankalaev (67%)
Nolan King @mma_kings 2020: 97-45	Rakic	Lawler	Grasso	Lamas	Ankalaev
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2020: 96-46	Rakic	Magny	Grasso	Lamas	Ankalaev
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2020: 95-47	Rakic	Magny	Grasso	Lamas	Ankalaev
Simon Head @simonhead 2020: 94-48 2019 Champion*	Rakic	Lawler	Grasso	Lamas	Ankalaev
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2020: 93-49 2017 Champion	Smith	Lawler	Grasso	Lamas	Ankalaev
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2020: 92-50	Rakic	Magny	Grasso	Lamas	Ankalaev
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2020: 91-51 2014 Champion	Smith	Magny	Grasso	Lamas	Ankalaev
Dave Doyle @davedoylemma 2020: 90-52	Smith	Magny	Grasso	Lamas	Cutelaba
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2020: 90-52	Rakic	Magny	Grasso	Lamas	Ankalaev
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2020: 88-54 2018 Champion	Rakic	Magny	Grasso	Lamas	Ankalaev
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2020: 87-55	Smith	Lawler	Grasso	Lamas	Ankalaev
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2020: 85-57	Smith	Magny	Grasso	Lamas	Ankalaev
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2020: 85-57	Smith	Lawler	Grasso	Lamas	Ankalaev
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2020: 59-83	Smith	Magny	Kim	Lamas	Cutelaba

The stays home in Las Vegas this week with a former light heavyweight title challenger at the top of the bill.

UFC on ESPN+ 33 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, recent 205-pound title challenger Anthony Smith (33-15 MMA, 8-5 UFC) takes on Aleksandar Rakic (12-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who will try to get back on track after a strong start to his UFC tenure was interrupted by a loss this past December. Rakic nearly is a 3-1 favorite, but our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts are split down the middle at 7-7.

In the co-main event, former welterweight champ Robbie Lawler (28-14 MMA, 13-8 UFC) meets Neil Magny (23-7 MMA, 16-6 UFC). Although Magny is a favorite around -250, our readers are taking Lawler in an upset. But our staff members are 9-5 on Magny’s side.

Also on the main card, Alexa Grasso (11-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) is a 3-1 favorite in her women’s flyweight fight against Ji Yeon Kim (9-2-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC), and only one of our pickers is taking Kim in an upset.

Bill Algeo (13-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is stepping up on short notice for his UFC debut against former featherweight title challenger Ricardo Lamas (19-8 MMA, 10-6 UFC). Lamas is the second biggest favorite on the card at -340, and he’s our staff members’ only unanimous pick.

And to open the main card, Magomed Ankalaev (13-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) takes on Ion Cutelaba (15-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC) in a rematch that was delayed from two weeks ago. Ankalaev won the first fight in controversial fashion, and 12 of our 14 pickers think he’ll win again Saturday.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Rakic (57 percent), Lawler (57 percent), Grasso (71 percent), Lamas (79 percent) and Ankalaev (67 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.