Bellator 229 predictions: Who's picking Lorenz Larkin to upset Andrey Koreshkov?

Bellator has its second straight show in California this week, and a former champion is on the top of the card.

Bellator 229 takes place Friday at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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

In the main event, former welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov (22-3 MMA, 13-3 BMMA) returns to take on Lorenz Larkin (20-7 MMA, 2-2 BMMA). The oddsmakers have made Koreshkov nearly a 2-1 favorite, and most of our 13 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are picking him, as well. Koreshkov has a 9-4 lead in the picks.

In the lightweight co-feature, Saad Awad (23-11 MMA, 11-8 BMMA) takes on Goiti Yamauchi (23-4 MMA, 9-3 BMMA), who is the biggest favorite on the main card at around -335. Our pickers like him, but only at an 8-5 clip over Awad.

Also on the main card, Keri Melendez (3-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) will look to stay unbeaten in MMA when she takes on Mandy Polk (6-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA). Melendez is a 3-1 favorite, and she’s a near-unanimous pick at 12-1 from our staff members.

And to open the main card, Tony Johnson (8-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) meets kickboxing standout Joe Schilling (4-5 MMA, 3-2 BMMA). Johnson is a slight favorite with the oddsmakers, but it’s Schilling who has a big 10-3 lead in our picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Koreshkov (66%), Yamauchi (67 percent), Melendez (85 percent) and Schilling (66 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.