Robbie Lawler and Colby Covington used to train together at the famed American Top Team gymnasium. They will make a swift transition from former teammates to rivals on Saturday when they face off in the octagon in the main event of UFC on ESPN 5 at the Prudential Center. The main UFC on ESPN 5 card from Newark, N.J. begins at 3 p.m. ET. Covington (14-1) used to be a training partner for Lawler, who went on to win the welterweight title. Meanwhile, Lawler (28-13) has since left American Top Team and is looking to rebuild his career after losing three of his last four fights. Covington is ranked No. 2 and can boost his case for a title shot by beating his one-time mentor at UFC Newark. Covington is a -225 favorite (risk $225 to win $100), while Lawler is a +185 underdog in the latest Covington vs. Lawler odds. In the co-main event, Jim Miller squares off against Clay Guida in a battle of veteran lightweights at UFC Fight Night Newark. Miller is a -150 favorite in the latest Miller vs. Guida odds, down from an open of -175. Before locking in your UFC on ESPN 5 picks, make sure you hear what SportsLine MMA expert Kyle Marley has to say.

Marley won the first-ever "ToutMaster" UFC betting contest sponsored by MMAOddsBreaker and is in contention to win this year's contest. He also appears regularly on multiple MMA betting and DFS shows. Over the past year, $100 bettors who have followed Marley's picks are up more than $21,000.

At last week's UFC 240 card in Edmonton, Marley nailed Max Holloway's one-sided title defense against veteran Frankie Edgar. He told SportsLine members that Holloway's advantages in speed and striking would be the difference in a unanimous-decision victory. That's exactly what happened, as the champion won all five rounds on two of the three judges' scorecards.

Two weeks ago at UFC on ESPN 4, Marley predicted that Greg Hardy (-115) would knock out Juan Adams (-105) in a battle of heavyweight prospects that Vegas viewed as virtually even. Hardy finished an overmatched Adams in 45 seconds. Anyone who followed Marley's advice booked an easy winner and those who have followed him throughout 2019 are way up.

Now, with UFC on ESPN 5 fast approaching, Marley has carefully studied every matchup on the 12-fight bill, identified the best value in the UFC odds and released his MMA picks for every single fight. He's sharing those selections only over at SportsLine. 

Marley knows the UFC Newark main event is likely to be a turning point in the careers of both fighters. Covington returns to the octagon following a 14-month layoff. He defeated Rafael dos Anjos by unanimous decision in June 2018 for the interim welterweight belt, but was later stripped of it for turning down a bout against then-champion Tyron Woodley.

The outspoken Covington, 31, has been campaigning for a title shot against Usman, but the champ is sidelined indefinitely while he recovers from hernia surgery. UFC president Dana White reportedly has guaranteed Covington a chance at the title if he defeats Lawler on Saturday.

Lawler, 37, is noted for taking part in some of the most action-packed bouts in UFC history, particularly his two-fight rivalry with former UFC contender Rory MacDonald, who has since joined Bellator. He stopped MacDonald in their memorable July 2015 rematch that left both fighters hospitalized. You can only see Marley's Lawler vs. Covington picks and UFC predictions at SportsLine.

At UFC on ESPN 5, we can tell you Marley is backing Scott Holtzman (-325) to defeat Dong Hyun Ma (+265) in a lightweight clash on the main card.

Holtzman (12-3) has won three of his last four fights, but is seeking a bounce-back win following a February loss to Nik Lentz. Meanwhile, Ma (16-9-3) is similarly looking to get back in the win column after his loss to Devonte Smith snapped a three-fight win streak.

"I give Holtzman the edge on his feet and on the ground. He has a better shot of winning by knockout or decision through striking," Marley told SportsLine. Three of Holtzman's last four wins have come via unanimous decision and all eight of his career UFC fights have reached the third round.

Marley also has strong picks for Covington vs. Lawler, Guida vs. Miller and every other bout on the stacked UFC on ESPN 5 card. You can see every one of his UFC predictions at SportsLine.

Who wins Covington vs. Lawler? And how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on all 12 fights at UFC on ESPN 5, all from the incomparable expert who's up more than $21,000 on MMA in the past year, and find out.