UFC 318: MMA Betting Picks and Odds Insight
The UFC is in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Saturday, July 19, for a solid UFC 318 card. The main event sees the BMF belt on the line, as Max Holloway defends the belt in a trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier in his retirement fight.
Below, I'll share my UFC 318 predictions, including my favorite pick, an underdog, a prop and a two-fighter parlay. All UFC odds are via the DraftKings Sportsbook and are accurate as of the post date of this article.
Weight Class: Welterweight
Francisco Prado (12-3) vs Nikolay Veretennikov (12-6)
On the prelims is an intriguing welterweight fight with close odds, but I'm backing Francisco Prado to get his hand raised against Nikolay Veretennikov.
Prado and Veretennikov are both on two-fight losing streaks, and this is likely a do-or-die for both of their UFC careers. However, we just saw Veretennikov get dominated by Austin Vanderford, who was able to use his wrestling to control him on the ground and get the finish.
Although Prado isn't much of a wrestler, he does have it in his back pocket to use. On the feet, he is much more active, as he'll be able to land the more damaging shots en route to a decision victory.
UFC 318 Bet: Francisco Prado (-148)
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Weight Class: Bantamweight
Kyler Phillips (12-3) vs Vinicius Oliveira (22-3)
UFC 318 is very chalk-heavy, and there aren't many underdogs I like. One play I can get behind, however, is Kyler Phillips to pull off the upset against Vinicius Oliveira.
Phillips is coming off a disappointing loss to Rob Font, while Oliveira is coming off the upset win over Said Nurmagomedov. However, due to his last performance, Phillips is getting overlooked.
Phillips is a quality striker who throws more volume than Oliveira, and he can also wrestle if needed. This fight will likely play out on the feet, and I'll take Phillips as the underdog to likely win the first two rounds and edge out a decision.
UFC 318 Bet: Kyler Phillips (+124)
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Weight Class: Middleweight
Brendan Allen (24-7) vs Marvin Vettori (19-7-1)
For my prop at UFC 318, I'm taking Brendan Allen to beat Marvin Vettori by a decision.
Allen and Vettori do not like each other -- and even fought once in a casino -- which set up this fight. Vettori is extremely durable, but not someone I'm high on.
Allen, meanwhile, is a good wrestler, but his striking has also come a long way. Allen should be able to use his wrestling to push Vettori up against the fence and get some takedowns to win the minutes that way. Vettori also isn't a finisher, so Allen will be able to control the action and win a clear-cut decision here.
UFC 318 Bet: Brendan Allen by decision (+100)
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Weight Class: Featherweight & Welterweight
Dan Ige (19-9) vs Patricio Freire (36-8)
Kevin Holland (28-13) vs Daniel Rodriguez (19-5)
For my parlay at UFC 318, I'm taking two fights on the main card, as I like Dan Ige and Kevin Holland to get their hands raised.
Ige is set to take on Patricio Pitbull, who didn't look good at all in his UFC debut, as he was dominated by Yair Rodriguez. Pitbull, unfortunately, looks past his prime and is slower. Ige should be the faster striker and land the more damaging shots to control the fight. It likely ends by decision, as Pitbull is durable if nothing else.
To close out the parlay, I'm taking Holland in the very next fight to beat Rodriguez. Holland is a big favorite here and rightfully so, as he's better everywhere than Rodriguez, who's 2-3 in his last five fights. Holland should be more active on the feet and pick him apart. He is also the better grappler, so a submission isn't out of the question, but I expect Holland to control the fight to win a decision.
UFC 318 Bet: Dan Ige & Kevin Holland parlay (-133)
UFC Best Bets
Here is a recap of my best UFC picks for this weekend's 318 card.
- Francisco Prado (-148)
- Kyler Phillips (+128)
- Brendan Allen by decision (+100)
- Dan Ige & Kevin Holland parlay (-133)
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