Our UFC betting expert previews Week 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series. Below are his predictions and best betting picks for Tuesday’s matchups starting at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Since last Tuesday, 15 consecutive UFC fights have ended by KO/TKO or submission. That’s got to be a record, although it would take hours of data compiling to confirm that.
Regardless, this week’s edition of Dana White’s Contender Series picks is all about predicting more of the same in terms of finishes. Aside from the women’s fight early on, all of these fights are expected to end inside the distance.
As stated last week, these fights are not able to be bet on in New York but are available in most other states across the United States.
Lastly, at the time of writing, BetRivers Sportsbook and Bet365 were offering an extensive list of prop bets for each of the fights for Dana White’s Contender Series today.
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Dana White’s Contender Series Week 3 odds, picks, and predictions
Bo Nickal (-2000) vs. Zachary Borrego (+900)
If there are any WWE fans out here, Bo Nickal is being pushed like Brock Lesnar as “the next big thing.” After opening at -300, sharp bettors pounced on the opportunity to bet on the former NCAA national champion wrestler. The hype is real.
Nickal is 1-0 in his MMA career, with one of the most impressive and brutal first-round knockouts that you will see inside of a minute. Obviously a -2000 favorite is not a bettable number.
Look for Nickal to take this one early, and if you want, a flyer on a win by submission at +225 if your sportsbook has it is a fine opportunity. Borrego has been finished in the first round in two of his three career losses, so Nickal to win in round one (-200) is the official play.
DWCS picks today
Bo Nickal faces off against Zack Borrego in the main event tonight. Zuffa LLCBetting on Sports?
Anvar Boynazarov (+140) vs. Erik Silva (-165)
At featherweight, kickboxer Anvar Boynazarov faces off against Erik Silva. Silva is the more well rounded fighter and the longer this one goes, the better it will be for him.
The issue is every fight starts on the feet, and Boynazarov could be set up for a highlight-reel knockout. It took a bit to find, but Boynazarov fought and beat current UFC featherweight contender Giga Chikadze by decision way back in 2015.
Boynazarov is going to come forward throughout the fight and has excellent cardio. His problems could arise on the mat, where he is very likely to be submitted by the much more accomplished grappler in Silva.
Take a shot on the underdog, even though Silva is the better mixed martial artist. The fact is that Dana White’s Contender Series favors a guy like Boynazarov far more than it does Silva. Silva will have to put himself in danger early in order to get that takedown and submission.
For those with Bet365 access, use the 1.5 rounds prop as a defacto hedge against the early submission, which comes in at -156. This is probably the most exciting fight on the card, and the under 1.5 rounds price is a bargain for two fighters who rarely get out of the first round. Two contrasting styles usually result in early finishes.
A variety of betting options are available for you below, depending on your access to each betting app.
