This weekend's UFC 318 card in New Orleans, Louisiana, is going to be a banger. The BMF Title is on the line in the main event between champion Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier (No. 6). Three additional ranked bouts accompany this title fight. Two of the top-15 clashes are preliminary contests. Below, I'll dive into each of the ranked prelim fights, as well as a third bout, from a betting perspective. Here are my top three UFC 318 prelims card picks and bets for Francisco Prado vs. Nikolay Veretennikov.
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UFC 318 Prelims Card Picks & Bets: Francisco Prado vs. Nikolay Veretennikov
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Francisco Prado (-148) vs. Nikolay Veretennikov (+124)
Neither Francisco Prado nor Nikolay Veretennikov has found much success since getting the call-up to the UFC. Argentina's Prado is just 1-3 and riding a two-fight losing streak in the promotion, while Kazakhstan's Nikolay Veretennikov is 0-3 out of the gate. Prado's a decently-sized -148 Moneyline favorite in the Big Easy on Saturday night, while Veretennikov comes back at +124 in this Welterweight Division fight.
I don't mind laying the juice with Prado in this spot. In my opinion, he's the more versatile fighter in this contest. The 23-year-old is an impressive 12-3-0 in his professional career, finishing all 12 of his victories (six knockouts, six submissions).
Meanwhile, Veretennikov doesn't have great defensive metrics, and I believe this will ultimately lead to his demise. The Kazak brawler boasts a strike defense rate of just 48%, meaning 52% of his opponents' significant strikes are landing. From a grappling standpoint, he sits at just 57% with his takedown defense. Veretennikov has conceded two or more takedowns in two of his three UFC fights. Prado's landing a solid 4.38 significant strikes per minute, and the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt holder is a threat on the canvas as well. He's capable of winning by any method, so I'll back the Argentinian to get my betting night started off right.
Bet: Francisco Prado Moneyline (-148)
