UFC 297 Best Bets
The first UFC pay-per-view of the year is here. The card has a lot of closely lined fights which gives us a chance to make some quality bets. Let’s dive into the card and discuss three of the best bets you can make on UFC 297.
*All lines are taken from Draft Kings and are accurate as of Thursday, January, 18 at 4:00 p.m.*
Sean Strickland -115:
The UFC 297 main event is currently lined with Sean Strickland as a -115 betting favorite while Du Plessis is a slight -105 underdog. I am siding with the favorite in this matchup.
I completely understand why this is a closely-lined fight. In the early rounds, this should be a competitive fight. Du Plessis throws hard and could hurt Strickland early. He will likely walk forward, throw big kicks and look to land his jab. On the other hand, Strickland could time shots while Du Plessis kicks and lands his “teep.”
Despite Du Plessis having an edge in finishing ability, I have to pick Strickland because of his edge in cardio. Strickland has shown great cardio and the ability to push the pace while Du Plessis has shown suspect cardio in several fights. If this fight gets into the later rounds, I expect that Strickland will dial up the pressure and turn the fight in his favor.
Mayra Bueno Silva -166:
The UFC 297 co-main event features a bantamweight title fight between Mayra Bueno Silva and Raquel Pennington. Bueno Silva is a -166 betting favorite while Pennington is a +140 underdog.
I am a believer in Mayra Bueno Silva’s skills. In his most recent fight against Holly Holm, she landed a second-round submission while proving to be a title threat.
In this matchup, Bueno Silva has a few impactful advantages. That begins with finishing ability. Bueno Silva has far more power on the feet and more submission upside on the ground. Similarly, I believe the power in her strikes will quickly add up and help her establish an early lead in this fight. That should lead to Pennington attempting to take the fight to the ground, but I have a hard time seeing Pennington grapple enough to win a decision without getting submitted. Those advantages all combine to make Bueno Silva a solid bet on UFC 297.
Sam Patterson +120:
The final bet that I like for UFC 297 is for Sam Patterson to beat Yohan Lainesse. Patterson is a +120 underdog while Lainesse is a -142 favorite.
I will be honest, I have red flags and concerns with each of these fighters. On the Patterson side, he was knocked out in his debut and is making his welterweight debut; conversely, Lainesse throws with minimal volume and has poor cardio.
Still, I think Patterson is worth a bet. He is younger and has more upside and, stylistically, he can use his length to attack Lainesse from range. Patterson should be able to sit on the outside and pick at Lainesse with kicks and straight punches. Plus, if he can kick the body, he could make Lainesse tire.
In any Lainesse fight, he can land a massive knockout shot. Although, I do not think that is worthy of making him a favorite. That is especially true when he lacks the volume and cardio to be a consistent threat on the feet. It is a risky play, but I am willing to take an underdog shot on Patterson.
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