UFC 328 takes place in the “Brick City” tonight, with a marquee card set for the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Headlined by a main event bout between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland, our betting team has broken down the latest UFC odds with expert UFC 328 predictions, picks, and top plays for Saturday, May 9.
UFC 328 best bets
Khamzat Chimaev vs Sean Strickland
Best bet: Chimaev to win by decision
+335 at BET99
"Expect to see a dominant outing from Chimaev, as he routinely puts Strickland on his back and secures top position.
With no serious durability issues on either side, this fight will play out for the entirety of 25 minutes before it’s inevitably announced that the champion retains his title by unanimous decision."
Read Cody Saftic's full Chimaev vs. Strickland predictions.
Joshua Van vs Tatsuro Taira
Best bet: Van to win by KO/TKO/DQ
+335 at BET99
"Taira’s striking defense isn’t very good, and he isn’t as dynamic when his opponents have good footwork and establish range, causing him to force his takedowns and get tagged for his troubles.
Van is heavy-handed and relentless, and one bad takedown attempt from Taira is going to lead to a series of punishing shots that will end in a stoppage."
Read Danny Howard's full Van vs. Taira predictions.
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Alexander Volkov vs Waldo Cortes-Acosta
Best bet: Volkov to win by decision
+125 at BET99
"Cortes-Acosta can outwork opponents who can’t slow him down or interrupt his flow, but Pavlovich showed how effective a solid jab is against him. Volkov is an even sharper technician with cleaner counters, better conditioning, and years of experience against elite heavyweight strikers.
As long as Volkov stays composed, he should outpoint Cortes-Acosta over three rounds."
Read Danny Howard's full Volkov vs. Cortes-Acosta predictions.
Sean Brady vs Joaquin Buckley
Best bet: Brady moneyline
+195 at BET99
"Brady has more in the tank than Usman or Covington at this stage of his career, and both of them had success getting Buckley on the ground and keeping him there.
He might have some risky moments early on, but my best bet is that Brady racks up enough control time to win a decision."
Read Danny Howard's full Brady vs. Buckley predictions.
King Green vs Jeremy Stephens
Best bet: Fight to NOT go the distance
-110 at BET99
"Green has been open about his strategy for this fight, claiming that he wants to “find out who’s more psycho.” The favorite finished his last fight via knockout and will be more than willing to trade in the pocket.
Six of Green’s last eight bouts have also ended before the final bell, while two of Stephens’ last three UFC fights failed to go the distance."
Read Chris Faria's full Green vs. Stephens predictions.
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Our best UFC 328 parlay
Chimaev/Strickland Over 2.5 total rounds
Bobby Green moneyline
Marco Tulio moneyline
Tatsuro Taira moneyline
Chimaev vs Strickland Over 2.5 total rounds (-135)
Khamzat Chimaev previously held a 85% finish rate through his first 12 pro fights, but since moving up to 185-pounds in the UFC, he’s become more of a grinding wrestler and has gone the distance in two of his three outings as a middleweight.
Sean Strickland has only ever been stopped inside the distance twice in 37 pro fights and has never been submitted. Chimaev, meanwhile, hasn't knocked out an opponent in nearly six years. This fight has all the makings of going into the later rounds, and we only need 2.5.
Bobby Green moneyline (-425)
Even though it’s a bit chalky, this is still too good an offer to pass up, and taking the Bobby Green moneyline is an excellent parlay piece. A winner of two-straight, “King” has looked in vintage form as of late with his high-output striking game.
His opponent, Jeremy Stephens, hasn’t won an MMA fight in nearly four years and is just 1-9 over his last 10 mixed martial arts contests overall.
Marco Tulio moneyline (-200)
Marco Tulio has proven to be a dependable volume puncher, averaging an impressive 6.69 strikes landed per minute in the UFC. This is going to bode well in a matchup versus an aging Roman Kopylov, who’s been outlanded in significant strikes in his last four fights and averages far less than his Brazilian opponent.
Expect a competitive round one, before Tulio starts to run away with it for a comfortable win down the stretch.
Tatsuro Taira moneyline (-170)
Tatsuro Taira holds a significant grappling advantage, which should be key to this matchup. His opponent, Josh Van, has only been training for five years and, although a talented striker, hasn’t had enough time to properly develop a quality ground game.
Despite only being 26 years old, Taira has been training and competing in the sport for over a decade and possesses a very high level of jiu-jitsu. The Japanese challenger has taken down 8 of 9 career opponents in the UFC and figures to utilize that advantage again in this spot en route to a victory.
Read a full analysis of Cody Saftic's UFC 328 parlay picks.
