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UFC 287 Prelims: Best Bets Odds, Picks & Predictions (2023)

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As the two headline UFC 287 at Miami-Dade Arena in Miami, Florida, this weekend, Alex Pereira will try to put an end to his feud with Israel Adesanya in his first Middleweight championship defense. The pay-per-view (PPV) event will also include a crucial Welterweight match between Gilbert Burns and Jorge Masvidal as well as Kevin Holland’s attempt to bounce back against fellow powerhouse Santiago Ponzinibbio.

Before any of that action gets underway, there is a value-packed UFC 287 undercard that I have my eye on. Let’s take a closer look at a few of my favorite plays.

Top Prelim Bets for UFC 287

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (-190) vs. Steve Garcia (+170)

Since losing his UFC debut in 2021, Nuerdanbieke has racked up three straight victories in the featherweight division. His first two victories were by decision before finishing Darrick Minner in the first round last November. “Wolverine” has 49 professional fights despite being only 29 years old, and many of them took place prior to joining the UFC against lesser part-time opponents with obscure Asian promotions.

Although “Wolverine” is competent on the ground and prefers to strike, his footwork is not very noteworthy, and in my opinion, he is really outmatched in this situation.

Garcia has 13 professional victories, 10 of which have been by KO/TKO, but he has yet to really make a name for himself in the UFC, going just 2-2 in the competition. His tough opening-fight loss to Luis Pena was followed by a win before he faced Maheshate in June of last year, losing again. He quickly recovered in the form of a first-round win over Chase Hooper in October and I believe Garcia will put on a similar display here against the overrated Nuerdanbieke.

With advantages everywhere but takedowns, I believe the wrong man is favored in this match.

Bet: Steve Garcia (+170)

Karl Williams (-420) vs. Chase Sherman (+325)

We’ll start with the underdog, Chase Sherman, who has a record of just 2-5 in his second stint with the UFC and is probably headed out of the organization. Sherman has a 4-10 record during his three stints with the organization, but as we can see once more, he always answers the phone when the UFC calls.

In place of Chris Barnett, who was originally supposed to face Sherman, Karl Williams, a recent graduate of DWCS, steps in on short notice and with only 28 days of rest. Williams enters this fight with just one professional defeat and a five-fight winning streak. He defeated Lukasz Brzeski in March in a three-round exhibition of striking, giving him his first UFC victory.

Williams has the higher-than-average striking technical ability for the heavyweight division with a striking accuracy of 61% and I believe Sherman will experience that early and frequently.

Bet: Karl Williams – Inside the Distance (-115)

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Johnny is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Johnny, check out his free UFC picks newsletter and follow him @JohnnyCovers.

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