UFC 297 Prop Bet Odds, Picks & Predictions (2024)

by Trenton Pruitt |
Jan 19, 2024

UFC 297 is scheduled for Saturday night in Toronto, Ontario, and there are a pair of belts on the line. This card is stacked from top to bottom, providing us with a myriad of different betting options. I'm heading the "props route" for this one, where I've locked in these three prop bets. Let's waste no time and dive into the picks and analysis!

UFC 297 Prop Bet Odds, Picks & Predictions

(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

Sean Strickland (-125) vs. Dricus Du Plessis (+105)

The main event features a championship tilt in the Middleweight division, where Sean Strickland (C) is set to make his first title defense. He'll be tasked with taking on Dricus Du Plessis (#2), who is a perfect 6-0 since entering the UFC.

While Du Plessis has found a ton of success since coming into the new promotion, this will be his first headlining fight. He has yet to fight in the championship rounds, and only one of his six UFC bouts has gone the full 15 minutes.

I think Strickland has the defensive skill set to drag this fight into the championship rounds, which I believe gives him a massive advantage. Many have called Du Plessis' stamina a potential issue, and I'm going to bank on that with this prop. Du Plessis will be in uncharted territory after the first 15 minutes, and I think this is when we'll see the American, who has seen 15 of his 28 professional fights (53.6%) come by finish, go for the jugular. I'll be sprinkling on this prop as my "lottery ticket" for UFC 297.

Bet: Sean Strickland To Win in Round Four (+1600)

Raquel Pennington (+140) vs. Mayra Bueno Silva (-166)

The co-main event is a Women's Bantamweight title bout, where Raquel Pennington (#2) will take on Mayra Bueno Silva (#3) for Amanda Nunes' vacated (retired) belt. Nunes' fellow countrywoman, Silva, is a slight favorite with a -166 moneyline favorite while the American comes back as a +140 moneyline underdog.

Considering both women's grappling experience, I'm going to say this fight ends with a submission. For Silva, seven of her 14 professional victories have come by submission. That includes a stretch of five of her last six wins in the UFC.

As for Pennington, she's not as accomplished in terms of securing finishes, but four of her 15 professional wins have come via submission. Neither fighter owns a takedown defense rate of over 70%, which leads me to believe we'll see a lot of action on the ground in this one. I think someone gets stuck in the 25-minute co-main event, and I like the +130 payout that comes with this prop.

Bet: Exact Method of Victory: Submission (+130)

Arnold Allen (+160) vs. Movsar Evloev (-192)

The main card opens up with an absolute banger in the Featherweight division, as Arnold Allen (#4) squares off against Movsar Evloev (#9). The oddsmakers have Evloev priced as a -185 moneyline favorite while Allen comes back at +160 to get his hand raised.

I think this fight will go the distance, and the sportsbooks agree considering you have to lay a -330 price if you want to wager that the fight goes the full 15 minutes. With that being said, if you're looking for a valuable prop in this bout, you can lock in Arnold Allen to win this fight by decision at +330

Neither man has ever been finished in their professional career, and I don't know if that's going to change in this fight. Both fighters have a significant strike defense rate of 61%, meaning their opposition has only landed 39% of their strikes. So, from a statistical standpoint, it seems unlikely that either fighter will land a significant blow to secure a knockout.

Finally, I believe that Allen is the right side in this fight considering he hasn't been taken down since 2018, and he boasts a 76% career takedown defense rate. I believe he'll be able to negate Evloev's excellent wrestling, which should give him an advantage on the feet.

Bet: Arnold Allen To Win By Decision (+330)

Make sure to check out our other best bets for Friday:

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UFC 297 Prop Bet Odds, Picks & Predictions (2024)