UFC 282 Odds, Picks & Predictions

• Jan Blachowicz looks to claim the vacant UFC light heavyweight belt when he faces Magomed Ankalaev in the UFC 282 main event
• Paddy Pimblett battles fellow lightweight Jared Gordon in the co-main event
• See the UFC 282 odds, picks, and betting trends ahead of Saturday’s action at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas

The vacant UFC light heavyweight title will be up for grabs on Saturday, when former champion Jan Blachowicz takes on rising star Magomed Ankalaev in the main event at UFC 282.

Viewers can tune into ESPN+ to catch UFC 282 early prelims, which get underway at 5:30pm ET on Saturday afternoon at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Prelims air at 8:00pm ET on ESPN2, with the main card following at 4:00pm ET, with all the action available exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States.

UFC 282 Odds

Odds at Caesars Sportsbook as of December 6, 2022. Get a Caesars Sportsbook bonus code.

Ankalaev is a heavy -270 favorite over Blachowicz (+220) in the main event, while Pimblett is the -240 chalk against Gordon in the penultimate bout of the night.

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Blachowicz vs Ankalaev Odds & Prediction

Jan Blachowicz enjoys an opportunity to reclaim the UFC light heavyweight belt he lost to UFC 267 after the most recent champion was forced to vacate the belt last month due to a shoulder injury. Blachowicz has fought just once since losing the crown, tallying a third-round TKO win over Aleksandar Rakic last May at UFC Vegas 54 to maintain his position as the No. 3 contender on the UFC light heavyweight rankings.

Magomed Ankalaev has taken the 205-pound division by storm since joining the UFC back in 2018. Since suffering a submission defeat to Paul Craig in his promotional debut, Ankalaev has followed up with nine straight wins, capped by a second-round TKO victory over Anthony Smith at UFC 277 that has helped propel him to No. 4 in the rankings.

Blachowicz vs Ankalaev Stats

Jan Blachowicz looks to become the first fighter since Jon Jones to claim the UFC light heavyweight title multiple times when he steps into the octagon on Saturday night. The 39-year-old has claimed victory in six of his past seven fights, finishing opponents on four occasions during that stretch.

If Jan Blachowicz beats Magomed Ankalaev, he will be the first fighter in UFC history to win a vacant title 2x

He will also be the only 2 time UFC champion to not hold a win over a world champion in his weight class pic.twitter.com/M4zCjyJ7MH

— Jye 🇦🇺🏝 (@thegoldenboyaus) November 27, 2022

Despite averaging just 3.55 significant strikes per minute, Blachowicz has outpaced opponents in striking in each of the fights during his current 6-1 run, including his loss Teixeira. However, he struggled with level changes against both Teixeira and Rakic, who combined to rack up over nine minutes of control in their dates with the former champ.

Blachowicz vs Ankalaev Recent Fights

Magomed Ankalaev has established himself as one of the most devastating power punchers in the UFC light heavyweight division while winning nine straight during the UFC’s longest active win streak. The 30-year-old Russian has finished opponents by KO inside five minutes on three occasions during the streak, and has now seen 10 of his 18 career wins come by knockout.

Ankalaev also sports impressive versatility for a big man, and is adapt at level changes when necessary. He has recorded five takedowns over his past four matches, and is adept at establishing control and the ground and pound, effectively wearing down opponents in prolonged clashes.

Pick: Ankalaev (-270); OVER 4.5 rounds (+130)

Pimblett vs Gordon Odds & Prediction

Paddy Pimblett has finally got his wish to be featured on a UFC numbered event main card. “The Baddy” has quickly established himself as a fan favorite by claiming Performance of the Night bonuses for each of his three decisive wins since joining the UFC last year.

#OnThisDay last year, Paddy Pimblett made his UFC debut 🎞 pic.twitter.com/hqooLN1yoX

— UFC (@ufc) September 4, 2022

Pimblett has finished opponents in each of his victories, including first-round wins over Luigi Vendramini and Rodrigo Vargas. Despite the speed of those finishes, Pimblett has a tendency to start slow, and can struggle with accuracy when attempting to land significant strikes.

Pimblett vs Gordon Recent Fights

Jared Gordon wraps up a busy 2022 with his third fight of the year on Saturday night. The veteran lightweight is coming off a unanimous decision win over Leonardo Santos at UFC 278 that marks his fourth victory in five outings.

“Flash” has seen each of his recent victories come by decision, but also sports plenty of punching power, averaging 5.53 significant strikes landed over 11 career UFC contests, and has seen six of his 19 career wins come by knockout.

Pick: Jared Gordon (+200); OVER 2.5 rounds (+120)

Other UFC 282 Picks

• Dricus du Plessis (-190): du Plessis is poised to extend his current win streak to six fights against Darren Till, who returns from a 15-month layoff looking for his first win since 2019.
• Bryce Mitchell (+115): Undefeated Mitchell offers value in his clash with featherweight Ilia Topuria, particularly if he can bring the action to the mat.
• Edmen Shahbazyan (-310): Shahbazyan’s proven ability to go the distance gives him the edge over fellow middleweight Dalcha Lungiambula, who has lasted less than six minutes while being finished in his past two outings.