UFC 278 predictions, odds, best bets: Miranda Maverick, Alexander Romanov among top picks to consider

The UFC lands in Salt Lake City on Saturday with a PPV card led by Kamaru Usman jeopardizing the welterweight championship against former foe Leon Edwards in the main event. The fight is a re-run of a 2015 fight that ended in a decision win for Usman. This fight was the last time Edwards faced defeat.

Two other former champions are also in action at UFC 278. In the co-main event, former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold returns for the first time since July 2019 as he takes on former title challenger Paulo Costa. Rockhold has not won a fight since September 2017. Costa has also lost back-to-back, to middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and then to Marvin Vettori.

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The 13-fight map is packed with intriguing fights, making it the sort of event that can generate a lot of interest from bettors. Luckily for those willing to splurge on the fights, Caesar’s Sportsbook offers almost every angle of UFC 278 to get in on the action. We’re going to give you a few options to consider with this card from our favorite moneyline game, prop game, and parlay game. Let’s take a closer look at these picks now.

Best Moneyline Choice

AJ Fletcher (-160) vs Ange Loosa

There are a few red flags in choosing Fletcher here, not the least of which is his short arms. Although Fletcher and Loosa are the same height, Loosa has a seven-inch reach advantage. If Loosa can keep the fight going, that’s likely the recipe for a bad night for Fletcher. Unfortunately for Loosa, he’s not particularly disciplined in his offense and Fletcher has the ability to explode through takedowns and has displayed a solid chin. Fletcher can also be explosive on his feet, as evidenced by his Contender Series flying knee knockout, which secured a UFC contract. Fletcher is simply a stronger game here on the back of a more well-rounded game and a better chance to control where the combat takes place.

Best prop selection

Miranda Maverick vs. Shanna Young under 2.5 rounds (+110)

Maverick is a high quality finisher for the division. Young has been taken down twice by fighters who don’t quite have Maverick’s quality when she’s at her best. Young’s grappling is a huge drain on her and Maverick will be quite happy to charge forward, put Young on the mat if she needs to, and once the fight hits the ground it’s hard to imagine Young surviving without it the 2:30 of the fight to be stopped beforehand.

Best parlay pick

Lucie Pudilova vs. Wu Yanan at distance: Yes (-330)
Alexander Romanov (-380) vs Marcin Tybura
Jared Gordon (-300) vs Leonardo Santos

Total game (+119)

It’s not always sexy to lump three lines together at -300 or more. However, these are three “fairly safe bets” (famous last words in gambling) that add up to +119 and have a chance of walking away with more than double your stake. Pudilova isn’t a particularly strong finisher, but she’s also very adept at not finishing. Yanan has won all but one of her 12 career wins by stoppages, but only one of those came within the UFC, with the rest all coming against lower-tier opponents in China. This has all the hallmarks of a fight lasting the full 15 minutes. In the meantime, it’s hard to imagine Tybura standing still long enough to use the one advantage he has in battle – his punching – to achieve a win. It’s a heavyweight fight so anything can happen, but Romanov will likely just lay Tybura on his back and keep him there for as long as he likes. Finally, Santos has good strength and reach, but he’s shown abysmal cardio during his recent fights, and Gordon is pushing a lot and doesn’t have the same issues with his cardio. Expect Gordon to dump Santos, leaving him quickly exhausted and ineffective.