The UFC returns to the Apex Center in Las Vegas this Saturday. Middleweight contenders will throw down in the evening’s co-main event, and we’re supplementing all your wagering needs. Read on for our complete betting guide taking a first look at Kyle Daukaus vs. Jamie Pickett, including the updated UFC odds and our free expert UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Hill betting picks, predictions, and analysis.
UFC Catchweight Bout
Saturday, February 19, 2022 – 09:30 PM EST at UFC Apex
Born and raised in the Tacony neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kyle Daukaus discovered a passion for mixed martial arts alongside his brother Chris Daukaus. The latter currently competes in the UFC heavyweight division.
After imitating the grappling witnessed from UFC events, the brothers decided to take up MMA and have remained on the training mats of their hometown ever since. Following countless setbacks during his amateur career (5-5), Kyle dropped a weight class and hasn’t looked back.
Behind a heavy jiu-jitsu-based skillset, the younger Daukaus brother went 6-0 undefeated as a professional. He impressed on Dana White Contender Series and is now 1-2 for the promotion with losses against the highly talented Brendan Allen and Phil Hawes.
Kyle Daukaus Best Available Odds: (-230) at Everygame (visit our Everygame Review)
Wasting no time in what could be argued as his prime fighting years, 33-year-old Jamie Pickett returns to the UFC octagon for the second time in 2022 and looks to extend his 2-fight win streak.
Pickett eventually earned a position on the UFC roster after becoming the first martial artist to receive three separate attempts on Dana Whites Contender Series. Following losses on DWCS in 2017 and again in 2019, he finally made a statement during his third appearance with a round two stoppage over Jhonoven Pati.
Back-to-back defeats upon his arrival to the promotion weren’t the most positive start, but Pickett has fired back with two victories and now sits with a 2-2 as a UFC middleweight.
Jamie Pickett Odds: (+215) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
Despite owning a long frame and body type that supplements a positive striking output, Kyle Daukaus’ bread and butter stems from his grappling offense. And we can’t expect a different approach this weekend.
Daukaus will want to tie up, clinch, and wait for his moment to ground the fight. He may utilize his long jab and basic 1-2 combinations and a mixture of kicks, but he’s ultimately hunting for a takedown. A mix of ground and pound, ground control, and submission attempts is where he often excels, and the game plan won’t alter on Saturday evening.
For Pickett, it’s quite the opposite. Heavy hands, a stiff jab, and most striking situations are where he’ll prefer to fight. With that said, he can be baited into a grappling war, as witnessed in his previous bout just five weeks ago versus Joseph Holmes.
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Pickett notably performed well in the grappling exchanges, avoided the takedown, and worked his striking output from a southpaw stance until eventually landing a double-leg takedown of his own.
The available odds at Bookmakers Review favor Daukaus but a -200-price tag and beyond is concerning. The Philly boy hasn’t earned this strong position within the odds, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Pickett fended off the takedowns and outpointed Daukaus to a decision victory.
However, the finishing ability of both fighters has been lackluster since their UFC debuts. I can envision this contest getting sloppy, making the over 2.5 rounds at -170, a respectable price I can get behind.
UFC Pick: Over 2 ½ rounds (-170) [1.70u to win 1u] at GTbets (visit our GTbets Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.