Fight Night: Tavares vs Silva Picks and Predictions

Brad Tavares and Bruno Silva have been also-rans at middleweight, but one of them has to prevail in this clash, and our UFC picks like Tavares to assert himself in a close bout.

Brad Tavares vs. Bruno Silva is scheduled for three rounds in the middleweight division as the co-main event of this weekend’s UFC Fight Night card from The Apex in Las Vegas.

Veteran Tavares looks to push the hard-hitting Silva further down the ladder while growing his prospects at middleweight. 

UFC odds have Tavares as a -155 favorite. Silva is a +135 underdog.

Here are our picks and predictions for Tavares vs. Silva on Saturday, April 22.

Tavares vs Silva fight odds

Tavares vs Silva method of victory odds

Tavares vs Silva picks

Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

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Tavares vs Silva betting preview

Tavares is a reliable operator who does a lot of things well, but nothing spectacular. Silva had the promise of an up-and-coming bruiser, but recent performances have seen his stock plummet. With a middleweight division in flux, these two are fighting to break their respective reputations of being stepping stones.

The veteran Tavares holds the division record for decision wins, emphasizing his durability, and has faced some of its best active fighters. He’s 2-3 in his last five fights, with two of those losses coming to Israel Adesanya and a recent competitive loss to Dricus Du Plessis. Though his role in the division is clear, Tavares is crafty enough to turn away those who aren’t ready for the deep waters at middleweight.   

There isn’t anything Tavares hasn’t seen in the octagon. He has respectable power and good conditioning, though his durability might be taking a hit, making it that much more important that he finds a way around Silva’s explosive power. That veteran experience might be his best tool, especially as Silva seems lost in a professional sense.

Silva’s loss to Alex Pereira was commendable, but the loss to Gerald Meerschaert was troubling. For a fighter known for his high knockout power, he couldn’t dent Meerschaert’s glass jaw. Tavares is better than Meerschaert and more durable, so Silva needs to impress here if he hopes to recapture the momentum he had before his losing streak.

That momentum saw him use his reach and raw power to score 19 knockouts in 22 wins. Only Pereira has gone the distance with him in a war, but he is susceptible to submissions with six submission losses. 

The wild swinging Brazilian can blow you up instantly, making him dangerous at any particular moment. 

Tavares vs Silva tale of the tape

Tavares vs Silva UFC prediction and best bet

Fight prediction: Tavares ML

This fight comes down to if the consistent, but declining Tavares can avoid the strikes of the stronger, sloppier Silva. The short answer is yes, though that wholly depends on Silva’s confidence following his defeats. While he could catch Tavares in a rush, he’ll risk Tavares catching on to his plan and losing the fight on the scorecards.

As resourceful as Tavares remains, he won’t last in a firefight with Silva. In his fight with Du Plessis, he was getting battered at times, though he showed enough resiliency to fight back and avoid a stoppage. 

Because Tavares still has something left, he is rightfully the favorite, though he’ll need to be disciplined with his defense to avoid calamity.

Luckily, Silva isn't at the level of Du Plessis. One-note brawlers like him are the kind of fights Tavares still does well in. We’re picking him to win.

Prediction: Tavares moneyline (-155 at DraftKings)

Fight best bet: Tavares decision

Tavares doesn’t have the power to put Silva down, nor the submission chops to tap him out. What he does have is a consistent striking style, good conditioning, and a long resume against some of the greats. Silva might be too focused on forcing his offense, allowing Tavares to build a steady lead and win on the scorecards.

Our best bet is Tavares winning by decision.

Pick: Tavares by decision (+175 at DraftKings)