UFC 286 Preliminary and Early Prelims Predictions, Odds & Picks

The UFC invades the O2 Arena in London, England on Saturday, March 18 for UFC 286. There’s something for everyone on the jam-packed pay-per-view card, especially on the main card. Having said that, there are also early prelims and preliminary card bouts that you won’t want to miss.

Fortunately, Betting News has gathered the latest odds for all of UFC 286’s preliminary and early prelims fights, along with our prediction for each matchup.

UFC 286 Preliminary Card and Odds (Odds as of Friday, March 17)

The UFC 286 odds listed below are via FanDuel Sportsbook.

Featherweight: Jack Shore (-500) vs. Makwan Amirkhani (+360)

Jack Shore (16-1) looks to rebound after a submission loss to Ricky Simon handed him the first loss of his MMA career. Meanwhile, Makwan Amirkhani (17-8) has lost four times in his last five outings, most recently falling to Jonathan Pearce via TKO back in July.

I’ll agree with the odds on this one and back Shore as the victor. He has the striking advantage over Amirkhani and also has the edge when it comes to grappling, where he boasts an 80% takedown defense rating.

With Amirkhani being susceptible to knockout blows late, I’ll take Shore winning this by KO/TKO.

Best Bet: Jack Shore by KO/TKO (+230)

Lightweight: Chris Duncan (-110) vs. Omar Morales (-110)

This UFC 286 fight is a pick ‘em situation as both Chris Duncan (9-1) and Omar Morales (11-3) share -110 odds to emerge the victor. Keeping that in mind, I’m going with Duncan as the winner.

Morales might have more experience, but he’s also been finished in the second round in back-to-back outings. Sure, one of those losses came as a featherweight, but his latest saw him knocked out in his return to the lightweight division.

Meanwhile, Duncan has won two straight outings and just KO’d Charlie Campbell on Dana White’s Contender Series. Looking to make an impact in his UFC PPV debut, I’ll go with Duncan winning outright.

Best Bet: Chris Duncan Outright (-110)

Lightweight: Sam Patterson (-300) vs. Yanal Ashmoz (+235)

Sam Patterson (10-1-1) and Yanal Ashmoz look to make a name for themselves when they make their PPV debuts this weekend. Although both men are talented, I see Patterson walking out with the victory.

Patterson has fought well lately, finishing five of his last six opponents — including the last three in a row (two by submission, one by TKO). He’s also the more experienced of the two fighters and is used to dealing with tougher competition than what Ashmoz has faced.

Both men love to submit their opponents, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the fight ends with someone tapping. Although I don’t expect an upset, backing the fight to end via submission — regardless of the winner — still provides solid value.

Best Bet: How the Fight Will End — Submission (+170)

Flyweight: Muhammad Mokaev (-850) vs. Jafel Filho (+540)

Muhammad Mokaev (9-0, 1NC) is the biggest favorite on the entire UFC 286. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that oddsmakers don’t see Jafel Filho (14-2) having much of a chance. After all, after going 23-0 as an amateur, Mokaev remains undefeated as a professional MMA fighter.