UFC 291 odds, best bets, Bet365 bonus code: Bet $1 on Poirier-Gaethje, get a guaranteed $200 bonus

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A can’t-miss UFC 291 fight card featuring Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje, Jan Blachowicz vs. Alex Pereira, and Stephen Thompson vs. Michel Pereira is on deck Saturday night.

We’ve identified three UFC 291 betting picks for you to consider, and each is best paired with our Bet365 bonus code. It allows you to wager $1 on the fights or another market of your choice, and receive a $200 bonus, win or lose.

Read our analysis of the best UFC betting sites to learn which sportsbooks offer the top odds and markets for UFC events.

Poirier got the best of Gaethje when the fighters first met in 2018, winning via fourth-round TKO. That bout brought tons of fireworks, and more are expected this weekend in Salt Lake City.

The co-main event, Blachowicz vs. Pereira, pits a pair of former champions. Blachowicz was once the king of the light heavyweight division, and Pereira ruled the middleweights.

This is a matchup between two fighters ranking top three in the light heavyweight division. A convincing victory will go a long way in setting up a title fight against champion Jamahal Hill, who is in the midst of a four-fight win streak.

Even the undercard has household names, as Derrick Lewis faces Marcos Rogerio De Lima in a heavyweight match. Lewis’ 13 knockouts tie him with Matt Brown for the most in UFC history, and the New Orleans native leads the heavyweight division in all-time KOs.

The Diamond proved to be the better fighter after the 2018 fight, and this will be further cemented Saturday night. Poirier’s skillset is well-rounded, while Gaethje relies heavily on his power.

Gaethje has the strength to end the fight in a blink of an eye, but Poirier’s defensive abilities will serve as a solid counter.

If you’re searching for a Poirier market that provides a better return on investment, you can get him to win by submission, KO, TKO, or DQ at +135. The Louisiana native submitted Michael Chandler in his last fight, and he’ll likely try taking this weekend’s scrap to the ground to avoid Gaethje’s power.

Pereira’s coach, Glover Teixeira, defeated Blachowicz by submission in round two of a 2021 title bout. Teixeira retired from MMA, turning his full attention toward mentoring the Brazilian, which will serve particularly beneficial in this fight.

Pereira’s recently-developed ability to create separation and land big strikes makes his +145 odds to win by TKO/KO quite enticing, especially considering three of his last four victories came in the same fashion.

Conditioning has proven to be an issue for Blachowicz in recent bouts, which will be evident once again Saturday night.

Michael Chiesa will step into the octagon for the first time since November 2021. In that time, Kevin Holland has fought five times, holding a 3-2 record following a defeat of Santiago Ponzinibbio.

Not only is Holland in better form, but he also holds a six-inch reach advantage over Chiesa. The 30-year-old’s 81-inch arms allow him to keep separation from opponents while landing long-distance strikes.

Holland tends to get overly aggressive, but if he remains patient against Chiesa, he’ll prove to be the superior scrapper.

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