UFC Vegas 78 Odds: Josh Fremd-Jamie Pickett prediction, pick

UFC Vegas 78: Vicente Luque vs. Rafael Dos Anjos kicks off the main card with a fight in the middleweight division between Josh Fremd and Jamie Pickett. Fremd got his first win inside the octagon in his last fight meanwhile, Pickett Miller has lost his last three straight and is in need of a big win. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Fremd-Pickett prediction and pick.

Josh Fremd (10-4) finally got his first win inside the octagon when he submitted Sedriques Dumas in round two. He is now 1-2 in his UFC career and will be looking to get on the first winning streak of his UFC career when he takes on UFC veteran Jamie Pickett.

Jamie Pickett (13-9) has had a rough go as of late dropping each of his last three fights all coming inside the distance. This is a crucial fight for Pickett to get the win. He will be looking to right the ship in hopes of extending his UFC career when he takes on Josh Fremd this Saturday at UFC Vegas 78.

Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

UFC Vegas 78 Odds: Josh Fremd-Jamie Pickett Odds

Josh Fremd: -355

Jamie Pickett: +270

Over 1.5 Rounds: -166

Under 1.5 Rounds: +130

How to Watch Josh Fremd vs. Jamie Pickett

TV: ESPN

Stream: ESPN+

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT (Main Card)

Why Josh Fremd Will Win

Josh Fremd finally got his first win inside the octagon when he submitted Sedriques Dumas by second-round guillotine choke. It was a big win for Fremd whose back was against the wall after losing back-to-back fights to begin his UFC career. He gets to take on Jamie Pickett who is in a similar situation as he was in his last fight.

Fremd is exceptionally tall and long for the division at 6'4″ with a 76″ reach and he utilizes that to his advantage on the feet. He uses his leg kicks and his jab to keep his opponents at bay until he is able to shoot for a well-timed takedown to take the fight to the mat. When he gets the fight there he does well with his top control and his jiu-jitsu which should be his path to victory in this matchup against Pickett. Pickett is as tough as they come but we've seen him time and time again get out grappled in lopsided losses. If Fremd can refrain from making this dogfight and fight intelligently he can get on the first winning streak of his UFC career.

Why Jamie Pickett Will Win

Jamie Pickett is in a do-or-die situation when he comes into this weekend's matchup against Josh Fremd. Pickett has lost three consecutive with all three coming inside the distance and two of those three coming by submission. Pickett has a crazy 80″ reach and has a large frame for his size which he will need to utilize well in this matchup.

His striking is his best attribute and we've seen him give trouble to his opponents in the past range, that will be his best path to victory in this matchup against Fremd. While Fremd can crack from range he'd much rather take Pickett down and that is where Pickett will need to do his best to keep this fight on the feet and lay hands on Fremd in the process. If he can do that he can possibly save his UFC career.

Final Josh Fremd-Jamie Pickett Prediction & Pick

Jamie Pickett is on his last legs in terms of his UFC career. He has now lost his last three fights while getting finished in all three fights and he now has a UFC record of just 2-5 which is quite abysmal. To his credit, however, he has faced elite competition during his time with the promotion but they were all just a step ahead of him which is what Josh Fremd is in this matchup this weekend.

Fremd is massive for the weight class and he has the ability to stay out of the range of Pickett on the feet and when he takes the fight to the mat he should absolutely dominate him there. Pickett shouldn't have much of an answer for Fremd's grappling so it will be up to him to utilize his movement to stay on the outside and just pot-shot his way to a victory. With that said, it is highly unlikely that Pickett will be able to keep his distance, especially being inside the Apex which is a smaller octagon and he isn't known for just out-striking his opponents either. Ultimately, Fremd and Pickett start out hot on the feet until Fremd is able to get the fight inside the clinch to take Pickett down and submit him within two rounds.

Final Josh Fremd-Jamie Pickett & Pick: Josh Fremd (-355), Under 1.5 Rounds (+130)