UFC Vegas 81 odds: Darren Elkins-TJ Brown prediction, pick, how to watch

UFC Vegas 81: Sodiq Yusuff vs. Edson Barboza continues on the prelims with the featured fight in the featherweight division between Darren Elkins and TJ Brown. Elkins is coming off a lopsided loss at the hands of Jonathan Pearce in his last fight meanwhile, Brown was dominated and finished in the second round by Bill Algeo in his most recent performance heading into this fight. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Elkins-Brown prediction and pick.

Darren Elkins (27-11) is a 27-fight veteran who's fought the who's who of the featherweight division for the latter portion of the last 13 years. Now, at age 39 his best years are behind him but he is still extremely durable, has cardio for days, and could push a pace that is very hard to match. He will look to turn back time once more when he takes on TJ Brown this weekend at UFC Vegas 81.

TJ Brown (17-10) is coming into this fight alternating wins and losses over his last four fights and he was just dominated in his last fight against Bill Algeo where he was submitted in round two. This is a big fight for Brown as this would be the biggest win on his resume but also it keep him from suffering his second winless streak inside the octagon this weekend at the UFC Apex when he takes on Darren Elkins.

Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of DraftKings. 

UFC Vegas 81 Odds: Darren Elkins-TJ Brown Odds

Darren Elkins: +150

TJ Brown: -180

Over 2.5 Rounds: -135

Under 2.5 Rounds: +105

How to Watch Darren Elkins vs. TJ Brown

TV: ESPN+

Stream: ESPN+

Time: 4:00 p.m. ET/ 1:00 p.m. PT (Prelims)

Why Darren Elkins Will Win

Darren Elkins is obviously a former shell of himself who's been taking a beating over the years and still continues to do so. He is sometimes too tough for his own good as we've seen in many previous fights of his. The way that he was able to hang in there against someone who's as tough as Jonathan Pearce leads me to believe even at his shopworn age he has a shot to pull off yet another upset victory this weekend against TJ Brown.

While TJ Brown is well put together and has a lot less wear and tear on his body it's his fight IQ and cardio that will be his downfall in this matchup. We know that Elkins can push a relentless pass for 15 minutes no problem even at this stage of his career and with Brown not being a powerful striker, Elkins will have the chance to out-grapple Brown in this matchup to get back to his winning ways.

Why TJ Brown Will Win

TJ Brown was dominated by a tough competitor in the featherweight division Bill Algeo who just dominated another tough fighter in Alexander Hernandez just last week. Brown is now only 3-4 in his UFC record but he's looked good in spurts during his time with the UFC. He will certainly have the advantage on the feet with just his technique and punching power but we all know his bread and butter is his grappling where he submitted 10 of his opponents.

In this particular fight, it would be best for Brown to keep this fight standing and just pick Elkins apart who's basically a human punching bag at this stage of his UFC career. As long as he keeps his head on right and fights smart keeping this fight on the feet at his distance, he should have no problem outstriking Elkins to a wide decision or potentially hurting him and putting him away for his first UFC knockout.

Final Darren Elkins-TJ Brown Prediction & Pick

We know coming into this fight that you can expect this to be a wild one. Elkins has a very fan-friendly style of fighting where he is never going to give up and he is always going to put on a show for the fans bloodbath or not. His relentless come-forward pressure with his grappling chops are going to be key in this matchup against TJ Brown. Brown has had troubles with grapplers in the past, losing to two grapplers in his last three fights and most recently getting submitted in his last fight. With Brown getting taken down seven times in just his last three fights alone, Elkins has a path to victory as long as he can keep his head on his shoulders.

Ultimately on the feet, Brown is going to get the better of Elkins but at some point, Elkins will initiate the grappling and that is where Brown will be caught in scrambles trying to outwork a workhorse who's going to wear on him eventually finishing Brown for his fifth submission loss of his career.

Final Darren Elkins-TJ Brown Prediction & Pick: Darren Elkins (+150), Under 2.5 Rounds (+105)