The UFC train keeps on rolling this Saturday, as we have UFC Vegas 50 going down with 14 fights and many UFC betting opportunities, including on the main event between Magomed Ankalaev and Thiago Santos.

It should be a great night of fights, and to make it even more exciting, let’s go through our UFC picks on the card and hopefully make some money this weekend watching MMA.

Magomed Ankalaev vs Thiago Santos Odds

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UFC Vegas 50 Predictions: Ankalaev (-600) vs Santos (+425)

The headliner of UFC Vegas 50 sees light heavyweights Magomed Ankalev and Thiago Santos go at it for five rounds or less. Ankalaev is a -600 favorite, while Santos is a +425 underdog. Although the odds at top betting sites are very heavy, Ankalaev is our pick to win the fight.

Since making his UFC debut back in 2018, Ankalaev has been one of the top light heavyweights in the UFC, going 7-1 overall. The Russian has shown tremendous striking skills and he is hard to get to the ground, so overall he is one of the most well-rounded fighters in the division. A win here over Santos and Ankalaev will move one step closer to the title shot.

As for Santos, he has been in the UFC since 2013 and he has been one of the top light heavyweights in the sport during that stretch. However, at age 37 it’s fair to say that Santos is on a decline as he’s lost four of his last five fights and he doesn’t appear to have his trademark explosiveness and KO power anymore. He’s still a good fighter, but he’s no longer elite.

Ankalaev should win this fight all day. He should be the more effective striker, and I expect him to be able to edge out a decision, so take him to win at -600 and by decision at +140.

The Pick: Magomed Ankalaev at -600 with BetMGM

Alternative Pick: Magomed Ankalaev wins by decision at +140 with DraftKings

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Other UFC Vegas 50 Best Bets

Song Yadong (-250) vs Marlon Moraes (+210)

The co-main event is a bantamweight bout between Song Yadong and Marlon Moraes. Yadong is a -260 favorite, while Moraes is a +200 underdog. To me, this fight is a bit of a mismatch and the -260 price on Yadong could potentially be even higher for this fight.

Moraes was one of the best bantamweights in the sport for a stretch of several years, but he is on a huge decline now. Moraes has lost four of his last five fights, and he’s been getting knocked out in all of his losses. Yes, it’s true that Moraes has fought tough competition, but at the end of the day, you have to win and Moraes hasn’t got the job done in a very long time.

Meanwhile, Yadong is just 24 years old and he already has a fantastic UFC record of 7-1-1. Given Yadong is 11 years younger than Moraes in this matchup, he has far more upside. He is also coming off one of his best performances, a brutal KO win over Julio Arce, and if Yadong is able to find Moraes’ chin, there is no doubt that he has the power to turn his lights out.

Moraes has major chin issues and Yadong is a hard puncher. Give me Yadong to win the fight as a -260 favorite, and to get a better line, take him to win inside the distance at -120.

The Pick: Song Yadong at -250 with DraftKings

Alternative Pick: Song Yadong wins inside the distance at -120 with DraftKings

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Javid Basharat (-145) vs Trevin Jones (+125)

On the preliminary card is an intriguing bantamweight fight between Javid Basharat and Trevin Jones. Basharat is a -145 favorite, while Jones is a +125 underdog. It should be a fun fight for as long as it lasts, but I believe that Basharat will do enough to get his hand raised.

Basharat is making his UFC debut in this match having won all 11 of his professional MMA bouts so far. The undefeated prospect is talented in every area of the game, but he excels on the ground. We saw on Dana White’s Contender Series in his win over Oron Kahlon that Basharat has a dominant ground game, one he will look to use here against Jones.

Jones has had an up-and-down run in the UFC. He started off his UFC run in 2020 with a KO win over Timur Valiev, but it was overturned to a No Contest after a positive marijuana test. He then knocked out Mario Bautista before getting submitted by Saidyokub Kakhramonov in his last fight. It was actually the second submission loss for Jones in his career, so it appears he has a hole in that part of his game, a hole that Basharat will surely look to take advantage of.

I was very impressed by Basharat in the Contender Series and believe he will have a solid UFC career. Take Basharat to win at -145, and alternatively by submission at +350 odds.

The Pick: Javid Basharat at -145 with DraftKings

Alternative Pick: Javid Basharat wins via submission at +350 with DraftKings

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