The Octagon returns to the UFC Apex in Las Vegas this Saturday for UFC Vegas 65. The card features 12 fights in total, including the main event between top-15-ranked heavyweights Serghei Spivac and Derrick Lewis. 

We’ll take a closer look at the main event, plus two other fights as we make our best UFC picks for UFC Vegas 65 right here.

Odds via DraftKings sportsbook and current as of publication. Check out our DraftKings sportsbook review.

UFC Vegas 65 Main Event Best Bet

Serghei Spivac (-195) vs. Derrick Lewis (+165)

The headliner of UFC Vegas 65 features heavyweights Serghei Spivac and Derrick Lewis. Spivac is a -195 favorite and I believe he will defeat Lewis for the biggest win of his career.

Spivac is just 27 years old and he is emerging as one of the top young heavyweights on the UFC roster. Since making his UFC debut in 2019, he’s 6-3 in the Octagon, including a 5-1 record over his last six fights. While the Moldova native struggled at the beginning of his UFC run, he’s really improved a lot since his first few fights. 

His striking is improving, but it’s his ground game that is his best attribute. He is able to get most of his opponents down to the mat, and on the ground, he can finish them by ground and pound TKO or submission. Spivac’s chin has let him down a few times and he’s been knocked out, but on the ground, he’s a real threat.

Lewis is 37 years old and he is not the same fighter he once was, but he still is a powerful puncher. The last thing a fighter loses is their power, so you can’t completely discount Lewis landing that big punch and knocking his opponents out. 

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That being said, he himself has gotten quite chinny over the last few years, having lost three of his last four fights by knockout. He’s still the UFC’s leader in knockout wins with 13, so he always has a puncher's chance. But with a declining chin, an aging body, and suspect takedown defense, there are also a number of things that aren’t looking good for him despite still possessing that KO power. 

I think this will be Spivac’s coming-out party as I see him beating Lewis for the biggest win of his UFC career to date. Give me Spivac at -195 and take him by TKO at +140 if you like props.

UFC Vegas 65 Best Bet: Spivac wins at -195 at DraftKings Sportsbook

UFC Vegas 65 Best Prop Bet: Spivac wins by TKO at +140 at DraftKings Sportsbook

Other UFC Vegas 65 Best Bets

Waldo Cortes-Acosta (-190) vs. Chase Sherman (+160)

Also on the main card is a heavyweight bout between Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Chase Sherman. Cortes-Acosta is a -190 favorite and I like him to get his hand raised here.

Cortes-Acosta made his UFC debut just last month and he picked up a decision win over Jared Vanderaa for his first victory in the Octagon. The 31-year-old Dominican Republic native is a big, strong, powerful striker who has legitimate knockout power. 

Although he did not get the finish in his last fight, he showed against Vanderaa that he has the cardio to go the full three rounds. It was actually good to see him dig deep in that fight and finish strong by winning the third round. Overall, I like what I see from Cortes-Acosta and I believe he will have a solid UFC career.

Sherman was supposed to fight Josh Parisian earlier this month but his fight fell off when his opponent pulled out due to health issues. The 33-year-old American has been in the UFC since 2016 but he hasn’t had much success, holding just a 4-9 record in the Octagon, with five of those losses coming by knockout. 

Giving credit to Sherman, he did beat the aforementioned Vanderaa in his last fight and he knocked him out in the third round, something that Cortes-Acosta wasn’t able to do. But overall, Sherman just has not been impressive in the UFC.

Sherman has been someone who has historically been a good fade in the UFC, and now he’s fighting one of the best heavyweight prospects in Cortes-Acosta. Give me Cortes-Acosta to win as a -190 favorite at betting apps, and take him to win by TKO to get better value on him.

UFC Vegas 65 Best Bet: Waldo Cortes-Acosta wins at -190 at DraftKings Sportsbook

UFC Vegas 65 Best Prop Bet: Waldo Cortes-Acosta wins by TKO at -105 at DraftKings Sportsbook

Jack Della Maddalena (-450) vs. Danny Roberts (+360)

Kicking off the main card is a welterweight bout between Jack Della Maddalena and Danny Roberts. Della Maddalena is a -450 favorite at UFC betting sites, and I think he wins this fight in spectacular fashion.

Just 26 years of age, Della Maddalena is one of the top rising prospects at 170 lbs. The Aussie made his UFC debut earlier this year and since then he has picked up two straight knockout wins over Pete Rodriguez and Ramazan Emeev. 

He has some of the best boxing in the UFC welterweight division as he is able to mix in his head and body shots in devastating fashion. It’s actually beautiful to watch him box, and he has the takedown defense needed to keep his fights on the feet. In a striking battle, it will be difficult for anyone in his division to defeat this man.

Roberts has been in the UFC since 2015 and he has a 7-5 record since then. The 35-year-old Brit has had some incredible performances at times, scoring four finishes in those seven victories, but he has been very inconsistent during his UFC career. 

His durability is also a concern, as he’s been finished in four of his losses. Don’t get me wrong, Roberts is a talented striker and he is known for putting on very fun and exciting fights. But going up against someone as talented and dangerous as Della Maddalena seems to be a tall task at this point in his career.

I have no doubt Della Maddalena beats Roberts in this fight, and I think he gets the job done by knockout. Della Maddalena at -450 is a good parlay piece, and you can bet on the TKO prop to get even better odds as it seems unlikely Roberts will be able to survive the three rounds.

UFC Vegas 65 Best Bet: Jack Della Maddalena wins at -450 at DraftKings Sportsbook

UFC Vegas 65 Best Prop Bet: Jack Della Maddalena wins by TKO at -175 at DraftKings Sportsbook

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