UFC 319 Best Betting Picks & Predictions: Du Plessis vs Chimaev Top Bets

UFC 319 is scheduled to get underway from the United Center in Chicago on Saturday August 16th.

Here are Deadspin's best betting picks and predictions for the jam-packed card.

Carlos Prates by KO/TKO/DQ (+125) over Geoff Neal

The Fighting Nerds are just about the hottest thing smoking in mixed martial arts right now, but it was Carlos Prates’ loss against Ian Machado Garry in April that ended their incredible unbeaten streak as a gym in the UFC.

Before that loss, however, Prates had won his previous 11 fights and 10 in a row by KO/TKO. That includes his first five career fights under the UFC banner, four of which earned him Performance of the Night bonuses.

Geoff Neal is a serviceable talent in the welterweight division, but age is catching up to him fast, and he’s lost three of his last six fights.

I feel very good about Prates by KO/TKO here, which should get him back in the Fighting Nerds’ good graces after his loss ended their impressive streak earlier in the year.

Dricus Du Plessis (+210) to beat Khamzat Chimaev

I can’t sit here and promise you that Dricus Du Plessis will leave the octagon victorious over Khamzat Chimaev on Saturday night. What I do know is that +210 odds for a fighter in Du Plessis, who has done nothing but show up in big moments, is too much value to pass up.

Du Plessis is undefeated in the UFC and has won 11 consecutive fights overall dating back to his time in Poland-based fight promotion KSW. He’s superior to Chimaev in the striking game and is strong enough as a grappler to prevent himself from being vastly overpowered by the undefeated Chechen-born wrestler.

As elite as Chimaev has been at times, we’ve also seen him look relatively mortal in a few of his recent fights. Du Plessis’ name started rising in pound-for-pound conversations after his second title defense against Sean Strickland in February, and at +210 I feel he has a decent chance to back up those talks with a decision or TKO victory over Chimaev on Saturday night.