The first UFC card of the year is one packed with must-see bouts, highlighted by the interim lightweight championship being on the line in the promotion’s debut on CBS and Paramount+. UFC 324 will take place on Saturday, with Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett battling for the UFC Lightweight Championship in the main event. Pimblett (23-3) is the -239 favorite in the latest UFC 324 odds as he’s riding a nine-fight win streak and aims for his first title in the promotion. Meanwhile, Gaethje (26-5) is a former interim lightweight champ and is at +195 to back in UFC bets after winning three of his last four fights.
The UFC 324 main card starts at 9 p.m. ET from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In the UFC 324 co-main event, a pair of top-five ranked bantamweights will face off with Sean O’Malley vs. Song Yadong. Despite back-to-back defeats to Merab Dvalishvili, O’Malley (18-3) is the -205 favorite, with Yadong (22-8-1) priced at +170. Before locking in any UFC 324 picks, make sure you see the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Daniel Vithlani.
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Vithlani is a highly-analytical UFC bettor who has been a consistent winner for SportsLine members since making his debut in January 2023 with a 5-0 record for UFC 283. In fact, he’s up over $1,500 on his UFC main-card sports betting picks.
His other highlights include calling an upset for Sean O’Malley (+210) against Aljamain Sterling (-250) at UFC 292 as part of a 4-1 main card, and his UFC 299 winners included underdog selections on Dustin Poirier (+190) against Benoit Saint Denis (-230) and Michael Page (+110) against Kevin Holland (-130). Anyone who has followed him at sportsbooks and on betting apps could be way up.
Now, Vithlani has studied Gaethje vs. Pimblett from every angle and revealed his top betting picks and best bets. Head to SportsLine to see them.
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Gaethje vs. Pimblett preview
Gaethje, 37, has a background in amateur wrestling as he was an NCAA All-American at Northern Colorado, but he’s made his living in MMA via his knockout ability. Of his 26 victories, 20 have come via knockout, five have come via decision, and just one has come from submitting his opponent. Of his five defeats, three have come from being knocked out and two have been via submission. Gaethje has never lost a decision in his professional career.
Fighting out of Denver, Gaethje is aiming for his second Interim UFC Lightweight Championship after winning it the first time at UFC 249 in a TKO victory over Tony Ferguson. However, he then lost his next bout for the UFC Lightweight Championship, falling to Khabib Nurmagomedov. Gaethje had another shot to claim gold when he challenged Charles Oliveira for the title at UFC 274 but again came up short. He has held the symbolic UFC “BMF” title, which he won via a triumph over Dustin Poirier at UFC 291. Check out SportsLine to see Vithlani’s picks and analysis.
Pimblett, 31, has a BJJ background and made his professional debut as a 17-year-old in his native Liverpool, England. He fought at bantamweight and featherweight for over five years before moving up to lightweight in 2018. Since then, he’s won 10 of 11 bouts, including each of the last nine, and Pimblett sports a 7-0 record since joining UFC in 2021. He can triumph in a number of ways as of his 23 victories, 10 have been via submission, seven have come thanks to a knockout, and six have been via winning on the scorecards.
While he won championships in other promotions, UFC 324 will be his first title bout since linking up with the promotion. Pimblett, however, has been awarded Performance of the Night in five of his last seven fights, including in back-to-back bouts. He’s also a perfect 3-0 in his MMA career in Las Vegas, while Gaethje sports a 3-1 record in Sin City. You can only see UFC 324 picks and analysis at SportsLine.
UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett predictions
One of of Vithlani’s UFC 324 picks: He’s backing Nikita Krylov (+120) over Modestas Bukauskas (-142) in a light heavyweight matchup on the preliminary card. Krylov (30-11) is No. 13 in light heavyweight rankings, while Bukauskas (19-6) is unranked. The former has advantages over his opponent in a number of metrics, including significant strikes landed per minute, significant strikes accuracy and takedowns average. Bukauskas also lacks a diversified attack as just one of his last 17 bouts have seen him win via submission, while Krylov has over a dozen MMA wins via both submission and with a knockout.
“[Krylov] seems very focused in this training camp and is still only 33 years old,” Vithlani told SportsLine. “If Krylov can find his old form, his MMA game will be a lot more diverse than Bukauskas. If Krylov can mix in his grappling, he will threaten with chokes and ground and pound to win this fight.” See who else to back here.
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How to make UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett picks
Vithlani has strong picks for Gaethje vs. Pimblett and other bouts on the UFC 324 card. He’s also backing a fighter who is the “far more sophisticated striker” and has him “teeing off” on his opponent. He’s sharing who it is only at SportsLine.
Who wins UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett, and how exactly does the fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks and analysis from the incomparable expert who is up over $1,500 on his UFC main-card picks, and find out.
UFC 324 main fight card, odds
See picks at SportsLine.
(Odds subject to change)
Justin Gaethje (+195) vs. Paddy Pimblett (-239)
Sean O’Malley (-205) vs. Song Yadong (+170)
Waldo Cortes-Acosta (-355) vs. Derrick Lewis (+270)
Natalie Silva (-355) vs. Rose Namajunas (+280)
Arnold Allen (+200) vs. Jean Silva (-245)
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