In a welterweight bout on the main card, Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns meet Saturday at UFC 288 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC 288: Muhammad vs. Burns odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.
The early prelims are on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. ET, with prelims on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET. The main card can be viewed on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET.
Muhammad takes the walk with an 8-0-1 record across his past 9 fights dating back to April 2019. That lone blemish was an unfortunate No Contest against Leon Edwards in March 2021 due to an unintentional eye poke.
“Remember the Name” has gone the distance 3 times in his last 4 fights and in 11 of his previous 14 bouts, too.
Burns has picked up a pair of wins over Neil Magny (UFC 283, January) and Jorge Masvidal (UFC 287, April) after his unanimous-decision setback against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273 in April 2022. He is just 3-2 in the past 5 fights, but losses to Chimaev and Kamaru Usman are nothing to be ashamed about. Like Muhammed, Burns goes the distance frequently and has had just 3 stoppages in the past 9 bouts.
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UFC 288: Muhammad vs. Burns odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:24 a.m. ET.
- Fight result (2-way line): Muhammad +110 (bet $100 to win $110) | Burns -135 (bet $135 to win $100)
- Over/Under: 3.5 rounds (Over -200 | Under +150)
- Will the fight go the distance? (Yes -135 | No +100)
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UFC 288: Muhammad vs. Burns picks and predictions
Records: Muhammad (22-3-0) | Burns (22-5-0)
Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)
I’ll roll with the 34-year-old MUHAMMAD (+110) for the win. The slight underdog has won 8 of his past 9 fights with a lone No Contest during the span. He seems to understand how to do enough to wow the judges.
Burns is certainly no slouch and this should be an absolute war with Fight of the Night potential. However, Muhammad holds a 4.47-to-3.38 significant strikes landed per minute advantage, although Burns is more accurate at 56.59% to 50.63% for Muhammad. The ground game is fairly equal, too.
Over/Under (O/U)
Playing YES: FIGHT TO GO THE DISTANCE (-135) is a solid play, and I am actually stunned that this isn’t way more expensive given the penchant for both fighters to go to the judge’s cards.
I also like the slight underdog to win, so playing MUHAMMAD ON POINTS (+200) is worth scooping up for a chance to double your initial wager.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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