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In a 3-round welterweight bout on the main card, Chidi Njokuani and Jared Gooden meet Saturday at UFC Fight Night 244 — also known as UFC Vegas 98 and UFC on ESPN+ 102 — at the UFC Apex. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s UFC odds around the UFC Night Night 244: Njokuani vs. Gooden odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.
The prelims begin at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN+, and the main card begins at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Records: Njokuani (23-10-0) | Gooden (23-9-0)
The 35-year-old Njokuani halted a 3-bout losing skid, all at the middleweight division, with a split-decision win over Rhys McKee last time out in late March in his return to welterweight. It was just his 2nd fight to go the distance in 6 bouts at the UFC, with the other 4 resulting in KO/TKOs. He is 2-2 in those 4 fights which ended in knockout.
For Gooden, he is making his 2nd tour in the UFC. He was 1-3 with the promotion back from Nov. 21, 2020 to Oct. 9, 2021 before being dismissed. He returned with a unanimous-decision loss to Carlston Harris on March 11, 2023, before choking out Wellington Turman in the 2nd round on Dec. 2.
Njokuani has a 3-inch reach advantage, while Gooden holds a 5.08-to-4.09 significant strikes landed per minute advantage. Both fighters aren’t terrible gifted in the ground game, and the difference in negligible in submission average.
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UFC Fight Night 244: Njokuani vs. Gooden odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of UFC odds. Lines last updated at 11:15 a.m. ET.
- Fight result (2-way line): Njokuani -165 (bet $165 to win $100) | Gooden +135 (bet $100 to win $135)
- Over/Under: 1.5 rounds (Over -165 | Under +135)
- Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +150 | No -210)
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UFC Fight Night 244: Njokuani vs. Gooden picks and predictions
Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)
NJOKUANI (-165) is worth a look as a moderate favorite, as he will use his 3-inch reach advantage to pull Gooden (+135) in and out at his discretion.
The favorite won’t want to play around with the challenger too much in close quarters, but he will be able to push and pull him out, choosing the right time to strike and go for the kill. He is much better at welterweight than middleweight, when he was in over his head.
If you’re looking for a method of victory, NJOKUANI BY KO/TKO OR DQ (+150) at plus-money is worth a look, too.
Over/Under (O/U)
OVER 1.5 ROUNDS (-165) is worth playing, although it’s a bit on the expensive side.
Njokuani has ended up going the distance in 2 of his past 3 fights, while Gooden has gone the distance in 4 of his 6 bouts at the UFC level.
However, No (-210): Will the fight go the distance? is just a little too expensive. Stick with the Over/Under or the method, for much better results.
Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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