Sean Strickland puts his middleweight strap on the line this Saturday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada when Strickland takes on Dricus Du Plessis in the main event at UFC 297. Strickland is the -140 favorite. Before Strickland and Du Plessis throw down, Raquel Pennington takes on Mayra Bueno Silva a +145 underdog. Keep reading for UFC odds, analysis, and picks for Strickland versus Du Plessis, Pennington against Silva, and the other bouts on the UFC 297 main card.

UFC 297 Event Info

The analysis you need!

Join @BrendanFitzTV & @Sayif_Saud as they breakdown Saturday's #UFC297 main event!

[ Watch UFC Breakdown now https://t.co/4B8QtkHkQu ] pic.twitter.com/XLPEmnLX09

— UFC (@ufc) January 16, 2024

• When: Saturday, January 20th, 2024. 10pm EST
• Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Canada
• TV: PPV
• Live Stream: UFC Fight Pass

UFC 297 Main Card Odds

UFC 297 Main Card Preview

Arnold Allen vs. Movsar Evloev

19-2 Arnold Allen is in decent form, but he’s going to have to step up his game versus Movsar Evloev. Allen had won 4 straight before suffering a 5-round unanimous decision loss to Max Holloway in his last.

Holloway remains a great fighter. So Allen’s loss wasn’t a major surprise. Still, Evloev is undefeated at 17-0 and does everything right. The chalk wins.

UFC 297 Pick: Movsar Evloev

Chris Curtis vs. Marc-Andre Barriault

Underdog Marc-Andre Barriault has a 3 inches height advantage over favorite Chris Curtis. Not only that, but Barriault has won 3-of-4, a fight via submission, a bout via decision, and another via knockout.

Chris Curtis shows 2 losses and a draw in his last 3. Granted, Curtis has fought the much better competition. But it’s difficult for mixed martial artists to turn things around once they start losing matches. Back Barriault to score the upset victory.

UFC 297 Pick: Marc-Andre Barriault

Neil Magny vs. Mike Malott

Favorite Mike Malott’s lone loss came in 2014. Since then, Malott has drawn once and won 5. The 5 wins have come in Malott’s last 5.

Neil Magny has lost 3-of-5. Magny has this pattern where he wins after a loss. Since Neil lost his last, and if he pattern holds, Magney wins this. The pattern won’t hold.

UFC 297 Pick: Mike Malott

Raquel Pennington vs. Mayra Bueno Silva // UFC Womens’s Bantamweight Title

This should be a great bout. Pennington hasn’t lost since 2020 when Holly Holm beat her via unanimous decision. Since losing to Holm, Pennington has won 5 straight.

Bueno Silva shows 3 wins and a no contest in her last 5. The no contest was in Mayra’s last bout versus Holly Holm. Bueno Silva is 1-0 via TKO or KO and an excellent 7-0 via submission victories.

Bueno Silva will work to get this bout to the mat. Once it does, it will be a matter of time before Bueno Silva forces a Pennington tap out.

UFC 297 Pick: Mayra Bueno Silva

Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis // UFC Middleweight Title

The main event at UFC 297 is a great matchup. The odds imply a tough bout. No doubt, MMA fans are in line for exactly that.

Favorite Sean Strickland is on a 3-match winning streak. During the streak, Strickland bested 3 of the top fighters at UFC: Nassourdine Imavov, Abus Magomedov, and Israel Adesanya.

Du Plessis has a solid 20-2 record. The underdog has won 8 straight. However, the +120 dog must step it up against the determined champ. Lay the -140 on Strickland.

UFC 297 Pick: Leon Edwards

Where to Bet on MMA with Crypto

MMA odds are available all year long here at Nitrobetting. Create a Nitrobetting account now to place your stakes on any of the elite fighters that face off this weekend.

This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more MMA previews and articles, and don’t forget to check out the latest MMA betting odds on our crypto sportsbook.

READ MORE: Volkanovski vs. Topuria UFC 298 Odds and Preview