Usman vs. Edwards predictions: Odds, picks, bet splits, DFS lineup strategy advice for UFC 278 main event

The UFC will head to Salt Lake City, Utah for this weekend's PPV. The Vivint Arena will host UFC 278 on Saturday, August 20. The night gets started early at 6 p.m. with the early preliminary card and will be continued at 8 p.m. ET with the prelims. The main card starts at 10 p.m. ET and will only be available on ESPN+PPV. The main event of the evening will feature Kamaru Usman putting his middleweight title on the line against #2 Leon Edwards.

Usman will be defending his belt for the sixth time. He has won 19 fights in a row and has never lost in the UFC. Edwards is getting the first UFC title shot of his career. He had a fight ruled a no contest in March 2021 but otherwise has won nine fights in a row. Edwards is a pro at ground control, while Usman is one of the most talented strikers in the UFC. This should be fun as each fighter looks for an edge.

Here are the odds and betting splits at DraftKings Sportsbook for Usman vs. Edwards at UFC 278 on Saturday, August 20.

Odds and Betting splits

Usman: -345 (77% of handle, 86% of bets)
Edwards: +285 (23% of handle, 14% of bets)

Winning Method odds

Usman By KO, TKO or DQ: +240 (33% of action, 25% of bets)
Usman By Submission: +1200 (3% of action, 2% of bets)
Usman By Decision: -120 (16% of action, 52% of bets)
Edwards By KO, TKO or DQ: +500 (6% of action, 4% of bets)
Edwards By Submission: +2200 (2% of action, 1% of bets)
Edwards By Decision: +800 (40% of action, 14% of bets)
Draw: +5000 (1% of action, 1% of bets)

DraftKings DFS Values

Usman: $9,100
Edwards: $7,100

Despite how dominant Usman has been in his fights, he isn't the most expensive competitor in the DFS slate for UFC 278. The champ comes in with the third highest price tag and a good chance for a knockout. Usman has nine knockout victories to his credit heading into this fight. He also owns a unanimous decision victory over Edwards on December 19, 2015.

Edwards is $7,100 but is a sneaky play. He does have a tough test in front of him, but he excels at controlling the pacing of the fight. He had nearly five minutes of control in his last fight, and Edwards had over seven minutes of control in the last full fight before that. His ability to dictate the pace of this fight could make him a sneaky play as he accumulates points on the ground.

  
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