UFC 331 Prelims Picks & Predictions – Best Bets Include Chikadze vs Brito

UFC 331 touches down at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles tonight with a full night of fights on deck. The action kicks off with the early prelims at 5:30 PM ET, 2:30 PM PT on Paramount+.

The undercard is packed with rising contenders, and my favorite angle is fading the fading veterans while targeting early knockout and submission props. There is real value to extract before the championship spotlight takes over.

Let’s dive into my favorite UFC 331 prelims picks, predictions and best bets headlined by Chikadze vs Brito.

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The UFC 331 prelims odds board highlights some massive disparities. Robelis Despaigne (-588), Ryan Gandra (-556) and Joanderson Brito (-455) all carry heavy juice, which makes straight moneyline bets unplayable and pushes the value into the method markets.

The tightest lines sit in Shahbazyan vs Ferreira at -175/+145 and Aswell vs Yoo at +165/-200. The distance props are where the card splits, with Tuivasa vs Despaigne at -1429 and Gandra vs Diaz at -1250 to end inside, while Jourdain vs Vera at -227 is the prelim the board most expects to reach the scorecards.

Joanderson Brito is priced at a steep -455 on the moneyline. You cannot lay that kind of juice, so we are pivoting to the submission prop at even money.

Giga Chikadze is a decorated striker, but his defensive grappling has massive holes. Brito boasts a 19-5-1 record and recently secured a nasty first-round submission over Jordan Leavitt.

Chikadze looked lost on the mat in his recent decision defeats. The Brazilian will shoot early, drag Chikadze to the canvas, and find a neck to lock up this plus-money method play.

Edmen Shahbazyan has found his killer instinct again. He steps into the cage with heavy hands and a clear path to victory against Brunno Ferreira.

Ferreira is dangerous, but his chin has been suspect under early pressure. Shahbazyan recently scored a brutal first-round knockout over Andre Muniz.

Ferreira ate a devastating first-round stoppage loss to Gregory Rodrigues not long ago, and I expect Shahbazyan to test that durability right out of the gate. At -175, the moneyline is perfectly playable for a guy who should dominate the striking exchanges.

Every card needs a live dog, and Michael Aswell is my favorite underdog target this weekend. Joo Sang Yoo sits at -200, but I do not see the statistical gap to justify that price tag.

Yoo has struggled when forced to fight moving backward. Aswell brings relentless forward pressure and can easily steal rounds on volume alone.

At +165, we are getting incredible value on a fighter who pushes a pace Yoo might not match. Back the underdog to cause a massive upset here.

Check out the best UFC betting apps to line shop across the industry before the UFC 331 prelims get underway.