Bo Nickal Prop Picks: Best Bo Nickal Prop Bets for UFC 285

Bo Nickal Prop Picks: Best Bo Nickal Prop Bets for UFC 285

Some UFC history will be made before the fights even start on Saturday at UFC 285, as UFC newcomer Bo Nickal makes his long-awaited debut against Jamie Pickett. The history? Just three fights into his entire MMA career, Nickal has not just landed on the main card but is over a -1000 favorite to pick up his first UFC win. 

While Pickett is certainly no world-beater, is he really deserving of such out-of-this-world odds? Let’s take a closer look, including a couple of prop bets I’m on for this middleweight matchup. 

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Bo Nikal vs Jamie Pickett Prediction

The most exciting middleweight prospect we have seen in a long is Bo Nickal (3-0), a former three-time NCAA Champion while at Penn State, never losing a single match. While he has only engaged in two amateur battles and three professional fights, the accomplished wrestler is already being hailed as a potential title candidate before even entering a UFC octagon.

While he has only engaged in two amateur battles and three professional fights, the accomplished wrestler is already being hailed as a potential title candidate before even entering a UFC octagon. He has successfully transferred his skills and work ethic into the sport and has been training with the elite American Top Team for years. When he made his debut last year, he promptly submitted Donovan Beard and Zachary Borrego in the first round of the Contender Series after crushing John Noland (2022) in the opening round for Jorge Masvidal's promotion.

The person who appears to be being fed to the wrestler is Jamie Pickett (13-8). Since his UFC debut in 2020, he has struggled, going 2-4 with the promotion. He won consecutive unanimous decisions over Laureano Staropoli (2021) and Joseph Holmes (2022). However, he recently lost by submission to Kyle Daukaus (2022) and was eliminated by TKO in September, thanks to Denis Tiuliulin.

Best Bo Nikal Prop Bets

Nickal Wins in Round 1 (-220) (Bet $100 to collect $145) Get the best odds at FanDuel; click here to bet

Pickett has a fantastic opportunity here. While he is still young and inexperienced, he is competing against a potential future rival if he can somehow pull this one off. Fighting and even just being competitive vs. Nickal now would be the ideal strategy for preserving his UFC career.

Unfortunately for Pickett, however, I anticipate Nickal to pass right through him as he was likely hand-selected for just that. In order to build up a takedown, he will probably charge out of the gate and into the pocket with blows.

Nickal Wins by Submission (-170) (Bet $100 to collect $158) Get the best odds at FanDuel; click here to bet

Nickal's greatest challenge will come from Pickett being a capable striker. If he underestimates him, he will lose, but if he plays to his strengths, he should quickly move to 4-0, which is almost certainly what we see. While he might test his striking in a later fight, I think we see him do what he does best here to confirm his first UFC win.

Bo Nickal vs. Jamie Pickett Start Time, Where To Watch, and Odds

• When: Saturday, March 4, 2023
• Time: 10:00 PM EDT / 7:00 p.m. PDT
• Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Where to Watch: PPV

Click Here For Nickal vs. Pickett Odds