Evan Elder vs Genaro Valdez Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for UFC Vegas 77 (Elder Gets Back in Win Column)

Elder vs Valdez Fight Info, Date & Time

UFC Vegas 77 — Preliminary Card Lightweight Bout
Evan Elder (7-2, 4 KOs) vs. Genaro Valdez (10-2, 7 KOs)
Date: Saturday, July 15, 2023
Fight Time: This will be on the preliminary card, which begins at 7 p.m. ET.
Venue: UFC Apex — Las Vegas, NV
Coverage: ESPN+

Elder vs Valdez Odds & Prop Bets

All UFC Vegas 77 odds, lines and prop bets are available on FanDuel Sportsbook.
Moneyline:
- Evan Elder: (-320)
- Genaro Valdez: (+235)

Method of Victory:
- Elder by KO/TKO: (N/A)
- Elder by Points: (N/A)
- Elder by Submission: (N/A)
- Valdez by KO/TKO: (N/A)
- Valdez by Points: (N/A)
- Valdez by Submission: (N/A)

Elder vs Valdez Prediction

Evan Elder may be 0-2 at the UFC level, but it's worth pointing out that he was two rounds up against Nazim Sadyhkov his last time in the octagon in February. That was before a doctor's stoppage forced him to take a technical knockout loss after he was on the wrong end of an uncalled clash of heads.

The 31-year-old proved he could hang with top contenders in the featherweight division during that bout and now gets to face an opponent who has also yet to win in the UFC. Genaro Valdez suffered a KO/TKO loss to Matt Frevola before he then lost to Natan Levy via unanimous decision in December.

As long as elder keeps this fight upright and avoids going to the ground, he has the inside track to victory. Valdez owns a dismal strike accuracy rate of 32% and absorbs a whopping 7.63 significant strikes per minute. Look for Elder to pepper Valdez with one jab after another on Saturday night.

Winner: Evan Elder

Elder vs Valdez Best Bet

Betting options for this fight are limited at the moment, but keep an eye out for method of victory props to be released prior to Saturday night. Backing Elder to win via KO/TKO is worth a shot here. After all, four of the Mexico native's seven professional wins have come via KO/TKO, and Valdez has already been knocked out once at the UFC level. Valdez's poor striking defense decides this match.

Bet: Evan Elder by KO/TKO (TBD)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

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