Is Nicolau a Lock?
Most of the early betting support has come for Matheus Nicolau, who is the firm’s -380 betting online favorite to beat Matt Schnell on Saturday.
Nicolau is 18-3-1 and he’s climbing up the flyweight ranks impressively, so Schnell will need to produce his best in Orlando.
Let’s check the latest UFC fight card, stats, and UFC predictions for Nicolau vs Schnell. We’ve plenty of UFC fight night odds for you to consider.
Nicolau Shooting for Four Straight
The 29-year-old Nicolau continues to rise in the ranks after three consecutive wins over David Dvorak, Tim Elliott, and Manel Kape.
He has beaten quality fighters throughout his career, so the Brazilian has every chance to beat Schnell, who has six losses on his record.
Nicolau believes a win over Schnell puts him in title contention and we have to agree with the UFC betting favorite.
“A win will put me in a great position in the division,” Nicolau told Sherdog.com. “There are some guys in front of me, like Kai Kara France, who just lost his interim title bout to [Brandon] Moreno. There’s Brandon Royval, who lost to [Alexandre] Pantoja and Moreno. Alex Perez just lost to Pantoja. I believe that Pantoja is ahead, yes, but I think I will be the next name.”
Bettors have to take short odds for the favorite, but he’s clearly heading places and we don’t think he’ll let this opportunity slide.
Scoop on Free Play from the Locker Room
Schnell Seeking Submission
There’s no secret to what Schnell will try to do against Nicolau. He’s looking for a submission win, so he’s a threat on the ground.
The 32-year-old showed off his submission skills when beating Su Mudaerji in July, which was his third win in his last five fights.
There hasn’t been too much consistency throughout his career, but that’s typically the nature of a submission artist. He needs to close the gap on Nicolau, but that leaves him vulnerable to a big shot.
There isn’t much respect for Schnell with the sportsbook. He’s a +280 underdog and we think bookmakers have those odds correct. We can’t see Nicolau getting taken down easily, which could frustrate Schnell into making mistakes.
Nicolau vs Schnell Head-to-Head
It’s the first meeting between Nicolau and Schnell.
Nicolau vs Schnell Fight Information
- Fighters: Nicolau (18-3-1) vs Schnell (16-6)
- Location: Amway Center, Orlando, FL
- Day/Time: Saturday, Dec. 3, 7 p.m. ET
- Nicolau vs SchnellLive stream: UFC Fight Pass
Take a Look at These Other 2 UFC Special Articles
- Anders vs Daukaus Prediction, Fight Preview, Live Stream, Odds & Picks
- Tuivasa vs Pavlovich Prediction, Fight Preview, Live Stream, Odds & Picks
Nicolau vs Schnell Betting Lines
Nicolau vs Schnell Picks & Prediction
Bettors have to take short odds but we’re putting Nicolau in our UFC picks. He has the class edge and we think he has a title shot on the horizon.
The -380 is a short price, but include him in UFC parlays and also take the over 2½ rounds, as we expect him to win by decision.
Nicolau is listed at -380 in our Vegas lines. This means that if you wager $100 on Nicolau, you have a chance to win $26. Schnell is +280, offering a chance to win $280 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Nicolau a 79.17% chance to win, with Schnell at 26.32%.
