Top Picks and Latest Odds for PFL 3 (2023) – Bet on Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Shane Burgos and More

Last Updated April 11, 2023 9:53 am PDT
PFL logo centered with crowds of people in background, Olivier Aubin-Mercier on the left and Shane Burgos on the right
  • The third event of the 2023 PFL season is on Friday, April 14, at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas.
  • Shane Burgos will make his PFL debut, and the bookies see him as a +120 underdog at Bovada.
  • Undefeated fighter Magomed Umalatov looks like the safest bet of PFL Week 3 this weekend.

PFL week 3 returns this weekend, and like the previous two, this event is taking place at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Vegas. Unlike the previous editions, this one will see fights from three PFL tournaments – Lightweight, Welterweight, and Heavyweight.

The PFL 3 odds are already out for all the bouts on the fight card, so now seems like the perfect time for some predictions. But before I share my top PFL Week 3 picks, let’s see what top sports betting sites have to say.

Let’s look at their odds to see which fighters they see as favorites and which underdogs.

Latest Odds for 2023 PFL 3

Admittedly, not all online sportsbooks have published their PFL week 3 odds, but a few of the best ones did. This includes BetOnline, which many believe is the best betting app for MMA.

That’s the online bookmaker whose PFL 3 odds you can see below that I’ve chosen to analyze.

PFL Week 3 Odds for Main Card Fights

  • Lightweight: Olivier Aubin-Mercier (-145) vs. Shane Burgos (+115)
  • Lightweight: Clay Collard (-255) vs. Yamato Nishikawa (+205)
  • Heavyweight: Patrick Brady (+450) vs. Denis Goltsov (-625)
  • Welterweight: Carlos Leal (-245) vs. David Zawada (+195)
  • Welterweight: Magomed Umalatov (-400) vs. Dilano Taylor (+300)

I can’t say I agree with BetOnline’s oddsmakers on who they see as favorites on the PFL 3 main card.

For instance, I don’t think Denis Goltsov should be such a strong favorite considering he was preparing for another opponent. He was supposed to fight Yorgan de Castro last weekend but decided to pull out of the bout.

I also have an issue with the PFL 3 odds for the main event. I really feel as if Shane Burgos deserves to be the favorite. The good news is that if I’m right, there’s decent money to be made betting on Hurricane.   

PFL 3 Betting Odds for Prelims

  • Welterweight: Sadibou Sy (-190) vs. Jarrah Al-Silawi (+160)
  • Welterweight: Magomed Magomedkerimov (-900) vs. Ben Egli (+600)
  • Lightweight: Natan Schulte (-360) vs. Stevie Ray (+285)
  • Lightweight: Raush Manfio (+125) vs. Alexander Martinez (-155)
  • Welterweight: Shane Mitchell (+185) vs. Nayib Lopez (-225)
  • Lightweight: Bruno Miranda (-165) vs. Ahmed Amir (+135)
  • Lightweight: Zach Juusola (+110) vs. Brandon Jenkins (-140)

The PFL 3 betting odds for preliminaries make much more sense than those for the main card fights. Magomed Magomedkerimov is the biggest favorite of the entire event, and I think he deserves the role of the -900 fave.

Obviously, most MMA bettors would find -900 odds way too short. The good news is that many bets at BetOnline have a much better value.

So head to BetOnline to get your bets in!

Top PFL 3 Betting Sites for Week 3

BetOnline logo Bovada logo
Review BetOnline Review Bovada Review
Availability US US
Welcome Bonus 50%, up to $1,000 50%, up to $250
Deposit Options Visa, Mastercard, Neteller, Bitcoin, +more Visa, Mastercard, Bank Transfer, Bitcoin, +more
Minimum Deposit $10 $5

BetOnline has the best PFL 3 odds overall, but you might want to look elsewhere if you plan to back underdogs. For example, Shane Burgos’ odds at Bovada are +120, while Patrick Brady is priced at +460.

You can find similar odds at SportsBetting.ag, which also offers a nice 100% welcome bonus for sports bettors up to $1,000.

When it comes to the PFL week 3 odds at SportsBetting.ag, they’re pretty much the same as those available at BetOnline. However, there is an incentive to sign up to bet at this online bookmaker.

If you don’t already have a SportsBetting.ag account, be sure to make one now and grab the $1,000 welcome bonus.

Best Bets for PFL 3 in 2023

Olivier Aubin-Mercier is the man who won the previous PFL Lightweight tournament, but Shane Burgos is a former UFC star.

He’s 15-3 overall with an 8-3 record during his UFC days, which saw him win the Fight of the Night bonus on four occasions. Sure, he’s moving up a weight class, but I think he’s got the skillset to record a win on his PFL debut.

I can’t say I’m 100% certain Burgos will win, but I’m confident Magomed Umalatov will win his fight in PFL Week 3.

This guy is 12-0 in his pro career with 10 knockout/technical knockout wins. His opponent Dilano Taylor is 10-3 with two losses by KO/TKO. Knowing all this, it’s only logical to assume Umalatov will win again.

Finally, I can also see Sadibou Sy beating Jarrah Al-Silawi on Friday evening.

The Swede is 13-6-2-1 with four wins in a row. His most recent win saw him win the $1 million prize in the PFL Welterweight tournament. Sy’s opponent is coming off a nasty KO loss against Magomed Umalatov last summer.

2023 PFL 3 Predictions

  • Shane Burgos to Beat Olivier Aubin-Mercier
  • Clay Collard to Beat Yamato Nishikawa
  • Patrick Brady to Beat Denis Goltsov
  • Carlos Leal to Beat David Zawada
  • Magomed Umalatov to Beat Dilano Taylor
  • Sadibou Sy to Beat Jarrah Al-Silawi
  • Magomed Magomedkerimov to Beat Ben Egli
  • Natan Schulte to Beat Stevie Ray
  • Alexander Martinez to Beat Raush Manfio
  • Nayib Lopez to Beat Shane Mitchell
  • Bruno Miranda to Beat Ahmed Amir
  • Brandon Jenkins to Beat Zach Juusola

There you have it, my top PFL 3 predictions. The only one that sticks out is Patrick Brady beating Denis Goltsov, which would be a major upset. But I do think there’s a chance of that happening.

First of all, Goltsov spent some time preparing for the De Castro fight last weekend, which ended up being canceled. And Brady is a different type of fighter to De Castro. He’s a great wrestler who’s very hard to knock out. I wouldn’t be surprised if he beat Goltsov by submission on Friday.

Of course, I wouldn’t advise putting too much money on this guy. If you’re looking for better bets, make sure to check out the final section of my PFL Week 3 preview.

Betting on PFL 3 in 2023

In the previous two PFL events, favorites won in most fights, but we did see some upsets. This goes especially for the bouts on the main card, and I think we might also witness one this Friday.

Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Shane Burgos odds suggest the reigning champ will win, but I think the newcomer will do it.

I think Burgos will win, and with PFL 3 odds of +120, this seems like a very good bet.

For most other fights, I recommend backing favorites. One of my picks is Brady beating Goltsov, but I’d stay away from that fight. Luckily, many other safer bets exist, including Umalatov, Sy, and others.

Another UFC event is going down this weekend, and if you want more betting opportunities, consider the UFC Kansas City odds below.

Footnotes:

  • PFL 3 details courtesy of pflmma.com.
  • Fighter details and records are taken from Tapology.
Photo of Zarko Naric
Zarko
Naric
Content Specialist
Articles
176

Zarko Naric – the World's Greatest Sportswriter, according to his grandma.

Zarko started writing for GamblingSites.com in 2019, covering sports like soccer, tennis, and basketball, as well as some more niche sports like cycling.

In addition to writing news, picks, and blog pieces focused on sports, Zarko’s also been covering politics, TV/music contests, and more.

Leave Your Comment