Darren Till vs. Dricus du Plessis: UFC 282 Odds, Prediction

Jeremy Perry
December 8, 2022

We’ve got another main card in the UFC this week with all sorts of big names headlining, including Jan Blachowicz taking on Magomed Ankalaev in the main event of the evening. One of the first fights on the main card is a battle between Darren Till and Dricus Du Plessis. What’s interesting is that while Du Plessis is ranked No. 14 in the middleweight division, he’s actually a -180 favourite on the MMA odds in this bout versus Till, who is No. 10. Is there value with Till? Let’s take a closer look.

Dricus Du Plessis -190
Darren Till +135

Darren Till UFC 282 Odds

Till enters Saturday’s affair in a really big slump. It’s hard to believe that the fighter who once had a shot at the belt – he lost to Tyron Woodley back in 2018 – has just one win in his last five bouts. His lone win was a split decision victory over Kelvin Gastelum, who himself has lost five of six. That doesn’t exactly feel like a big vote of confidence for Till. And keep in mind that since Till picked up his last win, he’s dropped two in a row.

On the plus side, Till fights top-notch talent. Even though he’s dropped four of five, he’s been in the main event of the evening in three of his last four appearances. That goes to show that he’s not fighting scrubs.

Till has long been one of the more popular fighters in the UFC but he’s really had a tough time backing up the excitement. It’s starting to feel like maybe it was more hype than anything. He’s still just 29-years-old and in this division, he continues to have a path to another title shot. It’s a long road back but a win here is a must if he wants to get back in those ranks.

Dricus du Plessis UFC 282 Odds

Du Plessis is a much more unknown commodity – at least by the masses – but it seems like bettors understand. Even though Till is by far the bigger brand here and is higher ranked, it’s Du Plessis who is favoured to win this bout.

One of the reasons Du Plessis is getting love from the bettors is because he’s on a roll. If Till is ice cold because of his slump, Du Plessis is red hot because of his wins. He’s now 17-2 in his MMA career and enters on a five-fight winning streak. The challenge is that he’s only had three fights in the UFC and he still has a lot to prove. He’s passed the early tests with flying colours – knocking out two of his first three UFC opponents – but this is his first ranked opponent.

Du Plessis’ style focuses on offence as he’s not worried about getting hit. He can be a bit reckless at times but he’s shown to have a chin and a gas tank so far. His striking tends to be quite unpredictable too with solid combinations. As long as he keeps Till off balance with different angles and stances, he should come away with the win, which would be an important stepping stone for him.