The 1 best bet for the PFL Playoffs week 1

Breakdown of the PFL Playoffs best bets.

That PFL 7: Playoffs 2022 go down on Friday, with fighters battling for a shot at the $1 million tournament prize. The main event features a rematch between former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and Stevie Ray.

Luckily for fans, the fighters aren’t the only ones who stand a chance of making some serious cash from these fights, as there are some great bets to be made on this map. In particular, the match between Omari Akhmedov (23-7-1) and Josh Silveira (9-0) offers the best betting spot on the card.

With 31 career fights, including 15 under the UFC banner, Omari Akhmedov (23-7-1) is a true veteran of the sport. After a KO loss on his PFL debut, Akhmedov has bounced back strongly this season with back-to-back wins, knocking out Viktor Pešta and submitting Teodoras Aukštuolis. Akhmedov has relied on a hard-headed approach for most of his career. While he’s not afraid to mistake it for feet, his pace isn’t overwhelming, and he tends to slowly wear down his opponents while dominating control time.

Josh Silveira (9-0) is an undefeated fighter looking to establish himself as one of the top light heavyweight fighters in the world. Silveira is the son of American Top Team co-founder Conan Silveira. Of his nine wins, he scored six in the first round. Silveira’s Arizona state wrestling background serves as the foundation for his constant pressure and takedown-heavy approach.

And perhaps a more interesting aspect of this fight is the friendship between these two, who train together at ATT and even laughed and hugged during their duel on Thursday night. With friendship in the mix, it could completely change the routines of both fighters.

The best bet for PFL 7: 2022 Playoffs is over 1.5 rounds (-180) in the fight between Omari Akhmedov and Josh Silveira

On paper, Akhmedov has all the experience and skill needed to pull off a win against a relatively inexperienced fighter. Akhmedov also faced a much higher level of competition than Silveira. Akhmedov is a talented grappler who is rarely dominated on the ground.

However, one can’t help but think of his fight with Chris Weidman, a fight Weidman eventually won through dominant grappling in the third round. Like Weidman, Silveira possesses a strong Division 1 wrestling pedigree that has successfully carried over into MMA.

For those looking to back Akhmedov on the money line, his bouts against fighters with good takedown defenses, as well as his questionable gas tank, should be a cause for concern. In fights against Weidman and Brad Tavares, Akhmedov would tire in the third round of each fight, ultimately costing him the fight. If Akhmedov can’t get his grappling going, we could see another instance of Akhmedov gassing.

Akhmedov has proven to be an extremely persistent fighter, and while his most recent loss came by KO, the KO came in the third round of a bout he’s easily won up to that point. In fact, of his last 18 fights, 13 have gone over 1.5 rounds with nine going to deciders.

While Silveira stopped many of his opponents early, Akhmedov proved that it’s extremely difficult to finish him off early in fights. Given Akhmedov’s experience and stamina, coupled with the wrestling pedigree and Silveira’s tremendous potential, betting on the moneyline for this fight is a big step. If you could only take one bet on this card, it would be a 1.5 round match between Akhmedov and Silveira (odds -180).

PFL Playoffs: Anthony Pettis vs. Stevie Ray takes place live at Madison Square Garden on Friday, August 5, 2022 in New York, NY. Follow FanSided MMA who is on site for all your news and highlights.