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Opening Odds for Justin Gaethje vs Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324

Opening Odds for Justin Gaethje vs Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324

UFC Sports Betting Picks DraftKings Sportsbook Insights

Published:

By: Cooper Albers

UFC is kicking off the Paramount+ era with a bang. 

During halftime of the Chiefs-Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game on CBS, UFC president Dana White announced the main card for UFC 324 on Jan. 24 — the first major event to be streamed on Paramount+. 

White previewed a jam-packed fight card, headlined by an interim lightweight title bout between No. 4 Justin Gaethje and No. 5 Paddy Pimblett. 

The bout was made after reigning champion Ilia Topuria announced he’d be taking an extended leave from the Octagon to tend to a personal matter. 

Gaethje (26–5, 20 KOs) has long been a staple of the lightweight division, burnishing a reputation as one of the most exciting fighters the sport has ever seen — a former interim champ and BMF champ. Paddy “The Baddy” (23–3, 7 KO, 10 SUB) is a burgeoning superstar who’s gone 7–0 in the UFC and is riding the momentum from an emphatic TKO victory over Michael Chandler in April.

Pimblett opens up as a -198 favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while the veteran Gaethje is listed as a +164 underdog.

Cooper Albers profile photo
Cooper Albers
Cooper is a Brooklyn-based writer and editor who joined DraftKings in September 2025. A recent graduate of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation School of Sports at Long Island University, he served as the chief sports editor of the campus newspaper and the lead sideline reporter for the men’s basketball team. His previous stops include amNewYork and the New York Post.
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