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JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - MAY 16: A detailed view of the octagon is seen in a nearly empty arena prior to UFC Fight Night at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on May 16, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Bellator 272 has a loaded card, with one of the best fights leading up to the main event pitting 9-0 Johnny Eblen against 10-3 Collin Huckbody. We break it down with our top Eblen-Huckbody picks.

The Bellator 272 card is headlined by familiar faces, but we're scouring the rest of the card to find potential value bets. Bellator veteran Eblen enters as the heavy favorite against newcomer Huckbody. Will this be a predictable chalk beatdown, or is this an opportunity to walk away with a huge return?

Eblen is 9-0 with four of his five wins in Bellator coming via unanimous decision. Huckbody lost his last CFFC bout but was successful as he bounced around different promotions, including Art of Scrap 2, prior to this debut. Is he ready for the jump in competition?

Here are my picks and predictions for Friday's Bellator middleweight fight between Eblen and Huckbody (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Eblen vs. Huckbody Fight Info

Date/Time: Friday, Dec. 3, 10 p.m. ET (main card)TV: ShowtimeLocation: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT

Eblen vs. Huckbody Odds Analysis

The line for this fight opened anywhere from Eblen favored by -900 down to -1100 across various sportsbooks. That number swelled as steep as -1500, and some books have completely taken it off the market. Huckbody is a +850 underdog on average if you can find the line available.

The better news is props are much more reasonable. DraftKings set the line at Over/Under 2.5 rounds, with the Under offered at even money.

Johnny Eblen Betting Profile

The 6-foot-1 Eblen has an impressive history of winning with knockouts, but the majority of his finishes came prior to his start with Bellator. He has won four times via unanimous decision since March 2019, and one TKO with punches as the -400 favorite against Daniel Madrid. He hasn't been a dynamic fighter since his days in Shamrock FC.

"Diamond Hands" has been the heavy favorite in both of his most recent fights. It's great he has proven he can go the distance and easily win. He has also avoided losing, making him a steady betting presence despite the lack of impressive upside.

Collin Huckbody Betting Profile

"Young Huck" is fighting out of MMA Lab and is a difficult projection. His wrestling background makes him an intriguing underdog. His arm triangle choke won him three straight bouts at one point, and six total submission wins are on his record. Huckbody's previous two bouts were decided by unanimous decision (1-1) but his career hasn't been filled with distance fights.

Chances are high Huckbody will either finish or be finished.

Eblen vs. Huckbody Picks

Total rounds Under 2.5 (+100) ???Collin Huckbody (+850) ?

SEE ALSO: Pettis vs. Horiguchi Picks

Eblen vs. Huckbody Predictions

Total rounds Under 2.5 (+100)

We're doubling down on this fight ending before the final bell tolls. Eblen should look at Huckbody's inexperience as both a threat and opportunity. Huckbody may come out swinging hard, so enduring any adrenaline early and then taking advantage of recklessness can lead to an exciting TKO. 

Huckbody loses big too often for me to bet he'll last all three rounds as he steps up in competition. This would be a bizarre time for him to suddenly go the distance in a loss. Eblen has confidence and sharp skill as he works toward a finish. 

Huckbody (+850)

Eblen is such a big favorite that most books have taken off the overall result from the board. It's more worth betting on Huckbody to pull the upset than to put $1,500 to win $100 on Eblen as the favorite. Huckbody has shown he's willing to sell out in order to win and that mindset always gives a puncher's chance to the underdog.

SEE ALSO: All picks and odds. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com’s community forums and betting tools.

Eblen-Horiguchi picks made on 12/01/2021 at 8:30 a.m. ET.