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What Are Blackjack Side Bets?Side bets are bonus bets placed on a round of Blackjack on outcomes beyond whether the player or dealer will win. The majority are staked at the start of the round before the cards have been dealt alongside regular bets and many have fixed odds that usually offer greater payouts than the simple 2:1 rewarded for beating the dealer.Play Blackjack at Pinnacle Casino

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Side bets provide an exciting way to make Blackjack games more interesting whilst offering you a greater number of ways to win. So what are side bets, what side bets are available and are they worth it? Read on to find out.

Blackjack Side Bets Explained

Finding a niche market in betting can often lead to value. This can be anything from specialist knowledge of handball betting to extensive experience in betting on Japanese baseball. Providing you know more than the bookmaker, there is money to be made.  &lt;Bet on soccer at Pinnacle&gt; They also make for interesting and potentially profitable bets, as they can be a little more reliable

Soccer odds

A corner is one of the most inexplicably exciting events in soccer. Only around three per cent of them lead to a goal, but you can guarantee that the attacking team’s fans will roar their approval and encouragement if their team are awarded one. Read on to find out how you can benefit from betting on corners.

Corners betting in soccer: Value in a lesser-known market

Poisson Distribution is a mathematical concept for translating mean averages into a probability for variable outcomes across a distribution. For example, if we know Manchester City average 1.7 goals per game, so by putting the Poisson Distribution formula tells us that this average equates to Manchester City&nbsp;scoring 0 goals 18.3% of the time, 1 goal 31% of the time, 2 goals 26.4% of the time and 3 goals 15% of the time.

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Poisson Distribution: Predict the score in soccer betting

What is Expected Value?The amount a player can expect to win or lose if they were to place a bet on the same odds many times over, calculated through a simple equation multiplying your probability of winning with the amount you could win per bet, and subtracting the probability of losing multiplied by the amount lost per bet.A simple example of Expected Value (EV) put into practice -&nbsp;if you were

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The Expected Value of a bet shows us how much we can expect to win (on average) per bet, and as such is the most valuable calculation a bettor can make when comparing bookmakers' odds. How can you calculate Expected Value in sports betting in order to predict your winnings? Read on to find out.

How to Calculate Expected Value

<p>We have a team of editors and writers at Pinnacle, as well as a collection of external contributors, ranging from university lecturers and renowned authors, to ex-traders and esteemed sports experts. Collectively, the Pinnacle team and external contributors produce the educational content within Betting Resources.</p>


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"></div></div><p>The Welterweight title is on the line at UFC 315 with the winner of the main event between Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena set to define how multiple divisions play out.</p><p>Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev could move up if Della Maddalena wins, while there are a plethora of top contenders bustling for the next title shot.</p><p>Here is a preview of both the main and co-main event from a stacked card in Montreal.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><ul><li><strong>Event</strong>: UFC 315</li><li><strong>Date</strong>: May 10, 2025</li><li><strong>Venue</strong>: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada</li></ul><h2>Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena: Tale of the Tape</h2><table class="article-table"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align:center;"><span>Belal Muhammad</span></td><td style="text-align:center;"><span>Fighter</span></td><td><p class="text-align-center">Jack Della Maddalena</p></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;">36</td><td style="text-align:center;"><span>Age</span></td><td style="text-align:center;">28</td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;"><span>5'11" (180cm)</span></td><td><p class="text-align-center"><span>Height</span></p></td><td style="text-align:center;"><span>5'11" (180cm)</span></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;"><span>170 lbs</span></td><td style="text-align:center;"><span>Weight</span></td><td style="text-align:center;"><span>170 lbs</span></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;">15-3, 1 NC</td><td style="text-align:center;"><span>UFC record</span></td><td style="text-align:center;">7-0</td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;"><span>24-3, 1 NC</span></td><td style="text-align:center;"><span>Overall MMA Record</span></td><td style="text-align:center;"><span>17-2</span></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;"><span>44%</span></td><td style="text-align:center;"><span>Striking accuracy</span></td><td style="text-align:center;"><span>53%</span></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-fca1f3f2-7fff-bd85-b21b-844db88086a1">Champion</span></td><td style="text-align:center;"><span>UFC ranking</span></td><td style="text-align:center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-fbcb1254-7fff-8900-3027-51b619937c36">#5</span></td></tr></tbody></table><h2>Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena Odds</h2><p>Belal Muhammad is the <strong>-235*</strong> favorite to pick up the victory, while Jack Della Maddalena is the underdog at <strong>+197*</strong>.</p><h2>Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena: Where is the Value?</h2><p>Belal Muhammad (24-3, 1 NC) looks to retain his 170lb title against the highly-rated Jack Della Maddalena (17-2-0).</p><p>Muhammad makes his delayed first defense as champion after his bout with Shavkat Rakhmonov was cancelled due to injury in December.</p><p>The 36-year-old won the belt in dominating fashion over five rounds at UFC 304 last July against Leon Edwards on the Englishman's home turf.</p><p>That victory extended Muhammad's win streak to 10 with other notable wins coming against Gilbert Burns (UD), Sean Brady (R2, TKO), Vicente Luque (UD), Stephen Thompson (UD), and Demian Maia (UD).</p><p>You have to go back six years for his last loss, a unanimous decision defeat to Geoff Neal in January 2019 in a UFC career that boasts 15 wins from 19 fights.</p><p>Della Maddalena is only seven fights deep in the UFC but remains unbeaten. The 28-year-old was last seen at UFC 299 in March last year, TKO'ing former title challenger Burns in the third round.</p><p>The Australian also has wins over Kevin Holland (SD) and Bassil Hafez (SD), while he kicked off his UFC career with four first-round finishes, including a submission of Randy Brown and a knockout of Danny Roberts.</p><p>There is no doubt that to win this fight Della Maddalena will need to keep this on the feet; however, that is easier said than done against the unmatched cardio and heavy wrestling style of Munhammad.</p><p>Although his striking has improved, the American will rely heavily on his grappling once again here and look to deny Della Maddalena any opportunity to implement his natural game.</p><p>Muhammad has seen 14 of 18 completed UFC fights go the distance and with this one likely to go long markets over 2.5 rounds with the champion retaining his title could well be the ones to watch.</p><ul><li><a style="color:#f50;" href="/betting-resources/en/mma/mma-betting-five-key-factors-to-consider/memjcsvjw2vl9cjm" target="_blank" id="articleLink"><strong>MMA: Five factors to consider</strong></a></li></ul><h2>Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fiorot: Tale of the Tape</h2><table class="article-table"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align:center;">Valentina Shevchenko</td><td style="text-align:center;"><span>Fighter</span></td><td><p class="text-align-center">Manon Fiorot</p></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;">37</td><td style="text-align:center;"><span>Age</span></td><td style="text-align:center;">35</td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;">5'5" (165cm)</td><td><p class="text-align-center"><span>Height</span></p></td><td style="text-align:center;">5'7" (169cm)</td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;"><span>125 lbs</span></td><td style="text-align:center;"><span>Weight</span></td><td style="text-align:center;"><span>125lbs</span></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;">13-1-1</td><td style="text-align:center;"><span>UFC record</span></td><td style="text-align:center;">7-0</td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;">24-1-1</td><td style="text-align:center;"><span>Overall MMA record</span></td><td style="text-align:center;">12-1</td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;"><span>53%</span></td><td style="text-align:center;"><span>Striking accuracy</span></td><td style="text-align:center;"><span>54%</span></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;">Champion</td><td style="text-align:center;"><span>UFC ranking</span></td><td style="text-align:center;">#2</td></tr></tbody></table><h2>Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fiorot Odds</h2><p>Valentina Shevchenko enters the fight at <strong>+113*</strong>, with Manon Fiorot available at odds of <strong>-129*</strong>.</p><h2>Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fiorot: Where is the Value?</h2><p>Valentina Shevchenko (24-4-1) returns to action looking extend her second run as Women's Flyweight champion against Manon Fiorot (12-1-0).</p><p>Shevchenko made seven defenses in her first run as champion before being dethroned by Alexa Grasso at UFC 285 in March 2023.</p><p>That fourth-round submission defeat was the start of a trilogy that saw a draw in the second fight before the now 37-year-old won back her title at UFC 306 last September.</p><p>Considered one of the greatest of all time in the women's divisions, Shevchenko first won the belt in 2018 against Joanna Jędrzejczyk.</p><p>Her only UFC defeats away from the Grasso loss have come to Amanda Nunes, with the Brazilian going 2-0 against her.</p><p>Fiorot has landed a title shot following an unbeaten seven-fight streak since signing for the UFC.</p><p>After back-to-back TKO wins in her first two fights, the 35-year-old has recorded five straight decision wins on her way to a shot at UFC gold, including over Erin Blanchfield and Rose Namajunas.</p><p>Mixed between karate and muay thai, there is no doubt that Fiorot's high-volume striking style has been impressive to watch, but the question is whether she'll be able to do it against someone as experienced as Shevchenko.</p><p>The Kyrgyzstan fighter leaned heavily on her wrestling to win back her belt from Grasso, controlling the fight on the ground for a total of 16 minutes.</p><p>If it stays on the feet, this could well be an eye-catching, striking battle. However, the likelihood is Shevchenko will look to once again use grappling to dilute Fiorot's striking threat.</p><p>Either way, this one looks set to go long and markets over 3.5 rounds or for the fight to go the distance are well worth looking at.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color:white;"><strong>Get the latest </strong><a href="https://www.pinnacle.com/en/mixed-martial-arts/ufc/matchups/" target="_blank"><strong>UFC odds</strong></a><strong> on every fight with Pinnacle.</strong></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color:white;"><strong>*Odds subject to change</strong></p>

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UFC 315 Predictions: Muhammad vs. Della Maddalena

Inform your MMA predictions ahead of Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya and Kai Kara-France vs. Steve Erceg at UFC 305, with insight, analysis and odds from Pinnacle.

UFC Predictions

Inform your MMA predictions ahead of Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena and Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fiorot at UFC 315, with insight, analysis, and odds from Pinnacle.