Yoel Romero is a man of faith who believes a higher power drives his success in life. His nickname is "Solider of God," and the Brazilian fighter credits his faith with helping him land a title shot on Saturday against Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC 248 in Las Vegas. The 12-bout showcase features the main UFC 248 fight card starting at 10 p.m. ET. The third-ranked Romero (13-4) has had two prior title shots, losing one and getting disqualified from winning the belt in the other because of missing weight.

Most observers believed a third shot was unlikely with losses in three of his past four fights, but injuries to other contenders helped provide a window of opportunity. Adesanya (18-0) asked for the fight because he wants to avoid long stretches of inactivity. Adesanya is a -275 favorite (risk $275 to win $100), while Romero is a +235 underdog in the latest Adesanya vs. Romero odds. In the co-main event, Weili Zhang (-180) defends the women's strawweight belt against fourth-ranked Joanna Jedrzejczyk (+160). Before making your UFC 248 picks, make sure you see what SportsLine MMA analyst Brandon Wise has to say.

A CBS Sports editor specializing in MMA, Wise has been covering the fast-growing sport for five years. He specializes in picking main-card fights for UFC, which has enabled him to be profitable every year.  Wise started 2020 with a bang by going a blistering 4-1 with his main-card picks at UFC 247.

Wise told SportsLine members that there was value on Justin Tafa (+190) against Juan Adams in a battle of heavyweight contenders on the main card. He reasoned that Tafa's power and assertive style could lead to a quick knockout, and that's exactly what happened as Tafa finished Adams in the first round. Wise's followers easily cashed a big underdog winner and anyone who has consistently followed him is way up. 

Now, with UFC 248 in sight, Wise has broken down every matchup on the main card and released his picks. He's only sharing those here. 

Adesanya vs. Romero preview 

Wise knows the stylistic contrast in the main event could make for an entertaining matchup. Adesanya is known for his quickness and agility, while Romero is noted for his preference for brute force. The 30-year-old Adesanya is fast becoming one of the promotion's most popular fighters. He's unabashedly flashy and arrogant, unafraid to trash-talk his opponents but also capable of backing it up. The Nigerian fighter's doubters were silenced when he knocked out reigning champion Robert Whittaker in October at UFC 243 to unify the middleweight champion.  He did so on Whittaker's home turf in Australia.

Even so, he can't afford to take Romero lightly. The 42-year-old Cuban often shows athleticism befitting someone half his age, as he displayed while doing a standing backflip in a press conference for UFC 248.

He is known for his memorable and bloody brawls, and came out on the short end of a controversial decision in his last one. He suffered a split-decision defeat against Paulo Costa in their August bout. But Romero skipped the second-ranked Costa in line for a title shot because the Brazilian is shelved indefinitely with injuries. You can see Wise's full Adesanya vs. Romero picks here. 

Top UFC 248 predictions

We'll share one of Wise's UFC 248 main-card predictions here: He is backing Beniel Dariush (-165) to get the best of Drakkar Klose (+145) in a battle of lightweights who are each seeking a quality win to boost their profile. 

Neither fighter has cracked the top 15 in perhaps the UFC's most talent-rich division. Dariush (17-4-1), 30, was there a couple of years ago but hasn't returned since his first-round knockout loss to newcomer Alexander Hernandez, who is now ranked No. 15.

But the Iranian grappling specialist has done his part to regain contender status on the strength of three consecutive victories, including two by submission.

The 31-year-old Klose (11-1-1) has yet to crack the rankings but is likely to find a spot if he wins Saturday. The Michigan native is 4-1 in the UFC and his three-fight win streaks includes triumphs over fellow prospects Bobby Green and Lando Vannata. 

How to make UFC 248 picks

Wise also has strong picks for Adesanya vs. Romero and every other bout on the main UFC 248 card. He's also backing a fighter to "continue his destructive ways" and get the victory on Saturday. Get every pick for every fight on the UFC Las Vegas main card at SportsLine.

Who wins Adesanya vs. Romero? And how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight on the UFC 248 main card, all from the accomplished expert who has been profitable for five straight years, and find out. 

UFC 248 odds

Israel Adesanya (-275) vs. Yoel Romero (+235)
Weili Zhang (-180) vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk (+160)
Beniel Dariush (-165) vs. Drakkar Klose (+145)
Li Jingliang (-165) vs. Neil Magny (+145)
Alex Oliveira (-145) vs. Max Griffin (+125)