Tag Archives: Boxing Odds

Mikey Garcia vs. Dejan Zlaticanin Fight Odds and Prediction

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Mikey Garcia looks to become world champion once again as he challenges unbeaten Dejan Zlaticanin for the WBC Lightweight world championship in the co-main event of Frampton-Santa Cruz 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas Nevada on January 28th.

A Three Division Champion?

After winning world titles as a featherweight and junior lightweight, the Oxnard, California standout is looking to win a third weight class at the young age of 29. After spending two and a half years in the sidelines due to a contract dispute with Top Rank, Garcia returned to action and knocked out former featherweight titleholder Elio Rojas in five rounds in the undercard of Santa Cruz-Frampton 1 at the Barclays Center in New York last July 30, 2016. Now, Garcia fights again as the co-main event of the same headliner. This time around, he moves up in weight and faces a dangerous opponent, who like him is undefeated as a professional.

Dynamite In His Fists

Little is known of Dejan Zlaticanin in the U.S. market but the 32-year old fighter is known as ‘Dynamite’ for packing major power in his fists. Dinamita won the WBC title with a third round knockout of Frank Mamani and will defend it for the first time on January 28th. He owns notable wins over Petr Petrov, Ivan Redkach and Ricky Burns, too, so he isn’t a patsy.

Zlaticanin is the first fighter from Montenegro to win a boxing world title. He is also hoping to become the first superstar of the sport from his country. He gets that opportunity when he faces undoubtedly the biggest name in professional boxing career. Zlaticanin has promised not just a win. He is predicting to knockout his more popular opponent.

First Time on Big Stage

Zlaticanin is a very polished boxer who has very good offense. He mixes his punches well and is an accurate puncher. He’s not so much of a one punch knockout artist. But the accumulation of heavy blows often takes it toll on the opposition. Zlaticanin has won five of his last eight bouts by knockout. This will only be his third fight in the United States and his first on the big stage.

Loves The Challenge

Garcia has been in the limelight all of his career and he’s proven to be one of the sport’s best boxers when active. However, this is only his second fight in three years and that’s hard not to overlook especially against an excellent opponent like Zlaticanin. But when he’s on top of his game, Garcia has ridiculous skills and power. His boxing IQ and pedigree are supreme. Mikey has never backed away from a challenge and that’s why he took this fight.

Garcia is -225 favorite to beat Zlaticanin who is at +175. Despite his inactivity in recent years, he lives for these type of big fights. Zlaticanin has the power to stop Garcia, but Mikey’s boxing IQ will likely be the key here. We’re picking Mikey Garcia to win this fight

Carl Frampton vs. Leo Santa Cruz 2 Odds and Prediction

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Carl Frampton defends his WBA (Super) Featherweight title for the first time against the man he won it from-Leo Santa Cruz on January 28th, 2017 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Immediate Rematch

After a scintillating first bout in July of 2016 where Frampton won by a close majority decision, two of the world’s best small weight fighters go at it one more time. Frampton dealt Santa Cruz his first defeat in 34 fights and the latter immediately asked for a rematch which the Jackal agreed upon just as quickly.

Known for his volume punching and fast hands, Leo Santa Cruz is looking to rebound from his first ever career loss. It will be interesting to see how he recovers, especially since he will be fighting the very man who beat him the last time out. Carl Frampto,n meanwhile, is still high over that victory which is without doubt the biggest win of his career. The Belfast native is looking to keep his momentum going as he is 3-0 on U.S. soil.

Reversal Of Roles

During the first encounter, the highly touted Santa Cruz was a -300 favorite to beat the +265 Frampton. This time around, the roles have been reversed. The Jackal is now the favorite, although not by much, to beat Santa Cruz once again. Oddsmakers have Frampton as a -145 favorite over Santa Cruz, who is currently pegged at +125.

Despite the close lines, it’s highly unlikely that this fight is ending much differently. Santa Cruz may have the flashy offensive numbers but with his volume punching comes his tendency to get hit more often. Against a patient and calculated opponent like Carl Frampton, that will be disastrous.

Quality over Quantity

During their first bout in July of 2016, Santa Cruz threw 1002 punches as compared to Frampton’s 668. However, he only out-connected the Jackal 255-242 in total punches landed. That’s a huge disparity of 36% against 25% in punch accuracy.

It wasn’t just that. Frampton also landed more of the telling blows during the fight, outscoring Santa Cruz 206-191 in total power punches landed. Those numbers show you that while Santa Cruz is indeed a high volume output puncher, he wasn’t as accurate against Frampton’s excellent defense. On the other hand, the smarter Frampton was able to land the more high quality punches as Santa Cruz was on the offense.

Given that the rematch is merely six months after their first encounter, Frampton will likely get the nod once again. No doubt, Leo Santa Cruz has a solid chin and the Jackal may not get a stoppage here. But given Santa Cruz’s quantity and the Jackal’s quality, Carl Frampton should come out as the winner, by a clearer unanimous decision.

Boxing Betting: Can Yuri Foreman Upset Erislandy Lara?

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WBA and IBO Super Welterweight champion Erislandy Lara looks to stay busy as he awaits a big money fight with the other champions in his weight class. The 33-year old Cuban faces former champion Yuri Foreman on January 13th in Hialeah, Florida.

Red Hot Division

2016 saw the rise of boxing’s 154-pound division with the arrival of the Charlo twins. Jermall and Jermell winning world titles made the light middleweight division more interesting enough for Canelo Alvarez to return to the division he once dominated. Alvarez won the WBO version of the title by beating Liam Smith last September. With three big names holding the other three belts, Erislandy Lara must stay relevant to get one of them.

After losing a disputed split decision to Canelo in 2014, Lara has won four fights in a row. In his most recent outing, Lara scored an impressive UD win over Vanes Martirosyan in May of 2016.

Former Champion

Yuri Foreman won the WBA Super Welterweight title in 2009 by defeating Daniel Santos. He lost it in his first title defense against Miguel Cotto the following year. During that loss, Foreman tore his ACL and took nine months off before losing to Pawel Wolak in his next fight. The Fighting Rabbi then took 22 months off before his current six-fight winning streak against unknown competition. He’s boxed over 200 rounds in his career and has faced some quality opposition along the way. There is no way to disrespect Foreman, but it’s unlikely he will get past Lara.

Cherry Picked Opponent?

Lara is a huge -7000 pick to beat Foreman who is currently at +3000. During his prime, Foreman was a solid boxer with excellent defense. But that was before he had his injuries and long layoffs. He hasn’t fought a meaningful bout since Cotto and hasn’t been really impressive against low quality opposition either.

Many think Foreman is simply a cherry picked opponent to keep Lara busy.  Lara is younger, faster and stronger than the aging Foreman and he has the tools to make this an easy looking fight. If you are looking to bet on a knockout though, this isn’t the fight to bet on. Twelve of Foreman’s last 14 victories have been by decision while Lara is known as a technical fighter who uses excellent defense to avoid getting hit. He also owns a 74 inch reach that keeps him out of danger against any opponent. We’re picking Lara to win by a wide unanimous decision.

Boxing Betting: James DeGale vs. Badou Jack Odds And Prediction

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James DeGale and Badou Jack will open boxing’s new year with an exciting match-up on January 14th, 2017. The two fighters are set to unify boxing’s super middleweight titles at the Barclays Center in New York.

Title Unification Bout

Englishman DeGale has been on a roll, winning his last 13 bouts and capturing the IBF super middleweight title along the way. After beating Andre Dirrell to win that belt, DeGale has successfully defended it twice and now he’s setting his sights on Badou Jack’s WBC crown and the vacant Ring Super Middleweight title.  

Jack has won four of his last five bouts but is coming off a majority draw against Lucian Bute last April. Like DeGale, he’s defended his WBC super middleweight title twice already. Half of Captain Jack’s last 14 victories have been by knockout, although his last three bouts against top level competition have been close.

This will be DeGale’s first bout in New York and Jack’s third in the Big Apple.

Strengths

Jack’s a well-rounded fighter who has a good jab but has a tendency to lunge forward when he punches. He’s tough to beat, especially when he gets his offense going early. But he may have a problem against Chunky.

DeGale is an aggressive boxer who’s good in cutting off the ring. He wears his opponent down with smart boxing and respectable power in his punches. DeGale has established himself as one of the best super middleweights in the world, if not the best. Although his record says he has one loss, that one was a debatable majority decision against George Groves in 2011.

More Complete Fighter

The oddsmakers like DeGale in this matchup and currently have him as a -300 favorite over Jack who is now at +250. The reason is DeGale is a more complete fighter than Jack. Aside from his more superior arsenal, DeGale is a very high IQ fighter who hasn’t shown too many weaknesses yet.

Compared to Jack, Chunky has been the more consistent fighter. Jack hasn’t won a clear fight since beating Francisco Sierra in 2014. His last three bouts against Anthony Dirrell, George Groves and Lucian Bute have ended in majority decision win, split decision win and split draw respectively. On the other hand, DeGale has stopped 14 of 23 opponents. His last three wins though have been by UD and considering Jack is no walk in the park, this one should be another 12 round win for James DeGale.

Boxing Betting: Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Smith Jr. Odds and Prediction

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Bernard Hopkins takes the boxing ring one final time before hanging up his gloves. The Executioner (or The Alien) faces 27-year old Joe Smith Jr. in a featured 12-rounder on December 17th at the Forum in Inglewood, California.

Leaving Legend

The 51-year old Hopkins has declared that this will be the final bout of a storied boxing career that saw him reign as world middleweight champion from 1994-2005, making an unprecedented 20 consecutive title defenses over that period. After losing his middleweight titles to Jermain Taylor, Hopkins won the light heavyweight title on several occassions.

At age 46, Hopkins became the oldest fighter to win a world title when he beat Jean Pascal. In 2013 and 2014, Hopkins broke his own record by winning two more world titles, one in each year. In his most recent bout, Hopkins lost his world titles to Sergey Kovalev.

The Irish Bomber

Known as the Irish Bomber, Joe Smith Jr. is on a roll with 16 consecutive victories and has six knockouts in his last seven victories. Smith is coming off the biggest win of his career, a stunning first round knockout of Andrzej Fonfara last June. Despite being a +1200 underdog to win that fight, Smith pulled of what could very well be boxing’s Upset of the Year for 2016. The Long Island, New York native is the current WBC international heavyweight champion. This will be Smith’s first fight in California.

Surprising Favorite

Despite a rather disappointing performance in a loss to Kovalev, Hopkins is a surprising -255 favorite over Smith who is at +215. What makes it more interesting is the fact that Hopkins isn’t just the much older man at 51, but he hasn’t fought since losing to Kovalev in November 2014.

There is no doubt that Hopkins is the much smarter boxer in this bout, but his level of performance has gradually dropped with age. Against Smith, Hopkins won’t be just facing an opponent half his age but also a fighter who mixes solid combinations with a vicious right hand. The only downside with Smith is he hasn’t faced too many quality level oppositions in his career. However, if the fight against Fonfara is an indication, Smith may be ready to take the big stage and retire Hopkins for good.

Bernard Hopkins is the name that rings a bell in this bout and it would be great to see him to leave with a fairy tale ending. But take away the nostalgia, the value is with Smith because of the plus money. Given Hopkins age and idle time, coupled with Smith’s streak and one punch knockout power, this could turn out ugly in an instant. Just ask Fonfara. Joe Smith Jr. by knockout in the first half of the bout.

WBA Featherweight Title Preview: Jesus Cuellar vs. Abner Mares Odds And Prediction

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You can’t really keep a good fight from happening.

Take Two

Jesus Cuellar and Abner Mares will be fighting six months after they were originally scheduled to face each other. That bout was scrapped because Mares failed to get a medical clearance in New York due to a 2008 eye injury. With Mares cleared by the California State Athletic Commission, the two will headline Showtime’s December 20th event at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, California.

Three division champion Mares ( 29-2-1 with 15 KOs) hasn’t had a big victory since knocking out Daniel Ponce De Leon in 2013. In fact, Mares is coming off a close but clear unanimous decision loss to Leo Santa Cruz in last year’s Battle of Los Angeles. Cuellar (28-1 with 21 KOs), the hard hitting Argentine, hasn’t lost a bout since 2011 and will be making the sixth defense of the WBA (regular) Featherweight title which he won in 2013. The only blot on his record is a 7th round KO loss to Oscar Escandon in 2011.

High Output Fighters

Mares is known to be a pressure fighter who likes to keep himself busy in the ring throwing lots of punches. Not only that, he also works the body well and lands at a good 34% of his total punches. But if Mares throws a lot at 652 punches thrown per fight, Cuellar is surprisingly a busier fighter with an average of 716 punches thrown per bout. He isn’t as accurate thought at 24.4% but between him and Mares, the Argentine southpaw is the heavier hitter.

The concern with Mares is that he lets himself take unnecessary blows, as in his fight with Jhonny Gonzalez where he lost by KO. He can’t afford those same mistakes against the hard hitting Cuellar who will be looking to chop his head off. Cuellar has a two inch reach and a one and a half height advantage over Mares. Mares however has the edge in experience and level of competition faced. In the end though, this could go down to Cuellar’s power.

Who Wins?

This is and even fight with both fighters currently pegged at -110 according to several gambling sites.

Mares is a crafty veteran who has been in some big wars and finds ways to win. Cuellar is an untested heavy hitter with a lot of potential. Both are coming off long layoffs after the postponement of their bout and ring rust will come to play here.

Given their recent showings, Cuellar’s combination of power and speed may be too much for Mares. He may be wild sometimes with his haymakers but against a guy like Mares who isn’t hard to hit, he will connect and Mares will feel his power. We’re picking Jesus Cuellar to win by KO in the second half of the bout.

WBO Super Featherweight Preview: Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Nicholas Walters Odds and Pick

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Vasyl Lomachenko continues his quest for greatness as he defends his WBO Super Featherweight championship against former featherweight champion  Nicholas Walters on November 26th, 2016 at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Greatest Amateur Boxer Ever

Lomachenko enters the fight with a deceptive 6-1 professional record, but behind that seemingly inexperienced resume is who many consider to be the greatest amateur fighter of all-time.

A back to back Olympic gold medalist in 2008 and 2012, Lomachenko also won consecutive gold medals in the World Championships in 2009 and 2011. The 28-year old Ukrainian finished his amateur career with a sensational 396-1 record with his only defeat to Albert Selimov avenged twice.

Since turning pro, Lomachenko has fought in a total of six world title bouts, losing once to Orlando Salido in his first attempt at a world title. Since that defeat, Loma’s won five bouts in a row against rapidly increasing level of opposition He’s captured two world titles in two different weight classes and is coming off a 5th round KO of Roman Martinez last June.

Axe Man

Nicholas Walters will be looking to win his second world title in as many weight classes. Known as the Axe Man, the Jamaican slugger is unbeaten in 27 bouts with 26 wins, 1 draw and 21 wins by knockout. After losing his title on the scales during his fight with Miguel Marriaga in June, Walters has moved up in weight. He was ‘robbed’ with a draw in his super featherweight debut against Jason Sosa. But that did not stop him from pursuing a bout with the great Lomachenko.

Not A Mismatch

Lomachenko is a big -500 favorite over Walters who is at +400 in many sports books. But don’t let the numbers think this is going to be a mismatch. Walters is a legit foe and has exceptional athleticism and overall punching power. He has fast hands, quick feet and has finished all but two of his last eleven opponents. He’s proven that he can take care of a good technical boxer when he knocked out Nonito Donaire in 2014. Against Lomachenko though, he must be wary with counters as his defense has a tendency to slip at times. An interesting fact here is that this will be Walters’ first bout in Las Vegas.

Total Package

Lomachenko is the total package. Not only does he possess a high level boxing IQ, he also has excellent defense. Like Walters, he has quick hands and feet. Between them though, he has the better combinations and is the smarter counter puncher.

Coincidentally, both fighters have a similar connect percentage of 37.9% ( Per Compubox ) but Lomachenko has more output per fight at 177.4 punches landed per fight against Walters’ 159.6. But while they don’t have much difference in offensive numbers, Lomachenko’s defensive prowess stands out. Lomachenko’s opponents only land 16.4% of their punches on him while Walters allows a higher 21.5% Both numbers are good really but in a chess match like this, that could spell the difference.

Who Wins

Given his attributes, it hard not to look at Walters at +400. He may be the smarter bet if you want to gamble. But in the end, it’s likely Lomachenko who gets the victory here. Loma’s just too smart a boxer against Walters. He can adjust his game plan in between rounds and has too many ways to win bouts. Walters only knows one way to fight and that ram right through his opponents. He’s moving up in weight and may not be as powerful as he was in the lower ranks. Having said that, if you’re betting to win go with Lomachenko here.

Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward Boxing Odds and Fight Prediction

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A potential Fight of the Year candidate awaits boxing fans on November 19th as unified Light Heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev defends his titles against former super middleweight king, Andre Ward .

Boxer vs Puncher

Known as the Krusher for his knack of knocking out his opponents, Sergey Kovalev has 26 knockouts in 30 total wins. Ward, on the other hand, is one of the sport’s best boxers. He’s accumulated a professional record of 30-0 with 15 knockouts. In his last 10 bouts, Ward has recorded just two knockouts. On the other hand, Kovalev has failed to stop just two fighters in his last 10 bouts.

Their game plans are as obvious as their records. Kovalev would love to engage Ward in a slugfest for the ages. Ward, meanwhile, will be looking to hit and not get hit by the power punching Russian Krusher. With two fighters who excel in their respective fighting styles, this one’s pretty much a toss-up in the truest sense of the word. The oddsmakers agree.

Hard To Pick

Ward opened as a -150 favorite against Kovalev’s +120. Again, these are two Top 5 pound for pound fighters fighting each other in their primes. But in a close call like this, experts tend to think that the safer money is with the better boxer which in this case is Andre Ward. Two months later, the lines have narrowed further at -137 to +110 but still favor Andre Ward.

As for the method of victory, the oddsmakers have set Ward winning by decision at +110 and Kovalev by KO or disqualification at +200. Many boxing experts feel that if the fight is going the distance, it will favor the boxer Ward while if it’s ending abruptly, it’s gonna be the hard hitting Kovalev who comes out victorious.

Weight Difference

Weight will not be an issue for Andre Ward but without doubt he will be facing a naturally bigger man on November 19. This will only be Ward’s third bout at light heavyweight while Kovalev has resided here since 2009. And Kovalev won’t be just another light heavyweight in the roster, he is the best in the division and is the hardest hitter in the weight class. Sure Ward is an expert in not getting hit, but once he gets hit will be the question. How Ward takes Kovalev’s punches will be the key in this bout. If he can take Kovalev’s punches though, the Krusher may be in for a long night.

Can Box Too

By Saying that Kovalev will primarily win by KO doesn’t mean he can’t box. Kovalev famously outboxed Bernard Hopkins in a career defining fight in 2014. That victory though is a two way school of thought against Andre Ward. Kovalev  dropped Hopkins but couldn’t finish him off. So Ward, being a sound technical boxer like Hopkins, could go the distance with Kovalev too and have the better shot at beating Kovalev.

Having said that, the longer this fight goes, the more it favors Andre Ward. If this fight is going the distance, Andre Ward is going to pick up that decision win.

Showtime Boxing Announces Seven Major Fights

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It’s going to be ‘Showtime’ indeed for the sport of boxing starting in December as Showtime Sports recently announced a massive seven-bout schedule that is certainly going to get boxing fans pumped up.

Showtime took to Twitter to announce the big news:

High Quality Fights, Fighters

Showtime’s impressive schedule involves fourteen Top 10 fighters, seven of which are undefeated. Twelve of the boxers are current or past world champions, as well. The schedule also has an impressive six title fights, including two title unification bouts. The fighters on the six world title bouts have combined record of 313-6. If that’s not impressive enough for you, you just aren’t a boxing fan.

Title Unifications

Showtime’s top tier schedule is headlined by a welterweight title unification between IBF champion Keith “One-Time” Thurman and WBC title holder Danny “Swift” Garcia on March 4th, 2017. Before he fights Thurman, Garcia has a tune-up fight on November 13th against fringe challenger Samuel Vargas.

Another title unification bout opens up the year in 2017 when Las Vegas resident and WBC Super Middleweight champion Badou Jack meets England’s IBF Super Middleweight title holder James DeGale.

More Title Bouts

The series of fights begin with a double title bout affair on December 10th at the Galen Center in Los Angeles.

WBA ‘regular’ featherweight champion Jesus Cuellar faces former world champion Abner Mares while IBF Jr. middleweight champion Jermall Charlo risks his belt against mandatory challenger Julian Williams.

Another double title bout event sets the month of January ablaze when Carl Frampton faces Leo Santa Cruz in a rematch of their July 2016 Fight of The Year candidate. The co-main event for Frampton-Santa Cruz will be the WBC lightweight title bout between champion Dejan Zlaticanin and challenger Mikey Garcia.

The seventh bout in the series features the return of the enigmatic four division world champion Adrien “ AB” Broner on February 11th. Broner will face fellow 140-pound contender Adrian Granados in a featured bout. Showtime is considered to be taking a risk in Broner whose recent off the ring troubles included suicide threats that led to a Police investigation and being cited for misdemeanor in a Las Vegas night club.

Odds For The Bouts

Some lines have already opened for these match ups and they are very competitive. These are Carl Frampton ( -110) vs Leo Santa Cruz ( +127), James DeGale (-220) vs Badou Jack (+220). Likewise, Mares vs Cuellar is expected to be close as both fighters were pegged at -110  against each other during their aborted June 2016 bout.

Boxing News: Wladimir Klitschko vs. Tyson Fury Odds and Latest Updates

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The most awaited boxing rematch is off, again.

The October 29th, 2016 Heavyweight title bout between reigning boxing heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and former champion Wladimir Klitschko has been called off once again:

Medically Unfit To Fight

Sources say that Fury’s team notified Klitschko’s camp on Friday and even presented to the latter a letter from Fury’s doctor saying that the champ would be “unavailable for the forseeable future” because of mental health issues.

The fighters were supposed to rematch last July 9th but Fury also pulled out of that schedule after suffering an ankle injury during training. The second postponement is different as it may not be physical in nature and it has cast serious doubts on Fury’s future while raising serious questions on whether he should be stripped of his titles.

Severe Medical Condition

Fury’s management team, Hennessey Sports, confirmed the postponement late Friday and issued an official statement saying “medical specialists have advised that the condition is too severe to allow him (Fury) to participate in the rematch.” It also said that Fury will immediately undergo treatment in order to make a full recovery. No other details were given but Hennessey said they will give a full statement in due course.

Fury shocked the world when he beat Klitschko on points last November 2015, ending the latter’s long reign as heavyweight champion, But shortly after winning the titles, he was stripped of the IBF belt after refusing to fight his mandatory challenger. Last month, Fury was charged with a doping violation by the UKAD and a hearing has been set for November. Just a week ago, Fury failed to show up for a press conference related to the rematch. Fury alleged that he missed his appointment because his car broke. It remains to be seen what the sanctioning bodies will do to the belts he’s hostaged for nearly a year.

Fury opened as a -105 to Klitschko’s -125. But the odds evened to -115 when the venue was announced last April 8th. The current odds are a far cry from the -500 favorite Klitschko was during their first meeting. Fury’s age, mobility and size were among the key factors in their first bout. Although beaten like an old man during their first encounter, Klitschko exercised his rematch clause to get a shot at redemption and one more run at the heavyweight title.