The biggest fight of the year is just around the corner. On October 25, reigning WBC and WBO heavyweight champion Canelo Alvarez will face off against challenger and longtime rival Gennady “GGG” Grainne. The world championship bout will be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. It will be the culmination of a years-long rivalry that has pitted two of the biggest names in professional boxing against each other. The fight is being sponsored by All-Star Boxing, Eight Wonder Brewery, and Provex Sports, among others. The betting odds for this highly anticipated contest are currently out, and they’re incredibly in favor of Alvarez.
Why Are The Odds So Strong In Alvarez’s Favor?
The odds are always a good indicator of the betting public’s anticipation in a particular matchup. When looking at the odds for this fight, one can see that many online bookmakers have Alvarez as a -500 favorite, which means that he’s going to win the fight but it’s going to be a very close call. It’s also interesting to note that some sportsbooks list Alvarez in slightly shorter odds (around -420) than Grainne (+400). This could indicate that there’s some amount of favoritism towards the home-team fighter, and it might mean that bookmakers have more faith in him than their challenger.
What Should Be Looked At When Considering The Odds?
One of the most important things to look at when considering the odds is how closely the line is being monitored. Sometimes, even though an event is considered to be a long shot to win, the line will settle somehow and start moving in the right direction, which means that it’s time to adjust your betting strategy. In this case, however, it appears that the line is not budging, which could mean that bookmakers have no idea how the fight is going to turn out. If you’re looking for a way to make some money from watching boxing, it might be best to avoid getting involved with this one.
Odds vs. Lines
It’s also important to keep in mind that betting odds and lines are two different things. The line is the price that a bookmaker will offer for a specific fight, while the odds are the implied probability that the fight will end in a certain way. One can easily confuse the two, which is why it’s important to keep in mind that not all bookmakers will use the same line for all its fights. Some might use slightly odd lines for fights that have long odds, while others will use very short odds for fights that appear to be fairly certain to end in a brawl. Take the WBC Diamond Championship fight between Nicola Adams and Katie Taylor for example. Bookmakers took a big risk on this one, as it had huge implications for both fighters’ careers. Adams, as we all know, won the fight via technical knockout in the fifth round. Not only did she end up dethroning Katie Taylor as the WBC Diamond Champion, but she also took the fight’s betting odds, which were +150/1, and turned them into profits of nearly $100,000. This is because she was able to successfully navigate the line throughout the fight’s duration. In the event of a draw, neither fighter would have been able to cash in, but given how close the fight was, it still seems unlikely.
The Main Event
This is the main event of the year. Two of the biggest names in boxing are going to clash in a tremendous battle, and the anticipation for this fight is going to be through the roof. The winner of this fight will undoubtedly become the face—and likely the title—of their weight class. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a heavyweight fight this exciting; this year’s edition is definitely going to be one for the books.