It’s Cinco de Mayo weekend and you know what that means in boxing — Canelo Alvarez is fighting. He’ll be boxing John Ryder in his hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico on May 6. There’s money to make off this fight, it just requires creativity. Keep reading to get our three best bets on the Canelo-Ryder bout!
We’ll tell you right now, we will NOT be betting on the moneyline, which has Canelo pegged as a staggering -1600 favorite. There’s almost zero value in that. However, many props are available across top boxing betting sites that have far better payouts, which we’ll cover at length here.
Canelo vs. Ryder: Total Rounds Bet
The first Canelo-Ryder bet that should command your attention is the over/under rounds. It’s set at 8.5 rounds, with odds split each way, as seen below:
Let’s be real: Ryder has little to zero chance in this fight. For those unaware, he’s a bloke from London with a pedestrian 32-5 mark (18 KO’s). At age 34, Ryder is also two years older than Canelo. Sure, he’s won a few different interim middleweight belts, but that’s about it for his in-ring accomplishments — a far cry from Canelo’s current Super Middleweight status.
Besides being in a hostile environment in Mexico, one of the biggest things going against Ryder is his lack of experience against fighters the caliber of Canelo. Ryder’s biggest career wins have come against an aging Daniel Jacobs and most recently, Zach Parker. The only common opponent between Canelo and Ryder is Callum Smith. Canelo beat Smith by decision, while Ryder lost by the same result — albeit controversially as many believed Ryder was more deserving of the victory.
We have a tough time imagining Ryder offering a competitive fight on this one. Plus, with Canelo being at home, we think he goes for the early win to send the Mexican fans home happy. To us, under 8.5 rounds is the clear bet to make.
Canelo vs. Ryder: Fight Outcome
Alright, we called an under on the rounds fought. The only way that possibly happens is if Canelo scores a TKO, KO, or DQ. That exact Canelo-Ryder outcome is bet-able and the betting options are as follows:
| Outcome |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canelo by Decision | +320 | +320 | +320 |
| Canelo by Stoppage | -350 | -350 | -350 |
| Draw | +2200 | +2200 | +2200 |
| Ryder by Decision | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Ryder by Stoppage | +1800 | +1800 | +1800 |
We’re extremely confident Canelo ends this early. Not just because he’s trying to make a statement in Mexico (his first fight here in a decade), but the matchup favors him strongly. Ryder is a southpaw, which will make him prone to eating a right from Canelo come fight night — especially when throwing body blows.
Here’s our EXACT prediction on how Canelo stops Ryder for good: a devastating uppercut. It’s the same punch that stopped a different lefty from Britain, Billy Joe Saunders. When Ryder is attempting to close the distance, Canelo will meet with a KO blow. His power is something Ryder has never met in a boxing ring.
The way we see it is Canelo -350 to win by stoppage is a way, way better wager than the -1600 moneyline. If you’re like us and of the belief that Alvarez cruises to victory, this is the best-value bet you can find on the night in terms of him just winning.
Canelo vs. Ryder: Total Knockdowns
Here’s another fun Canelo-Ryder prop bet: how many knockdowns will there be on Saturday night? Oddsmakers have the over/under at 1.5:
We’re on the record saying one uppercut will end the fight for good. The question is, can Canelo get another one before that? Our money says, yes.
Look, we’ve already outlined the massive advantages Canelo has in this fight — the home crowd, the stopping power, the big-time experience. But we’ve neglected to mention one: motivation.
Hear us out, Canelo is motivated to remind the world he’s still the best boxer in the world. After his loss to Dmitry Bivol a year ago, the Mexican’s pound-for-pound status has been questioned. An easy win against a way-past-his-prime Gennady Golovkin did nothing to get Canelo back in the conversation either. A win against Ryder probably doesn’t either UNLESS it’s utter domination.
So yes, we’re betting a motivated Canelo comes out swinging Saturday. If he’s successful, two knockdowns seems very likely. Jump on those plus-money odds as soon as you’re done reading this article.
How To Bet On Canelo vs. Ryder
Canelo fights always command plenty of attention at online bookmakers, and we expect this one to follow suit. To get a complete list of Canelo vs. Ryder bets (including ones we didn’t cover in this article), visit one of the sportsbooks below. The five sites you see here are industry leaders, per our latest sportsbook reviews. When it comes to boxing, there’s not a fight you won’t see missing from the sportsbooks below.
One last thing before you run off to gamble: you can leverage sign-up bonuses to bet on boxing for free. You see, new players of sites are eligible for these rewards which can reach as much as $2500 in free play at select sites. The money is completely guaranteed too regardless if your Canelo-Ryder bets pan out or not.
