The pound-for-pound best boxer in the entire world, Canelo Alvarez, has a fresh challenger — the undefeated Billy Joe Saunders. The two will duke it out with three middleweight belts up for grabs. Here’s a complete betting guide to the big fight, plus free picks to make!
Stuck on how to bet the Canelo vs. Saunders fight? You've come to the right place. We're about to break down the boxing championship collision and offer our best betting picks, not only on the outright winner but props, too.
But before we get to all that, how are online oddsmakers handicapping the bout? Not surprisingly, very one-sided:
Canelo has been a staggering favorite in all his most recent fights — anything dating after his battles with Gennady Golovkin — and this one is no different, no matter Saunders' unblemished record. Nonetheless, let's dissect the upcoming matchup closer and see if the lopsided line is justified or not.
This fight goes down Saturday, May 8. A crowd of 70,000 will pack AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas — where the Dallas Cowboys play — to watch Canelo and Saunders battle for middleweight supremacy. Streaming network DAZN will have exclusive broadcast rights in the United States.
There's little we can tell you about Canelo that you probably don't already know: as a record-holder of 55-1-2 and title-winner in four different weight divisions, Canelo's resume is becoming all-time worthy. And heck, at only 30 years old, plenty of time remains for the Mexican phenom to cement his legacy.
However, you might know less of his opponent, Saunders, who has racked up a 30-0 mark in his home of England. American audiences might be less aware of his feats since only one of those fights happened on American soil and his opponents are less name-worthy than Canelo's previous foes.
But here's the quick scouting report on Saunders: he relies on movement to pile up points. Outpunching or outfighting his opponents is not his M.O. — evident by his 16 career decision victories. To pull off the upset, Saunders will have to slow down the tempo of the fight then leverage his slickness to beat Canelo on the scorecard.
Unless Saunders has the fight of his life, we can't picture him toppling Canelo. We just can't and that's because Canelo is better in just about every facet.
For the longest time, Canelo's reputation was based on counter-punching. But ever since his second encounter with Triple G, he's played the aggressor role to perfection — none better than moving up to light heavyweight and finishing Sergey Kovalev early.
Whereas Canelo has little to fear in Saunders' powerless blows, the same doesn't go the other way. Canelo has knockout power that Saunders will constantly need to be wary of, especially as the fighters wages on and an opportunity presents itself for Canelo to go for the kill.
We get it, there's not much value in betting the Canelo moneyline. But if you're even considering an upset bet on Saunders, we advise you to save your money for our next piece of gambling advice instead.
Betting pick to make: Canelo Alvarez (-750)
You'll find much more respectable odds with the fight's over/under, which is pegged at 10.5 rounds:
We've alluded to it already, this isn't the Canelo of old. No, this version of Canelo has never been more confident in his skill set, which admittedly, is as well-rounded as you'll find across the sport.
Our money is on Canelo stopping Saunders before the 10.5 round mark. Saunders won't be able to avoid Canelo's diverse arsenal all-bout long. Canelo will get his blows in, which will wear away Saunders before a knockout ends it all.
Betting pick to make: Under (+150)
One of the most fun, yet most unforgiving, prop bets in boxing is round-by-round betting. With this wager, you're not only betting what exact round the fight ends, but who wins in that round. There are 27 different possible outcomes here — 13 for a Saunders win (includes all 12 rounds plus decision), 13 for Canelo victories, and one for a decisive draw.
Besides the two regular decision outcomes (not including the draw), almost every betting option has plus-money odds in the four-digit range. So yes, this prop is an absolute crapshoot, but a fun one at that.
We called a Canelo knockout win before the 10.5 mark so that whittles down our betting options. We'll give Saunders his due and say he sticks around a while before Alvarez capitalizes around round 8 or 9. With this wildcard of a bet, you might as well wager on a few different outcomes and that's exactly what we're doing.
Betting pick to make: Alvarez in Round 8 (+1100) and Round 9 (+1000)
Alright, you're caught up with all things Saunders vs. Canelo betting. If you need to lock in your bet(s), you can do so at one of the listed sportsbooks below. They will take bets right until fight bell time, but why wait so long anyway? Check 'em out immediately to get your action.
While you're visiting these betting sites, don't overlook their sign-up bonuses either. New bettors can earn thousands of dollars in free play upon registering an account. That free money can be wagered right away on the Canelo-Saunders fight, which if done right, can multiply your winnings in a hurry.
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