This Saturday, one of the most talented featherweight boxers in the world, Gary Russell Jr., will return to the ring to defend his WBC title against Irishman Patrick Hyland. In the co-main event, IBF 130-pound champion Jose Pedraza will defend his belt against Stephen Smith, who comes into the bout on an 11-fight win streak.
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MAIN EVENT
Patrick Hyland +2000
Gary Russell Jr. -3500
Yeah, you’d have to lay $3,500 on Russell to make a measly $100. Hyland is completely outmatched here, making this more of a showcase fight for Russell. It’s a shame, since Russell is generally regarded as one of the finest fighters in the game today. The 27-year old showed this when he beat Jhonny Gonzalez last March to claim the strap. In that bout, he laid a beating on a very good fighter and knocked him out in the fourth.
Russell’s competition has been pretty weak in general, with the exception of Gonzalez and Vasyl Lomachenko -- whom he last to in 2014. Hyland is no different. The Irish fighter has won four straight since losing to Javier Fortune in 2012, but those wins came against nobodies. Because of that, anything less than a stellar performance against Hyland would be considered a major disappointment.
I’d take a long look at the over/under in the sportsbook and consider the under for a better payout. Hyland isn’t worth betting on, and you have to bet way too much to make anything on Russell.
CO-MAIN EVENT
Stephen Smith +157
Jose Pedraza -186
Now here’s an interesting fight. The boxing odds at BookMaker has this a lot closer than the main event, although Pedraza is a significant favorite at -186. Mandatory challenger Stephen Smith -- the older brother of world champion Liam Smith -- has won 11 in a row since losing to Lee Selby in 2011. The Englishman is arguably the toughest fight of Pedraza’s career.
A native of Puerto Rico, Pedraza won the vacant belt in a lopsided decision against Andrey Klimov and retained the title in a close split decision win over Edner Cherry this past October. There are a few that doubt whether Pedraza is more than a paper champion, so he’d need to beat the respected Smith in convincing fashion to silence some of the doubters.
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HOW TO BET
With BookMaker Sportsbook, you can bet on boxing all year, from regional cards to pay-per-view events. Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook. You can even wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Russell vs. Hyland and Pedraza vs. Smith takes place Saturday, April 16, 2016 at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut. The card will be televised on Showtime starting 11 p.m. ET.
