One of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev - 28-0-1, 25 KOs - returns to action this Saturday. “Krusher” will defend his title against former WBC light heavyweight Jean Pascal - 30-3-1, 17 KOs - in a rematch that takes place in Pascal’s home city of Montreal. Let’s jump right into the odds and preview the fight.
Bet on Kovalev-Pascal boxing odds at BookMaker.eu
Sergey Kovalev -2250
Jean Pascal +1100
Over/under 9.5 rounds, over +215, under -275
ODDS ANALYSIS
The lines haven’t moved since we first reported the odds at BookMaker a few weeks ago. That’s mostly because this fight really hasn’t gained much public interest, despite the fact that Kovalev is one of the best in the game today. Perhaps he needs a few more fights in North America to build up his star power.
FIGHT PREVIEW
Pascal is still very much in his prime. The Canadian is agile, strong and stays busy. His resume is littered with top names from the 168 and 175-pound divisions. It’s hard to overlook a guy who’s faced fighters like Carl Froch, Chad Dawson and Lucian Bute. And despite all his years squaring off against elite opponents, he only has three defeats - against Kovalev, Froch and Bernard Hopkins.
As a pressure fighter, Pascal is most comfortable coming in throwing punches in bunches. Where he differs from other aggressive punchers is that he’s not your typical stand-and-trade guy. Pascal has excellent footwork and defense, and knows how to get out of dicey situations. However, a lack of power holds him back, as he has to throw in volume to truly damage opponents.
Unlike Pascal, Kovalev is an incredibly strong puncher. But what puts him in the pound-for-pound discussion is the technique that backs up his sledgehammer fists. Krusher is powerful enough to simply overwhelm most opponents, but he has mastered some of the finer points of the sport as well.
The first line of offense is Kovalev’s jab, which is as quick as it is cutting. More overlooked is his feints, which keeps opponents guessing as what he’ll do next. Often, Kovalev will bait fighters into one of his signature flurries, which are both breathtaking and terrifying at the same time. Get to know Sergey Kovalev, because this could be the year he breaks out as one of the sport’s biggest stars.
THE SMART PLAYS
The first time these two met, Kovalev score a TKO in the eighth round. The fight was actually a lot closer than the results would suggest. It was a grueling battle that was a worthy entrant for fight of the year, as both men slugged away. In the end, Pascal just didn’t have the power to match up with Kovalev, and nothing’s changed since then.
Kovalev is ridiculously expensive at -2250, so if you bet on him to win, try and parlay that pick to maximize your odds. Stacking the play with the under seems like a solid choice, given that Kovalev has already knocked out Pascal already.
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Real-time spreads, totals, props and money line are all available so start betting with BookMaker today. Kovalev-Pascal takes place Saturday, January 30, 2016 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. The card will be televised on HBO starting 9:45 p.m. ET.
