Nearly a year and a half since losing his belt to Tyson Fury in a shocking upset, former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko will return to the ring this Saturday. The Ukrainian meets undefeated WBA/IBF titleholder in an intriguing matchup between two fighters trending in opposite directions.
The pair will headline a pay-per-view card at Wembley stadium, without a soldout crowd of 80,000 expected on hand. Joshua, a U.K. native, will have a frenzied crowd behind him in the biggest fight of his career. Klitschko has an uphill battle to try and regain some of the mojo he lost against Fury.
Let’s take a look at the boxing odds at BookMaker.eu and break down the fight from a betting perspective.
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Wladimir Klitschko +185
Anthony Joshua -225
Over/under 8.5 rounds, over -120, under +100
Odds Analysis
Joshua is more than a 2-1 favorite at -225, while Klitschko comes in at +185. The over/under for this 12-rounder is relatively low at 8.5 rounds, although the over is the more expensive play at -120. It’s a bit surprising that Klitschko is such a big underdog here, but his poor showing against Fury could be a sign that Father Time has caught up to him.
Fight Breakdown
Joshua has yet to fight past the seventh round - he’s been that dominant in all 18 of his pro fights. Standing 6’6” with an 82” reach, the Brit has the skills to box patiently and the power to knock opponents out with either hand.
The guy is a machine, for sure. He’s been so good that it’s hard to see any real weaknesses in his game as of yet. On top of that, he’s fought his entire career in the U.K., so he’ll be very comfortable in the confines of Wembley.
But Klitschko is a big step up in competition for the young champion. This is a man that has a 64-4 record with 53 KOs. There’s nothing that the big man hasn’t seen in the ring, and he’s shown us one of the best jabs ever at heavyweight.
Despite the fact that he’s 40, does one loss really mean it’s the end of his time as a legit heavyweight? Oddsmakers seem to think so. He’s also never had such a long period of inactivity before. But when you have as much experience as Klitschko, ring rust shouldn’t be too big a factor.
How You Should Bet
This all depends on whether you think Klitschko is done. He certainly looked like it against Fury - could it have been just an off-night? There are too many questions here to definitively pick a winner, so the best option here is to probably bet on the over/under. Klitschko is crafty enough to avoid Joshua’s power, and if his jab is back he can keep this fight at range. The over at -120 looks to be the best value here.
Boxing odds pick: Over 8.5 rounds -120
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With the boxing odds at 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. Klitschko vs. Joshua takes place Saturday, April 29, 2017 at the Wembley in London, England. The card is airs live on HBO pay-per-view in the U.S. and Sky Box Office PPV in the U.K.
