ESPN’s 2014 fighter of the year and two-division world champion Terence Crawford - 26-0, 18 KOs - is coming home to defend his belt. The undefeated junior welterweight will step into the ring against Montreal contender Dierry Jean - 29-1, 20 KOs - this Saturday in his hometown of Omaha. Oddsmakers have Crawford as high as a 20-to-1 favorite in some sportsbooks.
CURRENT ODDS
Check our online boxing odds for the latest moneylines on each fighter, which are updated daily. Expect Crawford to be at least a -1500 favorite - he’s as high as -2000 in other sportsbooks. Dierry Jean is a hefty underdog who’s anywhere from +700 to +1000. I’d expect the total in this 12-round fight to be set around 10.5 rounds. Remember to check in on the morning of fight night for prop bets, because they should definitely be interesting.
UPHILL BATTLE FOR JEAN
The 27-year old Crawford is undoubtedly one of the best fighters in the world right now, making this a difficult fight for the challenger. That’s not to say that Jean is a total stiff, because he has definitely faced some legit competition. His only loss came in 2014, when he lost a competitive fight to then-junior welterweight titleholder Lamont Peterson. He’s since dropped to lightweight and won four fights in a row.
Crawford’s 2014 was impressive to say the least. He traveled to Scotland to beat Ricky Burns for the 135-pound world title, then made two defenses in hi native Omaha. One of those was a sensational ninth-round knockout of the previously unbeaten Yuriorkis Gamboa, and the other was a near-shutout over mandatory challenger Raymundo Beltran. He then vacated the belt to move up to 140 pounds, promptly knocking out Thomas Dulorme in his debut to win the world title. The fight against Jean marks his first title defense in his new weight class.
“I’m excited about this fight,” Crawford said. “A lot of people don’t know who he is but I know him. He’s a great, solid fighter. No walk in the park. I’m just ready. I watched ( Peterson-Jean ) live. I watched it as a fan, but there was always that possible chance of us fighting.”
He put up a great fight against Peterson. He made it very exciting. He showed a lot of heart, showed a lot of skill, showed a lot of determination. You can’t take anything away from the guy. I will be totally prepared for whatever Dierry Jean brings to the ring.”
The larger story here is whether Crawford can line up a fight with Manny Pacquiao should he get through Jean as expected. While Jean doesn’t seem much like a threat to Crawford right now, kudos to the champ for not booking a total squash match.
FIGHT PREDICTION
Crawford has steadily climbed the pound-for-pound rankings has never looked better. While Jean is a decent fighter, he’s not even close to Crawford in terms of skill and power. It might be tempting to throw a small bet on a 20-to-1 underdog just in case, but you’d be wasting your money. You might also want to consider the over here as well. While Crawford’s power is underrated, Jean has never been knocked out and has shown a good chin in the past.
HOW TO BET
Sign into BookMaker Sportsbook and get all the latest Terrence Crawford vs. Dierry Jean odds, including moneylines, totals and prop bets. The title bout takes place on Saturday, October 24, 2015 at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska. The card will be televised live on HBO pay-per-vew starting 9:30 p.m. ET.
Make sure to check in during fight night and get the latest live betting updates. You can bet on real-time odds during the bout, allowing you to hedge your bets or even make new ones as you watch on live television. And with multiple reliable payout options, collecting your earnings is always quick and easy.
