Manny Pacquiao will take to the ring as the betting favorite on Saturday night as he faces unbeaten WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman in the main event at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Our boxing experts at MMAOddsbreaker.com dig into the odds and give their best bets and predictions for this fight that begins at 9:00 p.m. ET.
TALE OF THE TAPE
| PACQUIAO | THURMAN | |
|---|---|---|
| 61 | WINS | 29 |
| 7 | LOST | 0 |
| 39 | KO'S | 22 |
| 2 | DRAWS | 0 |
| 70 | TOTAL BOUTS | 29 |
| 56% | KO% | 76% |
| 5'6" | HEIGHT | 5'9" |
| 67" | REACH | 69" |
| Southpaw | STANCE | Orthodox |
| 40 | AGE | 30 |
THE FIGHTERS
Keith Thurman (+135) looks to unify the WBA titles by taking on the current titleholder Manny Pacquiao (-170). The Filipino southpaw is the former eight division world champion and has held 12 major titles.
Thurman is a great boxer in his own right, holding a 29-win flawless boxing record and has a distinct size advantage, along with big power behind the hands he throws.
Not to discredit Pacquiao in this either. He can certainly win the fight but will need to press the action and put a considerable amount of pressure on Thurman. Pac-Man will also have to get the better of the exchanges when close. Thurman is best when countering and circling around his opponent.
PUTTING TOO MUCH STOCK INTO HIS LAST TILT?
I believe oddsmakers and the public are putting a lot into Thurman’s last fight which was his first in two years after a layoff due to injuries. Despite still winning by majority decision, Thurman looked like a fighter coming off a two year absence – shaking off ring rust and even getting hurt in the seventh round.
That was in January so I’m expecting a better, more prime Thurman now that he has that bout over with.
FIND MORE WINNING PICKS FROM MMA ODDSBREAKER ON COVERS EXPERTS
THE PICK
I’m going with Thurman here to get the job done, most likely by a decision. I don’t think this fight gets stopped as both are very good with defense, IQ, and great chins. That said, Pacquiao is 40 now and his chin could go at any time, especially against a bigger, hard-hitting boxer like Thurman.
Thurman is currently the underdog and that's a bit of a shocker to me – Thurman being younger, faster, stronger, and with bigger upside. Of course I’m not counting Pacquiao out, but the value is all over Thurman to get his hand raised by a decision.
PREDICTION: Keith Thurman wins outright (+135) and Keith Thurman wins by decision (+195)
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