Tyson Fury vs. Dillian Whyte is the main event on Saturday, April 23, at Wembley Stadium. This bout is the first fight in nearly 30 years where two Brits will face off for a recognized world title, and the atmosphere figures to be electric.
Fury staked his claim as the best heavyweight in the world after two devastating wins over Deontay Wilder, but Whyte is a worthy challenger for the title.
The WBC champion is a big betting favorite at -550 to retain his title, but the dangerous Whyte may be a bigger threat to the undefeated Fury than his +400 odds indicate.
Here are our free boxing picks and predictions for Fury vs. Whyte on April 23.
Tyson Fury vs Dillian Whyte betting predictions
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Tyson Fury vs Dillian Whyte betting preview
After dishing out two beatings against Deontay Wilder, including an 11th- round KO in their savage war last October, Fury is moving on from one big-punching rival to another in Whyte. In three fights with Wilder, Fury demonstrated an iron chin and the type of skills the division hasn’t seen since Lennox Lewis in his prime.
Fury is a paradox of a fighter. His agility and movement are uncanny for someone who weighs in at 275 pounds, and he transitions from a fleet-footed boxer to an overwhelming clubber at the flip of a switch. The best weapon the champion possess is his thumping jab, which probably hurts as much as an average heavyweight’s power hand.
While Whyte doesn’t have Wilder's brute strength, he has power in both hands and is an athletic fighter who can dart in and out of range. Whyte is an underrated inside fighter, and those who have been able to bypass Fury’s reach are the ones who have given him the most trouble in the past.
Both Fury and Whyte can be victimized by complacency, as both fighters have been dropped for letting their guard down or not proceeding cautiously enough. Of the two, Fury has shown to have the better chin, whereas Whyte’s two losses have come by knockout to Anthony Joshua and an ancient Alexander Povetkin. Furthermore, Whyte has been hurt in every major fight of his career and tends to gas out late.
Fury holds the major advantages, but Whyte is going to make it very tough for him and is no doubt going to give Fury all he can handle for as long as the fight lasts.
Tyson Fury vs Dillian Whyte picks
Fury to win (-550 at DraftKings)
Alas, Whyte will try and perhaps manage to hurt the giant, but Fury is inevitable. The champion can keep the fight at a distance thanks to his seven-inch reach advantage, and will likely outweigh Whyte by over 20 pounds on fight night.
When they tangle up, Fury’s size and harder punches will sap Whyte’s strength. Should they get into a prolonged exchange, Fury’s punches will wear Whyte down quicker and come from angles Whyte can’t defend. If nothing else, Whyte must put himself in harm’s way just to halt Fury’s movement in hopes that he can catch him with a big shot.
This strategy has proven disastrous in the past. Not only did Povetkin catch him cold with a well-timed uppercut, but he was nearly stopped by the likes of Derek Chisora, Oscar Rivas and Joseph Parker, narrowly beating them in an act of sheer will. None of those fighters are as good or strong as Fury.
The best chance Whyte has would be to catch him early, like Wilder did in the third fight. Once Whyte starts to lose steam on his punches and slow down, he won’t command the speed necessary to get Fury off-balance to score a critical knockdown.
Because Fury has so many ways to execute his offense, and multiple paths to victory, we favor the champion to keep his undefeated record and WBC title by the night’s end.
Fight to be won in Rounds 10-12 (+380 at DraftKings)
We don’t think Fury will emerge out of this fight unscathed, and Whyte might be good for a scare or two while his legs are still fresh in the opening third of the fight. There’s no doubt that Fury will be the aggressor, switching between throwing bombs on the outside and smothering Whyte in close quarters with his size. Slowly, but surely, Fury will break Whyte down and push him to take a desperate chance.
When Fury had Wilder dead to rights last October, he absorbed plenty of shots before landing a beauty of a right hand to stop Wilder. This could be dangerous, as Whyte’s best punch is a counter left-hook that can come from nowhere.
The big factor here is that Fury carries his power later in fights. Whyte will resort to throwing bombs as the fight starts slipping away, which could cause a shock stoppage. Fury finishing the job late in the fight has happened before. Picking either fighter to win by stoppage between rounds 10 through 12 is almost as good as picking Whyte straight up.
With the fight likely to be competitive, we’re going with a stoppage by any fighter in Rounds 10 through 12 at +380
