In a WBA/WBO/IBF heavyweight title fight, Anthony Joshua and Kubrat Pulev meet Saturday at SSE Arena in London, England. The fighters will battle for Joshua’s three belts. The fight card kicks off at 1 p.m. ET.
Joshua vs. Pulev: Tale of the tape
Joshua (23-1) hasn’t fought since Dec. 7, 2019, a unanimous decision win over Andy Ruiz Jr. in Saudi Arabia, as he avenged a stunning TKO loss to Ruiz on June 1, 2019. Since Dec. 2015, Joshua has racked up impressive wins over Dillian Whyte, Wladimir Klitschko, Alexander Povetkin and Ruiz, just to name a few.
While two of his past four fights have ended up going to the judges, 22 of his 24 bouts as a pro have finished inside the distance. He will be looking for a tidy victory over the 39-year-old challenger, as he takes a step toward a heavyweight unification bout against Tyson Fury.
Pulev (28-1) enters the ring two inches shorter than his counterpart, and with a two-inch reach disadvantage. He is also eight years older than Joshua. Still, he is a difficult hurdle for the Brit and not someone to take lightly. He has just the one loss in his career, to Klitschko, although “The Cobra” enters as a decisive underdog.
While promoter Bob Arum has talked up Pulev’s chances, he is also a co-promoter of Fury. The big bout everyone wants to see, and the titanic payday for all involved, will be a Joshua-Fury fight. No one wants to see Pulev pull the upset here, except for Pulev, his team and a smattering of rowdy Bulgarians in various pubs in Sofia and Plovdiv.
The crowd inside SSE Arena will be limited to 1,000 people.
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Joshua vs. Pulev betting odds, predictions and picks
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:35 a.m. ET.
Joshua (-800) is an overwhelming favorite on the 3-way line, costing you eight times your potential return. A bet on Pulev (+500) would be tossing away money, as would a draw (+3300) wager. Let’s get more creative.
The best bet is JOSHUA BY KO/TKO/TECHNICAL DECISION OR DQ (-280). While it’s a little more than I’d normally care to wager, it’s a slam-dunk play. There is very little chance Pulev shocks the world, nor is there a very good chance this one goes the distance. Joshua on points (+350) is tempting, but it’s just not happening.
The Over/Under on how many rounds this fight will go is -120 at Round 8. Take LESS THAN 10 ROUNDS (-200) just to be on the safe side. In addition, looking at Round Group Betting 1, JOSHUA IN ROUNDS 7-9 (+333) is rather attractive with a chance to more than triple your investment.
If you want some action on this bout, place your wagers at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and analysis, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.
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