In a 12-round heavyweight bout for the WBA, WBO and IBF titles, Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk face each other Saturday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The main card begins at 1 p.m. ET, with the co-main event starting at approximately 5:10 p.m. ET on DAZN. Below, we break down the Joshua vs. Usyk odds and lines, with boxing picks and predictions.
Joshua lost via TKO against Andy Ruiz at Madison Square Garden in New York in June 2019. He got revenge for that in the drizzle in Saudi Arabia, topping Ruiz by unanimous decision in December of the same year and used that as a springboard for his KO of Kubrat Pulev at Wembley Arena last December.
The 34-year-old Ukrainian Usyk has never tasted defeat in 18 career professional bouts, but he hasn’t faced an opponent the caliber of Joshua. His last fight was a unanimous decision win over Dereck Chisora last Halloween, but he has also fought plenty of tomato cans to prop up that 18-0 record. This will easily be his biggest test.
Joshua vs. Usyk odds and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 11 a.m. ET.
- Anthony Joshua: -260 (bet $260 to win $100) | Oleksandr Usyk: +180 (bet $100 to win $180)
- Total Rounds: 9.5 (Over: -175 | Under: +125)
- Will the fight go the distance? Yes: +115 | No: -160
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Joshua (-260) is a moderate favorite with an implied win probability of 72.22%. A $100 bet on the favorite would return a profit of just $38.46 with a victory as a chalk wager.
Joshua vs. Usyk tale of the tape
Anthony Joshua (-260)
Record: 24-1-0 (22 KOs)
Height: 6-foot-6
Reach: 82 inches
Stance: Orthodox
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Oleksandr Usyk (+180)
Record: 18-0-0 (13 KOs)
Height: 6-foot-3
Reach: 78 inches
Stance: Southpaw
Joshua vs. Usyk predictions and picks
Playing Joshua (-260) straight up on the 2-way line is a bit on the pricey side, costing you more than two and a half times your potential return. Instead, look to the 3-way line for slightly less risk, playing JOSHUA (-240). It’s hard to envision the Briton losing his three belts to Usyk, who just isn’t battle-tested.
Joshua vs. Usyk best bet
Both of these fighters have logged plenty of knockouts during their careers. However, I think these heavyweights end up going the distance against each other. As such, play YES: WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? (+115) at plus-money.
If you want a little wiggle room, OVER 9.5 ROUNDS (-175) is quite a bit more expensive but gives you a winning ticket in the event of a finish in the second half of Round 10 or beyond.
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