In a 12-round WBC cruiserweight championship fight, Ilunga Makabu faces Badou Jack Sunday at Diriyah Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight card is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let’s analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Makabu vs. Jack odds, and make our expert boxing picks and predictions.
The southpaw Makabu, the current holder of the WBC cruiserweight belt, hails from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He picked up a split-decision win against Thabiso Mchunu in late January of 2022. That followed up a knockout of Olanrewaju Durodola in his native DR Congo at Studio Mama Angebi in Kinshasha.
Makabu’s last loss came via TKO at Goodison Park in Liverpool against Tony Bellow way back in May 2016. He has managed to go the distance in 3 of the past 4 fights, as the competition has picked up recently.
Jack, a.k.a. “The Ripper”, posted a split-decision win in his most recent fight, too. He snuck by Richard Rivera at the Jeddah Superdome in August 2022, so this will be his 2nd consecutive fight in the KSA. Prior to the win over Rivera, Jack had 3 straight KO/TKO wins, and he has 5 straight wins since his last setback against Jean Pascal in Atlanta in December 2019.
Ilunga Makabu vs. Badou Jack odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:01 a.m. ET.
- Fight result (2-way line): Makabu -210 (bet $210 to win $100) | Jack +150 (bet $100 to win $150)
- Over/Under: 10.5 rounds (Over -205 | Under +145)
- Will the fight go the distance? (Yes -180 | No +120)
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Makabu vs. Jack picks and predictions
Records: Makabu (29-2-0) | Jack (27-3-3)
Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)
I like the powerful puncher Makabu (-210) to outlast Jack (+150) in this fight, but laying more than 2 times your potential return is just too risky, especially in a bout which I expect will come down to the discretion of the judges.
Instead, look to MAKABU BY POINTS (+150) in the method of victory section. He has ended up going the distance in 3 of his past 4 wins.
Over/Under (O/U)
Playing YES (-180): FIGHT TO GO THE DISTANCE is right at my personal limit for a standalone play. Tossed into a multi-fight(er) parlay, it makes the price a little more palatable.
Over 2.5 Rounds (-205) is a little too expensive for my liking, although I do see this one needing the help of the judges to determine a winner, despite the fact Makabu has 24 KO/TKO wins out of 29 total victories.
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