Update Thursday, 6:35 p.m. ET: Shakur Stevenson failed to make weight by 1.6 pounds at Thursday’s weigh-in and said he will no longer compete at 130 pounds and will move up a weight class. Friday’s fight will still occur, but only Robson Conceicao can win the WBC and WBO super-featherweight titles, which Stevenson will officially vacate once the fight ends.
Original column below (published Thursday, 11:40 a.m. ET)
In a 12-round championship bout for the WBC and WBO World Junior Lightweight belts, Shakur Stevenson and Robson Conceicao meet Friday at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Let’s analyze Tipico Sportsbook‘s lines around the Stevenson vs. Conceicao odds, with expert boxing picks and predictions.
The undercard can be viewed on ESPN+, with the main card broadcast starting at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+. The championship bout is expected to begin approximately at 10:30 p.m.
Stevenson could be fighting his final bout at 130 pounds, as he is on record saying it’s been difficult to make this weight. He could move to 135 pounds and potentially satiate fans looking for a Stevenson vs. Devin Haney clash.
Stevenson posted a unanimous-decision win over Oscar Valdez last time out at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and it was rather lopsided in terms of points. He knocked Valdez down in the 6th, too. Prior to that, the 2016 Olympic Silver Medalist stopped Jamel Herring in a 10th-round TKO in Atlanta.
Stevenson won Silver at the 2016 Rio Games, and Conceicao won Gold in that same Olympiad. However, the 2 fighters weren’t in the same weight class, as Stevenson fought at 56kg, and Conceicao was in the 57-60kg group of lightweight men. Conceicao’s win was over Sofiane Oumiha of France, while Stevenson lost the gold to Cuba’s Robeisy Ramirez Carrazana.
Conceicao lost to Valdez by unanimous decision in Tucson, Ariz., in September 2021, so there is a recent common opponent here. The Brazilian bounced back with a decisive UD win over Xavier Martinez on Jan. 29 earlier this year to get back on track.
Stevenson vs. Conceicao odds
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 6:44 p.m. ET.
- Fight result (2-way line): Stevenson -1600 (bet $1,600 to win $100) | Conceicao +600 (bet $100 to win $600)
- Over/Under: 10.5 rounds (Over -290 | Under +200)
- Will the fight go the distance? (Yes -240 | No +155)
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Stevenson vs. Conceicao picks and predictions
Records: Stevenson (18-0-0, 9 KOs) | Conceicao (17-1-0, 8 KOs)
Fight result (2-way line or money line)
Stevenson (-1600) will be fighting in his hometown of Newark, so he’ll have a little extra energy from the crowd, not that he’ll need it.
Stevenson would like to go out quickly and grab the knockout, much to the delight of his fans in New Jersey. However, expect Conceicao to hang around, as that’s what he does. The books expect this bout to be a decision, and taking STEVENSON TO WIN BY DECISION (-210) is a better play than laying 16 times your potential return on the 2-way line.
Over/Under (O/U)
Yes: Fight to go the distance (-240) is a little on the expensive side, costing nearly 2 1/2 times your potential return. Over 10.5 Rounds (-290) is even worse, costing nearly 3 times your potential return.
PASS, and just play the side.
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