Boxing Handicapping

There are a few basic types of wagering opportunities when it comes to boxing handicapping. Moneyline wagers and over/under on the number of rounds are the most common bets while props are sometimes available on big fights.

The over/under bet usually offers the best opportunity for profit with the least amount of risk. That’s because with over/under wagers it’s more difficult to ascertain which is more likely to happen. A fight can end at any time due to a knockout (KO), technical knockout (TKO) or disqualification (DQ).

To give yourself the best chance of winning an over/under wager when betting on boxing research the following:

• Is one of the fighters really outmatched? If so, there’s a good chance the fight will end early.
• Does the favorite have a lot of victories by KO and TKO? If so, the match could end early.
• Has the challenger ever fought at this level before? How old are the fighters?
• Does either fighter have a history of getting cut, knocked down often or injured?
• What type of shape are the fighters in?

Once you’ve determined the chances of whether the fight will end early or go deep into the late rounds checkout the over/under to see if there is a wise boxing bet you can make. Because most wagering opportunities for boxing involve title fights, the total number of scheduled rounds is usually 12.

Thus an over/under of 4.5 rounds with the under being favored indicates a massive mismatch, while an over/under of 9.5 rounds with the over being favored points to a fairly close match.

Betting the moneyline and putting your wager on the favorite tends to offer a poor payoff for the amount of money risked. In a prizefight, you may have to put $400 to $1,200 down to win $100. Betting the underdog involves much less risk. Often you’ll be able to get a payoff of $250 to over $1,000 for a $100 bet. However, the chances of the underdog winning are usually not very good. This is especially true if there’s a big difference between the plus and minus moneyline.

If wagering on the moneyline, along with researching the fighters, check out the over/under. If the over is favored in terms of the fight going more than nine rounds and the two fighters appear to be evenly matched, then you may want to go with the fighter that’s not favored.

Additionally, you should wait until the last possible moment to wager as some development may occur that will tip the fight one way or another. With today’s online betting, often you can get a wager down before the odds change.

When wagering on a fighter look for the underdog who may payoff. With the over/under consider the amount of risk involved and try to find an attractive bet. Remember, there are no sure things and going with the favorite in boxing means risking more to get a limited payoff. Wager wisely.

For more information check out our boxing odds article explaing how the odds work and features live up to date lines for upcoming boxing matches.