Boxing Betting Tips
- All fights in the early hours of Sunday morning (BST)
1am – Jared Anderson v Martin Bakole – Jared Anderson Points Or Decision
2am – Andy Ruiz Jr v Jarrell Miller – Andy Ruiz Jr Points Or Decision
3am – Isaac Cruz v Jose Valenzuela – Isaac Cruz to Win the Fight in Round 1 – 4
4am – Israil Madrimov v Terence Crawford – Terence Crawford Points Or Decision & A Knockdown In Any Of Rounds 1, 2, Or 3
For the first, Saudi Arabian money is paying for an event outside of the Kingdom, and the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles is the venue for a massive night of boxing. Fighting icon Terence Crawford takes on current champion Israil Madrimov in the main event, and the undercard is stacked with titles and 50-50 fights.
Jared Anderson v Martin Bakole – Jared Anderson Points Or Decision
TV: DAZN, 1am
This fight will tell us a lot about both men. Jared Anderson, 24, has been touted as the next American heavyweight superstar, but after some brushes with the law and gun-shy performances questions have been raised. Martin Bakole, 32, has been an avoided man in the division with nine consecutive wins since his solo defeat to savvy contender Michael Hunter in 2018.
The Scotland-based Congolese big man has 15 KOs in 20 wins, but his weight and conditioning have been slipping in recent bouts. In his last outing, he tipped the scales at 299 pounds. I think Anderson might start cautiously, but his skills and speed will be the deciding factor, and I think he’ll take an important win on the judges’ cards.
Andy Ruiz Jr v Jarrell Miller – Andy Ruiz Jr Points Or Decision
TV: DAZN PPV, 2am
Andy Ruiz Jr. has become a forgotten man in boxing’s glamour division after his back-to-back fights with Anthony Joshua in 2019, when he won and then lost the unified heavyweight crown. The Mexican-American, 35 in September, has only fought twice since then, while boxing bad boy Jarrell Miller has fought four times in the last two years.
‘Big Baby’ Miller was busted for PEDs in 2019, and after a substantial break, he’s found himself back in the top 10 conversation. In December, Jarrell went to war with Daniel Dubois in Saudi Arabia, and although he came up short he showed he can still push a top heavyweight to their limits.
Ruiz, at his best, is a couple of levels above Miller, but age, inactivity, and the good life have left lots of question marks about what he has left. The portly former champ has never been short of heart, and I expect this will be a ding-dong battle, but I think Miller is great value to take the win via a decision.
Isaac Cruz v Jose Valenzuela – Isaac Cruz to Win the Fight in Round 1 – 4
TV: DAZN, 3am
Isaac Cruz versus Valenzuela has fight-of-the-night written all over it. Both men are aggressive and have that finishing ability. Still, with a much longer professional career and big fight experience, ‘Pitbull’ Cruz is the one Paddy is picking as the favourite.
The stocky Mexican is the current titleholder at 140 pounds after knocking out the talented Rolly Romero in March in 8 rounds. Cruz, 26, has a loss and a draw on his ledger from his teenage years, and he lost to pound-for-pound star Gevonta Davis in 2012—but Pitbull’s roughhouse approach pushed Davis closer than he has ever been pushed, and it was only the second time Tank had been taken the distance.
Jose Valenzuela, 25, has only had 15 pro bouts, but he’s impressed enough that a few knowledgeable pundits are giving him a decent chance in the contest this Saturday. The third-round stoppage loss to Edwin De Los Santos in 2022 is a huge red flag, and the big odds on Cruz’s win in the early rounds look like a great bet to me.
Israil Madrimov v Terence Crawford – Terence Crawford Points Or Decision
TV: DAZN, 4am
Terence Crawford is the big name in this fight but it’s Israil Madrimov’s super welterweight strap on the line. The Uzbek talent has been fast-tracked through the professional game after an outstanding amateur career, and he won the vacant belt when he disposed of Russia’s Magomed Kurbanov in just five rounds in March.
In most people’s eyes, Crawford, 36, is a top-3 pound-for-pound boxer alongside Oleksandr Usyk and Naoya Inoue. The American switch-hitter can do it all inside the squared circle, but he’s considered the best counter-puncher in the sport and one of the most clinical finishers.
In the last 10 years, ‘Bud’ Crawford has collected titles at lightweight, super lightweight, and welterweight, and every bout since winning that first title in 2014 has been a world championship scrap. If Terence wins on Saturday, he’ll be looking to push the boundaries even further and go up another 14 pounds in weight to face fellow legend Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
Madrimov, 29, is the fresher fighter and the naturally bigger man, but I don’t see the weight being an issue for Crawford, who has been at welterweight since 2018. Crawford demolished top-class rival Errol Spence in July last year, but Madrimov might be wary of overcommitting, and I think ‘Bud’ will have to settle for a points victory this weekend.
A Knockdown In Any Of Rounds 1, 2, Or 3
Crawford has won each of his last 11 contests inside the distance, and he’s so dangerous, but there is a chance that age and carrying a bit of extra timber mean that he’s not quite at his devastating best. Madrimov has a KO ratio of 70% and doesn’t lack power himself.
Paddy has a tonne of interesting bets in his #WhatOddsPaddy section, but the big price that catches my eye is for early knockdown. Both fighters bring something a bit different to the ring on Saturday, and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone was caught in the opening rounds.
Saturday Night Boxing Tips
1am – Jared Anderson v Martin Bakole – Jared Anderson Points Or Decision
2am – Andy Ruiz Jr v Jarrell Miller – Andy Ruiz Jr Points Or Decision
3am – Isaac Cruz v Jose Valenzuela – Isaac Cruz to Win the Fight in Round 1 – 4
4am – Israil Madrimov v Terence Crawford
Terence Crawford Points Or Decision & A Knockdown In Any Of Rounds 1, 2, Or 3
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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