How to Bet on Boxing, Tips & Strategies

Do you consider betting on boxing? What a silly question, why else would you be here?

Boxing is one of the best combat sports and a thrilling game enjoyed across the world. But what is even more fun is watching with the joy that every punch that lands, guarantees you some money. If you learn how to bet on boxing, you will rue the missed chances, in particular, the December 7th rematch, Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz II, which saw the British reclaim his world title!

Like soccer sports betting, you have many markets in boxing. You could go with the win, lose or draw market, Over/Under, or winning method, among other options. But unlike other sports, we have very few historical data to use in boxing. Also, the markets may be similar in name, but you ought to know what each market precisely means. But don’t worry, we cover it all here.

The Boxing Bet Markets

So, let’s say Anthony Joshua finally gets to fight Wilder, there aren't as many predictive stats as it is often available in other sports matches, for example, Real Madrid vs. Barcelona. Yet, you don’t want to go straight backing Joshua or Wilder, unless you are genuinely convinced. Don’t worry; there are lots of props you can bet on and still make some money, no matter who wins the fight.

Here are some of the markets top bookmarkers will offer you:

1. MoneyLine – Winner or Draw

Moneyline features in any sports provided it’s two sides in a match. In boxing, each round has only three possible outcomes. In our case here, is Joshua or Wilder wins, or it’s a Tie. In boxing, however, a draw in a round rarely occurs. As such, they have astronomical odds.

So, you can bet on the Moneyline market per round, or predict the match-winner.

2. No. of Rounds

Instead of taking the long shot, you can equally predict how long the fight will last. Of course, your favorite sportsbook will assign odds on several rounds to let you pick.

Betting on Over/Under gives you a chance to spread your choice across several rounds, or you choose the exact number of rounds. Take a look:

a. Under 6.5 rounds

b. Six rounds.

The first option means the fight will not go for more than five rounds. It could end in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th,5th, or 6th round, but not make it into the 7th.

On the other hand, the second translates to exactly six rounds. The fight ends on the 6th round, regardless of the outcome. Do you get the difference?

3. Methods of Victory

There are various methods a boxer can win a fight, including:

Knockout (KO) – Opponent fails to answer the referee on count one to ten.

Technical Knockout (TKO) – the opponent is declared unfit to continue.

Disqualified (DQ) – The referee disqualifies the opponent for ignoring the rules and subsequent warnings on forbidden moves. Such offenses include head-butting, continuously hiding the head, and hitting below the belt.

Decision – Getting the highest points from at least two of the three judges on a ten-point system.

How to Make the Right Prediction?

1. Understand the odds

The odds assigned to every outcome of the fight correlates with the underlying probability. Again, get that right; it’s a probability, which means there is a chance it could or could not happen. While the odds will guide you on knowing the underdog, you must not base your decision on this but your judgment from the stats.

2. Boxing Stats

When analyzing the fighters, pay close attention to each opponent’s strengths and weaknesses and how it could benefit or disadvantage them in the fight. Use the most recent stats, preferably the previous five contests. Areas of interests are:

Speed - punches per second.

Accuracy – the percentage of punches landed against those thrown.

Power – the number of power punches per round in a game.

Technique.

Punch resistance.

Endurance.

Carefully examining these stats will help you unearth style mismatches, which could quickly help you predict the hidden advantage of the underdog and put you on the path to making landing a considerably reasonable sum of money.

Final Word

Boxing matches, like other combat sports, occurs sparingly. A fighter may take at least six months to get into the right again. Therefore, there are little stats to help you make the decision. But the few that are available, if you use it well, can help you tilt the balance against the bookies. As always, bet on boxing to spice the fun, not to spoil the fun. Don’t go with the crowd, always bet on value, and trust your instincts.