BBN Best Bets – Jordan Neild takes a look into betting odds for Loma vs Campbell
Betting preview
After the drama of Kovalev vs Yarde last weekend, the boxing returns in the UK, as the famous O2 arena in London welcomes the man who many believe to be the best boxer on the planet this weekend, Ukrainian superstar Vasiliy Lomachenko is in town to take on fellow Olympic gold medallist Luke Campbell for the WBC, WBA & WBO World Lightweight Titles.
Undercard Betting
The main event is supported by a really competitive undercard and from a betting perspective there is a lot of fights to take a look at. One of the most interesting fights on the card is between WBC Flyweight Champion Charlie Edwards & Julio Cesar Martinez Aguilar who travels to the UK on the back of beating highly rated Welshman, Andrew Selby.
Charlie Edwards has been pretty much punch perfect since snatching the belt from Cristofer Rosales eight months ago, but he faces a very dangerous proposition tomorrow evening. Aguilar has fourteen victories on his record, eleven of which have come inside the distance. The record clearly suggests that Mexican is a dangerous puncher and will be entering the ring no Saturday looking to take Charlie Edwards out.
That said, Edwards is a tremendously slick boxer with bags of natural talent and although he doesn’t stop a lot of his opponents, his natural ability allows him to get the job done in convincing fashion over the twelve-round distance. The fight is an interesting clash of styles and could come down to which fighter can implement their style most effectively.
The bet for us in this one, will be for this fight to go the distance @ 1/2
Also featuring on the undercard is British Lightweight Champion, Joe Cordina. Cordina is up against fellow undefeated Welshman Gavin Gwynne who is taking his first big step up as a professional. Gwynne has a perfect 11-0 record but has only stopped one of his opponents since turning professional in 2016. These two have sparred plenty of rounds together in Wales and were once part of the same amateur stable. Cordina has impressed in his last few outings and stopped the tough Andy Townend in his last fight to claim the British Title.
Gwynne will enter the ring with noticeable physical advantages and at six foot, he is extremely big for the weight. However, at the weigh in he looked like he had struggled to get down to the 135lb limit and that could be costly against someone like Cordina who has shown a vicious streak as a professional. The opening rounds could be cagey in this one but as the fight wears on, its tough to make a case for Gwynne against someone of Cordina’s pedigree and ability.
There is definite value in backing Joe Cordina to win between rounds 7-12 @ 2/1
The rest of the undercard is fairly one sided and not much value to be found, but one that could be worth keeping an eye on is the fight between Hughie Fury and Alexander Povetkin. This is another cross roads clash between a guy in Povetkin who has fought the best the division has to offer over the years and a fighter in Hughie Fury who has fell short in a couple of fights at world level but is still improving.
Draws are not very common in boxing but there may be value backing it here in a fight that features a come forward style boxer against a counter puncher.
At 25/1 it may be a long shot to keep an eye on.
Main Event Betting
The main event truly is fascinating. Two Olympic gold medallists going head to head for multiple world title belts, it’s the sort of fight that every fan can get excited about. The current champion Vasiliy Lomachenko needs no introduction, he is a future hall of famer and is on course to go down as one of the greatest boxers to ever grace the sport. However, Luke Campbell deserves his credit also, things have not always gone to plan in the professional game for Campbell but, he has shown that he has heart and desire to accompany his incredible natural ability.
Physically, Campbell holds plenty of advantages. He is taller, got a bigger reach and arguably hits harder with one single punch but when your facing somebody of the calibre of Lomachenko, the mental side of the sport is so important and in truth, a large percentage of Lomachenko’s previous opponents have been beaten mentally more than physically.
It is hard to see anything other than a Lomachenko win here. Lightweight isn’t his natural weight division and I think he will respect the skillset of Luke Campbell but will ultimately dominate the fight. Campbell has the ability to keep this one competitive but the bet for us will be Lomachenko to win on points @ 5/2 which looks a very fair price.
Overall, there is some good bets from the card this weekend and should you wish to find a bit more value, adding the selections into doubles or trebles is a good way to do so. As always, we do this preview to add extra excitement to the boxing and advise every single reader to please GAMBLE RESPONSIBLY.
Recap of main bets
Edwards vs Aguilar fight to go the distance @ 1/2
Joe Cordina to win via KO/TKO between rounds 7-12 @ 2/1
Lomachenko to win on points @ 5/2
Long shot value bet
Fury vs Povetkin to be a draw @ 25/1