BBN Best Bets – Jordan Neild takes a look into betting odds for Regis Prograis vs Josh Taylor
Resident expert Jordan Neild takes a look into this weekend's boxing action:
Main Event
This fight between Regis Prograis and Josh Taylor is one of the most highly anticipated fights of the year. Two genuine world class operators, clashing for multiple world titles. In terms, of boxing it doesn’t get much better than this. Both men have been faultless to this point and the winner on Saturday night, will be genuinely viewed as a pound-for-pound star.
From a betting perspective, it is very tough to call and all predictions during fight week from people inside of boxing have been split, completely 50/50. The fight is harder to predict because we don’t really know how good Regis Prograis is. He has won all 24 fights to this point, with ease and his skill and slick southpaw defence, is clear for all to see. However, this is the first time in his career that he is coming up against an equal, at least on paper.
Taylor has perhaps shown more sides to his game than Prograis in his 15 fights to date. He has shown he has the power to command respect, his ability to box over the longer distance and his ability to find something extra when the fight gets tough. But on the other hand, Prograis has been so dominant he hasn’t had to show that.
It is easy to talk about how the fighters need to nullify each other’s strengths, but with so little separating the pair physically, it may come down to who wins the psychological battle and interestingly, at today’s weigh in Prograis had to strip down to be inside the championship limit (140lb) and that potentially hand the psychological edge to the ‘home’ fighter, Josh Taylor.
The bet for us will be for Josh Taylor to win @ 11/8 this seems a solid bet and with the method of victory markets so difficult to predict in these close fights, Taylor presents decent value in a really close fight.
MAIN EVENT BET RECAP: JOSH TAYLOR TO WIN @ 11/8
Undercard
This undercard is one of the best we have seen in a long time and there are some great fights that should provide entertainment for the fans. The obvious one is between Derek Chisora and David Price, it looks like guaranteed entertainmen and you would be a brave man to side with either heavyweight as it is such a difficult division to predict. It’s an old cliché but one punch can change any fight in the division, so we would advise against having a bet in that fight and just enjoy the matchup – for as long as it lasts!
One fight that looks really competitive is between Lawrence Okolie and Yves Ngabu for the EBU Cruiserweight Title. Okolie is making steady progress under the tutelage of Shane Mcguigan and will look to continue that further, this weekend. Ngabu has never fought outside of Belgium, which could be a concern for anyone looking to back him but he is now working under the watchful eye of Dominic Ingle in Sheffield, which could bring another dimension to his game.
I think Ngabu will provide a stern chest for Okolie, especially if he is allowed to work on the inside and it will be a real test of Okolie’ s improvements under Mcguigan. Both men carry serious power and could end in the fight in an instant but there looks value in backing Lawrence Okolie by decision @ 6/4 in what should be the sternest test of his fledging career, to date.
Another really close fight is between Ricky Burns and Lee Selby in the lightweight division. Both former world champions, these two have been really good servants to British boxing. Burns is the only three weight world champion in Scottish history and has entered his 18th year as a professional but remains as motivated as ever.
Selby, has jumped up to lightweight from featherweight and the general consensus is that there are more chapters to be wrote for the Welshman now that he is in a more suitable weight division. Neither man carries concussive power but they are both exceptional boxers and neither will back down from the other.
This fight looks sure to go the distance and may come down to who is the fresher of the two. Selby will be hoping the move up in weight can rejuvenate his career and if he can get into his rhythm, he may hold a slight technical advantage over Burns. Selby by decision @ 5/6 looks a really solid bet and although he will have to match the engine of Ricky Burns, the Welshman is supremely talented and he could end up being a real dark horse in the lightweight division in future.
UNDERCARD BET RECAP: OKOLIE BY DECISION @ 6/4 & SELBY BY DECISION @ 5/6
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