Boxing Betting Guide and Blog 2021
Boxing is a sport that has been around for hundreds of years, with men – and women – climbing into the square circle to prove their dominance over their opponent. And for as long as boxing has been around, so have people wanting to make a profit from the results – as they bet on boxing results. Who will win? In which round will they win? What will their method of victory be? In this ultimate boxing betting guide and blog, we’ll arm you with strategies, boxing betting tips and predictions and all the insight you need to become a heavyweight bettor and get some knockout wins.
The Best Betting Sites to Bet on Boxing
Our Boxing Betting Guide
Anyone new to betting on boxing will understand that getting started making a bet can be difficult. How do you go about making a successful and value bet on the boxers? We’ve put together a guide to help you get started, full of tips and tricks to know how to get the best value from betting on a bout.
Understanding Boxing Betting Strategies
Seeing two boxers circle each other as the bout is just starting is thrilling – having a bet on the outcome is even more exciting – knowing you could be on your way to a big profit. It’s even more so if you know which strategies to use for the best chance of winning. Different strategies work for different people. You need to know which is the best for you.
Some people prefer to use a ‘favourite’ strategy when they bet on boxing. So, for example, Canelo Alvarez is taking on Billy Joe Saunders and is deemed, by all bookmakers to be favourite. One strategy employed is to simply follow that way of thinking and keep betting on the favourites. Chances are that you will get more wins than losses
Underdog strategy is another – and the opposite. Bets on underdogs can be profitable but sometimes a champion boxer can face a shock defeat (take Joshua v Ruiz Jr). You may get more losses than wins, but the wins will be more profitable.
Another strategy is to bet on the rounds. If both boxers are known for knockout punches, chances are that their bouts won’t go the distance, so you could make a bet on that, or how many rounds you think it will last.
Boxing Betting Tips
There will be plenty of tipsters around before championship fights start, promising you the best betting tips. However, fighting can be unpredictable and nothing can compensate for your own knowledge.
Before you take up betting on boxing, you really need to brush up on your own knowledge of the sport. You need to pick your preferred type of bouts (do you want to specialise in heavyweight, lightweight, bantamweight fighting etc). You then need to look at the featured upcoming bouts in your field of expertise. Once you find an upcoming bout that you feel confident in making a bet on, this is where the real work starts:
You need to look at the past performances of both fighters – and you need to cover all areas. To be successful when gambling on the fight:
The size and reach of each fighter. Does one have an obvious advantage over the other one? Is there an obvious weight advantage?
The average total rounds their fights. Are they used to going the distance and winning on points or do they usually have their boxing bouts stopped?
Have they been the victim of a boxing upset? Or have they caused the upset?
How does the boxer perform against a similar opponent?
Have the two boxers gone head to head before? What was the outcome?
When you bet on boxing, the biggest tip we can give to you is to know your stuff and research the match up in depth.
Different Types of Boxing Bets
It’s not just about betting on the winner, there are all different types of bets you can make on boxing. Here are the most popular you will find any good betting site
Straight Win betting – This is the most popular and straightforward bet on a match – who you think will win the fight. A bookmaker may also offer odds on a draw. However, with most bookies, in case of a draw, the bet will be void and your stake will be returned.
Round Betting – This is where you bet on the total rounds it will go. You can pick either the number of the round you think it will end or a group of rounds (i.e. between 6 and 9).
Over/Under – This is a market similar to round betting. You simply pick whether you think the fight will last over a set number of rounds. Bookies may offer a number of different odds so you can decide whether it will be under/ over 6 rounds, 7 rounds or more. Different bookies offer different lines. If the boxing match has two big punchers, then you may think it might end early and bet on under. However, if the boxing match has more strategic fighters then you may think it will end up being a point decision and bet on over.
Prop Boxing Bets – If you’re after a value boxing bet, this is a good option as it allows you to bet on a certain event happening. For example, you might bet that Anthony Joshua wins his next fight with Deontay Wilder by knockout in the second round.
You might also bet on the number of knockdowns in a boxing match, or what rounds the knockdown will happen in a boxing match. The big boxing events will have a huge number of prop bets available.
Method of Victory – You simply bet on how you think the boxing match will be decided, will it be a point decision, a knockout, TKO or disqualification.
Boxing Parlays – This is where boxing bettors combine different bets into one. To win your parlay, all these boxing bets need to be successful. E.g. in one boxing match, you could bet on a boxer to win by knockout and the fight to end in under 7.5 rounds. By increasing the bet, you are increasing your potential winnings. This is an exciting way to bet, but are high-risk bets, so you shouldn’t place huge stakes on them unless you are confident – or have money to spare, because more often than not, they won’t come off!
Understanding Boxing Odds
If you are new to betting on boxing and are checking out the different boxing markets, the odds can look a little confusing. However, if you want to be successful then you really need to know how boxing odds work. Generally, in the UK, we use fractional odds, although some prefer decimal odds. Americans will use Moneyline odds for sports betting.
In the UK, fractional odds might look confusing at first, but once you start to understand how they work, you’ll be placing your bets on the next boxing fight in no time. These odds will have two numbers and look like a fraction. If the first number is higher than the second number, i.e. 5/1, then they think this isn’t very likely. If the second number is higher than the first, i.e. 1/5, then the sports betting site thinks the fighter is almost certain to win.
For example, take Tyson Fury vs Otto Wallin fight. Fury was a strong favourite with odds of 1/3. Wallin considered the underdog fighter with odds of 7/2. This showed that the sports betting site considered Fury a cert to win. Often, the odds will be much closer. For example, when Anthony Joshua takes on Tyson Fury, odds may well look like Fury 4/5, Joshua 1/1.
Let’s look at it a little bit closer so that you can understand how you can work out how much you stand to win if you bet on a fighter with set odds:
Anthony Joshua has a boxing fight with Dillian White. The odds are as follows:
➔ Anthony Joshua 2/5
➔ Dillian White 2/1
You want to bet £20 on one of the fighters. Looking at the odds, you can see that Joshua is the favourite.
The prices show that for every £5 you bet on Joshua, you will win £2. So, if you bet £20 on Joshua, you will win £8 plus your stake returned – so you’ll get a return of £28.
If you bet on the other fighter, White, then for every £1 you bet, you will win £2. So if you place £20 on this fighter, you will win £40 – plus your stake returned – a return of £60.
Both fighters could win, but you get a bigger return for putting a bet on the fighter with the bigger price – in this case, White.
Picking Your Online Boxing Bets
So, a major boxing event is on the horizon – how do you pick your boxing bet to make the most money?
● Value – Pick the odds that offer value. Look at the fighter’s record and work out how likely you think he is to win the bout. Do the odds represent this? If the answer is yes, put your money on it!
● Research the record and boxer stats – as we said in our tip earlier. Look at the boxing stats of both fighters. Have they fought before? Which fighter won? Does one have a weight advantage? Does one fighter have a record of knocking out an opponent or does he usually win on points? The easiest way to pick a winner is by knowing the sport you are betting on.
● Choose your boxing bets wisely – For example, don’t bet on every major boxing fight that happens! Only place bets on a winner if it is in line with your strategy. Maybe bet on method of victory (points, KO/TKO) instead of winner etc.
● Have a Money Strategy – You need to manage your bankroll and know how much you are prepared to bet and lose. Betting on sports can be thrilling – and it can cause you to chase losses and get carried away. Manage your boxing bets by controlling your funds.
● Research the Fight – Lots of boxing bouts have been fought and lost or won because of what has happened outside the fight. Successful gambling requires you to know what is going on, injuries, personal issues experienced by fighters etc.
Choosing The Best Bookmaker for Boxing Bets
Firstly, make sure that your chosen online sportsbooks or boxing betting sites are licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. We will only ever recommend boxing sites that have been licensed and regulated by the UKGC.
You should also see what boxing market options it offers – does it offer different weight categories or just heavyweight boxing fights? Does it have free bets or welcome offers? You could use the free bets to bet on a boxing fight market, such as fighter to win, method of victory of the boxing fight (points or KO). If you lose your bet, you’re not going to lose your money!
Why Bet on Boxing?
If you’re going to bet on any sport, boxing is always a good bet. Boxing is a sport that brings excitement, shock wins, shock losses and all sorts of different boxing markets. Every fight can last the distance or be over in one round. As such most online sportsbook sites will offer lots of attractive betting options. So, pick your licensed and regulated boxing sportsbook, head over and get going!
Boxing Betting FAQs
How Does Betting on Boxing Work?
If you want to be successful at boxing betting simply find the strategy that suits you most, research the fight and pick the right betting site for you.
What Are the Best Boxing Betting Strategies?
The best boxing betting strategies include bets on the favourites, bets on the underdog or boxing bets on the method of victory.
Which Online Bookmakers are Bets for Boxing?
You need to make sure the sports betting site you choose is licensed and regulated by the UKGC. The best boxing bookmakers also offer bonuses, lots of boxing markets, and generous odds.