I HAVE decided it’s about time I became a millionaire and, being as though I like you lot so much, I’m going to share my journey to easy street. So how do I plan to make my riches? By betting on boxing. That’s right. Boxing betting. Easy peasy.
I’ll start with five pounds, and by boxing betting carefully (and responsibly, of course) I hope to ease my way up to the magic £1m total. While doing so, I will let you know which way I have decided to bet each week but – and I must make this clear – at no point will I advise you to do the same.
After all, just this year, I predicted that David Haye would walk through Tony Bellew…
I was convinced Anthony Joshua would dispose of Wladimir Klitschko inside five rounds…
And I declared Jeff Horn would be stopped by Manny Pacquiao…
None of them were outlandish calls beforehand of course, but – bottom line – each of them were completely wrong.
So, I have transferred £5 – just a cheeky fiver, no more, no less – into an online betting shop and off I go. In the beginning, and in the hope of making this feature and my five bullions last and flourish, I will start slowly.
This week there’s some interesting bouts with which to get involved, and my plan this time is to spread my bets around on the likeliest winners, rather than risking it all on more specific scenarios. The problem with betting in boxing – and betting general, let’s be honest – is it’s a mug’s game, so my chances of getting rich are pretty slim. Generally, unless you’re clever enough to see a massive upset coming, or you can pinpoint the exact moment the expected victory will happen, you won’t make a fortune unless you’re willing to gamble (the name of the game) with huge sums of cash.
For example, look at Carl Frampton and his bout with Andres Gutierrez this week. The Mexican is a decent comeback foe, an upset is unlikely but not out of the question, yet the best odds you can get on the Northern Irishman is 1/20. If you fancy the surprise – that Frampton coming in a pound over the agreed limit is a sign of him not taking this seriously, and the outsider’s promises of two months solid training in various climates have turned him into a perfect fighting machine – you will find odds of 10/1 to tempt you further.
Perhaps the most inviting odds on the Belfast featherweight showdown can be found in picking the manner of Frampton’s success. You can find odds of 4/1 on “The Jackal” winning within six, the visitor looks a decent bet to last the course but lose on the cards with odds of 4/7, and Carl at 13/8 to win inside schedule is another to consider.
Over in New York, at Brooklyn’s glitzy Barclays Center, Adrien Broner goes in against Mikey Garcia in a fascinating super-lightweight bout. “The Problem” has been found wanting in his recent noteworthy outings, namely to Marcos Maidana and Shawn Porter, who both outscored the gifted but flawed star over 12. Garcia is the favourite (2/5 to Broner’s 2/1), but he’s rising in weight and his power will be called into question by Adrien’s considerable whiskers. Consider Maidana, a thunderous hitter, twice dropped Broner but couldn’t put him away so if Garcia flattens his man it will be an incredible statement. You can get Garcia to win inside the scheduled 12 at 9/4 and Broner – who carries a tidy dig himself – is 11/2 to score the knockout.
The Boxing News Bet Slip this week is:
Carl Frampton (1/25)
Mikey Garcia (2/5)
Jermall Charlo (1/33)
Raushee Warren (4/6)
Sadam Ali (1/7)
Conrad Cummings (1/20)
ALL TO WIN
Bet: £5 (Potential returns: £15)
Slowly, slowly, catchy millions…
