How To Compare Boxing Betting Odds

There are a number of factors that should be taken into account when looking to analyze and compare boxing betting odds.

About the Sport

Boxing betting is not an exact science any more than any other kind of gambling is. There are a number of factors that are taken into account when people compare boxing betting odds, most of which include other people's opinions. The opinion of crowds at live events, of the judges who monitor the matches, and the bookmakers who manage the bets all go into account when people decide who they would like to place their wagers on. The history and recorded skill of each contender is also an important consideration. To add even more unpredictability to the mix, because the gamble isn't over until someone has won, prices and decisions can change even while a match is waging on.

Things to Watch Out For

As with any sport, fans of boxing often overvalue the strength of their favorite competitors. It is vital that people are able to identify where their biases lie when putting up large amounts of money. Discounting personality, appearance, and other factors irrelevant to the match will lead to more success when gambling. As well, when deciding who to vie for, although a competitor's history is a generally good indication of their skill, unless they are fighting the same opponent twice, different factors at play may change the outcome. As always, using software and history that may predict the outcome of a fight is always subject to be wrong; what happens during a fight can only be accurately shown during the fight - which, unsurprisingly, is when some of the most dramatic fluctuations in betting odds and prices occur.

Real-World Example

In November 2011, Manny Pacquiao beat Juan Manuel Marquez in a much-anticipated boxing match. Bookmakers who favored Pacquiao considered three factors when setting their odds. The first was that he had beaten all of the highly skilled fighters he had recently fought who were at least 140 pounds since the last time he had fought Marquez, who was 130 pounds at the time, while Marquez had lost his last bought against a heavier opponent. The second was that Pacquiao had won more fights recently than Marquez. The third was simple: Pacquiao was younger, and Marquez was considered to be past his prime Even with these statistics, of course, there was no way to be certain; however, it is these kinds of things that go into consideration as people compare boxing betting odds.