Boxing Sportsbooks
Boxing is a sport that dates back to the early 1900s. The sport saw a major surge in popularity during the Great Depression. In the 1970s, bookies were taking more wagers on boxing events than football. During the period of rigged fights and paid judges, the sport gained a poor reputation for wager credibility. Over the past 30 years, bettors have slowly regained their confidence and boxing is again at one of its strongest moments. Betting on boxing is simpler than other sports for a few reasons. The odds and lines are straightforward and the side bets are minimal in comparison to other sports.
Betting on Boxing
Wagers on prime boxing events are conducted with a variety of options. The first option is to wager on a certain fighter to win the entire fight. This type of wager runs off of a moneyline. The moneyline works the same as in other sports with one side being the underdog and the other side being the favorite. The underdog is indicated by a plus sign while the favorite has a minus sign. For example, Floyd Mayweather Jr is fighting Shane Mosley and Mayweather is -270 while Mosley is +210. The moneyline indicates that one would have to wager $270 on Mayweather to win $100. On the other hand, a $100 wager on Mosley would reap $210, since Mosley is the underdog.
Occasionally in a boxing bout there is a draw. Naturally, you can wager on this occurrence. The draw is typically always indicated with a plus sign since it is uncommon. You may have a draw at +2000, where you wager $100 to win $2,000. However, if you bet on a specific fighter to win the bout based on the moneyline and the bout ends in a draw, both fighters are said to have lost in relation to moneyline wagers.
Proposition Bets in Boxing
In boxing, there are not as many proposition bets as in other sports. Proposition bets in boxing can be an over/under or a KO or stoppage typically. The over/under is usually wagering on the amount of rounds the bout will go. There may be a moneyline proposition bet that states something like over 7 rounds (-150) and under 7 rounds (+110). This would just be an example of how the over/under works and the moneyline works the same as in wagering on a specific fighter to win the bout. KO or stoppage proposition bets are where a bettor can wager that a fighter will not only win but they will win by either knockout (KO) or stoppage.
Stoppage refers to the referee stopping the fight and declaring a fighter as the winner. This type of wager also works off of a moneyline with specific odds. Using the same fight example, Mayweather may have a -200 to win by KO or stoppage and Mosley may be at +300 to win by KO or stoppage. The line works exactly the same with the minus being the favorite for the category and the plus being the underdog.
Boxing Sportsbooks Considerations
When you are looking for a sportsbook to wager on boxing, there are a few things you should consider. If you are new to online sportsbooks, you may want to fully research the site and see what sports they offer and what betting options they provide to their bettors. Some bettors prefer to use only one sportsbook for all of their sport betting needs while others may use one specifically for boxing and another for other sports. The banking options are another thing to consider. You want to be sure that you can easily fund and withdraw from your sportsbook account.
Lastly, the odds, proposition bets and event coverage should be closely analyzed when selecting an online sportsbook. Does a particular sportsbook offer the bets that you feel most comfortable making? How thorough is their event coverage? In comparison to other sportsbooks, making sure the odds are similar is important. No one wants to get gouged by poor moneylines. At the same time, some say a faulty moneyline is an opportunity to be made on at least one side of the wager. When picking an online sportsbook for boxing, you should simply make sure it offers the wagers you are looking for with an easy-to-use and relatively hassle-free wagering process.
