Boxing Betting Guide | How to bet on Boxing Matches

Boxing has long been a favorite sport of online sports betting enthusiasts. People are drawn to the sport because of the spectacle of watching two elite athletes go head to head. Boxing is exciting enough on its own, but betting on boxing makes every match an even more exhilarating to watch.

Sports betting has become more popular than ever recently. This is partly thanks to the rising numbers of sportsbooks available online. New sites are popping up all the time, and most of these offer odds on boxing. Boxing is a great sport to bet on but can sometimes be a little confusing for beginners. Read on to discover more about the sport and learn how to place winning bets like an expert!

Best Online Boxing Betting Sites

Table of Contents

• How Does Boxing Betting Work
• Boxing Betting Strategies Explained
• What are boxing betting strategies?
  • How does a boxing match work?
  • Different kinds of outcomes in a boxing match
  • Types of Boxing Bets
  • Different kinds of boxing betting strategies
  • Boxing betting moneyline strategy 
  • Boxing betting over/under strategy 
  • Alternative boxing betting strategies
  • How boxing betting odds work
  • How to read boxing betting odds
  • How to Pick your Boxing Bets
  • How to choose the best bookmaker for boxing betting
  • The best bookmakers for boxing betting
• States that offer legal boxing betting
  • To conclude

How Does Boxing Betting Work

If you’re new to the sport of boxing or to betting in general, it can be difficult to know how to place successful bets. The sport is sometimes tricky for casual viewers to get into, and there are very few decent sports betting guides on boxing. Luckily for you, we’ve put together this online boxing betting guide to inform you on the sport of boxing and how to make successful bets. We’re sharing tips and tricks of the game and letting you know how the experts choose their bets.

This guide doesn’t just cover the basics. We’re going into detail on what kind of markets you can expect to find at a good sportsbook and how to maximize your profits when betting on boxing. Even if you’re experienced at making boxing bets, this strategy guide can help you to get an edge over your online sportsbooks.

Boxing Betting Strategies Explained

The sport where two people face each other and test their physical capabilities, and arguably one of the oldest sports humankind has ever known: boxing. As an essential part of the online sports betting community, boxing is a sport that knows many different strategies. 

The rush of an exciting boxing match, is the same kind of rush that successful sports betting can bring you. We want you to succeed as a sports bettor, that’s why we will educate you about betting on boxing. How does boxing betting work, what kind of strategies are there, and what they can do for you? Ready to start winning? Read this expert guide!

What are boxing betting strategies?

Bookmakers always attempt to come up with lots of elements in a match for you to bet. With each additional bet that you can make there comes a new strategy. Some sports bettors prefer to keep it simple and only bet on a winning party, where others play more long-term bets and predict the winner of the championship. In boxing, there are not that many different strategies, making it less complicated for you. The moment you find the right strategy for boxing betting, you are one step closer to becoming a winning sports bettor.

How does a boxing match work?

Two fighters meet inside the middle of a raised square platform that’s surrounded by ropes, the referee brings the fighters together, explains the rules, and from that moment on, it’s fighting time. The exact rules vary per organization, but some common facts of boxing;

• Usually, there are between 8 & 12 rounds of 3 minutes each where both fighters attempt to score as many points as possible by successfully landing punches. 
• There is a jury that keeps track of the score and eventually decides who won the fight. 
• Early stoppage can happen when one fighter knocks out the other and is unable to continue the fight. 

Different kinds of outcomes in a boxing match

The one thing sports bettors look out for the most is the actual outcome of the game. In boxing betting, it’s no different. Simply put, there are five possible outcomes to a boxing match;

1. Fighter A wins by scoring the most points
2. Fighter B wins by scoring the most points
3. Fighter A wins due to stoppage by the referee 
4. Fighter B wins due to stoppage by the referee 
5. Draw - Both fighters end the match with equal points

Types of Boxing Bets

As with other sports, boxing has loads of different markets you can bet on. Good sportsbooks for online boxing betting won’t just offer odds on who the winner will be, but they’ll also let you choose from a range of different options. You can often find more value in bets that aren’t on the eventual winner.

If you want to really make money betting on boxing, you’ll need to understand all the different ways to bet on a fight. Here’s a list of the main betting markets offered on major boxing events:

Straight betting – The most common boxing betting market you’ll find. This bet allows you to simply bet on who the winner of the fight will be. For instance, you might bet that Mikey Garcia will beat Jessie Vargas in their February fight. If you place this bet, regardless of how the win occurs, you’ll win if Garcia beats Vargas.

Some online sportsbooks may also offer odds on a draw for betting on boxing. In most cases though, a draw will simply void the bet, and you’ll get your stake back. If you’re new to the world of online sports betting or betting on boxing, you may want to stick with straight betting while you get started.

Prop bets – Prop bets are where things start to get interesting. There’s usually more value to be found in prop bets than in straight betting. A prop bet will allow you to bet on a certain event happening during the fight. For example, you might bet that Deontay Wilder wins his next fight by knockout.

As well as offering odds on how the fight will finish, lots of sportsbooks also offer odds on what round it will finish. You can also place bets on how many knockdowns there are and what round a knockdown will occur in. In most cases, extensive prop bet lists are only available for big fights.

Over/Under – Over/under in boxing betting is an excellent option when you feel there’s little value in betting on the outcome of the fight. This type of bet allows you to instead pick how long you think the fight will last. There’ll usually be several odds offered to allow you to bet over or under a certain round number.

If you’re confident that the fight will end early, for example, if either fighter has a long list of early stoppages, you’ll want to pick unders. If you think the fight is more likely to go the distance, choosing overs on a later round will be the best option.

Boxing Parlays – Parlays are a favorite of those who love high-risk, high-reward bets. These allow you to combine multiple bets into one. All outcomes of your boxing bets have to happen for you to win your parlay. You can usually choose multiple odds from the same fight or from other fights on the same card. For example, you might bet on a boxer to win by knockout and for the fight to go under 10.5 rounds.

By combining bets, you also combine odds. This way, despite lowering the chance of the outcome, you can massively increase the potential winnings when betting on boxing. Parlays are a fun way to bet, but you shouldn’t be placing massive stakes on them unless you’re really confident as they rarely come off.

Different kinds of boxing betting strategies

Each boxing match requires a different approach. When you research a fight, you have to consider going with one strategy or another. This decision all comes down to spotting patterns and knowing the fighters before the match starts. When boxing on betting, these are the two most common bets; 

• Moneyline - You bet your money on the fighter that will win the fight
• Over/Under - You bet your money on the amount of rounds the fight will last

Boxing betting moneyline strategy

With the moneyline boxing betting strategy, you bet your money on the fighter that you see as a winner. It does not matter in which way your fighter wins the fight, if the referee decides your fighter won, you win! You might wonder, how do I approach this strategy?

1. See which fighter is the favorite based on the odds
2. Start doing research;
   1. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the fighters?
   2. What are the differences between the two fighters?
   3. What does the media say?
   4. What are they fighting for?
3. See if there are any active promotions
4. Place your bet and enjoy!

Boxing betting over/under strategy

With the over/under boxing betting strategy, you bet your money on the number of rounds the fight will last. With this strategy, it does not matter which fighter wins the battle. All that matters is the number of rounds the total fight lasts. We have the perfect approach for this strategy;

1. See how many rounds the bookmakers think the fight will last
2. Start doing research;
   1. Is there a clear favorite in the fight?
   2. Are both fighters known for their endurance?
   3. What does the media say?
   4. What are they fighting for?
3. See if there are any active promotions 
4. Place your bet and enjoy!

Alternative boxing betting strategies

We want to show you the diversity of the boxing betting world as it can get pretty exciting. Here is a list of elements in a boxing match you can bet on;

• Method of victory (Knockout or points)
• Gone in 60 Seconds (Fight ends in 60 seconds)
• Exact round the fight will stop 
• Fight going to ‘The distance’ (Match ends after all rounds) 
• To be knocked down (One of the fighters, no matter which round)
• To be knocked down and win (One of the fighters, no matter which round)
• Both fighters being knocked down

How boxing betting odds work

If you’re new to betting in general you might have trouble understanding exactly what betting odds mean. Understanding how boxing betting odds work and what it means for your bet is vital to placing winning bets. While European sites will use fractional or decimal odds, American sportsbooks use moneyline odds. Moneyline odds can look confusing at first glance, but once you understand how they work, you’ll be able to place bets with ease. With these boxing betting odds, you’ll see a number with a plus (+) or minus (-) sign in front. A plus sign indicates that this option is less likely to happen. The minus sign shows that this option is a favorite and is more likely to happen.

A good example of this was in the Tyson Fury vs Otto Wallin fight. Here, Fury was a heavy favorite, represented by odds of -350. Wallin was the underdog in this fight and had odds of +250 to win. Usually, the numbers will be much closer than this, as we saw when Anthony Joshua fought Andy Ruiz for the second time. Since Joshua was stopped in the first fight, despite being the heavy favorite, the odds were much closer in the rematch. Joshua to win was a slight favorite at -205, whereas Ruiz had odds of +175 to win.

If it is still a bit confusing for you, then we have compiled some examples of what you can expect and some explanations for them.

• Moneyline
  • Anthony Joshua -230
    Dillian Whyte +240
• Over/Under
  • Over 8.5 (-180)
  • Under 8.5 (+150)

How to read boxing betting odds

With previous examples we will explain how to properly read boxing betting odds;

• Moneyline
  • Anthony Joshua -230
    • Joshua is the favorite → You need to bet $230 to win $100 ($330 in total)
  • Dillian Whyte +240
    • Whyte is the underdog → You need to bet $100 to win $240 ($340 in total) 
• Over/Under
  • Over 8.5 (-180)
    • The match is favored to last longer than 8.5 rounds → You need to bet $180 to win $100 ($280 in total)
  • Under 8.5 (+150)
    • The match is favored to last no longer than 8.5 rounds → You need to bet $100 to win $150 ($250 in total)

How to Pick your Boxing Bets

Now you should understand boxing odds and markets. The next step is learning how to apply what you know into making successful bets. We’ll give you the rundown on using strategy to make bets and some key tips for getting ahead of the sportsbooks when boxing betting online.

Here are our expert tips:

• Look for Value – If you want to be good at sports betting, you need to keep an eye out for value in your boxing betting odds. Remember that just because a boxer is a heavy favorite it doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to win. Check boxing betting odds across multiple sportsbooks to make sure you’re getting the best deal. If you’d like to find which sites have the best odds, check out our online sportsbook reviews.
• Always check the record and stats – This goes without saying, but to be successful, you’ll have to know the sport. You should at least be able to research the records of each fighter. Check out their form and also the quality of their recent opponents. If you’re interested in prop betting on boxing, you should look at how their recent fights finished. A fighter with a lot of KO victories might mean there’s value in betting on a stoppage. Just make sure that those KOs came against a similar quality of opponent.
• Don’t get carried away – Don’t bet on every available market and fight of the night. Keep your boxing betting focused on one or two fights and markets at the beginning. Once you start to get more experienced, you can begin betting on multiple fights on the same card and experimenting with different kinds of bets.
• Manage your bankroll – If you’re new to gambling, you’ll need to assess how much you’re willing to lose when you bet and plan your bankroll accordingly. You should never bet more than you can afford to lose, and always make sure to be responsible when online boxing betting.
•  Follow all the news of the fight – Lots of fights can be influenced by external factors. A fighter changing their coach or having personal problems outside the fight can often mean they’re distracted. Keeping up with everything that’s going on can help you to get an edge over the sportsbooks. If you’re fast, you’ll be able to place smart bets before the odds have a chance to move.

Tyson Fury is considered one of the best modern heavyweight boxers - betting on Tyson Fury is always a good idea

How to choose the best bookmaker for boxing betting

Well done, you are now aware of some of the best online boxing betting strategies out there. You know how to read boxing betting odds and how to do your research for a fight. Now, you have to find the right sportsbook to match your needs. In boxing betting, these are the criteria a boxing betting online sportsbook should meet;

• Wide variety of boxing matches in different leagues and countries
• Enough volume to handle large bets (Go big or go home)
• Active promotions and bonuses 
• Special events for much-anticipated fights

The best bookmakers for boxing betting

It can be challenging to choose the right bookmaker as there are hundreds of options for you to choose from. Let’s be honest here; you do not have the time to check each and every boxing betting online sportsbook, but don’t worry. You don’t have to; we already did the research. Simply go to our review page and find the right boxing betting online sportsbook for all your boxing betting needs. You can strategize all you want, but it starts with finding the right sportsbook that takes care of you the right way.

States that offer legal boxing betting

A big part of the US have made it possible to bet legally on your favorite fighters in one way or another. There are for sure more to come in the future, for example Florida. Here are the states who offer legal boxing betting at the moment:

To conclude

Boxing is a fight of the fittest, a battle of strength and endurance. In this sense, it has many similarities with sports betting. Some games will end in ways you could not foresee, and you will face significant challenges. We believe that with the right strategy, boxing betting can be both extremely fun and rewarding. Are you ready to meet some obstacles and survive the fight of the fittest? Then boxing betting is the right thing for you. As Rocky Balboa once said;

• “Our greatest glory is not in falling, but rising every time we fall.”

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