Boxing is unlike any other sport. Physically intense and at times brutal, it makes for alluring entertainment. It’s also a popular sport for betting.
In this guide, we’ll explore some of the best types of bets you can make when it comes to boxing. We’ll take a look at a variety of bets, some of which apply only to this sport. We’ll also explore some tips for getting the best sportsbook promotions.
But first, let’s take a brief look at how boxing works.
How Does Boxing Work?
Boxing as a sport has been around since the Ancient Greek era. Modern day boxing is an organized and professional sport, in which fighters from a range of weight divisions compete for different belts.
Fights take place in a ring, with two boxers battling it out over a number of 3-minute rounds. Most professional fights have 12 rounds. Fights are judged by an independent panel to determine the winner with points if there’s no successful knockout or stoppage.
The Best Types Of Bets For Boxing
There are lots of different types of bets you can make when it comes to boxing. In this section, we’ll take a look at some of the most popular ones.
Before we dive in however, we wanted to explain how to take advantage of sportsbook promotions, bonuses, and some of the other deals that are offered by betting sites. Many sportsbooks offer new players special welcome offers, such as a matched first bet.
This type of bet could see you potentially double your winnings from your first bet—if you win that is.
Simply place your bet, up to $1,000 (in some cases $2,000), and the sportsbook will automatically match it. So if you win, you get double the payout.
Other betting sites like to offer enhanced odds for certain fights. This may come in the form of an odds boost for certain outcomes, like a victory via knockout.
It’s always worth spending time researching the best offers and deals currently around. And, in the sections that follow, we’ll give you an idea of what to look out for.
Win/Lose
The simplest bet you can make when it comes to boxing is to choose the winner of a fight. For example, if you’re watching the Anthony Joshua v Olexsandr Usyk rematch, you may back Joshua to win.
The odds in this straightforward bet may not be the best, particularly if you back the favorite. However, if you fancy the underdog, then a profitable payout could come your way.
Some boxing fans like to increase the odds they get for win/lose bets by compiling several bets into an accumulator.
The idea behind accumulators is simple—predict the outcome of several fights and, to win your bet, you have to guess all of them correctly.
The more fights you include, the greater the odds, but the greater the chance of one result going against you too.
Many sportsbooks offer cash out options with accumulators so that’s something worth considering too.
Win By Knockout Or Stoppage
A popular type of boxing bet, which can attract greater odds than a simple win/lose option, is to choose the method of victory. One of the go-to options is a win via a knockout or stoppage.
A victory by knockout comes about when one fighter renders the other incapacitated. In other words, they strike with such force that their opponent slips into unconsciousness or is left so dazed that they cannot stand and defend themselves.
A stoppage is slightly different. Also known as a technical knockout, it involves a boxer being deemed unable to defend themselves properly due to injury. This decision may be made by the referee, a ringside doctor, or a boxer’s coaching team.
These types of bets can help increase your odds if you’re backing the favorite to win, as either form of knockout can be hard to achieve.
Winning On Points
Another method of victory that you can bet on is to choose which boxer will win on points. This outcome occurs when neither boxer can stop the other by knockout or stoppage, leaving it up to three independent judges to score the match and award the victory.
Winning on points can be quite controversial, especially when the credibility of the judges is called into question, such as judge Eugenia Williams and the Lewis v Holyfield fight.
However, as a betting option, it can generate good odds. This is especially the case if the fighters are well matched or if a knockout victory seems unlikely.