Joshua vs Usyk 2: Who is the favorite? Odds and predictions
One of the biggest fights in 2022 will take place this weekend. Will AJ make the adjustments needed to defeat the Ukrainian star?
Everything is ready in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to host the rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua this Saturday.
The Brit was the overwhelming favorite in the first fight, which was held in London last September, but the former cruiserweight king, Usyk, got his hand raised via unanimous decision.
Last time out, Usyk outworked his opponent with a combination of footwork and boxing skills, including a jab that kept Joshua at bay.
Oleksandr Usyk comes in as the overriding -210 betting favorite in this match-up, while for AJ, this is the first time in his professional boxing career that sees him as the betting underdog.
What are the odds for the Usyk vs. Joshua rematch?
The former two-time heavyweight champion, who has hired coach Robert García to get ready for the fight against Usyk, is at +175 to emerge victorious.
Another interesting bet for Saturday’s megafight is if both fighters will go the distance or if there will be a knockout that will end the bout.
The over 10.5 rounds is priced at -140, while the odds for those who think that the fight will end before that are at +120.
Usyk vs. Joshua 2: prediction
This is probably the most important fight of both fighters’ careers. For Usyk, even if he became the champ after beating Joshua in their first encounter, the fight has a double motivation: proving he can defeat Joshua for a second time (and if possible, via knockout) and make the whole of Ukraine proud of his performance as the war with Russia continues to take its huge toll.
Undoubtedly, this is a crucial bout for Joshua. Even if he lost in the past to Andy Ruiz Jr. in what was a huge upset, he managed to bounce back with an intelligent strategy, but can he do the same now against such a talented boxer as Usyk?
There are many questions surrounding the clash: Usyk’s weight gain that could affect his footwork, the war in Ukraine as a distraction factor, Joshua focusing on strength conditioning, how he will deal with the pressure...
In any case, what seems a sure thing is that both fighters will do their best to give the fans a fight to remember and establish themselves as the heavyweight kings, now that Tyson Fury has declared he has officially retired from boxing.
Our prediction: Usyk to win via stoppage