Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the firm favourite to beat Conor McGregor when the two step into the ring at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, August 26.
The current Vegas lines have Mayweather tipped to win at -400 (bet $400 to win $100), according to Joe Osborne of OddsShark. Osborne noted how the odds are moving a lot amid the war of words between both fighters ahead of the bout.
Even so, the latest prop bets show Mayweather is expected to win by some form of knockout. The 40-year-old is fancied at -150 to score a victory by KO, technical knockout or disqualification, per OddsShark’s Justin Hartling.
It’s hardly a surprise the lines still have Mayweather favoured to stop McGregor. After all, the former completely outshines the latter in terms of experience, achievements and skill in the boxing ring.
Mayweather is coming out of retirement, but he is unlikely to have lost his knack for setting and controlling his own pace in a fight. He will know how to use the ring to box McGregor in and prevent the UFC legend from launching a consistent offensive.
McGregor’s best hope of causing a shock will be to land the one telling punch capable of stopping Mayweather cold. The idea may be unlikely to many, but the lines have a McGregor win by KO at +500, per Hartling.
Punching power is a key trait of both fighters, one influencing the lines. The odds are +600 (bet $100 to win $600) for both fighters being knocked down during the fight.
There is going to be more pressure on Mayweather, who not only has his legacy to protect. He must also ensure the credibility of boxing is not tarnished by one of its greats losing to a fighter from another discipline.
However, Mayweather will likely be buoyed by wanting to go out on a high after confirming he will retire permanently after this fight during a recent media conference call. Mayweather also discussed the importance of not allowing a blemish on his 49-0 record.
The lines at the start of fight week reflect what should be a one-sided bout, with Mayweather making good on those who bet on him scoring a KO.
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