Saunders v Canelo Betting Tips: British hopeful set for tough test in Texas
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Billy Joe Saunders faces the biggest challenge of his career this weekend when he puts his unbeaten record on the line against four-division world champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in Texas.
Alvarez, widely considered the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter, is 1/6 to inflict the British boxer’s first career defeat in the professional ranks.
Saunders can be backed at 9/2 to relieve Alvarez of his WBC and WBA super-middleweight titles, while the 31-year-old’s WBO belt is also on the line.
We’re taking a look at what could happen on the big night to help punters decide with their Saunders v Canelo betting tips.
Saunders can go the distance
Alvarez, whose only career defeat came at the hands of Floyd Mayweather, has recorded 37 of his 55 wins by knockout.
However, five of his last eight bouts have been determined by the judges’ scorecards, with the 30-year-old 7/5 to win on points and a price of 4/5 is available for the fight to go the full 12 rounds.
Saunders has only finished 14 of his 30 wins inside the distance and is available at 6/1 to maintain his unbeaten record courtesy of a points decision, with the draw priced at 20/1.
Southpaw style can cause Canelo problems
The fight against Saunders at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington will be Alvarez’s third in the space of five months, having beaten Callum Smith for the WBA and vacant WBC titles before seeing off mandatory challenger Avni Yildirim.
Alvarez appreciates he is in for a tough test against Saunders, a slick and elusive counter-punching southpaw and the type of opponent the 30-year-old Mexican has struggled against in the past – for there not to be a knockdown in the fight is priced at 6/4.
“I do expect this to be a very competitive fight,” Alvarez said. “I think he is a little bit more complicated as a fighter. It’s going to be a tough one in the first rounds.”
Alvarez likely to look for fast start
While Alvarez’s knockout percentage has dipped in recent years, when he does win inside the distance it tends to happen early in the bout.
Three of his last six knockouts have come inside three rounds, and Canelo is 11/1 to win within that time frame once more.
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All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
