Canelo vs Crawford Odds, Picks & Betting Preview

Two of boxing’s biggest stars cross paths this weekend at the packed Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas as former welterweight champion Terence Crawford battles Mexican prize fighter Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for the undisputed middleweight championship of the world.

Alvarez, who was once the undisputed champ of this division, enters this match as the slight -170 favorite, although Crawford’s ability to adjust mid-fight, as evident in his 41-fight unbeaten career, could pose a formidable threat. In this article, we’ll take a look at the odds and the path to victory of each fighter heading into this much-awaited middleweight showdown.

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Canelo vs Crawford Betting Preview

Canelo and Crawford come into this bout fresh off separate unanimous decision victories. The 35-year-old Alvarez won the IBF super middleweight strap after outclassing William Scull, while Crawford beat Uzbek gladiator Israil Madrimov to win the WBA and WBO interim light middleweight crowns.

How can Canelo Alvarez win?

Moving and fighting up a weight class is always a tough ask, even for a fighter as talented as Crawford, and this could play right into Canelo’s hands. While Crawford is incredibly skilled, moving up in weight means he might not have the same physical advantage he had when he was a welterweight. This gives Canelo the chance to use his strength and power to control the tempo of the fight.

One thing I’ve noticed about Alvarez is that he tends to do well when he can pressure his opponents and work in the body early. Of course, there is always a chance that Crawford could use his speed and movement to parry Canelo’s attack and make him miss.

However, if Alvarez stays patient and times his counters well, I think he can gradually wear Crawford’s knockout power. That’s why I am actually thinking of using the best betting bonus to back Canelo to win by decision. I honestly think this feels like a fight that Canelo can control if he sticks to his game plan and stays disciplined throughout the fight.

My only concern for Canelo here is that Crawford is such an intelligent fighter that he can frustrate opponents with his movement and sharp counters. However, if Canelo picks his shots and avoids getting into unnecessary exchanges with Crawford, he should run away with a decision victory.

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How can Terence Crawford win?

As of press time, Crawford to win outright is priced at +149 at top boxing betting sites, and I think that is just way too generous. While Canelo has dominated the division, the 37-year-old Crawford has all the tools to make life difficult for him inside the ring.

I’ll probably get plenty of pushback for this, but I like to think that Crawford is a more aggressive and offensively dangerous version of boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. For context, Mayweather handed Canelo his first professional loss. Like Mayweather, Crawford relies on timing to create openings, but what makes him particularly dangerous is his ability to pick apart his opponents with counters.

Looking at the Canelo-Mayweather fight tape, you can see how timing and precise counters can disrupt Canelo’s rhythm. If Crawford can combine his timing and counterpunching with effective stance-switching, he could rattle Canelo and force him to fight from the outside instead of letting him set up power shots.

The thing I’ve liked about Crawford is his ability to switch stances quickly to create new angles and keep opponents guessing. Should Crawford land counters across multiple angles and force Canelo to work harder for every clean shot, then a late stoppage could be in the cards, especially if the Mexican overcommits.

Conclusion – Canelo vs Crawford Prediction

Picking an outright winner in this bout is always tough, especially when you take into account that both Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford are world champions with elite skill sets. Canelo brings a lot of experience in this division, while Crawford’s timing and counterpunching have been key in helping him exploit openings.

However, if I had to pick a winner, I might lean towards Canelo taking the unanimous decision nod with Crawford making it extremely competitive. Although the chance of Crawford pulling off an upset is always live, I just think Canelo’s power and experience in this weight class should give him the upper hand in this matchup.

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