Picks for Saturday’s Boxing Match

It’s unfortunately rare for two of the best boxers to meet in the ring, so seeing Canelo Alvarez, The Ring’s No. 8 pound-for-pound fighter, and Terence Crawford, ranked No. 3, fight for the undisputed super middleweight title will be a real treat.

Even better that this fight will stream live on Netflix. Goodbye Pay-Per-View.

Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs) has been the man in the 168-pound division since 2018, and he has the belts to show for it. At 35 years old, he’s not the same fighter he was in the previous decade, but there’s a reason he’s the A-side in this fight.

He’s been a professional fighter for 20 years and has just two blemishes on his record: Losses to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013 and Dmitrii Bivol in 2022. 

Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) hasn’t had as much fanfare in his career as Alvarez has, but he was an undisputed champion in two weight classes.

Sure, he’s moving up from 154 pounds, but anyone who has watched ‘Bud’ knows he won’t back down. The weight disparity is overblown as Crawford is the taller man by half an inch and has a three-inch reach advantage.

Crawford has displayed amazing punching power at every level. The Omaha native didn’t knock out Israil Madrimov in his last bout, but he had 11 straight finishes before that fight.

I don’t think we’ll see a knockout Saturday, but I think Crawford’s ability to switch from the southpaw to orthodox stance fluidly will keep Alvarez off balance.

This one will be close, but I’m betting Crawford to pull off the win. Fanatics Sportsbook has the best odds for Crawford at +150.

THE PLAY: Crawford moneyline (+150, Fanatics)