Boxing Betting Guide

Boxing can be a great sport to bet on. Unlike other sports, top fights do not occur every day, meaning that when the chances come along to use your boxing knowledge you should grab it with both hands.

👉 In this boxing betting guide, we will delve deep into how we can best place bets on the betting markets and see if there are any solid strategies that you can implement to help you achieve success.

How Does Boxing Betting Work

Before you place a single bet on boxing we suggest that you research how the sport and the betting markets function if you don't know already. Wagering on boxing is similar to betting on mixed martial arts. The list below will give you a good indication of how the business works.

Card

A boxing card will revolve around the main fight for the evening. Similar to an entertainment show the fights will be in the order of popularity but this almost always coincides with the status of a particular fight. When the majority of fans buy a boxing ticket for a selected event all the focus will be on the main fight for the evening, this will be emphasized by the number of empty seats for the first fight on the card. These fights will be made up of promising newcomers and in some cases, the penultimate fight will also be a significant one if the mainstream fight is a particularly lucrative one.

Fight

The boxing fight itself will consist of 12 rounds that are each 3 minutes in length. The match can be ended in three ways. The match can go the distance where the fate of the outcome will be in the hands of three judges who score each individual round independent from each other. The second one would be in the form of a knockout or technical knockout where one of the fighters either is forced to stop or throws in the towel before the end of the bout. The third one is not common at all but it is in the form of disqualification. In an instance where this ruling occurs the fight will be rewarded the opposing fighter.

Scoring System

The scoring system is based on a round-by-round basis in which the three judges independent from each other decide who wins a particular round. In the instance where someone has the upper hand, a judge will commonly award the round to a fighter 10-9. If they are able to really dominate the fighter though and make the boxer hit the ground they are likely to reward the round to the fighter 10-8. There are some cases where the rounds can be scored differently but these cases are rare. 10-7 for example would suggest that a fighter has fallen to the ground twice during a single round which is usually an incredibly strong indication that the end is nigh.

Rules

So, a fighter will look to win a boxing match in two ways. This can be achieved either by winning on points or by knock out (stoppage). The ref has the right to demand that the judges drop a point from their scorecard for a fighter in a particular round if he feels that certain rules have been broken. This will often occur if a fighter is holding onto their opponents frequently or doing something illegal to openly stop the flight from having any flow to it. The most obvious reason though would be for illegal hits, such as any strikes below the belt.

Odds

The odds of a boxing match will be ideally designed to represent the likelihood of certain outcomes happening in a match. The outright winner market will usually be the easiest one to decipher while markets such as the fight to go the distance will have a lot of statistical data factored into it.

During the fight itself, the odds of certain markets will fluctuate a lot depending on how the match is playing out. For example, if the heavy underdog is performing much better than expected his odds of winning the fight will be reduced.

Ways To Bet on Boxing Matches

Thankfully, we live in a world where depending on the area in which you live, you should be spoilt for choice with all the places you can have a bet on boxing fights.

Means of Betting	Description
Land-based betting	Land-based betting can be done in casinos or traditional bookmakers which are still very common in the UK. In this instance, you will have to manually fill out a bet slip and get a receipt from the place you are betting.
Online fixed-odds betting	Online fixed odds betting refers to bets placed on a boxing event on a traditional bookmaker. With fixed odds, once you have submitted your bet, the odds you have bet withstand and this will not change regardless of what happens at a later date.
Betting exchanges	Betting exchanges are where you can bet with odds that have been determined by other customers such as yourself. The main difference with an exchange site is that you place a lay bet. This is a type of wager where you will be betting against a particular outcome to happen to suppose to against it.
In-play live betting	In-play betting occurs when a fight is in play. bookies will suspend the match while the rounds are in action but between the rounds, punters will be able to place bets based on the action they have seen.

Boxing Betting Markets: Different Types of Boxing Bets

Many things can occur in a boxing match and points of interest don't just circulate around who will eventually emerge victoriously. Will the fight go the distance for example, what round will a fighter be stopped? These questions are not just points of intrigue however, they are actually markets you can bet on.

Bout Bets

Bout bets, also known as outright winner bets are when you place a bet on who would win the fight. This is the simplest type of wager you can place on a fight and whatever data you use to make your decision should center around the likelihood of a particular fighter winning.

Example - Vasyl Lomachenko "To Win Tight" (odds: 1.2). If we were to place a $100 bet on Lomachenko to win this fight we would be set to return a sum of $120. This will be a profit of $20. This would pretty much classify him as an overwhelming favorite for the fight.

Handicap & Spread Bets

Handicap or spread betting can be best utilized when there is a clear level of quality between the two fighters. The idea of handicap betting is that you can bet on a certain fighter to win the fight with a margin of error.

Example - Floyd Mayweather: Handicap: -7, Odds: 1.35 Final score 120 -110. In this scenario, we have placed a $100 bet on Floyd Mayweather to win the fight by 7 points or more. This is indicated by the - sign. If there was a + sign there instead he would need to lose the fight by 7 points or more for our bet to be successful. If our bet is successful we would see a return of $135, which would mean we have made a profit of $35.

Round Bets

It is possible to bet on what round the fight will be stopped. It is also possible to bet on whether the fight will go the distance. These types of wagers are extremely popular and can really award good boxing knowledge and instinct.

Example - Deontay Wilder to be stopped in the 6th round. Odds: 5/1. If you had placed a bet of $100, you would be set to return $600. This would be a profit of $500.

Method of Victory Bets

It is possible to bet on the method of victory. The two main methods available to bet on would either be on points or by KO or TKO. The last two meaning that the fight is stopped because the fighter can't continue. It is not important if this decision is enforced by the referee or by the fighter or his team. The other method is disqualification but very few bookmakers offer this on their betting site.

Example - Terence Crawford to win by KO or TKO. Odds: Evens. In this scenario, if you were to stake $100 on this bet you would see a return of $200. This would leave you with a profit of $100.

Fight to Go the Distance Bets

A boxing match lasts 12 rounds, although there are times when this is not the case, a low card even for example but the majority of fights that will be available to bet on will be 12 rounds and it is possible to bet on whether the fight will last the duration.

Example - Ricky Hatton vs Floyd Mayweather to go the distance. Odds: 2.0. If you were to place a stake of $100 on this event then you see a return of $300. This would mean that you have a profit of $200.

Recommended Boxing Betting Sites

Not every bookmaker values betting on boxing. This is probably due to the irregularity of mainstream fights. Therefore we believe it is worth giving you a list of some bookmakers that we believe are the best places to bet on boxing.

1. 888sport

888 sport is one of the best bookmakers in boxing betting when it comes to odds and available markets. When there is a big fight on the horizon we beg of you that you check what 888 are offering before you make your final decision.

2. Betfair

Betfair has both a sportsbook and an exchange site. The exchange site is particularly noteworthy as you can place a lay bet, where you will be betting against something to happen supposed to the traditional act of betting where you would be placing a bet for something to happen.

This means you can use your boxing knowledge to place bets on what can be considered more conservative markets, this way you are more likely to earn yourself a consistent profit.

3. Bet365

Bet365 is one of the most fun bookmaker sites to navigate through and for the majority of fights, they offer a ton of markets that you would be hard-pushed to find in many other places. The main reason we have selected Bet365 is that they cover a lot of boxing events that might not be covered on other betting sites.

4. William Hill

William Hill is a great bookmaker that always offers good quality promotions. It is not always guaranteed that these will exist for the boxing match you intend to place a bet on but it is certainly worth checking before you go ahead and place a bet.

Boxing Betting Strategy

Here are tactics and betting strategies to consider when wagering on a boxing event. Remember that the sport of boxing can be very complex so before submitting your bet you should consider a whole range of factors. When we place bets on sporting events there is a tendency to solely focus on the fighter's reputation but there are many things in boxing that go on behind the scenes which will at the very least have some influence on the fight.

Only bet on a couple of fights on the card

Most of the fights on a boxing card will not be of interest and will not represent any real value in the betting markets. Some fights will consist of promising newcomers fighting against journeymen who are affectively hired to put up a good show before finally succumbing to the potential new star. Other fights will consist of middle card fighters who are looking to make an honest living from the sport and maybe get one last paycheck before they retire.

These factors make betting on matches deep down on a boxing card very hard to extract value from. Some of these fights are arguably not genuine as the matches have been manufactured in such a way to protect an emerging star's reputation. Therefore it stands to reason that a bookmaker will not even entertain offering attractive odds for such fights.

Learn more about winning boxing coaches

The influence of a quality coach in boxing cannot be underestimated. The dynamic between a coach and a fighter will be determined largely by the flight of their career and the success a particular fighter is having. An example of this is that a fighter might have won all of his fights but he didn't look in control against a particular type of opponent. In this case, the fighter might hire a coach to correct this in the future to prevent any problems in the future.

On the other hand, boxers might change everything and hire someone to completely change the way they think about boxing and their lifestyle in general. This could make the fighter a completely different proposition for their opponents.

Compare the form of both boxers

The form of a boxer cannot be avoided in boxing, even though unlike most sports a huge amount between fights is the norm. One positive of this is that there is sufficient time to fix what went wrong but on the other hand there is more time to dwell on the mistakes and self-doubt. In almost any other sport a one-off defeat is not something that will define a person's career, however, in boxing, a few losses and everyone suggests that retirement is the only option.

This means that there is a strong psychological aspect to boxing that needs to be observed and you need to consider how likely a fighter's recent fights are likely to impact their upcoming ones. If you believe it was just a dip in form, concentration, bad preparation which has since been rectified then you will have enough reasons to still back a selected fighter.

Place data-driven boxing bets

Statistics are all the range in sports these days and boxing is no exception to this trend. On this site, we suggest that there is nothing wrong with using your gut feel but being rooted in your beliefs would be a mistake.

To give one example, if a fighter statistically takes the fight to points almost always you will require a good reason to place a bet on a KO or TKO. Similarly, if a boxer statistically struggles against an opponent of a particular size, this should also be factored into consideration.

Avoid very exotic wagers

Boxing is a very difficult sport to predict precisely. A boxer might not always try to end things when they can, depending on how the match is playing out. This means that even when the fight is going the way you imagined you might not be rewarded for your vision.

Search for value bets

Value bets in boxing can often present themselves when you have a strong knowledge of the sport. Often a boxer with a superior record will be a heavy favorite for the fight. However, considering all the things we are talking about in this guide there are occasionally factors that will have a strong influence on the fight that bookmakers don't always take into account. This is where we can see a boxer with huge odds that we don't believe are justified. Alternatively, we can see a matchup with much closer odds and come to the conclusion that the bookmakers have got this wrong also, as the guy we are backing should be much favored for the victory.

Study each boxer's recent training camps

With the majority of sports what goes on behind the scenes doesn't actually warrant too much attention as the majority of fans just want to judge what happens on the pitch. With boxing though, the boxer's preparation and the training camp they go through can last a couple of months and the anticipation for a fight for many is just part of the fun. Therefore, you should consider things like this, are the fighters in the best shape of their life, have they changed coaches, does one boxer appear to be more motivated than the other? This can go a long way to helping you make top-quality decisions.

Don't fall for unsubstantiated rumors

This one can apply to anytime you want to bet but with boxing, you can argue that it is even more apt. This is because the concept of injuries in boxing changes the entire dynamic of the fight. For example, if it was a known fact that a fighter lost consciousness the day before a fight, this would have a drastic effect on the odds. All sorts of rumors of this nature circulate online so before you place a bet based on this information you should make pretty sure that you are not just betting on hearsay.

Compare the style of each fighter

There is an old age expression in boxing that goes 'styles makes fights'. This means that the way the fight might play out has a lot to do with the styles of fighters and this can lead to unexpected results. Admittedly a superior fighter should find a way to win but there have been many examples where this simply hasn't been the case.

Some boxers though will simply not have the arsenal to pull off a shock result. Do your research and see if the styles of the two fighters will result in a boring or electric fight. The more standard the fight, the more likely the favorite is to win.

Follow injury and conditioning news

Boxers go through weeks of conditioning to be at peak conditions for fights. There will always be something different about every camp and keeping close attention to this will have an impact on the way you view the fight. If any news comes through of reported injuries you need to treat these rumors with caution but also understand if true, the significant impact they can have on the fight.

How To Judge a Boxer You Want To Bet On

The success of a boxer is dependent on many things. Natural talent plays just a small part in a fighter's career. Boxing is full of politics, selected fights and the preparation and lifestyle of a given athlete will have a huge impact on their fights. Below are just some of the things you will need to pay close attention to.

Record & Recent Fights

A boxer's record is not always easy to gain knowledge from one glance. This is because, in boxing, it is commonplace that the first few fights of a fighter's career are purely to get easy wins under their belt. This is why many boxers can compete on some of the biggest boxing cards, by showing an undefeated record.

Some boxers are incredibly competent but struggle to do well when they take a step up in level. This means that when you look at a boxer's record you really need to delve deep to see who they have competed against. This might be difficult to believe but many top boxers can often go 20 fights before they face a person of real note.

Use websites like to get more insights into a boxer's recent form.

Current Conditioning

When two people at the same weight level compete against each other, all you need to focus on is how well and fit the fighter looks. Maybe they look better than they ever have? This will give you enough inspiration to believe that the fighter is particularly dedicated to a fight and therefore more likely to win.

On the flip side of this, some fighters have to either gain or lose weight to fight at the appropriate weight range and this can have a drastic effect on the athletic ability of a fighter. You will need to pay close attention to how a boxer takes care of themselves during this process.

Reach, Speed & Power

The reach, speed, and power of a fighter are all things that will ultimately determine their success. What you need to ask yourself when placing a bet is that are these factors going to play a big part against a particular fighter. One of the most obvious examples of this is that a boxer might be facing an opponent of inferior quality but someone who is significantly taller than them. In this instance, a person's reach might help make the fight much closer than expected.

Coach & Sparring Partners

In boxing, a fighter's training camp is often scrutinized and with good reason. A quality coach with an almost impeccable record should suggest that a fighter has a great chance of winning a particular bout as most elite level coaches are very conscious about who they work with as they feel they are putting their reputation on the line.

Some fighters will also spare with ex-boxing pros where they will try to imitate what they can expect to come up against in a fight. The quality of this preparation should have a big influence on the fight.

Injuries

Injuries are significant in boxing as they will hamper a fighter to compete in what is essentially a heavily physical sport. If a boxer goes into a fight knowing they have a potential problem that might flare up, this is likely to have an impact on their psychology of a fight.

Punishment

When a boxer gets punished for dirty tactics or in some cases, honest mistakes it can have a dramatic effect on the match. Some boxers walk this line closer than others and are something that you might need to consider when placing a bet on a particular fighter.

Boxing Betting: FAQ

Answers to the most common questions about betting on boxing matches.

If you are a fan of boxing, you are missing out if you don't use the knowledge you have acquired to place quality bets on boxing. Finding value bets and the quality of your selections will ultimately determine your level of success while betting on boxing and a good strategy will always need to be implemented. If you follow these guidelines there is every chance that you will find success.