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Saturday’s highly anticipated boxing match between Zhilei Zhang and Deontay Wilder could mark the end of an era for the sport.
While Zhang and Wilder were two of the best heavyweights in the world during the 2010s, they’re both in the twilight of their careers. Zhang is 41, Wilder is 38 and both are coming off recent losses to WBO interim heavyweight champion Joseph Parker. Wilder has even said he might retire if he loses.
That said, all eyes will be on them to see which one can bounce back with a win at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this weekend. Saturday’s fight is the main event on the Queensberry versus Matchroom 5v5 card in a classic promoter versus promoter series between Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn.
Bettors looking to wager on the fight can do so at our favorite boxing betting sites. Here’s a look at how to bet on the event.
Wilder vs. Zhang Preview
- Date: Saturday, June 1
- Time: TBD (card starts at 2 p.m. ET)
- Location: Kingdom Arena (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
- Moneyline: Wilder (+120), Zhang (-150)
- Total Rounds: Over/Under 6.5 (-110/-125)
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook and subject to change.
All of our favorite sportsbooks have odds available for Wilder versus Zhang, giving bettors plenty of options to choose from.
While Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) was the WBC world champion from 2015 to 2020, he’s a slight underdog in the fight due to his recent struggles. He’s lost three of his last four fights, including a unanimous-decision loss to Parker last December despite entering the fight as a -700 favorite.
That said, he seems ready to get back to his winning ways. The Alabama native told Seconds Out that he plans to use this fight to re-announce himself to the boxing world.
“The savagery of The Bronze Bomber is back,” he said. “I was at too much peace, and war and peace don’t mix. The only time war and peace mix is when the war is over and victory has been claimed.”
Zhang put Parker on the canvas twice during their matchup in March, but he still lost in a close decision. His resume isn’t as impressive as Wilder’s (26-2-1, 21 KOs), but sportsbooks still consider him a slight favorite heading into the fight.
How to Bet on Wilder vs. Zhang
The simplest bet to make for this fight is on the moneyline, which is a wager on which fighter will win regardless of the method of victory or length of the fight.
Zhang is a -150 favorite to win the fight, so you’d need to risk $150 to win $100. Wilder is a +120 underdog, so you’d win $120 on a $100 wager.
Another straightforward bet is the Over/Under on the total number of rounds the fight will last. Oddsmakers seem to think the bout will end relatively early, as the odds are juiced towards Under 6.5 rounds (-125).
Both boxers are strong and violent punchers, so there’s a decent chance one of them lands an early blow and wins via knockout.
Speaking of knockouts, you can bet on the winning fighter’s method of victory. You can bet on more general outcomes, like Zhang to win by KO/TKO/DQ at +100. You can also get more specific and bet on exact winning methods like Wilder to win by TKO at +275.
These wagers are a little more complex and riskier than straight moneyline wagers, but they typically come with increased odds and higher payouts.
While you can’t bet on the spread in boxing like you can in UFC, you can bet on the total number of knockdowns in the fight. Oddsmakers don’t seem to think there will be many knockdowns in this fight, as Under 1.5 knockdowns is juiced to -135 while the Over is set at +100. Because of how hard both fighters punch, their opponent is less likely to recover from a knockdown.
Similarly, you can bet on prop bets like whether a fighter will be knocked down or if the fight will go the distance.
Lastly, you can combine multiple wagers into a parlay. For example, you can bet on a fighter to win and for the match to go over or under a certain number of rounds.
Wilder vs. Zhang Odds
Here are the odds for the full fight card, including Wilder versus Zhang.
- Main Event: Deontay Wilder (+120) vs. Zhilei Zhang (-150)
- Daniel Dubois (+195) vs. Filip Hrgovic (-245)
- Hamzah Sheeraz (-225) vs. Austin Williams (+180)
- Dmitrii Bivol (-3000) vs. Malik Zinad (+1400)
- Raymond Ford (-160) vs. Nick Ball (+130)
- Willy Hutchinson (+120) vs. Craig Richards (-150)
Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images
