The biggest fight on the boxing schedule this weekend is this WBC super lightweight title bout between the champion Regis Prograis and the challenger Devin Haney. Haney vacated his undisputed belts at lightweight to start this journey in the next weight class.
We are going to decide whether or not to believe the hype of Haney and bet on him to win at this bigger weight class, or if Prograis is going to be just too powerful for him to handle at 140lbs.
Let’s take a closer look at this matchup and you will get an official Prograis vs. Haney prediction, along with tips and tricks on how to bet on boxing.
Top Sportsbooks To Bet on Boxing
BOXING: Prograis vs. Haney Betting Trends
- Regis Prograis is a 29-1 boxer at the professional level.
- Devin Haney has an undefeated professional boxing record of 30-0.
- Prograis is the underdog for the first time in his career, according to past boxing odds.
- Haney has been the betting favorite in every recorded professional fight, but this weekend will be his third lowest odds to win in his career–behind the Kambosos 1 and Lomachenko fights.
- Prograis has 24 KOs out of his 29 professional boxing victories.
- Haney has 15 KOs out of his 30 professional MMA victories.
How to Bet on Prograis vs. Haney
Fights of this magnitude make betting on boxing and making boxing picks so much more fun than the usual weekly one-sided matchups we usually see in the sport. A star like Haney daring to be great and moving up a weight class even though a lot of people say he isn’t ready for it; is what will make the sport better.
If you want to learn how to bet on boxing this weekend, let’s start by looking at the boxing odds available for this bout.
Haney is coming into this weekend as the -420 betting favorite over the +285 champion. This means that if you bet $100 on Haney and he does, you will win less than $24. The money line is such a tough line to bet on for boxing because the sport has so many big favorites like this.
This matchup doesn’t feel like Haney is a -420 favorite, though. He is a young dude who doesn’t have a very big frame and doesn’t have much power even at lightweight. Prograis made a name for himself due to the brutal nature of his performances and his ability to finish the fight.
The sweet science of boxing is strong in the skills of Haney, but when do power and physicality become a bigger factor? We will explain more of this when giving an official pick for this fight.
With that being said, the next step in betting on boxing is to break down the film on both of these athletes. This can help you learn the sport and become a better bettor in the long run; but more importantly, you can see the two styles of these fighters and have that fresh in your mind before betting.
Contrasting Styles: Prograis and Haney’s Approach to Boxing
Before getting into what pick to make and why, let’s run through the styles of both fighters.
Prograis is a tough dude with strong legs and a lot of power in both hands. He has an impressive KO rate and has done that at the highest level. Even when he’s having a tough night, he’s been able to find a KO in the later rounds.
He stands upright because he can still have a strong base with his legs, and he uses constant movement in his hands and head to keep his defense up. The best phrase to use for his style is Progais is always “staying busy” and is engaged.
Haney has a much different style. He has a wide, low stance and he turns his shoulder so far in that there’s barely a target for his opponent to punch at. He also uses the “Philly shell” guard against orthodox opponents–which is something he has mastered at this point with great defense and even great counters out of that position.
Usually, Philly shell fighters don’t have an easy time countering opponents with their hands in that position, but Haney has mastered a counter right hand and a nasty lead left hook while moving off the center line. He arguably has one of the prettiest styles of boxing to watch as a fan.
Top Sportsbooks Odds
BetOnline: Haney -450
Bovada: Haney -420
MyBookie: Haney -400
BetUS: Haney -350
BetNow: Haney -420
Prograis vs. Haney Betting Picks
Now that we have broken down this fight and the betting lines, it’s time to make the official Prograis vs. Haney prediction.
We are going to take Haney to win this match on points with odds at -225. The reason we are taking this prop bet is partly because of the odds of his money line, but mostly because this is the most likely outcome.
The power of Haney isn’t just going to get more dangerous now that he is at 140lbs, that won’t come until he continues to improve his punching ability and throws with bad intentions. He is a pure boxer who enjoys the art of hitting and not getting hit.
Prograis is going to make this fight very competitive–that’s probably his best attribute. No one is going to make Prograis timid or unable to let his hands go in the ring. He might grow frustrated and run into a big counter that hurts him, but he will continue to fight.
The power of Prograis is a big issue for Haney because he has taken some clean shots from his last few opponents, and they are a lot smaller and less powerful than Prograis. But we think Haney is going to be able to weather the storm in those moments and out-box his way out of trouble.
The jab of Haney is going to cause problems for Prograis. He is going to be coming in hot and Haney will land that jab with crazy speed. He needs to throw that jab to the body of Prograis, though.
Take this prop bet for Haney to win a decision and enjoy the best boxing odds you are going to get for a Haney win.
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