Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin: Fight Odds, Live Stream, Predictions

Anthony Joshua has his back against the wall ahead of a crucial matchup with Jermaine Franklin at the O2 Arena in London.

Joshua returns to his home country after losing his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia. The 33-year-old will be looking to get back into the win column after back-to-back losses to Usyk, the last being a split decision that kept him from getting several heavyweight championships back.

It's been a rough few years for Joshua. Since losing a stunning upset to Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019 he's earned the titles back only to lose them to Usyk.

He has a prime opportunity to gather some momentum with a win over Franklin. The 29-year-old is coming off his first professional loss, a controversial majority decision to Dillian Whyte.

It's an intriguing heavyweight clash with plenty on the line for both fighters, even if no belt is at stake.

Here's a look at all the info you need to catch the bout, the latest odds, a preview and a prediction.

Fight Info and Odds

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Jermaine Franklin (right) lost to Dillian Whyte (left) last time out.

When: Saturday, April 1 at 2 p.m. ET

Where: O2 Arena in London, England

Live stream: DAZN

Odds: Joshua -1000 (bet $1,000 to win $100), Franklin +800 ($100 bet wins $800)

Odds via Oddschecker

Top Storylines

Khalid Alhaj/MB Media/Getty Images

Anthony Joshua jabs Oleksandr Usyk in their last fight.

Can Anthony Joshua Get His Groove Back?

Joshua's recent losses are enough to cause a crisis of confidence for anyone. After starting his career off 22-0, he is now 2-3 in his last five fights.

In each of those losses, Joshua has been outclassed by a smaller fighter. The 6'6", 255-pound heavyweight struggled to keep up with Usyk, who was previously a champion at cruiserweight before moving up to heavyweight.

The losses have forced Joshua to make changes to the way he trains. Joshua previously worked under British trainer Robert McCracken, but he is now on his second trainer in as many fights. He worked with Robert Garcia for his rematch with Usyk, and he has worked with Derrick James this time around.

Joshua feels the move has benefited him.

"I can tell I'm definitely more knowledgeable, definitely more relaxed, definitely more experienced," Joshua said, per Mike Coppinger of ESPN. "But that's also down to the trainer I'm with as well. He's experienced at [the] top level, and he's got a certain standard that I was looking for."

How well he manages the 6'2", 234-pounder could be an indicator of his growth under James.

---

Can Jermaine Franklin Shock the World?

Jermaine Franklin is a massive underdog. For all of Joshua's recent struggles, he's still a former heavyweight champion with a win over Wladimir Klitschko and a knockout over Dillian Whyte.

That knockout over Whyte is pertinent given how close the fight between Whyte and Franklin was.

Franklin did land 165 punches to Whyte's 144, per CompuBox, and still feels as though he won the fight. The disappointment of dropping a close decision is fueling him in his upcoming bout.

"I just hate to feel like something was [taken] from me, because I'm a man about it," Franklin told Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News. "If I felt like I lost, I would've said Dillian was the better man that night. I think (Joshua) got a point to prove, in my opinion, but I got a point to prove, too."

Franklin weighs 23 pounds less than he did when he fought Whyte. He's still a fairly unproven wild card with just one loss on his record.

The odds are rightfully stacked against him, but if he can have success early on, he could have Joshua on shaky ground.

Prediction

Andrew Couldridge - Pool/Getty Images

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 12: Anthony Joshua punches Kubrat Pulev during the IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO World Heayweight Title fight between Anthony Joshua and Kubrat Pulev at The SSE Arena, Wembley on December 12, 2020 in London, England. A limited number of fans (1000) are welcomed back to sporting venues to watch elite sport across England. This was following easing of restrictions on spectators in tiers one and two areas only. (Photo by Andrew Couldridge - Pool/Getty Images)

Franklin is an intriguing opponent, but there's just not enough evidence to pick him outright in this matchup. This feels like a spot that Eddie Hearn has created to get Anthony Joshua back on track.

Before the losses to Usyk, a megafight with Tyson Fury could have been the hottest ticket in the UK. Now that's out the window. Hearn knows he has to help his heavyweight star get back in the limelight with a few wins to maximize his potential.

Franklin has just enough skill to make this interesting for a little while, but he doesn't possess the power to make Joshua think twice about engaging.

Joshua has too much at stake here to put in a flat performance. If he loses, it's pretty much the end of him competing a championship level. The very fact that he took this fight rather than retire shows that isn't where his mind is.

Expect him to remind fans of what he can look like at his best.

Prediction: Joshua via sixth-round TKO