Manny Pacquiao's Updated Odds for Chris Algieri Championship Fight

Although Manny Pacquiao heads into his WBO welterweight title defense against Chris Algieri as the favorite, the odds have been trending in favor of the undefeated American. It adds another layer of intrigue to an already high-profile encounter.

What's unknown is whether the shift represents increasing confidence in the underdog, decreasing confidence in Pac-Man or a combination of both. Either way, it appears the general feeling is that boxing fans are in for a more competitive bout than it may have looked when first announced.

Here's a look at the updated lines ahead of the championship fight:

Boxer	Opening Line	5Dimes	Bovada	BetOnline
Manny Pacquiao	-1250	-635	-650	-750
Chris Algieri	+650	+525	+425	+550

An interesting aspect of the fight, and perhaps part of the reason for the unstable odds, is the different ends of the spectrum the two boxers are on.

Pacquiao has been in the spotlight for a long time and is looking to prove he still belongs on the same level as Floyd Mayweather in the pound-for-pound king conversation. Algieri is a relative unknown, at least in the mainstream, and is hoping to change that with an upset victory.

Aries Joseph Hegina of the Inquirer provides a comparison of the foes:

Of course, it's important to point out Algieri has never faced an opponent anywhere near the same level as Pacquiao. He edged Ruslan Provodnikov, who represented an increase in the level of competition, in his last bout. This is another significant step up.

That means anything less than the absolute best performance of his career won't be enough to get him on the fast track to stardom.

Co-trainer Tim Lane is definitely convinced the best is yet to come, as noted by George Willis of the New York Post.

"People haven't seen the best of Chris," he said. "The thing about Chris is the better the opposition the better he is. Manny has more experience than Chris, but he's going to bring out the best in Chris. He's the young lion and he will prevail."

It sounds like he'll be going up against a revitalized Pacquiao, though.

There were questions about whether his tools were beginning to fade after losses to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez. But after bouncing back with two straight wins and a strong camp to get ready for this fight, the arrow is once again pointing up.

Ryan Songalia of Ring magazine was among those impressed with how Pac-Man looked:

Pacquiao is banking on his experience, as well. Gerry Ramos of Spin.ph passed along some pre-fight remarks from the champion, who isn't sure his opponent is ready for the big stage.

"Let's see how he reacts when he has his meeting with destiny," he said. "I've been here before. I know how I will react when the moment of truth comes."

All told, it's an interesting fight if for no other reason than to see whether Algieri is a legitimate threat. He's never been in this type of situation before, and that makes it tough to predict how he'll react. And it's also unclear if he has the weapons to outbox Pac-Man.

The outlook from an odds perspective is murky. There seemingly isn't a lot of value in the fight since Algieri's line has come down. The only exception would be if you truly believe an upset is on the horizon at The Venetian Macao.

Pacquiao is still the rightful favorite, however. Looking for him to emerge with the victory by either late knockout or unanimous decision.