Mayweather vs. Pacquiao: PPV Start Time, Undercard Odds and Picks

Getting a chance to fight on the same card as Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao is a golden opportunity for any boxer. All eyes will be on the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday night in a way the boxing world hasn't seen in quite some time.

It's not just about the belts that are on the line or picking up another victory for the career resume. Putting on a memorable performance ahead of the long-awaited main event can seriously bolster a fighter's stock moving forward.

The televised portion of Saturday's pay-per-view card will start at 9 p.m. ET on Showtime PPV and HBO PPV. Let's check out how the undercard currently shapes up, including odds and selections for each bout. It's followed by a preview of the action.

Odds and Picks

Class	Fighter	Odds	Fighter	Odds	Pick
Featherweight	Vasyl Lomachenko	-3,000	Gamalier Rodriguez	+1,700	Lomachenko
Featherweight	Leo Santa Cruz	-10,000	Jose Cayetano	+1,600	Santa Cruz
Super Middleweight	Jesse Hart	-1,000	Mike Jimenez	+600	Hart
Super Welterweight	Chris Pearson	-2,000	Said El Harrak	+800	Pearson
Super Welterweight	Brad Solomon	-1,500	Adrian Granados	+700	Solomon
Cruiserweight	Andrew Tabiti	-3,333	Anthony Caputo Smith	+1,200	Tabiti

Undercard Outlook

Those who were hoping to see a card full of boxing superstars before Mayweather and Pacquiao take center stage won't get their wish. Despite the high-profile nature of the event as a whole, the undercard is a bit underwhelming.

That's mostly because Top Rank and Mayweather Promotions are promoting the event jointly. With both groups trying to showcase certain fighters and the limited amount of space available, putting things together was a more tricky task.

The most notable name is Vasyl Lomachenko.

A star at the amateur level, winning gold at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games for Ukraine, he's made a smooth transition to the professional ranks. He holds a 3-1 record, with the loss coming in a controversial WBO featherweight title bout against Orlando Salido.

The 27-year-old rising star is one of the most promising fighters in the world. And even though he got a later start to his pro career, the fact that Mayweather and Pacquiao are still boxing at a high level in their late 30s shows he can still enjoy a lot of success in the future.

Adam Abramowitz of Saturday Night Boxing pointed out the confidence Top Rank is showing in him by giving him this spotlight opportunity:

Another fighter on the rise granted a spot on the undercard is Leo Santa Cruz.

The undefeated (29-0-1) 26-year-old Mexican has been steadily increasing his stock. He won the WBC super bantamweight title in 2013 and has proceeded to defend it five straight times. The most recent win came over Jesus Ruiz in January.

Now, the question is how he'll handle the spotlight. Andreas Hale of Ring TV passed along Santa Cruz's comments about getting the call with the opportunity.

"I didn't think I'd be on this card but Al Haymon called me and asked if I would be ready for May 2," Santa Cruz said. "I never dreamed of being on a card this big. This is like a dream come true for any fighter."

One other fighter capable of making a notable impact is Jesse Hart. He'll face off with Mike Jimenez in a battle of unbeaten Americans looking for their big break.

Hart won five bouts last year, the last one coming against Samuel Miller in December. He's showcased an impressive amount of power, with 13 knockouts of his 16 wins. Beating Jimenez would be another big step in the right direction.

Like Santa Cruz, he's excited about the chance. He explained his feelings to Dan Rafael of ESPN.com.

"My eyes got big and I was like, 'For real?' I originally had a fight on April 10 and he said it was canceled. 'You're fighting on May 2,'" Hart said. "I only knew of one other card on May 2. He said, 'Yup, you're on the card, your first 10-round fight.' As I was talking to him, my eyes were watering up. This was a for real moment."

So while the undercard may be a bit weak overall, there are some stories worth tracking. These are fighters who may be playing a much larger role on the boxing landscape over the next few years. Winning on Saturday night would be a big step.

Even those boxers who don't win will always be able to say they fought on the same card as Mayweather and Pacquiao when they finally faced off.