Mayweather vs. Pacquiao Fight: Moneylines, Odds for Undercard and Main Event
Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao is going to walk away with a career-defining victory Saturday, but there will be another winner—Las Vegas.
The world’s most anticipated boxing match in years means the biggest betting opportunity in years for those who prefer to gamble on the action in the ring.
After a career’s worth of speculation and debates on hypothetical outcomes, Mayweather and Pacquiao are finally set to square off, and bettors will have to decide whether they prefer the favored and undefeated Mayweather or the boxer who has long been tagged as his biggest threat in the underdog Pacquiao.
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With that in mind, here is a look at the latest odds for the marquee fight as well as the undercard bouts. The lines are courtesy of Odds Shark, as of Friday, May 1.
| Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao | Mayweather -190 | Pacquiao +175 |
| Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Gamalier Rodriguez | Lomachenko -5000 | Rodriguez +2500 |
| Jose Cayetano vs. Leo Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz -8500 | Cayetano +3500 |
| Andrew Tabiti vs. Anthony Caputo Smith | Tabiti -3500 | Caputo Smith +1750 |
| Jesse Hart vs. Mike Jimenez | Hart -1375 | Jimenez +900 |
| Chris Pearson vs. Said El Harrak | Pearson -1200 | El Harrak +775 |
| Brad Solomon vs. Adrian Rene Granados | Solomon -1250 | Granados +800 |
The Case for Mayweather as the Favorite
Although some critics will always see Mayweather’s 47-0 (26 KO) record with an asterisk because he didn’t fight Pacquiao a few years ago, there is a reason he is undefeated. Mayweather is one of the best boxers in the history of the sport and brings a number of advantages to the table in this bout.
For one, Mayweather boasts a 72” reach compared to Pac-Man’s 67” reach, per BoxRec. Based on that alone, Mayweather will have the opportunity to keep Pacquiao at a respectable distance and avoid the southpaw’s most powerful punches.
While Mayweather (38) may be the older of the two boxers (Pacquiao is 36), the fact that both are likely past their primes actually works in Mayweather’s favor. Pac-Man made a living on overwhelming opponents with blinding speed and flurries of power punches, but he is a step slower than he used to be and not quite as powerful.
It would be a mistake to underestimate Pacquiao, but he isn’t quite as menacing and hasn’t registered a knockout since 2009.
Even at his best, Mayweather was always more of a tactician and is known for picking his attacking spots and overwhelming with counterattacks and timely punches. That style ages better than one based primarily on power and speed.
What’s more, Mayweather’s defense will help him avoid Pac-Man’s best punches in the early rounds.
Eric Raskin of ESPN.com believes Mayweather’s style will translate into a close victory:
"I do not subscribe to the school of thought that Mayweather will dominate Pacquiao and shut him out over the 12-round distance; I see this as a competitive fight in which Pacquiao's speed and unorthodox attacks create a host of problems for Floyd. But in the end, Mayweather is the most masterful technical boxer the sport has seen since Pernell Whitaker, he doesn't get flustered, he is brilliant at making adjustments, and he'll make enough of them to win a clear, close decision -- just as he would have if the fight had taken place five years earlier.
"
Don’t be surprised if that exact scenario unfolds.
The Case for Pacquiao as the Underdog
Pacquiao may not be undefeated at 57-5-2 (38 KO), but he is arguably the best opponent Mayweather has faced in his career and represents the one challenger fans have been calling for when it comes to Money’s unblemished mark.
Pacquiao’s best chance is to establish early momentum, much like Marcos Maidana did against Mayweather. Mayweather’s defensive style means there are opportunities to land timely punches in the opening rounds, and Pac-Man is better suited to take advantage of that than even Maidana. Sure, Pac-Man may have lost a step, but an initial flurry could instill confidence throughout the match.
Pacquiao will have opportunities to stay in the fight as well considering Mayweather only has one stop in eight years. Those chances aren’t always granted in fights against all-time greats.
One wild card to account for in this fight is Pacquiao’s aggressive punches from both sides and a number of different angles. Pacquiao is naturally left-handed, but he won many early fights behind the power in his right hand. He boasts an ability to attack from either side and will make life more difficult on Mayweather’s defense as a result, especially if the fight moves to the ropes.
Pac-Man’s trainer, Freddie Roach, suggested as much, per Lance Pugmire of The Los Angeles Times: "Same routine, now the opposite side. It's all about usage, muscle memory ... [Pacquiao and Mayweather] will be equal at some point [in the bout]. Manny’s been favoring the right side so much now, I need to bring the left back…Oh, it’s deadly. Deadly. My chest is ... killing me."
Pacquiao needs to establish early control and carry it over into the later rounds. If he does, there may finally be a one in the loss column for Mayweather.
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