Manny Pacquiao's Updated Odds for Floyd Mayweather Championship Fight

There’ll be a lot riding on Manny Pacquiao when he steps into the ring to face Floyd Mayweather Jr in Las Vegas on Saturday.

These two iconic fighters have refined their reputations as the greatest of this generation over time and a longstanding score will be settled at the MGM Grand.

But if this fight is going to be an aesthetic spectacle, you suspect that’ll be down to the aggression and intensity of Manny.

With the Filipino the most likely man to force the issue, the odds surrounding him make for pretty intriguing reading with the bout edging ever closer. Here’s a closer examination of the standout Pacquiao markets and a look at where your money should be going if you fancy a flutter on this gargantuan showdown.

Market	Odds
To Win	17-10
To Win by KO, TKO or Disqualification	4-1
To Win by KO, TKO or Disqualification	15-4
To Win in Round 1	33-1
To Win in Round 2	40-1
To Win in Round 3	40-1
To Win in Round 4	40-1
To Win in Round 5	50-1
To Win in Round 6	50-1
To Win in Round 7	40-1
To Win in Round 8	40-1
To Win in Round 9	40-1
To Win in Round 10	33-1
To Win in Round 11	33-1
To Win in Round 12	33-1

Odds accurate as of 10:30 p.m. (BST), May 1. For other markets check out the Odds Shark website.

Pacquiao to Triumph on Narrow Points Decision

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Throughout his career, in terms of entertainment, Pacquiao has rarely failed to deliver. He fights in an enamouring style, throws punches in bunches and shows incredible fortitude in the ring. But can he mix his engrossing mantras with the substance required to breach Mayweather’s impeccable defensive set-up?

He certainly has the fundamental skills. If Pacquiao catches Floyd, he has the speed and accuracy to follow up on shots, the lateral movement to avoid Mayweather’s lead right and the energy to keep these levels of intensity up for the full 12 rounds.

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As noted here by the Guardian, there has been a lot of money coming in for Manny with the fight getting ever closer:

Former world heavyweight champion George Foreman thinks the Filipino is capable of getting the job done too, per BBC Sport:

"

It's going to go to the end because they'll be so careful. Pacquiao understands that he could get knocked out and Mayweather will be thinking: “Pacquiao has knocked out a lot of guys.”

Mayweather is a defensive genius. But he's not an offensive machine. So I think Pacquiao will win. He's smart and he's the underdog - he'll feel the crowd pulling for him. I've got a feeling he can win it by one round.

"

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

The biggest challenge for Pacquiao is getting through that defence initially. The American is so adept at nullifying his opponents' best attacking qualities, with his shoulder rolls, timely clinches and lightning-fast counter-punches. Subsequently, it goes without saying that Manny can’t be erratic in his forays forward.

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But with 57 professional wins under his belt, the eight-weight world champion has even more experience to draw upon than his illustrious opponent. The Filipino is not naive enough to come flying out of the traps with the same aggression as he would do against any other opponent either; he’ll give Floyd the respect he deserves here.

As he can see here courtesy of his official Twitter feed, Manny seems extremely relaxed in the build-up to this bout, too:

By contrast, Mayweather has been pretty tense throughout the preparations. Granted, he doesn’t need to stir emotions ahead of this one, as the calibre of both men will ensure this fight sells itself. But you just wonder if the American is quite as cocksure about getting the better of Manny as he has been when faced with other, less formidable opponents.

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Nonetheless, Floyd has promised to enrapture the crowd in this one in an exclusive interview with AudioBoom:

While Manny has less to lose in this encounter, he can’t afford to come out with too much intensity. If he does tire late on, Mayweather will dissect him in brutal fashion, but controlled aggression at the opportune moments will see him put the American under the requisite pressure to win the majority of the early rounds and build a solid platform for a points victory.

Prediction: Pacquiao on Points