Canelo Alvarez vs. Miguel Cotto: Latest Odds, Betting Tips and Fight Prediction

A massive card was added to the autumn boxing calendar back in August when Miguel Cotto was slated to defend his WBC middleweight title against Canelo Alvarez on November 21 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

A hugely anticipated fight, it wraps up months of negotiations which have taken place behind the scenes between both parties to finalise the event. Now, all that remains is for each boxer to get up to speed before the big night arrives.

Let's take a brief look at the latest fight odds in the table below, which shows Alvarez as the early favourite:

Alvarez (4/9)	Cotto (28/11)	Draw (25/1)

Canelo Alvarez

A heavily fancied challenger, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez has plenty of high-profile backers ahead of the big fight.

Amir Khan is one such believer; he went on record to say the youngster could even do so by way of knockout, as reported by Miguel Rivera of BoxingScene.com: "I think it will be an exciting fight, but I clearly think Canelo will win, and I even see him winning by knockout. I don't think Cotto can deal with [the] youth, strength and speed of Canelo."

In truth, Khan's analysis is incredibly accurate. Quick on his feet and generous with his jabbing technique, Canelo will ruffle Cotto's feathers to no end. Need evidence of his imposing style? Check out the highlights of his recent victory over James Kirkland:

The 25-year-old Mexican from Guadalajara has recorded just one loss in his career to date, and that was against the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr, so it's clear the young gun has plenty of experience with winning on a consistent basis. That's something that should stand him in good stead next month.

As outlined by FightNights.com, he has recorded six knockouts (technical or otherwise) in his most recent 10 bouts. The man has serious power, and will come to head hunt in Vegas.

Miguel Cotto

Sport is a numbers game, and Cotto certainly doesn't have one very important figure on his side right now—his age. At 34, the Puerto Rican champ certainly isn't as young as he once was, and he arguably ceded a speed and power advantage to the challenger.

This article from Boxing News Online certainly landed a few knockout home truths about why Cotto might struggle against a younger opponent:

"

At 25 years old, Alvarez is almost a decade younger than his adversary. Now entering his peak years in the sport, there could not be a better time for “Canelo” to oppose Cotto. Saul’s superfight with Mayweather in 2013 seemingly came too early for the Juanacatlán idol, who was still developing on the big stage. Having learned invaluable lessons from his one and only defeat, Alvarez will feel supremely confident heading into his second truly elite-level encounter.

"

That hasn't stopped the reigning middleweight champion from sounding off about just how excited he is for the fight, per Robert Morales of the Long Beach Press-Telegram (via the Los Angeles Daily News): "This is a fight that I’ve been craving, I’ve been wanting," Cotto said.

Coming into the battle hot off a big win over Daniel Geale, he sent out a real message with a tremendous knockout, as evidenced by the highlights below:

It gives the impression Cotto might just have a few tricks up his sleeve to combat the speed and the confidence of Alvarez.

Fight Prediction and Betting Tips

It's difficult to ignore the combination of Alvarez's youth and near-flawless record. At 4/9, he's rightly favourite because he has all the necessary weaponry. Using his pace and superior movement around the ring, he should be able to evade Cotto's devastating left hooks.

Sure, Cotto (28/11) has more experience against different types of fighters, but the Mexican is fresher, more nimble and has even managed to convince a two-time world champion he will not only emerge victorious but will do so convincingly.

Expect an Alvarez win in devastating fashion.

Odds via Oddschecker.