Pacquiao vs. Horn 2017: Final Odds and Predictions for Title Fight

Jeff Horn has the chance to etch his name into Australian sporting history on Sunday in his hometown of Brisbane, when he takes on boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.

Horn is the big underdog for the bout at the Suncorp Stadium despite having won 16 and drawn one of his 17 professional fights so far. That’s because the legendary Pacquiao, an eight-weight world champion, remains a supreme competitor, even at 38 years old.

Even for a man as experienced as Pacquiao, the fight will be a venture into the unknown, as he’s never fought Down Under in his distinguished professional career. The home-crowd favourite will be out to capitalise should there be any signs of hesitancy from the Filipino.

Here is a look at how the bookmakers are seeing this one on the brink of the opening bell and how this intriguing fight is likely to play out.

Odds

Result

Pacquiao win: 17-100

Horn win: 4-1

Odds are courtesy of OddsShark

Big Performance Expected from Pacquiao

PATRICK HAMILTON/Getty Images

After losing to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the biggest fight of his life, it’s been fascinating to watch the next steps in Pacquiao’s career.

The Filipino said he was going to hang up the gloves having completed—and won—the trilogy with Timothy Bradley Jr., although he was back in the ring again in November, putting on a clinic to dominate Jessie Vargas.

This bout isn’t one many pundits expected the great man to take, though. After all, while he’s the favourite, there’s a lot for the veteran to lose here.

The eight-weight world champion offered an insight into his preparations for the fight with this post on his Twitter account:

While this bout will not be shown on pay-per-view, there will be a big-fight feel when Pacquiao strides out at the Suncorp Stadium, with around 55,000 expected to be in attendance for this one. Still, this feels like a bout that will pave the way for some big showdowns in the final chapter of the Filipino’s fighting days.

Horn will feel he can capitalise if the great man isn’t focused on the occasion, especially with a home crowd behind him.

Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Per Boxing Kingdom, there have been some signs from Pacquiao that he may not be zoned in on the job at hand:

Horn is unbeaten, with 11 of his 16 wins having come inside the distance, and in what is surely set to be the biggest night of his career, the Australian should raise his game.

The clear challenge for Horn is fighting against an opponent who will represent a huge jump up in quality. So far, the 29-year-old has not beaten a world-class fighter, and Pacquiao will expose the flaws in his armoury with a lot more ruthlessness.

Still, Horn is confident he can secure what’d be a memorable victory against Pacman in what is being billed as the "Battle of Brisbane."

"All I've pictured for myself is my hand raised and that belt around my waist," he said in the buildup to the fight, per Ben Grounds of the MailOnline. "I’m not going to say I'm going to knock him out, but I can win this."

Chris Hyde/Getty Images

As noted by the Supersport Twitter account, it’s been a long time since Pacquiao knocked out one of his opponents:

Given Pacquiao doesn’t boast the power he once had, Horn will most likely look to be aggressive in the opening stages and seek to catch his illustrious opponent off guard. If the Filipino has been complacent in his preparation, it’ll likely show in those opening exchanges when Horn is fresh and the atmosphere is red-hot.

However, it’d be a huge surprise if a fighter as distinguished and professional as Pacquiao wasn’t focussed. He’ll see off an early flurry to come through and grab a comprehensive win on points.