Canelo Alvarez vs. Sergey Kovalev: Odds, TV Schedule, Live Stream, Predictions

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is on top of the boxing world, and he has been for a couple of years.

His $365 million dollar contract with DAZN is evidence of that. As are his world titles in three divisions and the legions of fans who will tune in to watch his fights, whether it's against a fellow great like Gennady Golovkin or cannon fodder like Rocky Fielding.

Rather than rest on his laurels, the 29-year-old is inventing new challenges for himself. After conquering the middleweight division, Alvarez (52-1-2, 35 KOs) is jumping two weight classes to light heavyweight, where he will take on Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs) on Saturday night for the WBO world title.

Alvarez appears determined to do everything he can in his prime years to establish himself as an all-time great. He's taking a big risk in moving up 15 pounds, but it's a calculated one. Kovalev is a star in his own right, bringing name recognition and a hard-hitting reputation to Saturday's clash in Las Vegas. But Kovalev is 36 and has shown signs of vulnerability in recent bouts with Anthony Yarde and Eleider Alvarez.

Kovalev is capable of delivering an upset in this one, but Alvarez is the favorite for good reason. Few boxers in any weight class can match his all-around technical brilliance.

Alvarez vs. Kovalev Fight Info

When: Saturday, Nov. 2 at 9 p.m. ET

Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas

Live stream: DAZN (subscription required)

TV: Sky Sports Action (UK only)

Odds: Alvarez -440 (bet $440 to win $100), Kovalev +350 (bet $100 to win $350)

Odds courtesy of Caesars and updated as of Saturday, Nov. 2 at 7 a.m. ET.

The odds are in Alvarez's favor, but they have been steadily drifting as the fight draws nearer. Kovalev's hope is that he can use his size and power to overwhelm Alvarez and knock him off whatever his game plan is. When Kovalev is at his best, his thumping jab sets the stage for him to rock his opponents with power shots.

Alvarez, however, has the tools to neutralize a great jab. Even though he has a shorter reach, Alvarez has incredible timing. If he can get a read on Kovalev's attack, he can conjure up counterpunches that might be more impressive to judges. Another advantage as a smaller, younger, slicker fighter is movement.

In his win over Daniel Jacobs in May, Alvarez's dizzying head movement proved nearly impossible for Jacobs to track, leaving him punching air constantly. Here's what that looks like:

If Alvarez gets in the ring and Kovalev's power stings more than he expected, one can imagine him boxing on the outside, using his quickness to break up Kovalev's offense while he dials up enough punches of his own to sway the judges.

Keeping the fight at a distance is an option for the Mexican, but it's not the one he's laid out for Saturday night. He sees himself taking the fight to Kovalev, targeting his body because "that's a weak point he has," per ESPN's Dan Rafael. If he's successful there, it's easy to see him slowly but surely eroding Kovalev's strength and willpower, allowing him to dominate the later rounds.

Kovalev will have to make Alvarez think twice about getting in so close, using whatever tools he has at his disposal: power, clinching and body shots. He's an accomplished fighter, and one could see him overpowering Alvarez if this fight had happened a few years earlier. But on Saturday, look for Alvarez to come up with a winning combination and wear down the big Russian late.

Prediction: Alvarez by late-round TKO.