Mayweather vs. Ortiz Odds: Mayweather's Payoff Not Enough to Justify Risk

Floyd Mayweather is favored to beat Victor Ortiz on Saturday night.

Honestly, he's not worth the risk.

Before you jump down my throat saying that Mayweather will win, know that I actually agree with that. That's just not the only thing to consider when placing a bet.

As it stands now, sportbet.com has Mayweather listed at +645. So, you would need to bet $645 to make a $100 profit.

When you do that, you're clearly risking a lot to receive not much more than getting your money back.

If you think that Mayweather is a lock to win and that you aren't risking much, think again. Only one of his last six fights didn't go to a decision. Additionally, he hasn’t had a fight in over a year.

Yes, only one of those decisions wasn't unanimous, but it does indicate that Mayweather is vulnerable to lose the fight.

What if the year long delay hurts him? What if Ortiz catches him with a flurry? Mayweather is a great defensive fighter, but these aren't impossible scenarios.

So again, it’s okay to be convinced that Mayweather will win. I don’t even disagree with that viewpoint.

Ortiz is a good fighter, but until someone beats Mayweather, I really can’t say that he will lose any fight.

But even if I absolutely knew that Mayweather would win this, I wouldn’t take that bet. Quite frankly, the spread is just too great.

On the other hand, if you’re interested in betting on the underdog, realize that Ortiz is at -855.

Now, even with a strong payoff, you shouldn’t make a bet on a guy that you don’t have confidence in. But if you want to bet on this fight and are trying to figure out which way to go, the underdog is a good way to go.

Actually, this is a fight that I would stay away from. If you must bet, go with the underdog. Otherwise, save your money and bet where you have a better chance at a payoff.