Betting Tip: Saul Alvarez by Descision or Technical Decision

Our boxing expert has picked out a 2pt selection for the fight, read the full preview here.

This fight pits two excellent proponents of two very different styles together, and it comes down to who can implement their game plan and impose their style over their opponent. This tipster is not set against Billy Joe Saunders the way others are, 5/1 is a generous price for an experienced boxer, who is slick, moves well and extremely talented. If you want to back him, the outright 5/1 looks a good price. Considering Canelo has gone 24 rounds with Golovkin and not been badly hurt, the 20/1 available on Saunders to stop Canelo looks big at first glance, but probably not one to pile into too enthusiastically. If you prefer to back the favourite then value needs to be hunted out a bit more. As mentioned earlier in the article, Alvarez often takes the first few rounds easy, to get a look at his opponent. He will then start to really find his range in the middle rounds; an early stoppage is therefore unlikely, especially against a very slick and awkward southpaw like Billy Joe Saunders. A late stoppage or points win for Canelo look like the best bets: Canelo in rounds 7-12 is 21/10, rounds 9-12 is 7/2 and a points win is 6/4. For everything you can say about Billy Joe Saunders, forget the controversy and even the talent, he is at the very least a very confident and arrogant fighter. He has buckets of self-belief and is evidently not just a skilled fighter but a hard and fearless one as well. He has what it takes to potentially upset the odds, but Canelo is currently the best of the best, and a decision win for the Mexican at 6/4 looks like a solid bet.

Alvarez by Decision or Technical Decision - 2pts