Pacquiao's Return May Be Disrupted by Barrios According to Betting Odds
Mario Barrios and Manny Pacquiao are set to square off in a highly anticipated welterweight title match on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Despite Pacquiao's age of 46, he has shown impressive form in his recent training and early rounds of the fight, giving him a strong chance against the younger Barrios.
Barrios, who holds a professional record of 29-2-1, has only two losses on his record, against Gervonta Davis and Keith Thurman. His last fight ended in a draw against Abel Ramos, which saw him retain the welterweight title.
Pacquiao, an eight-division world champion, has lost five of his last thirteen bouts. However, his performance in the early rounds of the upcoming match showed a version closer to his prime. His quick offense, trademark left hand penetrating Barrios' guard, and effective combinations demonstrated his retained skill and timing.
Barrios noted Pacquiao's endurance as "crazy," highlighting that he was still "strong as hell" and difficult to figure out given his awkward fighting style. Pacquiao outlanded Barrios in power punches (81 to 75), although Barrios outlanded him in jabs (45 to 20). The fight being a majority draw indicated Pacquiao’s competitiveness was strong enough to keep the outcome extremely close and gave him a credible chance to win.
Legal sports betting sites favour Barrios to defeat Pacquiao. Bettors should lean towards Barrios by decision at +200 for the best odds. Outside of a decision, the shortest odds are for Barrios to win by stoppage in the 8th or 9th round at +1200. Pacquiao has no lower than +4000 odds to win via stoppage in any round.
The most likely outcome according to round betting is a win for Barrios by decision at +200, followed by Pacquiao by decision at +450. Boxing betting sites expect the fight to go the distance, with -145 odds for the fight to surpass 10.5 of the 12 possible rounds.
It's worth noting that Barrios has not recorded a knockout in five years, and Pacquiao has been knocked out just three times in his professional career. Pacquiao's last match was a loss to Yordenis Ugas by unanimous decision.
Drew Gniadek, a student at Florida State University originally from Massachusetts, is a die-hard Celtics fan and also enjoys football and baseball. Gniadek, who has a background playing basketball, including both for the high school varsity team and pool basketball with his friends, is eagerly awaiting the match.
While many would like to see Pacquiao win in his return and break his own record for the oldest fighter to ever hold the welterweight title, it is hard to imagine him doing so with such a significant age difference.
[1] ESPN.com, "Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios: Live results, round-by-round coverage," accessed 15th August 2023. [2] BoxingScene.com, "Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios: Odds, predictions, betting lines," accessed 15th August 2023. [3] Boxingscene.com, "Pacquiao-Barrios: The Breakdown," accessed 15th August 2023.
Sports betting sites predict that Barrios will defeat Pacquiao, offering the best odds of +200 for Barrios to win by decision. Bettors should also consider the odds of Barrios winning by stoppage in the 8th or 9th round at +1200. On the other hand, Pacquiao has no lower than +4000 odds to win via stoppage in any round.
