Sports betting is extremely popular. You love the sport. And you love betting.

Sports betting is extremely popular. You love the sport. And you love betting. Boxing, maybe more than any other sport, particularly lends itself to the art of wagering. But to be successful, there are a few things any bettor should know especially when considering the sport of boxing. Boxing odds are a bit different from other sports. A household name for online sports betting, casino, and poker action, this multi-faceted website is a great choice for boxing bettors. The layout is slick, payouts are fast, and the big welcome bonus is easy to earn. Also, Bovada is welcoming of US bettors.

Boxing, maybe more than any other sport, particularly lends itself to the art of wagering.

But to be successful, there are a few things any bettor should know especially when considering the sport of boxing.

Boxing odds are a bit different from other sports.

We’ll explain those differences in this article and equip you with the know-how and some special tips to make you a confident boxing bettor.

Table of Contents

  • How Do You Read Boxing Odds?
  • Boxing Odds Explained: Minus (-) vs. Plus (+) Money Lines
  • How Do Odds Work in Boxing? Use the Odds to Determine Possibilities
  • How Does Boxing Betting Work? 5 Types of Boxing Bets
  • Beyond How Odds Work in Boxing: Other Factors to Consider When Placing a Wager
  • Now That You’re ‘In the Know,’ Place Your Boxing Bets Online With ZenSports

How Do You Read Boxing Odds?

Understanding money lines is an important first step to reading boxing odds.

Boxing odds are written in money lines rather than fighter odds because, in boxing, the odds aren’t always a whole number.

Boxing odds are written with plus (+) and minus (-) symbols, and to read boxing odds, you need to know what those symbols mean.

‘Money Line’ and Fighter Odds

Many would say that betting the money line is one of the easiest and simplest ways to bet in sports.

Here’s how simple it is — you place a bet, and if you pick the winner, the sportsbook will pay you the amount owed.

In boxing, money lines are simply another way to express fighter odds.

Let’s say you’re considering placing a bet and you see the money line +400.What does that actually mean?

It’s just another way to express the odds.

In this case, +400 means the odds are 4 to 1.

It’s as simple as that. Kinda.

The + and – signs are significant — we’ll explain in more detail below.

But for now, an example may suffice.

Let’s take the +400 mentioned above. This would be 4 to 1 for the underdog. If you bet $100, you would win $400.

However, let’s say you are looking at – 400. This means the favorite has 4 to 1 odds. You would have to bet $400 for every $100 you want to win.

Does this sound confusing? Keeping reading to clear things up.

Boxing Odds Explained: Minus (-) vs. Plus (+) Money Lines

You want to know how odds work in boxing.

Sports online betting boxing

Maybe you’re familiar with the lingo —

  • Laying money
  • Taking a price
  • “Pick ‘em” fights

But what do those terms really mean?

Before you put your money down, you’ll want to have a better understanding of the terms, what they mean, and how they express the odds.

Before looking at the details, a few basics you should know are:

  • The minus (-) refers to the favorite.
  • The plus (+) refers to the underdog.
  • The number with the (-) is the amount you have to bet to win $100.
  • The number with the (+) is what you win if you bet $100.

Even those who understand boxing betting well know the importance of using a proven system. Online betting with ZenSports is not only fast, it’s convenient. Everything is easily accessible with your phone from anywhere.

Not only that, ZenSports makes betting fun and simple. You have control of your bets and don’t have to deal with a bookmaker.

Try ZenSports today by clicking here.

Laying Money (-)

Now that you know the basics, let’s dig into the details.

As mentioned above, the (-) identifies the favorite and expresses the amount you must bet to win $100.

But what does the phrase “laying money” mean?

It simply means, that when you look at the two options (boxers, in this case), you will lay your money on the side of the favorite.

But laying money comes with a risk — betting more than what you will make if you win (concerning profit).

Let’s look at some examples again to make it clearer:

  • Let’s say the favorite goes up at -500 money line. The bettor who chooses this favorite would put up $500 to win $100. If this fighter wins, the bettor would win $100 and get their $500 back, thus risking 5 times more than he’ll win.
  • The same scenario above would be true with a lesser bet. Say the bettor lays down $50 on the favorite. If he wins, he’d win $10 — still risking $5 for every $1 in winnings.

Taking a Price (+)

Taking a price is a different situation than laying money, and taking a price identifies the underdog.

The term “taking a price” has to do with how much the bettor will have to pay to make a bet — putting a price on a bet.

One way to think about it is the opposite of laying money. For every dollar the bettor risks, they are going to profit in a greater proportion.

Sports Betting Boxing

Let’s look at another example to explain:

  • The bettor sees a +300 underdog. The “300” signifies to the bettor that if he bets $100 and the underdog wins, the bettor will profit $300, plus their original $100 bet.
  • Again, this scenario works with different amounts. This same bettor could bet $10, and if the underdog prevails, then the bettor would win $30. Again, the ratio determines the win amounts. Basically, in this case, for every dollar the bettor bets, he will profit $3 if the underdog wins — thus, the 3 to 1 ratio.

‘Pick-em’ Fights

What if there isn’t a clear favorite? What if the fighters are equally matched or one has only a slight advantage?

Ladbrokes Sports Betting Boxing

This occasionally happens, and in this case, both competitors will have a (-) before the price.

These scenarios are called “pick ‘em” fights and they might look something like this:

  • Fighter X – 110
  • Fighter Y -110 (The bettor would win $10 for an $11 bet.)

Or

  • Fighter X -120
  • Fighter Y -110

In either of these cases, the bettor will need to lay a price on both of the fighters and simply pick one to win.

Why bet on both?

Since there aren’t any real “odds”, this gives the sportsbook an opportunity to turn out an advantage.

How Do Odds Work in Boxing? Use the Odds to Determine Possibilities

Now that you know the basics of betting odds or more specifically, how odds work in boxing, it’s time to learn how to use that knowledge to make reasonable bets.

How can you use this information to know which competitor is the best bet — or which bet will deliver the best value?

In other words, which bet will deliver a payout better than you imagine it should?

Convert the Odds to Percentages

One way to determine value is to convert the odds to percentages.

This basically means that the bettor can convert the money line odds to a percentage of a chance to win and place the wager that way.

The bettor needs to answer the question, “Does Fighter X have a bigger chance of winning than Fighter Y?”

The best way to figure that out is to put some basic math skills to work and let the percentages — or chances of winning — speak for themselves.

When You Might Choose the Favorite to Win

Here’s how it works. (We’ll use odds that end in even percentages to make it straightforward.)

Let’s say Fighter X goes up at – 400. Remember, this represents a “to a dollar” bet. We could say that this fighter’s odds are 4 to 1 — if he wins, you’ll get paid 4 to 1.

However, to consider the odds as a percentage, we need to look at it this way: Fighter X has 5 out of 6 chances of winning. This converts to 80% (5 divided by 6 and then multiplied by 100).

So, should the bettor gamble on Fighter X?

Yes, as long as the bettor is confident that the favorite has more than an 80% chance of winning.

When You Might Choose the Underdog to Win

You can think about the underdog similarly.

If the underdog goes up at + 300, it does not mean that he has 1 out of 3 chances of winning. Rather, it means that he has 3 times the chances of losing.

Converting these odds to a percentage can help.

With +300 odds, we can say that this fighter has 1 out of 4 chances of winning. When we turn that into a percentage (1 divided by 4, then multiplied by 100), we see this fighter has a 25% chance of winning.

If the bettor believes that this fighter has more than a 25% chance of winning, then this might be a good bet.

In the end, whether the bettor is looking at the favorite or the underdog, if there isn’t a clear way for the fighter being considered to win, he may be better off avoiding the bet altogether.

How Does Boxing Betting Work? 5 Types of Boxing Bets

This question has a multifaceted answer.

There are several types of boxing bets, and taking a look at a few examples of each may help you determine where you are most comfortable.

#1: Money Line

As mentioned before, betting the money line could be considered the simplest and most straightforward type of bet.

Essentially, you are betting on the victor.

Who do you think will win based on the odds? Consider the following situation:

  • Fighter X goes up at – 600
  • Fighter Y goes up at + 400

The bettor may look at this setup and decide that Fighter X has a better chance of winning, and places his bet on the favorite.

#2: Number of Rounds (Over/Under)

Over/under betting is based not on who will win the match but on how many rounds the bettor thinks the match will last.

Boxing Betting App

Consider Fighters X and Y above, let’s say the book lists an over/under of 8.5 rounds:

  • over, – 600
  • under, + 400

If the bettor thinks the fight will last into the 9th round, he should choose the “over.”

On the other hand, if he thinks the fight will be stopped in the 8th round or before, he should take the “under.”

#3: Victory Betting

Victory betting deals with how the victor will win. Wins can be determined by:

  • Knockout – KO/Technical knockout – TKO
  • Points/decision
  • Submission
  • Disqualification

In our example above with Fighters X and Y, a bettor may wager on Fighter X KO/TKO. For the bettor to win the wager, Fighter X would have to win the fight with a knockout or technical knockout.

#4: Proposition Bets

Online Betting For Boxing

Proposition bets, or “special” bets, allow the bettor to bet on different features of a fight.

Some aspect the bettor may choose from are:

  • Knockouts
  • Knockdowns
  • Point deductions
  • Type of punch to land first
  • Duration of the fight
  • Decision of fight
  • Draw

#5: Scorecard Spread

Betting on scorecard spread concerns the difference in points fighters earn in a fight.

Points can be given for:

  • Winning by stoppage
  • Winning by decision
  • Draw

A spread between Fighters X and Y may look something like this:

  • Fighter X – 13.5
  • Fighter Y – 6.5

If Fighter X wins by 14 or more, the bettor wins his wager.

Beyond How Odds Work in Boxing: Other Factors to Consider When Placing a Wager

To end our discussion of how boxing odds work, it may be helpful to take a look at some other elements that may help a bettor make an informed wager.

Boxing
  • Styles of boxing – Consider how the boxing style of the fighter. Does he bounce around the ring? Does he jab hard? What is his style like compared to his competitor?
  • Fighting history – Who has the fighter competed against in the past? Have the fights been evenly matched? What level of competition has the fighter experienced before?
  • Tale of the tape – Looking at stats like height, weight, age, record, etc. can help the bettor see if there is a clear mismatch.
  • Physical shape – The bettor wants to place bets on fighters who are in good physical condition and are training consistently.

Now That You’re ‘In the Know,’ Place Your Boxing Bets Online With ZenSports

You now have a better idea of how odds work in boxing, and you’re reading to start betting.

ZenSports makes online betting easy and fast — and you can bet with anyone in the world.

Sports Bet Round Betting Boxing

What makes ZenSports the fastest and easiest way to bet online?

Sports Betting Boxing Line

  • You can deposit funds instantly using cryptocurrencies or fiat.
  • You’ll experience reduced betting fees compared to traditional bookmakers.
  • You can use our Sport Utility Token to get discounts, rewards, and bonuses.
  • There is no need for a centralized bookmaker.

Start betting from your phone today. Click here to get started.

Boxing Oddschecker

Boxing is second only to horse racing in terms of driving interest in sports betting, historically speaking. At the turn of the 20th century, boxing was the most popular sport in America, eclipsing even baseball. Title bouts featuring legendary fighters like Jack Johnson and Joe Louis could draw global radio audiences numbering nearly 100 million people. Betting on boxing in the early days ran almost entirely through mob bookies and was a lucrative business. Since those early days, betting on sports has evolved into something that millions of Americans do openly, and sportsbooks have moved out of the hands of the mob and into corporate enterprises.

Likewise, legal boxing betting has become something that would be totally unrecognizable to those bettors in the early 1900s. Sportsbooks can handle millions of dollars in bets on a single fight and can accept an expansive variety of different types of bets. The number of wagers ranges from prop bets discussing what round a fighter will drop to what method of victory will be rewarded. The sheer number of boxing wager types extends from the typical who will win, and this boxing betting guide will serve as the method to inform you.

Is Betting On Boxing Legal?

Boxing Betting Odds

Yes, betting on boxing is legal. Law varies from state to state regarding the legality of brick-and-mortar sportsbooks (i.e., casinos and racetracks that offer sports betting), as well as the availability of state-operated online betting platforms, but there are legal betting options for all players. The most popular options for most American bettors are online betting sites. All bet types offered by these offshore books— money line, round-by-round results, prop bets, and more—are available to all bettors in the United States who are 18 years of age or older. Gamblers will also realize how many boxing betting types are available at these locales.