How the public is betting Anthony Joshua vs. Kubrat Pulev

Anthony Joshua puts his WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles on the line Saturday when he squares off against 10th-ranked contender Kubrat Pulev. The fight takes place at SSE in Wembley, London. It will be broadcasted from the U.K. on Sky Sports Box Office PPV with the main card getting underway at 2:00 p.m. ET. The main event is expected to start sometime after 5 p.m.

This fight has been a long time coming. It was originally announced back in 2017, when Pulev was the No. 1 ranked contender. Following the announcement of this world title fight, a record-setting 70,000 tickets were sold. Unfortunately, news broke that Pulev had suffered a shoulder injury, which left the match up in the air. It was eventually canceled and rescheduled this year. It was scheduled for June before being postponed once again due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Up to 1,000 people will be able to attend the event under current restrictions.

Moneyline betting splits

The No. 1 ranked Anthony Joshua is favored in this fight at DraftKings Sportsbook, sitting at -1000 in the two-way market, while Pulev sits at +550. The betting public has leaned on Joshua to win, with 62 percent of handle and 79 percent of bets on the heavyweight champ. It’s worth noting however that Pulev’s odds of winning improved in the past few days, dropping from +600 to +550, while Joshua’s odds moved from -1250 to -1000. Pulev is still a long shot, but it would appear some late money could be coming in on the underdog.

Winning method betting splits

A Joshua win by points after 12 rounds sits at +350, while a Joshua KO, TKO or DQ sits at -305. Conversely, a Pulev win by points after 12 rounds sits at +2000, while a Pulev KO, TKO or DQ sits at +850. Odds for a tie are at +3300.

It is not surprising that the largest share of bets is on Joshua stopping Pulev. Joshua has 21 career knockouts in 23 victories, and 54 percent of bettors are backing him getting his 22nd knockout. However, the betting handle is split a little more evenly. The most money is on Joshua winning a decision, with 30 percent of total handle. After that, Joshua by stoppage is at 25 percent, Pulev by stoppage is at 24 percent, and a Pulev decision is at 19 percent. 3 percent of bettors and handle thinks we get a draw.

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