How To Bet On Boxing: A Comprehensive Guide

How To Bet On Boxing: A Comprehensive Guide

Boxing has a long history which stems back to prehistoric times.  However, it was a far cry from what we know today.

In the earlier days, boxing was incredibly brutal and with no regulations.  Fighters would bound their hands with leather straps and sometimes, gloves with metal studs on them to inflict pain.

As you can imagine, there were a lot of serious injuries and deaths in the early days.  In fact, some fights were staged to continue until one of the fighters was dead.

Obviously, as time marched on, the sport was too barbaric in the old format.  Enter the introduction of The Marquess of Queensbury Rules in 1867.

This was to be the turning point in the history of boxing and the welfare of boxers. The objective of the rules was to have one single code of conduct that would promote fair play, sportsmanship and safety. 

Included in those changes were the use of boxing gloves, timed rounds and a standard boxing ring.

This article will go through the types of bets available and how to place them and look at things to consider when placing bets on boxing contests.

Boxing Terminology

If you’re new to betting on boxing or even just boxing as a sport, there’s plenty of terminology that might not make sense.

Let’s cover off some of the more common terms you might hear:

Boxing Weights

In order to keep boxing matches fair, the fights are put into weight classes. There are 13 weight divisions for men’s boxing and 12 for women’s boxing.

Placing Boxing Bets

As with any sports betting, the amount of markets you can bet on is driven by the size of the event.  The bigger the boxing match, the more betting markets there will be.

Let’s have a look at some of the boxing bets available on an upcoming event:

Fight Winner

This is a single bet and is the least complicated bet you can place in boxing. You’re just betting on which boxer will win the fight irrespective of how that victory happens.

There are only two options when you place a win only bet in boxing, you pick boxer A or B. Make your selection to add it to your bet slip and then choose your stake and place the bet.

From there, you can drill down a little more with the type of victory or a drawn contest.  This market gives you five possible betting options that cover seven possibilities.

• By Knockout (KO), Technical Knockout (TKO) or Disqualification (DQ)

• By Decision or Technical Decision

• Draw or Technical Draw

The odds do increase as you are trying to predict how the fight was decided as opposed to who won.

As we move on, the bookies then split out the markets from their Fight Outcome markets and on to the individual method of victory.

You can choose for either boxer to win by a specific method or choose an individual to win by a method.  Trying to predict the method of victory for one fighter isn’t very easy which is why the bookies increase the odds for this market as you can see below:

Betting Over/Under Rounds

This market requires you to predict whether the fight will last over or under a specific amount of rounds.

For example, let’s say we bet on the fight lasting less than 4.5 rounds:

The above bet means in order to win the bet, the fight would need to be concluded before 1 minute and 30 seconds in the 5th round.

Betting On Rounds

Bet365 has a dedicated section for betting on the boxing rounds.

The most basic of round betting is predicting the round in which the fight will end. You will also have the option on whether you want to specify which fighter will win the fight in a specific round or you can use the ‘Either’ option so either fighter can do it.

After the initial option of betting on a specific round, you’re then presented with multiple options on different types of round bets. They are mainly grouped options of say round 1 to 2 or 1 to 3.

If you want to increase your chances, you can even pick a fighter or either fighter to win the match in the first or second half of the bout. 

Here’s an overview of the rounds betting markets available:

Knockdown Betting

Very similar to the rounds betting, punters get various options for betting on a knockdown during the fight. 

Again, these are allocated into different groups with each group offering a knockdown range of rounds.

In addition to the groups, you can also bet on ‘To Be Knocked Down and Win’ and ‘To Score a Knockdown’.

You can explore more knockdown markets if you choose to.  These include:

• Total Knockdowns Over/Under

• Total Knockdowns

• Total Fighter Knockdowns

Betting On Punches

To be honest, we thought the punches market might have featured in the main betting section.  After all, without any punches, nobody would win a boxing match.  Anyway, who are we to reason why.  

So, let’s have a look at what punch bets we can bet on.

• Most Punches Thrown

• Most Punches Landed

• Most Jabs Thrown

• Most Jabs Landed

• Most Power Punches Landed

• Most Power Punches Thrown

• Most Body Punches Landed

Bet Builder

More recently, the bookies have started to include Bet Builders in boxing events.  This effectively allows you to build your own type of accumulator bet.  

The betting markets in the bet builder are essentially a combination of all the boxing betting markets we have covered already and are usually made up from similar markets to the below:

Things To Consider When Placing A Bet On Boxing

Analysis of Fighters

Boxing Style

• Knowing how a boxer fights can indicate how they might fair. Some boxers are big hitters who go for the knockout while others are more defensive who prefer to counterpunch and land more regular blows to gain points.

Recent Performances

• Check how the fighter’s more recent fights have gone. Have they won easily or been struggling? A boxer on a good run is likely to be confident.

Opposition

• Don’t just rely on a boxer’s win record as they may have fought weak opponents.  Look at how good their previous opponents were. A boxer might struggle against an experienced boxer if they have only previously faced weak opposition.

Size Advantage

• Taller fighters tend to have a longer reach than their opponents.  This can be an advantage in keeping an opponent at a distance.  They might also have more leverage to land power punches.

Punch Resistance

• Some boxers have chins made of stone whilst others are known to have a glass jaw.  This can play a big part if one opponent is known for hitting hard.  You can also adapt this knowledge to betting on over/under bets on knockdowns and knockouts.

Weight Adjustments

• If a fighter loses quite a lot of weight before a fight, this can impact their usual style and strength along with stamina.  Injuries to boxers can also have a similar impact.

Betting Markets

Odds Movement

• Keep an eye on the odds can provide indicators to bettors.  A significant shift in odds could indicate some inside information has been leaked or a boxer’s picked up an injury.

Influence of Casual Bettors

• Punters who have a flutter for fun tend to bet on the favourites.  Whilst this reduces the odds on offer for the favourite, it can also provide value bets on the opponent with higher odds than they probably should be.

Compare Odds

• Be sure to shop around the different bookies to find the best odds for your bet on boxing.  Sites such as Oddschecker will compare odds across all the bookies for you.  Don’t just use odds comparison sites though as some bookies will offer bet boosts and promotions, especially on the bigger fights.
• Getting better odds can have a significant impact on long-term profits.  

Tips And Strategies For Betting On Boxing

Betting on boxing can add a layer of excitement to the event and shouldn’t be relied upon as income.

However, it would be naive to bet blindly and throw your money at the bookies. So, why not give yourself a better chance to bash the bookies.

Here’s some considerations to take on board when placing bets on boxing:

Manage Your Bankroll

• If you’re new to betting, keep your stakes low to start with. As you gain more experience, it’s worth keeping your stakes at between 1% and 5%. This alleviates the pressure if you hit a bad run.

• Make sure you choose a budget that you can afford to lose. You can’t guarantee profits.

• Never Chase Loses. This is very important. Don’t up the stakes to get any losses back. Set your budget and stick to it.

Don’t Ignore Underdogs

• Look for value bets on underdogs that have a solid defence. They might have a chance to get a decision.

• Consider if the underdog has any traits or skills that can exploit the favourite.

• If the underdog starts well or has a good round, consider doing in-play live bets.

In-Play Betting

• You don’t have to place your bets before the fight starts. You could wait and see how the first round or two goes.

• If the favourite is slow to get into their stride, the odds might increase in live betting markets.

• Keep an eye out for a boxer's stamina. Stoppages are possible later on in boxing matches.

Hedge Betting

• If you’ve already placed a bet on the boxing, an opportunity to hedge your bet might happen. This can mitigate against losses and possibly guarantee profits.

• Example: If you placed a bet on fighter A to win at 2/1 and he dominates in the early rounds, the opposition odds may lengthen. This could be an opportunity to bet a lower stake on fighter B at odds of 5/1.

Study Officials Traits

• Is the referee quick to stop fights or do they let things continue.

• Try to look at scorecards from previous fights to see if the judges are swayed by fighting styles.

• Some judges may prefer aggressive bit hitters to defensive boxers.

Consider Accumulator Bets

• Accumulator bets can offer much bigger payouts than single bets.

• Don’t add too many bets into your accumulator bet.

• Consider combining bet types. For example, a win bet combined with the method of victory.

Common Pitfalls To Avoid

Emotional Betting

• Don’t place bets based on your favourite fighter. Always analyse the statistics to back up your betting decisions.

Ignoring Boxing Styles

• These are the key to fighting success. A quick defensive boxer can outwit a big puncher. On the other hand, a powerful puncher could catch his opponent with one good hit.

Overlooking a Boxer’s Condition

• Boxers with poor conditioning can struggle later on in fights. This can make them vulnerable if the fight goes into the later rounds.

Ignoring the Venue

• Home advantage can play a huge part in a fight. The crowd can create a big noise to influence the judges.

Conclusion

Placing bets on boxing can provide excitement combined with profits if done correctly with research.

To give yourself the best chance of success you should understand the types of bets, analyse the competitors and apply the correct betting strategy.  This is good starting point to making informed decisions when betting on boxing.

Make sure you manage your bankroll effectively, avoid silly mistakes and keep up-to-date with any news about upcoming fights.

Whether you’re betting on champion fight or an undercard, the key is to research properly to make smarter betting decisions.