Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury: How to Watch, Odds, & Picks (2/26)
This fight has been described as a 50-50 pick ’em in numerous places, but the odds-on favorite, according to the bookmakers, is American and former Disney star Jake Paul. Boxing purists have complained about the pay-per-view status, but Paul, and to a lesser extent, Fury, will expand the sport’s popularity this Saturday regardless of the critics.
In light of this, the enormous sum of money involved is justifiable. Paul will receive a guaranteed sum of £2.6 million and 65% of PPV revenues. The remaining PPV sales and £1.6 million will go to Fury, according to reports from SportsZion.
Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury: How to Watch, Odds, & Picks
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
When: Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023 (Saturday night), 1:30 AM EST
Where: Diriyah Arena, Riyad, Saudi Arabia
How to Watch: ESPN+ PPV
Cost: $49.99
Odds Preview
When this fight was finally booked, and the odds were set, both fighters were listed at nearly even, with -115 posted on both sides at faraway places and domestically. Since then, the action has mostly been on the more popular Paul, who currently resides in the -150 to -160 range across the board. Reaching as high as +160, we did see some buyback on Fury in the underdog role.
Prediction
Jake Paul (6-0-0, 4 KOs) vs. Tommy Fury (8-0-0, 4 KOs)
YouTube sensation Paul has defeated MMA fighters like Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley in his first six professional boxing matches. After eight competitive rounds, Paul, 26, defeated the experienced Silva by unanimous decision. When he faced the 47-year-old in October, he weighed just over 186 pounds and appeared formidable against the MMA legend.
Early on, he was hit with a few shots, but he was able to dodge them and stroll through them before buckling his opponent in the eighth. To put it mildly, the shot that struck Silva appeared suspicious, and conspiracy theories were rampant.
Fury will, without a doubt, be Paul’s finest opponent to date. However, Paul will pose the greatest threat to Fury’s nascent career, too. In April 2022, Fury, 23, easily dispatched Daniel Bocianski, who lacked the strength to pose a threat to the British fighter. With a massive right hand in the fifth round that nearly stopped his rangy opponent and knocked Bocianski to the ground twice, Fury nearly stopped the Pole.
Fury’s piston-like jab played a key role in the unanimous decision, but he carried his right-hand low, which Paul could exploit. For background, consider that three of Fury’s prior opponents, Callum Ide, Gennadij Krajevskij and Scott Williams, had never experienced victory in a fight.
Paul has eliminated veteran martial artists, but Fury has eliminated hopeless cases. The half-brother of Tyson Fury, who last weighed in at 175 pounds, is still a long way from winning a British championship, and a loss against Paul would put him out of luck.
Pick: Jake Paul (-150)
Whether you’re new to sports betting or a betting pro, our How To Bet and Sports Betting Strategy and Advice pages are for you. You can get started with our Sports Betting 101 Section — including 10 Sports Betting Tips for Beginners — or head to more advanced sports betting strategies — like Key Numbers When Betting Against the Spread — to learn more.
Prop Bet Analyzer: View top-rated props and historical prop performance by player >>
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts
Johnny is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Johnny, check out his free UFC picks newsletter and follow him @JohnnyCovers.