Boxing Bets – Stevenson Faces Valdez for Unified Title Saturday

On the whole, few boxers inspire the confidence of the Online Boxing Handicapping community like Shakur Stevenson does. Stevenson has never lost a fight in his professional career. At the age of 24, Stevenson is viewed as the next dominant super featherweight. On Saturday, Stevenson faces a potentially dangerous opponent in Oscar Valdez. In like manner to Stevenson, Valdez is undefeated in his professional career. This unified championship bout is one of the most highly anticipated matchups so far this year.

Fight Betting – Unified Super Featherweight Title Fight

On Saturday, April 30, 2022, Shakur Stevenson (17-0, 9 knockouts) will face Oscar Valdez (30-0, 23 knockouts) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Valdez will defend his World Boxing Council world super featherweight title belt. At the same time, Stevenson will defend his World Boxing Organization world super featherweight championship. Stevenson opened as a -600 Bet on Fights favorite, with Valdez as a +370 underdog. This bout is scheduled for 12 rounds and can be seen on ESPN and ESPN+.

Top boxing odds and picks can be accessed and made at SugarHouse.

Vegas Odds on Fight – Stevenson vs. Valdez Betting Overview

Oscar Valdez would be a heavy betting favorite against Shakur Stevenson in almost any other circumstance. Valdez is an undefeated champion with plenty of cache with the gambling public. But Shakur Stevenson is at an entirely different level. Valdez was never hyped in the way that Stevenson was. And Stevenson had a much quicker path to championship success.

Stevenson carries a heavy lay based on his resume of dominance and a championship belt. Many boxing fans saw him as “the next one,” and industry publications fed into that perception. Stevenson has been so dominant in the ring, which has added to his price tag. Oddsmakers know that Stevenson has become a public boxer, forcing them to raise the price on the champ to counter the Fight Odds run to the betting window for action on him. Although boxing sharps believe Stevenson is the better fighter in his matchup with Valdez, they hate the massive price tag.

Bargain hunters are giving Valdez a hard look as a potential quality underdog. The fact that Valdez is not nearly as popular with the public adds to his appeal.

Entering one of the most anticipated fights of the year, Stevenson believes he’s on the verge of the launchpad toward pay-per-view superstar status.

“Most definitely,” Stevenson said during a Zoom conference with the media. “I feel like this is a big fight. I’m taking a big risk fighting someone 30-0 who’s also a champion. I feel like depending on how I perform, the world’s gonna love me. I definitely can become a pay-per-view superstar. And I will become a pay-per-view superstar.”

When critics complained of a lack of thrills in Stevenson’s unanimous decision over Jeremiah Nakathila in June, he rallied back with a spectacular 10^th-round technical knockout win over Jamel Herring at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta to claim the WBO title in October.

Stevenson hasn’t yet shown the potential weaknesses of his game the way past aspiring stars such as Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, Gervonta Davis, and Teofimo Lopez have.

Stevenson frequently fields questions and comparisons to Floyd Mayweather Jr. because of his smoothness and overload of skill. The Herring fight demonstrated how much his emerging power is being folded into his resume.

“I don’t know how strong he was,” said Stevenson, comparing his current power to the power of a younger Mayweather. “That depends on who was looking at it. But I definitely got some power,” he added, “and I’m definitely a great fighter who could get these guys out of here.”

Getting Valdez, 31, out of the way would entail breaking down his undeniable toughness, which was used to dismantle Miguel Berchelt last February. If Stevenson manages to get past Valdez in another dominating performance, the best will be yet to come.

Fight Odds Vegas – Stevenson vs. Valdez Free Pick

Nobody likes to lay $600 to win $100, but that is the best choice in this matchup.

Every day through June, the Top boxing odds and picks can be accessed and made at SugarHouse.