WBO Light Heavyweight Champion Joe Smith Jr. returns to the ring on Saturday night to defend his belt against Stephen Geffrard. Smith Jr. versus Geffrard highlights a night of terrific boxing action on ESPN and ESPN+, including Rosario versus Butler, Flores against Pinchuk, and Nova versus Encarnacion. Check out Boxing odds, analysis, and free picks for 4 of this weekend’s top boxing matches.
Boxing Betting Events for the Weekend: Saturday Night on ESPN
Top Rank Boxing: Smith Jr v Geffrard
- When: Saturday, Jan. 15
- Where: Turning Stone Resort Casino Event Center, Verona, NY
- TV / Streaming: ESPN / ESPN+
Omar Rosario -450 vs Raekwon Butler +325
- When: Saturday, Jan. 15
5-0 with 2 knockout wins, favored Omar Rosario faces the toughest test of his young career. Raekwon Butler has a 4-1 record.
Butler also has a couple of knockout victories. No doubt, Butler will fight hard. But although the underdog has a shot, Rosario is a couple of inches taller. The favorite will use his height and reach to keep Butler from getting close enough to score points. Give Rosario the victory.
Boxing Pick: Omar Rosario
Jose Mario Flores +450 vs Lyubomyr Pinchuk -900
- When: Saturday, Jan. 15
A heavyweight form Ukraine, Pinchuk has built a 13-2-1 record with 8 knockout victories. On Saturday, Pinchuk takes on a boxer he should dominate from the outset.
Jose Mario Flores hasn’t fought since 2019. It’s tough to find any info on Flores because most boxing sites believe he’s inactive. Flores lost his last bout, a fight against Joseph Williams. If the fight happened this past summer, Flores might be worth backing. But it happened so long ago that it’s difficult to believe Jose shows up with his best. Pinchuk should win this via TKO or KO.
Boxing Pick: Lyubomyr Pinchuk
Abraham Nova -2000 vs William Encarnacion +1000
- When: Saturday, Jan. 15
Encarnacion is a talented fighter. He has a very good 19-1 record with 15 knockout victories. Encarnacion hasn’t fought since 2020, though, which could be one of the reasons he’s such a big underdog.
The other reason he’s such a massive dog is because Abraham Nova is 20-0 with 14 knockout wins. Nova is also the bigger man, which means Encarnacion is up against it in this fight. That being written, Nova shouldn’t be more than a -1000 to -1500 favorite. We’ll side with the dog and hope he gets lucky.
Boxing Pick: William Encarnacion
Steve Geffrard +730 vs Joe Smith Jr. -1060 | WBO Light Heavyweight Title – 12 Rounds
- When: Saturday, Jan. 15
Joe Smith Jr. is a good fighter and he should win this, but Steve Geffrard offers odds that make him an attractive play. Geffrard also has a very good record.
In 20 bouts, the challenger has 18 wins and 2 losses. The last loss happened in 2013. 12 of Geffrard’s 18 wins happened via KO or TKO. The challenger is also very good at going to the body, which will serve him well in this.
Again, Smith Jr. should win. But Steve Geffrard is a puncher that offers overlay odds. The underdog is the play.
Boxing Pick: Steve Geffrard
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