2020 Tokyo Olympics: Boxing Betting Guide & Analysis

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A couple of years ago, rumors swirled that the Olympics might end boxing competitions. To use a word from the software industry, boxing had become a legacy sport. But a massive outcry, and the rise in women’s boxing, has made boxing popular again. Anybody wishing to score dollars on Olympic boxing must understand how fighting for medals is different than boxing for title belts. We start our Olympic boxing primer with that in mind before talking about the boxers at the 2020 Tokyo Games who should stand on the podium.  Let’s jump right into action so you can bet against their Olympics Boxing odds.

2020 Tokyo Olympics – Boxing Odds – How to bet and win

• When: Friday, July 23 – Monday, August 9
• Where: Tokyo, Japan

Understand that amateur, Olympic Boxing, is different than pro boxing

Knowing the difference between Olympic Boxing and pro boxing is most important. Pro boxing happens from 4 rounds to 12 rounds. Championship bouts never happen at less than 8 rounds on the women’s side. 

Championship pro boxing matches never happen at less than 12 rounds on the men’s side. Pro boxers take their time in the early rounds because they want to save something in the tank for the later rounds.

In Olympic Boxing, each round lasts for 2 minutes and there are 4 rounds in each bout. The goal for the Olympic boxer is volume. They don’t try to set up opponents for a technical knockout or knockout victory. 

Since there are only 4 rounds and each round is 2 minutes long, Olympic boxers go right at each other and throw as many punches as possible to score points.  

Experience matters, but it may not matter as much as you think

Experienced boxers have an edge in an Olympic match, but experience doesn’t matter as much at the amateur level as it does at the pro level. Amateurs can learn the Olympic game much quicker than the pro game.

Also, the nature of Olympic Boxing makes a fast and furious sport. Again, think volume. So if a boxer doesn’t have much experience but has quicker hands than their opponent and has shown the ability to throw a massive volume of punches, that boxer might be worth a look.  

Look for under the radar boxers and, as always, back overlays before underlays

Also consider under the radar boxers as opposed to fighters that have gotten the most press. Top pros like Michael Conlan and Roy Jones Jr. have lost out on winning the gold medal. 

Mike Tyson didn’t even make the Olympic team. Oscar De La Hoya won a gold medal, but he wasn’t favored in his weight class. Upsets happen all the time in Olympic boxing. 

Boxing handicap advice

Start handicapping boxing matches by concentrating on fighters from two nations and one geographical area.  

Fighters from the Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and other countries that made up the former U.S.S.R have dominated the medal count in recent years. Some of those fighters, like Vasiliy Lomachenko and Dimitry Bivol, have become pro champions. 

Boxers from the United States have performed well in recent Olympics and World Championship competitions. So have boxers from Cuba. 

Start there. If the boxer you prefer is at an underlay number, though, consider backing the chalk’s opponent. Underlay and overlay betting rules apply no matter the matchup. 

I have read enough, I need to place my bet now. What to do?

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