How to Bet on Boxing – Boxing Betting Guide
dollarBetting Strategy Guide
Boxing

How to Bet on Boxing in 2025 – Boxing Betting Guide

Boxing used to be the most popular sport in the U.S., with the entire nation gambling heavily on the biggest fights.

While those days are over, boxing still has some appeal with the masses, especially when there is a major championship matchup. Boxing is now more of a niche sport, but that is fine with the sports betting community, especially sharps and pros.

If you take one piece of knowledge from this boxing betting guide (especially if you’re still learning how to bet on boxing), it should be that some of the most elite and sophisticated gamblers wager on “the sweet science.”

Since it is not a seasonal sport, boxing action is available year-round.

What Makes Boxing Betting Unique

While boxing has been corrupted with too many promotional organizations (the equivalent of sports leagues or college conferences), it still has some attractive traits that no other sport can match.

Initially, it is hard to top a boxing matchup of only two brave, tough, and fiercely competitive fighters. Boxing has several weight classes, and one of the great challenges is for boxers to “make weight” to be eligible to fight in their weight class.

Boxing can frustrate fans and gamblers with judging inconsistencies, which are often seen as biased, if not outright corrupt, in favor of the better-known fighter. Gamblers suspect that judges will factor in the most favorable outcome for a promotional organization. Yet, what sport doesn’t spark suspicions and conspiracy theories?

This is where boxing betting guides come into play: they can help you make the best predictions despite these inconsistencies.

Types of Boxing Bets

When learning how to bet on boxing, you can choose from the moneyline, method of victory, round betting, grouped round betting, over/under rounds betting, and live betting.

Moneyline Betting (Who Wins the Fight)

Boxing betting guides will always tell you that the moneyline is the easiest and simplest option when determining how to bet on a boxing match. With moneyline betting, gamblers can lay odds on the favorite or take odds on the underdog.

An example of a moneyline would be Floyd Mayweather -155 vs. Canelo Alvarez +125. Gamblers who think Mayweather will win the fight would bet $155 to win $100. On the other hand, gamblers who believe Alvarez will win the fight would bet $100 to win $125.

Method of Victory Betting

When you learn how to bet on boxing, an appealing wagering option is the method of victory or wagering on how the fight will end.

For example, you could take Tyson Fury to win by decision or technical decision at +250, Fury to win by knockout, technical knockout (TKO), or disqualification (DQ) at -300, Draw +2500, Oleksandr Usyk by decision or technical decision +400, or Usyk by knockout, technical knockout, or disqualification +600.

The methodology of victory betting is more specific, but it offers more options than pure moneyline betting. You can also get odds on a unanimous decision, a majority decision, and more.

Round Betting

With round betting, gamblers wager on the exact round that a fight will end. You can bet on the exact round the fight will end, with or without specifying who will win the fight.

If you add the winning fighter to what round the bout will end, your winnings will be larger than just betting on the round the fight ends without picking the winner.

Grouped Round Betting

When learning how to bet on boxing, you will notice an option called grouped round betting.

Boxing betting guides will tell you that the grouped round betting option has more margin for error than straight round betting. That is because with group round betting, you have different options for groups of rounds. Subsequently, you wager on which fighter will win those specific rounds.

In a bout between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder, your bet would be a grouped round bet on Fury or Wilder to win in rounds six through ten in a 12-round bout. With round betting, you can win more money with grouped round betting than with a straight money line wager.

Over/Under Rounds Betting

With over/under rounds betting, gamblers wager on whether the fight will last over or under a certain number of rounds.

An example would be our Fury vs. Usyk example. If you see an over/under 8.5, you will bet on whether the fight will end before or after 8.5 rounds. With this option, you should study the fighter’s past results to determine if their matchups tend to go over or under the number posted by the oddsmaker.

Fighting styles also play into how to bet on a boxing match in this manner.

Live Betting on Boxing

As with all other sports, you can place live bets on boxing.

This option, also known as in-fight betting, allows a gambler to wager on the fight as it happens. The odds constantly fluctuate during live betting, which offers the potential to change, hedge, or enhance your bet depending on how the fight unfolds.

You may discover that the heavy favorite you wagered on is out of shape or unable to match up effectively against his underdog opponent. Live betting offers the benefit of getting out of your original bet by taking the underdog live as the fight happens.

While live betting is a good option for a disciplined gambler, it is a potential trap for those who can’t resist the temptation of additional action at different prices. A good boxing betting strategy is to be prudent and selective with live betting.

Boxing Betting Strategies

The best boxing betting strategy is to learn the style of each boxer in a matchup. Some fighters are power-punching knockout artists, while others rely on endurance, finesse, and technique.

Past results are a great boxing betting guide for how fighters perform under various conditions and versus specific types of opponents.

Researching Fighters’ Styles and Records

It's easy to research fighters' styles and records. In fact, several online boxing betting guides offer past results, trends, recent and long-form, and other factors that you need to effectively prepare for how to bet on a boxing match.

If a fighter is up against a power-punching knockout artist, you should check to see how he has performed previously against similar types of boxers. Also, you can track endurance and how long a fight typically lasts with each boxer.

Such tools can give you confidence and an advantage when betting on boxing.

Weight Classes and Weight Cuts Matter

It is often asked why fighters of marginal differences in weight classes rarely fight. But on the rare occasion that such fights take place, the answer to the question is quickly revealed: there is a good reason why weight classes separate boxers and why the weight classes are rarely matched up against each other.

Along the same lines, it is difficult for a boxer to change weight classes by adding or cutting weight. Just a few pounds can completely alter a boxer’s ability and style. Weight cuts can adversely affect stamina and durability, which can make the difference in a fight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Less than 5% of all boxing matches end in a draw.

If a heavy favorite is struggling against an unknown underdog, conventional wisdom is that the underdog must knock out the favorite.

Otherwise, if the favorite can avoid a knockout loss, he could still win by decision based on favorable scores by judges who know that the promotional organization wants the bigger brand to prevail for future promotional matchups that will be easier to sell after a win by the chalk.

There are no locks or “sure things” in boxing. The most legendary upset of all time was when Buster Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson as a 42-1 underdog.

Before that fight, a Tyson loss was touted as impossible. Another huge upset was when Andy Ruiz defeated Anthony Joshua for the unified heavyweight championships in 2019. In fact, the flabby Ruiz was a fill-in for the matchup, making him between a 10-1 and 14-1 underdog depending on the sportsbook.

Josua was a popular lock favorite based on his reputation and athletic build compared to the chubby Ruiz. Yet Ruiz scored an “impossible” 7th-round technical knockout to clean out the masses in a huge payday.

If you are just learning how to bet on boxing, keep things simple.

Focus on fights where you can get the most information. Make smaller bets and avoid the more complex wagers until you are more knowledgeable, comfortable, and confident. Consult boxing betting guides for a better understanding of how boxers have performed in the past.

Those who successfully know how to bet on a boxing match do so with independent thought and the understanding that they are lifetime student of the sport. They also consult boxing betting guides to fill in the gaps.

Other Betting Guides
View Morearrow

Keep more winnings.
Bet with Reduced Juice.

Bet Smarter Now
arrow
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Bet at Prime Sports in New Jersey, Ohio & Kentucky
White Prime Sportsbook Logo