Okay, most boxing experts and fans were expecting the Fury-Usyk fight here. Sadly, a large gash over Tyson Fury’s eye prevented that and the fight is now rescheduled for May 18th. On the bright side, Takuma Inoue will fight and defend his WBA Bantamweight belt next Saturday. Who will win in the Bantamweight Boxing Best Bets and come one step closer to going for more belts?
Numbers rumble in a little early, thanks to the premier online boxing betting sites.
Inoue is a good Junior Bantamweight Boxing Best Bets favorite. Let us be honest here. If you are expecting a knockout from the Japanese champion, those probabilities are pretty low. In 19 fights, the WBA belt holder has a mere four knockouts. That 22% KO rate remains one of the lowest you will see among most belt holders in any boxing division. It does not mean Inoue has no power. Simply, his fights often go the distance.
Yes, this is his opening defense of the WBA Bantamweight Title. Junto Nakatani (WBC Bantamweight Champion) fights on this card as well. It will be a great way to see another champion in the division. Hopefully some belts are unified in the Summer or early Fall. Nakatani would be the easiest fight to make if Inoue beats Ancajas as many expect him to.
The previous five fights of Inoue show why he is the favorite here. Yes, Inoue saw all his fights go to the scorecards and four went the distance. It works out to an average of 11.4 rounds per bout. Again, the 28-year old is Orthodox but does not quite have the savage punching power of his brother, Naoya. However, his ability in the squared circle to control fights is close to up there.
Simply, for Inoue, a decisive win here paves the way for a fight with Nakatani potentially. Bantamweight fans want to see the belts unified at some point in 2024 or 2025.
This bout highlights the Bantamweight division which carries a limit at 118 pounds. Inoue holds the ability to be far more consistent. One knows what they are getting. Now, Jerwin Ancajas is 32 and comes off a fight about eight months ago against Wilner Soto. So, the Bantamweight Boxing Best Bets expects a more technical bout early on February 24th. Could we be expecting an inevitable decision between Inoue and Ancajas?
Many still ask about that 10.5 Round prop. There lies this feeling that a knockout would almost be one of the more shocking results of 2024. We pointed out Inoue’s knockout rate and rounds per fight over the past 4+ years. The Japanese pugilist counts on the fight going longer. So,
ESPN PPV and Sky Sports do not expect more than maybe a flash knockdown here so keep an eye for some late prop action there. On the interim, the Over of 10.5 rounds only goes as low as -275. Shopping around got us that number and much like the Moneyline (-280 on BetOnline), these odds are not moving too much. Things get more feisty when it comes to winning method but not a lot of books had action on those yet.
With the Moneyline staying pretty status quo, the win by decision for Inoue graced our presence at a nice -150. That is a solid plan. Again, numbers favor the champion here and the decision can be unanimous or split.
Bantamweight Boxing Best Bets ask can Ancajas surprise Inoue here? Again, one of the few weaknesses Inoue has is his inability to finish opponents. He does have power but can occasionally get caught. Ancajas is two inches taller but Inoue should be able to get inside and move out as needed. The question is the temptation for Inoue to put on a show to impress Nakatani. Now, that might be the twist here.
Okay, the video kind of catches what we are talking about here. Inoue can get caught by a fighter with a 68% knockout rate. Yes, Ancajas has 34 wins and 23 have come by KO. He is ranked #9 by the WBA and #3 by the WBO. Again, Ancajas must catch Inoue early here. The more the Japanese fighter gets on his bike, the more he can set up his offense as the bout moves along
Alright, the chances he can outpoint Inoue are not great. The best chance for him is to knock down the champion and throw more power shots. This expects to leave Ancajas open at times and fatigue may factor in, but he will not win this fight moving around and outboxing Inoue. A win by knockout for Ancajas pays out at +1000.
What about other props for this bout early next Saturday morning? Never forget these prime online Vegas boxing odds. If a bettor keeps shopping around, some numbers should open up. Keep an eye on Inoue decision numbers and Ancajas knockout round props. Those could change between now and fight time.
This means to eye up those middle round knockout props. See what the grouped round betting market may offer come next week.
Bantamweight Boxing Best Bets side with Inoue by decision.
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