In the few days since Canelo Alvarez scored a slim majority decision victory vs. Gennady ?GGG? Golovkin on Saturday, there?s been plenty of discussion about whether the boxers should fight a third time. Alvarez said after the bout that if the fans want it, he was sure it would happen.
Now, we have opening betting odds for what would happen if they sign for yet another encounter, and this time, Alvarez would finally be the favorite.
According to odds released by Bovada, Alvarez would be a -130 favorite, meaning you?d have to bet $130 to win $100, in Alvarez-Golovkin III. Meanwhile, Golovkin is the slight underdog with 1/1 odds (the fight would have to occur in 2018 or 2019 for action).
It’s a contrast to what oddsmakers predicted for the first two fights. The first time they met, Golovkin was the -155 favorite entering the ring and Alvarez was the +125 underdog. After judges scored it a draw (even though most observers believe Golovkin actually won), Golovkin opened at nearly a 2/1 favorite when the second fight was signed.
Those odds tightened, and, when the first-round bell ran on Saturday, Golovkin was -160 and Alvarez was +130. Kevin Bradley, Bovada?s sportsbook manager, told Forbes that his team would ?be big GGG fans on fight night? because it had seen significant sharp action (wagers placed by respected or professional gamblers) and retail action (smaller wagers placed by non-professional gamblers) on Alvarez. Since gamblers presumably saw both fighters as equal, they likely put their money on Alvarez, the man who could make them the most money.
Turns out those gamblers would have been right. On Saturday, Alvarez displayed great adaptability, completely changing his tactics from the first fight, and showed that he?s truly a wonderful middleweight. Yes, most of the ringside media either scored it for Golovkin or called it a draw (I had it 116-112 for Golovkin). But the judges gave it to Alvarez, and that probably partially plays into the idea that he should be the favorite in a third bout.
