With less than three weeks to go before their WBA welterweight unification bout on PPV, Manny Pacquiao has surged in the latest odds and is now listed as the favorite over Keith Thurman, per My Bookie. Previously, Thurman had been listed as a slight favorite, and then the gap dwindled a bit, and now the Filipino legend has surpassed him in the eyes of matchmakers.
Why the sudden movement in favor of Pacquiao?
Because of Pacquiao’s huge popularity, and the slight edge in the early odds in favor of Thurman, there was likely a good amount of money coming in on the former. That sort of action stimulates the market in the underdog’s favor, which in that situation was Pacquiao. Because the odds were close, to begin with, it’s likely enough to shift in Pacquiao’s favor?at least for now.
There are a number of possibilities, but don’t discredit the recent reports that suggest Pacquiao is having a spectacular camp. According to a report from Boxing Scene, Pacquiao has been “busting up” sparring partners. Pacquiao is also reportedly highly motivated by Thurman’s trash talk and his original underdog status.
Pacquiao has only been a betting underdog one time in the past 10 years, and that was against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2015. If you take a look at the image above and the one below, it is clear to see, the 40-year-old Filipino legend is ripped.
