A pair of champions enter the ring when Anthony Joshua meets unbeaten Oleksandr Usyk for the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles on Saturday. The bout will be the main event at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Joshua enters the fight with a 24-1 record, including 22 wins by knockout. Usyk has not lost in 18 matches, which include 13 knockout victories.
The main card is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET with the headliners expected to reach the ring around 5:10 p.m. ET. Joshua is a -270 favorite (risk $270 to win $100), while Usyk is priced at +220 in the latest Joshua vs. Usyk odds from Caesars Sportsbook. The over-under for total rounds expected is set at 10.5. Before locking in any Usyk vs. Joshua picks, make sure you check out the boxing predictions from SportsLine combat sports analyst Brandon Wise.
Wise, who is the combat sports editor for CBS Sports, is an experienced boxing analyst. His strong 2021 boxing record includes nailing the outcome of the much-anticipated fight between Paul and Askren. Wise told SportsLine members to expect an early knockout from Paul (-170), who delivered with a first-round overhand right against the hapless Askren (+150), who visibly stumbled after taking the referee’s count. Anyone who has followed Wise’s combat sports picks has seen massive returns.
What’s more, Wise also has been on point with his UFC predictions. He called Israel Adesanya by decision at +140 and Brandon Moreno to win outright at +190 at UFC 263 earlier this summer.
Now, with Saturday’s showdown fast approaching, Wise has studied Joshua vs. Usyk from every angle, identified the best value in the boxing odds and released highly confident picks. You can head to SportsLine now to see all of his expert boxing picks.
Why you should back Joshua
Wise notes that this matchup could be the best heavyweight bout of the fall. Joshua, 31, retained his four belts last December when he knocked out Kubrat Pulev at 2:58 of the ninth round. He had dropped Pulev twice in the third round before ultimately ending the fight early. It was his first knockout win in over two years.
Joshua suffered his lone career loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. with a seventh-round TKO victory in June 2019 at Madison Square Garden. Six months later, however, Joshua got his rematch with Ruiz and, this time, went all 12 rounds. He earned a unanimous decision and regained the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles. Joshua had come into the fight nearly 10 pounds lighter than the night of his loss, and was in control most of the night.
Why you should back Usyk
Usyk has dominated the cruiserweight division since his first professional fight in September 2013, at age 26. He won all 16 bouts at that weight class before making the jump to heavyweight. On Oct. 12, 2019, he won his first heavyweight match when Chazz Witherspoon retired at the three minute mark in the seventh round. He followed that up with a 12-round unanimous decision victory over Derek Chisora last October, to win the WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight crown.
Throughout his career, Usyk has dominated opponents. His first nine bouts were won by knockout and just five of his fights since have gone the distance. He has knocked out five opponents in the fifth round or earlier. In his last match at cruiserweight to become the undisputed champion, Usyk earned a unanimous decision win over Murat Gassiev in July 2018 at Moscow’s Olympic Stadium.
How to make Joshua vs. Usyk picks
Wise likes the fight to go over 10.5 total rounds. He’s also made the call on which fighter wins, and has a strong prop pick that returns 3-1. You can see all of Wise’s expert picks and analysis at SportsLine.
Who wins Joshua vs. Usyk? And which prop is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see Brandon Wise’s best bets for Saturday, all from the CBS combat sports specialist who was all over Jake Paul’s win over Ben Askren earlier this year, and find out.
