Former three-belt heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua returns to the boxing ring Friday to face former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in a 10-round main event. Their matchup tops the main card from the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The main event is set for 6 p.m. ET. Ngannou stunned the combat sports world last October in his professional boxing debut, when he pushed WBC champion Tyson Fury to the wire before suffering a disputed split-decision loss. Now, the former UFC champion faces another world-class opponent in Joshua, who is seeking his fourth consecutive victory following a loss to Oleksandr Usyk in August 2022 that saw him drop the WBO, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles.
Joshua is a -420 favorite (risk $420 to win $100), while Ngannou comes back at +320 in the latest Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou odds. The over/under for total rounds completed is 6.5, with both sides offered at -115. Before making any Francis Ngannou vs. Anthony Joshua picks, make sure you see the boxing predictions and betting advice from SportsLine combat expert Brandon Wise.
Wise, who is the combat sports editor for CBS Sports, is an experienced boxing and mixed martial arts analyst who has consistently provided winning selections for SportsLine members. For the past four years, he has hit numerous boxing selections in big-time matchups.
For example, just last week Wise called a win in Round 1 for Jake Paul (+200) against Ryan Bourland and also advised SportsLine members to take the Under 1.5 rounds (+120). Both bets connected when Paul scored a knockout toward the end of the first round. Anyone who has followed Wise’s combat sports picks has already seen massive returns.
Now, with Friday’s fight card approaching, Wise has studied the matchup from every angle and released confident picks for the fights. You can only see his picks and analysis at SportsLine.
Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou preview
Joshua (27-3, 24 KOs) was once considered a generational heavyweight talent, and he has had an outstanding career even if he has perhaps fallen short of the other-worldly expectations thrust upon him by some boxing observers.
Joshua, 34, turned pro in October 2013 and saw the first four years of his career marked by highlight-reel performances against unremarkable competition. Perhaps his defining early-career moment came when he defeated former longtime champion Wladimir Klitschko in April 2017 to win the WBA crown.
However, in June 2019, things took a turn for the worse when Joshua was on the short end of one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight history. He was stopped by unheralded prospect Andy Ruiz Jr., and, despite winning a lackluster decision in a rematch six months later, his stock as a star took a serious blow.
Joshua would later drop his three major heavyweight titles with a pair of losses to Usyk, though he fared better in their August 2022 rematch that saw Usyk win by split decision. Joshua has since won three fights against fading former contenders.
Ngannou (17-3 MMA, 0-1 boxing) was once considered one of the UFC’s biggest superstars, and is still widely heralded as the heaviest puncher to ever step into the Octagon. However, following numerous disputes with the promotion’s brass over his pay and marketing opportunities, he left the UFC following a defense of his title with a decision win over Ciryl Gane in January 2022.
The 37-year-old, Cameroon-born fighter eventually signed with the PFL but has yet to fight for the MMA promotion. His first combat action since leaving the UFC came in the boxing match against Fury, who had long promised Ngannou a boxing match for the purpose of showing respect to Ngannou’s impact in combat sports and presenting the former UFC champion with a hefty payday.
Ngannou was listed as at least a +1500 underdog at most betting outlets and was expected to be comically outmatched by a boxing world champion. Instead, Ngannou appeared prepared and poised, and his unconventional style gave Fury problems.
A clean left hook from Ngannou in the third round floored Fury before a stunned crowd, and the fight outcome was in doubt by the final bell. Although the judges gave Fury the nod, Ngannou had earned the respect of the boxing world and other fight offers quickly poured in. The matchup against Joshua was announced soon thereafter. See who to pick here.
How to make Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou picks
Wise likes the over 6.5 rounds at a price of -115. He also locked in a pair of confident prop picks that each return around +400. He’s only sharing his picks and analysis at SportsLine.
Who wins Francis Ngannou vs. Anthony Joshua, and which props paying around +400 should you be all over? Visit SportsLine now to see Brandon Wise’s best bets for Friday, all from the CBS combat sports specialist who just called Jake Paul’s first-round win, and find out.
