Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight predictions, best bets: Top picks to consider for massive showdown

One of the biggest fights of the year goes down this Saturday in Las Vegas when Saul "Canelo" Alvarez defends his undisputed super middleweight championship against former welterweight and junior welterweight undisputed champion Terence Crawford.

Crawford is jumping up two weight classes for the biggest opportunity of his career, facing a generational talent for undisputed gold on Netflix. Alvarez is looking to clear yet another challenge from an elite fighter and add to his already Hall of Fame-worthy resume.

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Crawford has fought just once since a 2023 beatdown of Errol Spence Jr. to become undisputed welterweight champion. He defeated Israil Madrimov in 2024 at junior middleweight in a performance that left fans wanting more from the pound-for-pound great. 

Alvarez has not exactly made fans happy in the last few years with his choice in opponents. The undisputed champ has faced the likes of unknown John Ryder, former junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo who moved up two weight classes, fellow countrymen Jaime Munguia, a fairly undeserving Edgar Berlanga and then William Scull as a mandatory to earn his IBF title back that he was stripped of. Now, he seems to be earning back some good will with taking on a fellow pound for pound great, but Crawford is also moving up (at least) two divisions as well. However, the images from the faceoffs might tell a different story as Crawford has looked as big, if not bigger, than Alvarez throughout the build to the fight.

The undercard features some solid fighters on the rise. Look no further than Callum Walsh, who features in the co-main event against Fernando Vargas Jr. Walsh has been the guy for Dana White and co. for a few years as his fights have aired exclusively on UFC Fight Pass. Now, he can showcase his skillset on a massive platform when he faces Vargas, who holds a 17-0 record. Plus, an interim super middleweight title bout is set for the undercard when Christian Mbilli puts his secondary WBC title on the line against Lester Martinez. The winner could become a mandatory challenger for the main event winner.

These are the kind of fights that grab the public's attention, and with that attention comes an interest at the sportsbooks. With that in mind, we're here to offer up our best picks heading into Saturday's megafight. We'll break down our choices for the best moneyline, prop and undercard bets to make.

Is it worth making a play on Crawford as the slight underdog? Will the fight go the distance? What's the best bet on the undercard action? Let's jump to our answers to those questions with odds via FanDuel, where new users get $300 in bonus bets with a winning $5 wager:

Best Canelo vs. Crawford moneyline bet

Likely the biggest question coming into this fight is simply whether Alvarez has it in him to fight like his old self, rather than the passive, disinterested fighter who showed up against William Scull. If Alvarez fights like "Canelo," we've all likely spent months overthinking the specifics. Crawford didn't look as powerful at junior middleweight as he had at welterweight and he's now moving up an additional two divisions to face a man with a rock-solid chin. If Alvarez is passive, Crawford can outwork him, but if Alvarez is keyed in and ready to fight, the current line is a bit of a steal. Pick: Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (-182)

Best Canelo vs. Crawford prop bet

This fight feels almost certain to go the distance. Both fighters have good chins, Crawford probably doesn't carry massive power up to 168 and Alvarez has gone seven fights without stopping an opponent. Fight to go the distance is currently sitting at -305, which might be a bit too wide to entice many people. However, both fighters have very solid lines to win by decision. Crawford by decision is +195 and Alvarez by decision is +132. For our pick here, we'll roll with Alvarez via decision, but if you're liking Crawford, you're better off taking him by decision at +195 than the moneyline at +135. Pick: Saul "Canelo" Alvarez via decision (+130)

Best Canelo vs. Crawford undercard bet

Calum Walsh battles Fernando Vargas Jr. ahead of Alvarez vs. Crawford. Walsh has gotten a major push from TKO, with the company backing him as a future superstar and likely a cornerstone piece of the eventual Zuffa Boxing project. Vargas is the son of former world champion Fernando Vargas. While neither man has been through the fire of stiff competition, Walsh has faced the better quality of lower-tier opposition, which is part of why he's -305 to win. Only five of their combined 31 professional fights have hit the scorecards. Between power in their punches and somewhat open styles that could result in some clean shots, we're liking the fight to hit the round under. Pick: Walsh vs. Vargas under 8.5 rounds (+130)

Who wins Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford and which method of victory prop could bring a massive return? Join SportsLine here to see which bets you need to make for the fight, all from the accomplished veteran combat sports analyst who has consistently delivered winners.