Boxing betting guide: Everything to know about how to bet on boxing

Boxing continues to be popular at the best sportsbooks, especially when there are championships on the line and big-name fighters on top cards. Top sportsbooks allow bettors to place wagers on all sorts of different boxing cards, including high-profile main events.

In this post, we break down everything there is to know about boxing betting, including how to bet on boxing, where to bet on boxing and much more. 

Finding the best US sportsbook for boxing betting

Here are some promotions available to new users at sportsbooks that take bets on boxing.

Before placing a wager on a boxing match, you must first find the right sportsbook. What helps bettors is they can sign up for multiple sportsbooks, allowing them to shop around for the best available odds and utilize new-user promotions so they can either use bonus bets to place boxing bets or get "bet insurance," which provides bonus bets back if their bet loses.

FanDuel and DraftKings are the two most popular sportsbooks in the United States and both are available in most states. FanDuel offers $150 in bonus bets to new users who sign up and win a first bet of $5 or more, while DraftKings gives $200 in bonus bets if a user's first bet wins. Another popular sportsbook, bet365, is offering a similar promotion with $200 in bonus bets after a first bet of $5 or more, and this sportsbook doesn't require your first bet to win.

BetMGM is another top sportsbook, and it's offering up to $1,500 in bonus bets if a user's first bet loses. If you sign up and place your first wager on a boxing match and your bet loses, you get your stake back in the form of bonus bets. 

Fanatics Sportsbook's offer is for 20+ $100 No Sweat Bets in FanCash for every football gameday through mid-October. You get your stake back in bonus bets if your first football bet of the day loses. Fanatics also offers boxing bets through its app.

As for Caesars, instead of bonus bets, the sportsbook offers profit boosts. If you sign up and bet at least $1 with your first bet, you get 20 100% profit boosts to potentially double your winnings for 20 bets, including on top boxing matches.

Again, you can sign up for every one of these sportsbooks should you please, which allows you to find the best odds to place your wagers. Different books have different odds, so find the best odds before placing a bet. Additionally, some books may offer different bonuses or special offers for bigger fights or main events.

Best boxing betting bouts: Upcoming schedule of the biggest fights

Boxing is available year round all over the world, so fights are available very often. Below is a quick snapshot of some of the biggest scheduled fights and events coming up.

• Oct. 25: Sebastian Fundora vs. Keith Thurman, WBC junior middleweight title

• Nov. 8: Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Erickson Lubin, WBC junior middleweight interim title

• Nov. 14: Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis

• Nov. 22: David Benavidez vs. Anthony Yarde, WBC light heavyweight title

• Nov. 22: Jesse Rodriguez vs. Fernando Daniel Martinez,  WBC junior bantamweight title and WBA junior bantamweight title

• Nov. 22: Abdullah Mason vs. Sam Noakes, WBO lightweight title

• Nov. 22: Brian Norman Jr. vs. Devin Haney, WBO welterweight title

• Nov. 22: Subriel Matias vs. Dalton Smith, WBC junior welterweight title

How boxing betting odds work

Betting on boxing isn't too dissimilar from betting on other sporting events. Odds come in money-line form with either a + or - in front of a number. With plus odds, that's how much a bettor would win in profit with a $100 bet. Minus odds is how much a bettor would wager for $100 profit. So -110 odds would mean a bettor has to wager $110 to win $100. Conversely, at +110 odds, a $100 bet would win $110 in profit.

Here's a quick rundown of how boxing odds work.

Money line/odds to win

This is the most simple form of boxing betting there is. When betting the money line, you are betting on which boxer you think will win the match. The favorite will typically have minus odds while an underdog would be plus odds. If one boxer is +150 and the other is -190, that means the -190 is favored while the +150 is the underdog. 

There is more profit if the underdog wins, but sportsbooks think that's the less likely outcome. Some fights have closer odds like the one described above, but some will have very wide gaps, such as one boxer being a -1000 favorite, for instance.

Round totals or over/under rounds

In addition to betting on the outright winner, bettors can wager on the total amount of rounds a fight will last. In a 12-round bout, for instance, a fight may have an over/under for total rounds set at 10.5. That means for an Under bettor to win, the fight would have to be decided in 10 rounds or fewer. An Over bettor would need the fight to go either 11 rounds, into the 12th round or all the way through the 12th round where the winner would be decided via judge decision. 

Both sides of an over/under have money-line odds attached, typically with one side favored over the other, though at times both sides will have the same or at least very similar odds.

Here's how money-line odds and round totals or over/under rounds may look at a sportsbook when betting over-unders.

Boxing prop betting

In addition to betting on the victor of the fight or the total number of rounds, boxing has a wide variety of prop bets that bettors can place wagers on. Here are some of the most popular boxing prop bets available at sportsbooks.

Method of victory props

Boxers can win their matches in a few different ways. Bettors can bet on whether a boxer will win via knockout, TKO or disqualification, all of which are typically lumped into one option, though some books allow bets to be made on the exact method of victory, so that would be betting on one of those specific outcomes rather than one of the three happening. Boxers can also win by decision or technical decision. Each bettor can choose those options for either competitor, and bettors can also wager on a potential draw, as well, which is when a bout goes the distance but judge scorecards wind up giving both boxers the same amount of points.

Fight props 

Here's a quick rundown of some popular fight props:

• Bettors can wager on whether a fight will go the distance, which means the fight lasts for the full duration and the result is decided by judges' decision. 

• Bettors can also wager on if a fight will not only go the distance, but that the winner will be decided by unanimous decision. Judges have scorecards they fill out throughout a fight, so in this situation, a winning wager would need all three judges to have the same fighter winning.

• There are also options for total knockdowns, a knockdown happening in a specific round, who has more knockdowns and more.

Round props

With fights having the potential to go many rounds, there are wagers that can be placed on the amount of rounds in a match. For instance, you could bet on which round will be the final round of the fight or "round of decision," whether a boxer will win a specific round on the scorecard and even if a fight will reach a certain round. 

Fight parlays

For bettors looking for longer odds, fight parlays are something to examine. With this, a bettor could combine both the method of victory and the round it happens. With this, you could bet on a boxer to win by knockout in the seventh round. The odds are long because you need two things to happen in order to win the bet, but the payouts are larger as a result, too.

Boxing parlays

Parlays are a popular form of sports betting, including in boxing. In a parlay, instead of placing multiple single wagers, bettors can combine bets onto one slip. The odds get longer here for a potentially larger payday, but a bettor needs every bet or "leg" to win in order for the parlay as a whole to cash out. If even just one leg fails, the whole slip loses. 

A popular parlay for boxing is combining multiple fight results from one event into a single slip. You could bet on different fight winners, the amount of rounds a fight goes or a combination of both. If all those bets or legs are correct, the parlay wins and the payday is larger than if each bet was an individual slip, but it's a riskier wager given one incorrect bet can sink the slip. 

Betting on Jake Paul fights

Boxing has a new mainstream star in Jake Paul, a former Vine star turned Disney actor turned boxing badboy. Paul ventured into the world of professional boxing back in 2020 and has amassed a career record of 12-1. Some of Paul's fights haven't been typical boxing bouts as he's fought former non-boxing pro athletes and retired mixed martial artists. He notably fought the legendary Mike Tyson in a highly-publicized bout back in November of 2024. 

Paul is a mainstream draw, which presents a lot of betting opportunities. Paul has been a bit of a lightning rod as he's grown famous, and many fans and bettors tune into his fights with the hope of seeing the former Vine star lose. Paul has typically been favored in his boxing bouts, so those betting against him have more often than not come up on the losing end of their bet slips.

His fight against a then-58-year-old Tyson, for instance, saw the former heavyweight champ as an underdog, with fans and bettors supporting him as an underdog against Paul, but Paul won via unanimous decision.

Paul's next fight is scheduled for Nov. 14 against Gervonta "Tank" Davis in Atlanta. The event will stream exclusively on Netflix. 

Boxing betting strategy

There are a lot of different boxing betting strategies to consider before placing bets. Here are a few that bettors should know.

Fighter style

For those who have experience watching boxing, you may consider each fighter's style and tactics. Some fighters are more defensive than others and thus their fights are more likely to go the distance. Others are more aggressive, meaning there could be a knockout earlier in a fight, or they run out of gas late and open themselves up to being knocked down or knocked out later in a fight. 

Keep track of records and results 

Records, naturally, come into play, too. If one boxer is undefeated, they may be seen as a favorite. Additionally, there are trends to follow, such as recent records or if a fighter has been getting knocked down or landing less punches in recent fights than they used to.

Common opponents

Many boxers in the same weight class face off against common opponents, which some bettors use to decide who will win a fight. If Fighter A beat Fighter B and Fighter B defeated Fighter C, then it can be argued that Fighter A should beat Fighter C in a matchup. Boxing is hardly that simple, though, due to factors like fighting styles and whatnot, but some bettors do lean on transitive property. If that information is available, make sure to do more research than just backing Fighter A because he beat Fighter B. 

Injuries

Wear and tear is a real thing in boxing, and that causes multiple factors to be aware of. A boxer may have suffered an injury that either lingers to their next fight or causes an extended layoff. Some fighters may have more time to train and recover than their opponent. Even age is something to consider since a younger fighter, while likely less experienced, has had to take fewer punches than their opponent, which could give them a physical edge.

Tale of the tape

And, of course, there's the tale of the tape. Boxers will be in the same weight class for a fight, but that doesn't mean they'll weigh the same, so a heavier fighter could have more power behind their punches, but at the same time, being heavier could cause them to have less endurance because they carry more weight. 

Additionally, length/reach is a big part of fighting. A boxer with longer arms has a longer reach, meaning they can land punches from farther away. Their opponent has to try and close the distance to land punches, which can open themselves up to bigger blows.  

There's no one "right" way to approach betting on boxing. Weight all the different factors and information available in addition to available odds before placing any wagers of your own.

Live boxing betting

Like with other top sports, live betting on boxing is very popular. Lines move during fights, so if you didn't place a wager before a fight begins, you can place one during the match if you find odds that you like. For instance, if a fighter who was a heavy favorite doesn't look as great to start a match, their odds may get longer. Additionally, if a fight that many expected to go the distance is actually more of a fast-paced slugfest early on, the odds for total rounds may change to reflect the fight's style. Odds change between rounds, so if you're looking to jump on certain odds for different markets, make sure to act fast.

FAQ

How do you bet on boxing?

To bet on boxing, sign up with one of the best boxing betting apps, find the fight you wish to place a wager on and then pick the specific bet type you want to wager on. 

What is a 5-way boxing bet?

In boxing betting, a 5-way bet refers to betting on these five outcomes of a match: draw, technical draw, KO, TKO or technical decision.

Does FanDuel offer bets on boxing?

Yes, FanDuel is one of many sportsbooks that offers boxing betting. 

Where is the best place to bet on boxing?

Sportsbooks such as DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, Fanatics and bet365 all take bets on top boxing matches and events and are some of the best places to place boxing bets.

How do you determine a win in boxing?

A win in boxing comes either by knockout, technical knockout, disqualification or judge decision.