Canelo Alvarez goes in search of yet another boxing title Saturday when he faces unbeaten champion Dmitry Bivol for the WBA light heavyweight title in a 12-round main event. The main fight card from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is set for 8 p.m. ET. Alvarez (57-1-2, 39 KOs) comes in fresh off unifying the super middleweight titles after he took the IBF crown from Caleb Plant last November to go with the three other major belts. Now, he's moving up in weight to face the versatile Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs), who has held some version of the WBA title since May 2016 and successfully defended the belt eight times. His last fight resulted in a unanimous decision over Umar Salamov in December.
Alvarez is a -550 favorite (risk $550 to win $100), while Bivol comes back at +400 in the latest Canelo Alvarez vs. Dmitry Bivol odds from Caesars Sportsbook. The over-under for total rounds completed is 10.5, with the over favored at -260 at the under listed at +220. Before making any Canelo vs. Bivol picks, make sure you check out the boxing predictions and betting advice from SportsLine analyst 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. He is coming off an impressive 2021 campaign that saw him hit numerous boxing selections in big-time matchups.
For example, he accurately predicted a stoppage victory between rounds No. 10 and 12 for Alvarez against Plant in their super middleweight unification bout. The proposition selection paid +450, and Wise also correctly called the fight to go over 9.5 rounds (-125) as Alvarez stopped Plant in Round 11. His strong 2021 campaign included calling Jamel Herring (+105) to upset Carl Frampton (-125) for the junior lightweight belt. Anyone who has followed Wise's combat sports picks has seen massive returns.
Now, with Saturday's light heavyweight title fight in sight, Wise has studied Canelo vs. Bivol from every angle and identified the best value in the boxing odds. You can only see his confident prop bets and money-line picks at SportsLine.
Canelo vs. Bivol previewAlvarez remains Ring Magazine's top fighter in its prestigious pound-for-pound rankings and the sport's most recognizable global superstar. Still just 31, he is in his physical prime and has stated that his goal is to leave the sport with an unmatched legacy.
To that end, he has consistently fought all mandatory challengers and sought out new challenges in the quest to enhance his resume. This is not the first time he has ventured up to light heavyweight to take on a sitting champion. In November 2019, he fought longtime former champion Sergey Kovalev for the WBO title and stopped Kovalev in the 11th round of what had been a competitive fight. Alvarez then vacated the title without defending it.
Alvarez is known for walking down and wearing down his opponents with volume and pinpoint accuracy before eventually taking them out. He could face a stylistic challenge against Bivol, who is known for his athleticism, footwork and strong fundamentals.
Bivol has gone six straight fights without a stoppage, but this doesn't necessarily mean he lacks power. He was once 13-0 with 11 knockouts for a stoppage rate of 85 percent. The drop off in finishes likely speaks more to the quality of his recent opponents such as Jean Pascal, who once held three of the four major titles.
Bivol beat Pascal by unanimous decision in November 2018 and perhaps the most impressive outing of his career came in March 2019 against Joe Smith Jr., who is the current WBO titleholder. The 31-year-old Russian fighter dominated most of the way and came close to stopping Smith on a couple of occasions before notching a lopsided decision victory.
How to make Canelo vs. Bivol picksWe can share that Wise likes the under 10.5 rounds at a price of +220 in the latest Caesars boxing odds. He's also locked in a money-line pick and a pair of prop picks, one of which returns around
