Top Boxing Betting Picks of the Week – May 2nd Edition

We have some huge boxing matchups coming this weekend, headlined by Gennady Golovkin squaring off with Vanes Martirosyan on Saturday night in California, as Golovkin sees to defend his WBA/WBC middleweight title. Also on that card is a bout between Cecilia Braekhus and Kali Reis, with Braekhus defending her WBA/WBC/WBO/IBF women’s welterweight belts. You can catch both of those bouts on HBO. Across the pond on Saturday, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Paul Butler will square off for the vacant IBF bantamweight title. Check out our boxing betting preview for each of these three fights.

Top Boxing Betting Picks of the Week – May 2nd Edition

Gennady Golovkin vs Vanes Martirosyan (Saturday, May 5, HBO)

The four-fight card culminating with Golovkin and Martirosyan kicks off at 11:00pm Eastern time. Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KO) last fought in September, when he and Canelo Alvarez fought to a controversial draw. The two had a rematch scheduled for Saturday, but Alvarez tested positive for PEDs, and Martirosyan was entered as the substitute opponent (this is why Golovkin’s IBF belt is not up for grabs, as the IBF has refused to certify Martirosyan as an opponent). Golovkin brings huge punches, as his knockout rate shows, and he has a 70-inch reach. However, his last two bouts have gone to the cards — which could mean that he is slowing down. Golovkin’s style is to bring pressure and push his opponent into errors so that he can bring the knockout punch. He has underrated hand speed and solid footwork, but he eats a lot of punches. He does have an iron chin, but can he take an unknown opponent down? Martirosyan (36-3-1, 21 KO) has a 3-3 record in his last three bouts. He hasn’t fought since 2016, when he lost to Erislandy Lara. Martirosyan has lost in just about all of his signature bouts, including Lara as well as Demetrius Andrade and Jemell Charlo. Against mid-level competition, as his record shows, he has fought quite well. He has never faced an opponent on the level of Golovkin, though. His right hand is solid, and he does a good job of moving while he is punching, so it can be hard for his opponent to counter. He also has solid cardio, so he can last all the way to the cards without tiring. If he’s going to win, he will have to land a big blow early. Prediction: Golovkin wins by knockout.

Cecilia Braekhus vs Kali Reis (Saturday, May 5, HBO)

This bout for the unified women’s welterweight belt takes place just before Golovkin and Martirosyan square off. This will be the first women’s boxing match ever televised live on HBO. Reis (13-6-1, 4 KO) enters the bout as a decided underdog, but she has already tangled with some of the best boxers in her division. She has won a couple of world titles at the middleweight division and has fought all over the world. Reis is the bigger of the two fighters — but her record isn’t close to the 32-0 (9 KO) lifetime record that the Queen of Norway has posted. Some of Reis’ bouts have taken place against opponents two weight classes above hers, which explains some of the losses, but she is a scrappy, quick fighter who can land blows and earn points on the cards. Braekhus has successfully defended her belts 21 times in a row. She captured her first two titles in 2009, when she took a unanimous decision from Vinni Skovgaard, in just her 11th bout. She added the WBO title in 2010 by beating Victoria Cisneros and the IBF title in 2014 by taking down Ivana Habazin. Her popularity has grown to the point where Norway lifted a ban on professional boxing to allow her to fight on her adopted home soil. Prediction: Braekhus by decision

Emmanuel Rodriguez vs Paul Butler (Saturday, May 5)

Emmanuel Rodriguez (17-10, 12 KO) will fight Paul Butler (26-1, 14 KO) for the vacant IBF bantamweight title in London, at the O2 Arena, on Saturday. Rodriguez had been the mandatory challenger for Ryan Burnett’s world title, but Burnett relinquished the IBF belt, which allowed Butler to enter the bout — and try to reclaim a belt that had once been his. Butler won that belt in 2014 via split decision but never defended it. He went down to junior bantamweight to challenge for that title but took a knockout from Zolani Tete. Since then, Butler has won nine consecutive bouts. Rodriguez has fought most of his bouts in Puerto Rico, so this is his first time to fight in Europe. He has never fought anyone of Butler’s caliber. Both fighters have similar styles, attacking the body before moving up to take swings at the head. However, this could end up being a real awakening for Rodriguez. Prediction: Butler by decision