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Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin predictions and undercard boxing tips
- Anthony Joshua to win by decision – 6/5 with Unibet
- Exact method of victory – Anthony Joshua by unanimous decision – 15/8 with BetVictor
- Dmitry Bivol to beat Lyndon Arthur in rounds 5-6 – 10/1 with BoyleSports
Anthony Joshua risks his shot at a massive heavyweight showdown with Deontay Wilder next year when he goes up against Otto Wallin in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night.
AJ and Wilder are both on the bill for the ‘Day of Reckoning’ in Riyadh, one of the strongest overall cards we’ve ever seen, but it would have been even more special if they’d been facing each other.
The two men held different versions of the world heavyweight titles at the same time from April 2016 to June 2019 without ever getting in the ring together.
Now, without the titles draped around their shoulders, they each face one final hurdle on Saturday before potentially squaring off next year.
The boxing betting sites have both men as heavy favourites for their bouts this weekend, and we’ve got predictions for Wilder’s bout with Joseph Parker.
Wilder is expected to do the business, as is Joshua, and here are our Joshua vs Wallin predictions for Saturday’s showdown in Saudi Arabia.
Joshua’s struggles with knockouts
Once upon a time, Joshua was one of the fiercest punchers in the land and always ready to let his hands go and unleash a haymaker or two.
However, that version of the 2012 Olympic gold medalist appears to have been lost somewhere in the past.
It was in June 2019 when he lost to Andy Ruiz that the chances of a unification fight with Wilder all but ended.
But that wasn’t the only thing that seemed to disappear that night. The 34-year-old’s confidence has also been lost in New York ever since the first loss of his career in Madison Square Garden.
He lost to Ruiz after knocking the Mexican down because he left himself open to counter punching and ever since then he has all but refused to be left in the same position again. It’s therefore not a surprise to see betting sites have the decision as AJ’s best route to victory.
The losses to Oleksandr Usyk were a great example of the Brit struggling to let his hands go, and his game plan should have been to overpower the former cruiserweight.
Joshua only has two wins inside the distance in his last seven fights, against Kubrat Pulev and a late replacement Robert Helenius.
Even before the Ruiz defeat, he was showing his ability to win behind the jab against tricky opponents when defeating Joseph Parker.
Expect AJ to once again not take too many risks and let the judges decide that he’s done enough to get the win.
Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin Tip 1: Joshua to win by decision – 6/5 with Unibet
Wallin is no pushover
In an alternative universe, Otto Wallin could have been the lineal heavyweight champion,
The only defeat on Wallin’s record to date came against Tyson Fury, in between the Gypsy King’s first and second meetings with Wilder.
Fury won by unanimous decision but the Swedish heavyweight certainly made it a harder night than expected for the lineal champ.
The southpaw opened up a huge cut above the Brit’s right eye in the third round. In the sixth round, a doctor had to inspect it and allowed Fury to carry on.
Another doctor may have decided that he couldn’t have continued and waved it off. Who knows what that would have done for Wallin’s career.
Concocted scenarios aside, the 33-year-old did give Fury more trouble than anyone would have been expecting and it’s exactly why he shouldn’t be taken lightly this time around.
He’s an intriguing 10/3 underdog with betting apps to spring a surprise but we’re not allowing that to cloud our judgement on the result.
But there’s the potential that fight with Fury was his big chance and his performances since then don’t suggest he can defeat Joshua.
He’s only won one of his six fights since the Fury bout inside the distance and only edged out Murat Gassiev by split decision in his last outing.
The 33-year-old certainly isn’t cannon fodder, but nor should he be able to defeat a pragmatic Joshua, who has the class for a clean sweep of the judges’ scorecard.
Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin Tip 2: Exact method of victory – Joshua by unanimous decision – 15/8 with BetVictor
A brilliant undercard
You’ve got to hand it to Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren for coming together and putting on a great show from top to bottom.
There may not be many 50/50 fights to choose from but there are definitely some big names to look out for.
Few are bigger than light-heavyweight world champion Dimitry Bivol. The Russian is the fifth best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, according to Ring Magazine, and one of only two men to have defeated Canelo Alvarez.
Bivol comes up against Lyndon Arthur on Saturday night, with the Mancunian a massive 13/1 underdog for the win with new betting sites.
Bivol doesn’t tend to finish opponents and hasn’t done so since 2018, whilst Arthur has proved he’s a tough cookie to break.
However, a finish in the middle rounds seems very possible given the difference in class between the pair.
Dimitry Bivol vs Lyndon Arthur Tip: Bivol to win in rounds 5-6 - 10/1 with BoyleSports
Grab a free bet on Joshua vs Wallin
Saturday's card is one of the biggest the sport of boxing has seen for some time and bookmakers are ready to get involved via a range of price boosts and free bet offers.
For example, BoyleSports are offering new customers £20 in free bets and enhanced odds on Joshua and Wilder to win by KO, TKO or DQ, boosting the price from 2/1 to 3/1.
To claim BoyleSports' odds boost and free bets, which can be used on the Day of Reckoning action, customers will need to open an account, deposit £10 or more and then place a minimum £10 wager at odds or evens or better on any event on the sportsbook.
Before signing up for any bookmaker, make sure to thoroughly read the terms and conditions and remember to always gamble responsibly.
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Last Updated: 14th March 2024, 07:22 AM
