BOXING BETTING SITES

List of the Best Boxing Sportsbooks Online in May 2023

Boxing has experienced a resurgence in the last few years, with experts drawing similarities to the heydays of televised boxing, from the Ali era of the 60s and 70s to the Tyson era of the 80s and 90s. The curtain may have closed on the career of Floyd Mayweather, the self-proclaimed GOAT, but we now have the box office draws of Canelo Alvarez, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Terence Crawford, and Vasiliy Lomachenko, among others.

It’s a good time to be a boxing fan, and when you consider that we’re also living in the golden age of sports betting, it’s an even better time to be a boxing punter!

Casino Sports Betting

Boxing Betting Apps

The best sports betting sites can be accessed through your mobile device, allowing you to gamble on the go. Just make sure you protect your device and always connect to secure WIFI.

Popular Boxing Betting Trends

Boxing has undergone a few major changes in the last decade or so. It went from being stuck in the doldrums to experiencing a somewhat disappointing revival (Mayweather vs Pacquaio wasn’t what everyone expected) and then living through a modern golden age thanks to an explosion of middleweights and heavyweights. These days, most divisions are still flying, but we’ve also seen a move toward crossover fights (MMA and boxing), as well as celebrity contests. Everyone from influencers to strongmen is getting in on the act!

The Best Boxing Betting Odds

Boxing betting odds can vary from site to site as they are prepared by individual oddsmakers. Don’t assume that you’re always getting the best odds, even if that site has offered you great odds in the past. Shop around. Compare. Forget about loyalty—it’s all about placing the wagers that promise the biggest returns!

Heavyweight Boxing Betting

Heavyweight boxing limes are similar to the ones that exist across all boxing markets. The difference is that knockouts are more common. To accommodate this, many sportsbooks will run additional Over and Under lines covering every single round. You can also bet on the exact round that the fight will end.

KOs, TKOs, RTD, and More

There are many ways that a boxing fight can end and if you’re betting on boxing lines, you should learn them. For instance, a KO is a knockout—that’s pretty self-explanatory. A TKO or Technical Knockout is commonly confused with a KO but actually refers to a fight that has been ended by the referee for the fighter’s safety.

Boxing Betting Strategies

Boxing is an unpredictable sport. Even the best fighters at the top of their game can be beaten by a spirited performance or an excellent punch. Mike Tyson learned that the hard way against Buster Douglas and Anthony Joshua was also taught the same lesson by Andy Ruiz. This is a sport where betting strategies just don’t work.

What are the Rules in Boxing?

Before you start placing boxing bets or reading boxing betting strategies, you need to learn the basics.

Fortunately, boxing is a fairly easy sport to learn and most people have a rough idea of how it works. But there are some areas that cause confusion, areas that most non-boxing fans don’t understand and some casual fans haven’t learned.

These include:

Knockdown Rules

It’s often said that a knockdown is when the boxer hits the canvas. In actual fact, a knockdown occurs when any part of the boxer other than the feet touches the canvas. So, if they fall to a knee or support themselves with a glove, it can also be classed as a knockdown and the referee will start the count.

A knockdown can also be called if the fighter falls against the ropes and it’s determined that the ropes prevented a knockdown. This is at the discretion of the referee.

If the referee reaches the count of 10 and the fighter doesn’t make it to their feet, a knockout will be called.

Striking Rules

Boxers are not allowed to use the ropes to gain leverage. It’s why you won’t see them holding onto the ropes with one arm while swinging with the other. They’re also not allowed to hit behind the back of the hand, to slap with an open palm, or to strike below the belt.

If the referee sees any of these fouls, they will warn the fighter. In 1996, Andrew Golota faced off against Riddick Bowe. Golota was the underdog and was outperforming expectations, but he repeatedly punched his opponent below the belt despite warnings from the ref.

Eventually, Golota was disqualified and the fight was called for Bowe. 6 months later, the pair met again for a rematch and Golota repeated his fouls. For the second time, he lost by disqualification.

Scoring Rules

Fights are scored by three judges (or by the referee in shorter fights). These judges base their scores on everything from aggression to the number of punches landed and the power of those punches. They also factor knockdowns into the equation.

However, it’s not a computer game, and the winner isn’t the one who lands the most punches. Sometimes the winner isn’t even the best fighter on the night, as judges make mistakes. This is one of the reasons why boxing is so controversial and it seems like every year we have a major decision that goes the wrong way.

Fighters know this, and that’s why you’ll see many of them going for the knockout even though they are probably edging the scorecards. The only way to guarantee a win in this sport is to put your opponent on the canvas and make sure they stay there.

The Different Divisions

Boxing divisions are the things that confuse casual players the most.

In an ideal world, everyone would know who the best boxer is in any given division. When they fight and lose, that honor would pass to their opponent. That’s how it used to be…but things stopped being that simple a long time ago.

These days, there are many different federations and they all have their own title/belt and rankings. These sanctioning bodies are the ones that organize the rankings and order champions to face challengers.

There are four major sanctioning bodies in boxing:

• World Boxing Association (WBA)
• International Boxing Federation (IBF)
• World Boxing Council (WBC)
• World Boxing Organization (WBO)

Titles have also been awarded by The Ring (a boxing magazine) since 1922 and many boxing experts recognize these titles.

If a boxer holds two different belts, they are classified as a “Unified Champion”. If they own all four titles, they are declared the “Undisputed Champion”.

To make things even more confusing, the WBA has both a Regular Champion and a Super Champion. There are also many more titles at national and continental level, and these belts are usually collected by fighters on their way to becoming world champions.

How Can a Boxing Fight End?

To the uninitiated, boxing is all about who can knock out their opponent or get the nod from the judges. In reality, however, there are many ways that a fight can end and if you’re betting on Moneylines, Totals, or even Prop markets, you need to understand what these are and what the implications might be.

Knockout (KO)

A knockout occurs when a boxer is knocked down and doesn’t make it back to their feet following a count of 10. If the knockdown was bad and the fighter is unconscious or otherwise seriously hurt, the ref may stop the fight before or during the count.

Technical Knockout (TKO)

As noted at the top of this article, a TKO is distinct from a KO. It usually occurs when the referee stops the fight following a knockout or an onslaught. If the fighter is clearly not fully conscious or appears to have suffered serious damage, the ref will step in and wave their arms, thus signaling the end of the fight without a count.

If you’re betting on markets such as Rounds Over/Under and When Will the Fight End, TKOs are included. But if you’re betting specifically on a KO and the fight ends in a TKO, you will lose the bet.

Pay attention to those wagers!

Unanimous Decision (UD)

All three of the ringside judges scored the fight for one of the fighters, declaring them the winner and settling all Moneyline bets in their favor. This is one of the most common results in boxing and it’s included in “Decision” wagers, along with Split Decision and Majority Decision.

Split Decision (SD)

The judges are split on their decisions, such as when two judges call it for Fighter A and the other judge calls it for Fighter B.

Fighter A still wins, and it shouldn’t affect any major betting markets.

Majority Decision (MD)

Similar to a Split Decision, but with 2 wins and 1 draw. So, if two judges call it for Fighter A but one calls it a Draw, it’s a Majority Decision win for Fighter A.

Points (PTS)

A Points win is similar to a Unanimous Decision victory, but it’s called by the referee and not by three judges. The referee typically calls smaller fights of 8 rounds or less.

Retired (RTD)

Retired means that one of the fighters refused—or was unable—to get up from their stool at the start of the round. This bet can be problematic and confusing if you’re wagering on the Over/Under market, but the betting typically calls it for the round that just ended as opposed to the one that was about to start.

For instance, if you have Under 8.5 Rounds and Fighter A calls it quits at the end of Round 8, you should still win. Terms may vary, though, so you’ll need to check the betting site’s rules.

Technical Decision (TD)

A Technical Decision is declared when one of the fighters is called for an accidental foul and at least 4 rounds have passed. At this point, the fight will go to the scorecards and the result will be given to the fighter with the most points. See “No Contest” for what happens when four rounds have not passed.

Technical Draw (TD)

If the fight goes to the scorecards following an accidental foul and the judges have it as a draw, it will be marked as a Technical Draw.

This is where abbreviations can get a little complicated, as both Technical Decisions and Technical Draws use “TD”.

No Contest (NC) / No Decision (ND)

If an accidental foul has been committed and four rounds have not passed, the fight will end as a No Contest/No Decision. There are no winners here, and some bets will be void. Many sportsbooks will even void Over/Under bets, as well as Draw bets.

Draw (D)

A Draw occurs when all of the judges have marked the fight equally. This is a very rare occurrence, though, as judges are usually split with regard to their scoring.

Split Draw (SD)

Split Draws are more common than Draws and occur when one judge has it as a draw and the other two judges have called it for either fighter. So, if Judge A calls for Fighter A; Judge B calls for Fighter B, and Judge C calls a Draw, it will be marked as a Split Draw.

You will still win a Draw bet with a Split Draw.

Majority Draw (MD)

A Majority Draw occurs when one judge calls it for either fighter but the other two call it even. As a result, one of the fighters has been given the edge, but the majority has called a Draw and so that’s how it’s recorded.

You will still win a Draw bet with a Majority Draw.

Disqualification (DQ)

A Disqualification occurs when one of the fighters commits a foul. Oftentimes, the referee will warn a fighter when they first commit a foul and then call a Disqualification if they repeatedly infringe. However, if that foul results in serious damage and a knockout (rabbit punches, punching a fighter on their knees, etc.) a Disqualification may be called straight away.

One of the most famous Disqualifications came when Mike Tyson faced off against Evander Holyfield and was called for biting him. He actually got away with it the first time but continued to bite.

What are the Weights/Divisions in Boxing?

Boxing weight divisions are essentially a handicap system that prevents big fighters from facing off against much smaller ones. It requires all fighters to stay below the specified limits of their division.

The men’s professional weight divisions are as follows:

• Minimumweight/Strawweight, 105 Pounds (48 Kg)
  • Historic Champions: Sakkreerin, Vorapin
  • Modern Fighters: Taniguchi, Niyomtrong
• Light Flyweight, 108 Pounds (49 Kg)
  • Historic Champions: Penalosa
  • Modern Fighters: Kyoguchi, Gonzalez
• Flyweight, 112 Pounds (51 Kg)
  • Historic Champions: Wilde, Perez
  • Modern Fighters: Martinez, Dalakian
• Super Flyweight, 115 Pounds (52 Kg)
  • Historic Champions: Pical, Grey
  • Modern Fighters: Franco, Estrada
• Bantamweight, 118 Pounds (53.5 Kg)
  • Historic Champions: Olivares, Lora
  • Modern Fighters: Inoue
• Super Bantamweight, 122 Pounds (55 Kg)
  • Historic Champions: Gomez, Morales
  • Modern Fighters: Akhmadaliev
• Featherweight, 126 Pounds (57 Kg)
  • Historic Champions: Kilbane, Saddler
  • Modern Fighters: Leo Santa Cruz
• Super Featherweight, 130 Pounds (59 Kg)
  • Historic Champions: Elorde
  • Modern Fighters: Guiterrez, Ogawa, Valdez
• Lightweight, 135 Pounds (61 Kg)
  • Historic Champions: Ortiz, Jack
  • Modern Fighters: Lomachenko, Garcia, Haney, Lopez
• Super Lightweight/Light Welterweight, 140 Pounds (63.5 Kg)
  • Historic Champions: Cesar Chavez
  • Modern Fighters: Taylor
• Welterweight, 147 Pounds (67 Kg)
  • Historic Champions: Sugar Ray Leonard
  • Modern Fighters: Spence, Crawford
• Super Welterweight/Light Middleweight, 154 Pounds (70 Kg)
  • Historic Champions: Hearns
  • Modern Fighters: Charlo, Castano
• Middleweight, 160 Pounds (72.5 Kg)
  • Historic Champions: Sugar Ray Robinson
  • Modern Fighters: Golovkin, Andrade
• Super Middleweight, 168 Pounds (76 Kg)
  • Historic Champions: Roy Jones Jr.
  • Modern Champions: Alvarez
• Light Heavyweight, 175 Pounds (79 Kg)
  • Historic Champions: Bernard Hopkins
  • Modern Champions: Bivol, Beterbiev, Kolorov
• Cruiserweight, 200 Pounds (91 Kg)
  • Historic Champions: Holyfield
  • Modern Champions: Okolie, Makabu, Briedis
• Heavyweight, Unlimited:
  • Historic Champions: Ali, Foreman, Tyson
  • Modern Champions: Fury, Joshua, Usyk, Wilder

The divisions are different for Olympic boxing and for women’s boxing. For instance, Olympic boxing has a category for “Super Heavyweight” as well as “Heavyweight”, whereas both of these are essentially combined in professional boxing.

Before the fight, boxers will deprive themselves of food and water to lose as much weight as possible. This allows them to stay within the weight limits. Once they have been weighed, which occurs several days before the fight, they will eat, rehydrate, and add a few extra pounds onto the scale.

It’s a delicate balance and it’s one that allows them to stay as big and strong as possible while still meeting those weight targets.

A fight will likely still go ahead if a boxer fails to make weight, but in such cases, they may lose some of their purse and/or miss out on a chance to fight for the title. Missing weight is not necessarily the end of the world for a boxer, but it certainly causes problems for them.

What Are Boxing Betting Lines?

Boxing betting isn’t just about wagering on the fighter you think will win the fight. Sure, that’s an option, and we’ll talk about the pros and cons below, but there are many other boxing betting lines to consider.

These betting options include:

Moneyline

• Bet Summary: A Bet On One Of The Fighters To Win (Or On A Draw).
• Example of a Win: You bet on Fighter A to win. Fighter A gets a knockout in Round 2.
• Example of a Loss: You bet on Fighter A to win. Fighter A is knocked out in the first round.

The Moneyline is one of the most popular bets in any sport, but it’s not all that popular in boxing. If the fight is fairly even, punters are more than happy to opt for a Moneyline bet as the odds are fairly balanced and it makes sense. But oftentimes, boxing pits big favorites against big underdogs.

As a result, Moneyline bettors are often stuck between a high-risk bet on a fighter that has little chance of success and a big money wager that will return a very small payout.

We see similar things happen with basketball and football. The difference is that these sports have a Spread and this allows punters to apply a theoretical handicap and change the odds. There is no such system in place for boxing betting lines.

Instead, bettors will look to fine-tune their wager by opting for specific prop bet, including some of the ones mentioned below.

The good thing about Moneyline bets is that they don’t allow much room for ambiguity. It doesn’t matter whether your chosen fighter wins by KO, TKO, or UD—if they win then you collect.

The Draw is also part of the Moneyline bet and a Draw bet covers SD and MD (more on these above). Draws are very rare in boxing, so the odds are usually quite large. A Draw can occur when the fight goes the distance or when it’s stopped early and sent to the scorecards.

Total Rounds

• Bet Summary: Whether There Are More Or Fewer Rounds Than The Stated Amount.
• Example of a Win: You bet on “Under 8.5 Rounds”. Fighter A is knocked out in Round 7.
• Example of a Loss: You bet on “Under 8.5 Rounds”. Fighter A wins on points.

A Total Rounds bet is an Over/Under” wager. You’re betting on whether there will be more or fewer rounds.

For the “Under” option, a win is secured if there is a KO/TKO, disqualification, or retirement before the stated round. For the “Over”, it’s all about hoping that the fight goes as long as possible and that there are no knockout blows.

It doesn’t matter who wins or how they win, as long as the fight ends early or continues beyond the required round. As a result, this is a good bet for neutral punters who are convinced that the fight will end early or go long but don’t know which way it will swing.

Over/Under round bets in boxing are a little different from the bets used in MMA and other sports.

In MMA, if you bet on Under 2.5 Rounds and the fight ends in the latter half of the second round, you will lose the bet. MMA betting rules often take that half-round very literally and this can be frustrating and confusing for bettors.

In boxing, a half round is simply a way of avoiding a “Push”. If you have “Under 2.5 Rounds” and the fight ends in the second round, you’ll win. That’s true even if the fight ends with the very last punch of the round. In most cases, it’s also true if one of the fighters retires on their stool at the end of the round.

Round Betting

• Bet Summary: A Bet On The Exact Round That The Fight Will End.
• Example of a Win: You bet on the fight to end in Round 9. There is a knockout in Round 9.
• Example of a Loss: You bet on the fight to end in Round 9. It goes the distance.

If the Total Rounds bet is too general for you, try the Round Betting option. It’s a little more specific and means you can secure bigger odds.

Typically, you will see options for each round followed by each of the fighters and an “either” option.

For instance:

• Round 1: “Fighter A”. “Fighter B”. “Either Fighter”.
• Round 2: “Fighter A”. “Fighter B”. “Either Fighter”.
• Round 3: “Fighter A”. “Fighter B”. “Either Fighter”.
• And so on…

Some sportsbooks also offer something known as “Round Group Betting”. These bets task you with wagering on the specific round grouping in which the fight will end. For instance, you can wager that the fight will end in “Round 1 or 2” or “Rounds 1 to 3” as opposed to opting for individual bets on all of these rounds.

The betting odds won’t be as high as they would with individual round bets, but it means you’re covered for more possibilities.

Fight Outcome

• Bet Summary: A Bet On How The Fight Will End
• Example of a Win: You bet on Tyson Fury to win by a KO or TKO. Fury gets the KO in the 7^th round.
• Example of a Loss: You bet on Tyson Fury to win by a KO or TKO. Fury wins on points.

The Fight Outcome is one of the most specific bet options and it typically covers both the winning fighter and the method of their victory.

For instance:

• Fighter A to Win By
  • KO or TKO;
  • Disqualification, or
  • Decision or Technical Decision

If you’re looking for big boxing betting odds that don’t require you to wager on specific rounds, this is a good option.

Fight to Go the Distance

• Bet Summary: Whether Or Not The Fight Will Go The Distance
• Example of a Win: You bet on “Yes” and the fighters make it to the final bell.
• Example of a Loss: You bet on “Yes” and there is a knockout in the 5^th round.

This is a very simple bet as it all comes down to a simple question and a “Yes” or “No” answer.

“Yes” means that you think the fight will go the distance. “No” means you think the fight will end earlier than that.

“Going the distance” means that the final bell has sounded and the fight is sent to the judges. From this point, it doesn’t matter which fighter gets the win or even if it’s a Draw. As soon as that final bell sounds, the bet will settle.

Parlay and Futures Bets

As with other sports, boxing also has Parlay and Futures bets. However, these aren’t as common, nor are they as popular with punters.

Let’s start with Futures bet.

These bets allow you to wager on the outcome of a major event, as opposed to a single contest. In football, it’s the equivalent of betting on the winner of the Super Bowl at the start of the season as opposed to the winner of The Giants vs The Patriots.

That Super Bowl bet includes a lot of games and a lot of variables. This decreases the chance of it being successful but it also increases the odds. It means you can wager less and—potentially—win more.

With boxing betting, there is no Super Bowl, World Series, or World Cup, so it’s rare to find Futures bets.

They do exist though.

In the past, punters have been able to wager on events like the World Boxing Super Series, as well as Prizefighter competitions. Just like the Super Bowl, these events span a number of individual contests and last for several months.

They are rare though and you’ll be hard-pressed to find many of these bets in the United States.

One Futures bet that you will find is for the Olympics.

With Olympic boxing betting, you can wager on the fighters you think will win a Bronze, Silver, or Gold medal. You can also wager on individual fights.

Parlay bets are a little more common on boxing betting sites.

Parlay bets allow you to combine multiple wagers, increasing the odds with each additional bet.

In recent years, Parlay betting has been part of the most exciting boxing betting trends: packed Undercards.

Boxing undercard fights are used to prolong the night and to keep things interesting. Simply put, the biggest fight will be scheduled for the end of the night (the Main Event) and a series of smaller fights will be staged before.

As a bettor, it means you can add a bet from each fight to your Parlay, giving you much greater odds than if you were to make a series of single bets.