Three of the four major heavyweight belts are at stake Saturday when champion Oleksandr Usyk defends the titles against former champion Anthony Joshua in one of the most anticipated boxing rematches of 2022. The 12-round main event closes the curtain on the pay-per-view main card (noon ET) from King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Last September, Usyk stunned most boxing observers when he dominated Joshua in a 12-round decision to win the belts in just his third fight as a heavyweight. He had previously become a unified champion in the cruiserweight division. The mercurial Joshua suffered the second major upset loss of his career but can return to the top of the sport should he prevail in Saturday’s rematch.
Usyk is listed as a -200 favorite (risk $200 to win $100), while Joshua comes back at +170 in the latest Usyk vs. Joshua II odds at Caesars Sportsbook. The over/under for total rounds completed is 10.5, with the over favored at -140 and the under priced at +120. Before settling any Usyk vs. Joshua II picks, make sure you see the boxing predictions and betting advice from SportsLine combat 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. For the past two years, he has hit numerous boxing selections in big-time matchups.
For instance, Wise called for Gervonta Davis to win in Rounds 1-6 (-110) against Rolando Romero for the WBA regular lightweight title in May. Davis scored a sixth-round stoppage to give Wise’s followers another winner, and the under 6.5 rounds (-130) that Wise predicted also connected. Moreover, last November he predicted a stoppage victory between rounds No. 10 and 12 for Canelo Alvarez against Caleb Plant in their super middleweight unification bout. The proposition wager paid +450 and Alvarez stopped Plant in Round 11. Anyone who has followed Wise’s combat sports picks has seen massive returns.
Now, with Saturday’s anticipated rematch in sight, Wise has studied Usyk vs. Joshua II from every angle and identified the best value in the boxing odds. You can see his confident proposition and money-line picks at SportsLine.
Joshua vs. Usyk preview
The first meeting between Usyk and Joshua was basically the byproduct of a failed meeting between Joshua and WBC champion Tyson Fury that was widely considered the biggest fight available in the heavyweight division. But an arbitrator ruled that Fury had to honor his contractual obligation to give Deontay Wilder a trilogy match, so that fight was booked and Joshua vs. Fury was put on an indefinite hold.
Usyk made that matchup even more unlikely when he stepped in and dominated Joshua over the course of 12 rounds to win the WBO, WBA and IBF versions of the belt. Fury recently announced his retirement following a successful defense against Dillian Whyte in April, but few boxing observers believe the WBC champ is hanging up his gloves for good.
In the meantime, Usyk (19-0) can cement his status as the division’s biggest active star should he sweep his rivalry against Joshua (24-2), a one-time prodigy who is now considered an enigma of sorts.
Joshua was largely viewed as perhaps a generational talent early in his career, but he was eventually criticized for a soft strength of schedule that was attributed to his management’s hesitance to put him at risk.
He beat a fading Wladimir Klitschko in April 2017 to win the three belts and defended them three times before facing Andy Ruiz Jr. in June 2019. Joshua appeared indifferent and unfocused before he was stopped in the seventh round in one of the biggest upsets in the division’s history.
The 32-year-old British fighter avenged that loss with a workmanlike but unspectacular decision over Ruiz five months later, but again appeared unprepared when he met an inspired Usyk last September.
The 35-year-old Ukrainian took some time away from the sport as he joined his home country’s armed forces to defend against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But in late March, it was announced that Usyk was given permission to resume his boxing career and the rematch with Joshua was booked. You can only see who to back here.
How to make Joshua vs. Usyk picks
Wise likes the over 10.5 rounds at a price of -140 in the latest boxing odds at Caesars. He’s also made the call on a method of victory prop and a confident money-line pick. You can only see those Joshua vs. Usyk picks at SportsLine.
Who wins Usyk vs. Joshua? And which prop is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see Brandon Wise’s best bets for Saturday, all from the CBS combat sports specialist who has crushed his boxing picks the last two years, and find out.