Eleider Alvarez vs Joe Smith Jr Odds & Picks for Main Card

• Eleider Alvarez vs Joe Smith Jr goes Saturday, August 22nd at 10 PM ET
• In this clash of action fighters, who gets their hand raised in victory and who tastes the canvas?
• Check out the main card fight odds, my sweet science analysis, and my predictions below
  

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Eleider Alvarez and Joe Smith Jr is a light heavyweight title eliminator that will broadcast on ESPN+. Top Rank again brings their show to The Bubble at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. This twelve round affair looks like it will be an absolute barnburner on paper. Alvarez is a former world champion who was not able to log a successful defense of his crown. Smith Jr is a former world title challenger who fell short in his lone bid for light heavyweight immortality. Both men’s respective redemptive arcs meet at this fork in the road known as Alvarez vs Smith Jr.

Alvarez vs Smith Jr Odds

Odds taken August 19

Eleider Alvarez Looks for Back to Back Wins

Saturday is blessing the boxing masses with several pugilistic presents. Alvarez recently suffered his lone career loss to Sergey Kovalev putting him at 1-1 in his pair of prizefights with the legendary light heavyweight. Eleider Alvarez would rebound by knocking out Michael Seals in January of this year. The seventh-round victory saw Alvarez capture WBC continental Americas and WBO intercontinental light heavyweight belts. The rebuilding process back to that world title level is certainly galvanized by acquiring this extra gold.

Former WBO champion Eleider Alvarez will meet Joe Smith Jr (20 KOs) this Saturday night, in what could be the fight of the weekend. #AlvarezSmith #Boxing pic.twitter.com/4ppwdbF9ln

— Cerebral Vigilante (@Delisketo) August 17, 2020

Joe Smith Jr’s Quest for a Sophomore World Title Shot

Smith Jr is known by many for his viral knockout of Bernard Hopkins who was unceremoniously knocked out of the ring with a clubbing blow. Since that statement win over Hopkins, Smith Jr has encountered roadblocks against some of the division’s best. He has gone 2-2 since the Hopkins bout. In fact if Smith Jr hadn’t have won his last fight with Jesse Hart, he very well may have hung up the gloves per his own words. Now it seems like the former WBO NABO and WBC international titlist has a renewed sense of vigor.

Joe Smith Jr. prevented Jesse Hart from getting personal revenge tonight in Atlantic City, and took a big step up the Light Heavyweight mountain.

Who should come next for The Beast? 🤔 #HartSmith pic.twitter.com/bnPe28oBVb

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) January 12, 2020

Both are bangers, as has been mentioned, but I give Alvarez the edge in terms of technical prowess. If Alvarez chooses to be a boxer, he has a greater chance to start racking up points. I also think Alvarez has the momentum in his favor heading into this one. That said, the eighty percent KO rate of Smih Jr is nothing to take lightly though. If Alvarez does get careless, he could taste a fate that 20 men have tasted prior.

Alvarez vs Smith Jr Tale of the Tape

Ultimately, I think Eleider Alvarez gets the nod on the judges’ scorecards when Alvarez vs Smith Jr takes place.

Pick: Eleider Alvarez (-210)

Main Card picks for Alvarez vs Smith Jr

1. Rob Brant vs Vitalii Kopylenko: Rob Brant secures the victory in the Alvarez vs Smith Jr co-feature via points. Pick: Rob Brant (-650)
2. Clay Collard vs Maurice Williams: MMA veteran Clay Collard continues his unlikely ascent through the boxing ranks. Count on Collard to secure the stoppage victory inside the distance. Pick: Clay Collard (-2250)
3. Wendy Toussaint vs Isiah Jones: Considering his sub fifty percent KO rate, I think Toussaint won’t get the KO. I think he ends up winning on the judges’ scorecards in the end though. Pick: Wendy Toussaint (-650)