Jessie Magdaleno vs Rafael Rivera Odds & Pick

• Magdaleno vs Rivera goes Saturday, August 17th at 10:00 pm EST
• Will Magdaleno score an emphatic win like pundits are suggesting?
• Can Rivera shock the world and score the biggest win of his career?

Magdaleno vs Rivera emanates from Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles. This is the first boxing event that has ever been held in this arena which predominantly showcases soccer. This night of pugilism is a co-feature between Promociones Zanfer and Top Rank.

The 10-round featherweight bout has a strong place on the marquee with Navarrete vs De Vaca in the main event. The ESPN + card goes this weekend and we’re breaking down the best bet below.

Magdaleno vs Rivera Odds

Odds taken 08/15/19.

Rivera has an advantage as far as being more active. He has taken twice the amount of fights in a similar time period to how often Magdaleno has gotten in there. Rivera has shown a huge heart in the past by taking on world champion fighters on a few weeks’ notice. That being said, Rivera is ranked 66 on Box Rec and Magdaleno is number nine in the same divisional hierarchy. I have Magdaleno all day.

Magdaleno Puts on a Clinic

Jessie Magdaleno suffered his first career loss to Isaac Dogboe but rebounded from his title losing effort to win his last fight. Magdaleno is looking to pick up the pieces even more so and jettison himself back towards the spot he was in when he was undefeated.

Since losing his 122lb belt to Dogboe, Magdaleno is looking for a new lease on life by competing at 126 lbs. The goal is to eventually become a two-weight champion and the cut to get to this division will be less draining. We could be seeing even more impressive performances and bigger returns from a less depleted, stronger Magdaleno going up in weight.

Jessie Magdaleno was anxious to get back to business in the ring! 💪#PulevDinu | @ESPN pic.twitter.com/kzlARZ5M5t

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) March 24, 2019

This fight reads like an effort from Top Rank to bolster Magdaleno’s profile. On paper, both men look relatively evenly matched. The stark differences start appearing when you consider the quality of competition that each has faced. Magdaleno has a lot more upside and is clearly being groomed for a bigger push at 126 lbs in the future.

Magdaleno also has the advantage of being the southpaw fighter. Southpaws are notoriously difficult to deal with and this will provide an advantage for Magdaleno in terms of angles each fighter can create. This is a noteworthy facet especially considering the fact that the two have equal reach. In the absence of having a naturally longer reach, the stance could create a lot of opportunities for Magdaleno.

Magdaleno vs Rivera Tale of the Tape

A specific prediction becomes interesting because Rivera has never been stopped. Magdaleno has a decent enough KO rate at 67-percent and to provide context, the decision wins generally seem to come against a higher caliber of competition. As respectfully as I can say in regards to Rivera, I think Rivera is the caliber of opposition whereby Magdaleno can score a finish. I see Magdaleno getting a TKO victory inside of eight rounds.

Pick: Magdaleno (-800)