Prior to Saturday's heavyweight tilt for sacred status in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, we're offering our Tyson Fury vs.Oleksandr Usyk prediction based on the odds from our best boxing betting sites.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are set to clash for the undisputed heavyweight title in a 12-round bout on tonight.
The highly anticipated showdown, initially scheduled for February, was postponed due to a cut sustained by Fury. The 35-year-old British boxer last fought in October, narrowly maintaining his undefeated record with a split decision win over debutant Francis Ngannou.
Fury, with an impressive career record of 34-0-1, including 24 knockouts, heads to Riyadh for this ultimate battle. On the other side, Usyk, boasting a perfect professional record of 21-0, will defend his WBA, IBF, IBO, and WBO titles.
The Ukrainian champion secured these belts in late 2021 with a unanimous decision victory over Anthony Joshua. He followed this with a split decision win in their rematch and a knockout triumph against Daniel Dubois.
Here is our best Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk prediction for Saturday's heavyweight title fight (odds via our best sports betting sites; Pick confidence is based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Fury vs. Usyk prediction and pick
- Fight prediction: Fury ML (-118 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐
- My best bet: Fury by KO/TKO (+320 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐
Fury vs. Usyk fight analysis
Usyk may be one of the few heavyweights whose technical proficiency rivals Fury’s skill, but the latter’s edge in sheer physicality will decide Saturday’s contest.
The undefeated Fury takes the ring with a seven-inch reach advantage, and he dwarfs his foe by another six inches and 40-plus pounds. While Usyk has dazzled at heavyweight and outdueled Joshua twice, let’s not forget he remains a converted cruiserweight. All this to say, size may not always matter, but it will on Saturday in Riyadh.
Fury knows how to build a game plan, and he's aware that boxing with Usyk in space plays to his strengths. So I expect “The Gypsy King” to do what he did to Deontay Wilder in their rematch and should have done to Ngannou: play the bully.
Indeed, given Fury’s enormous advantage in measurables, it behooves him to take away Usyk’s space, cut off the cage, and back him to the ropes for the kind of dirty slobber-knocker he can’t lose. Executing this plan of attack may take a few rounds, as the methodical Usyk often spends the early stanzas popping the jab and making reads. But ifUsyk opens up on his combinations and shows Fury something he doesn’t like, look for the latter to switch gears and play the big brother to his comparatively diminutive opponent. That effort will come both against the ropes and in every corner of the ring as Fury claims the contest and returns to the UK as an undisputed heavyweight king.
Usyk’s pair of wins over Joshua and unblemished record have earned him plenty of respect with oddsmakers, as Fury remains only a slight favorite just a couple of days out from their long-awaited dance. Lines on a straight Fury victory from ourbest sports betting sitesrange from -118 to -133, with FanDuel currently leading the pack.
Best bet:Fury ML (-118 via FanDuel)
Fury vs. Usyk best bet
The 37-year-old Usyk has never tasted defeat, much less been left counting the lights, but Fury can change that on Saturday. A quartet of stoppage victories preceded Fury’s lackluster showing against a neophyte in Ngannou, and I’m banking on the Manchester native reverting to his old ways now that the stakes are immeasurably higher.
The WBC titleholder has earned 24 KO/TKO victories against far larger and stronger men than Usyk. If he leans on his massive advantage in physicality, all the jabs and technical proficiency in the world won’t be enough to keep Usyk from crumbling inside the distance.
While the line on the Under at 10.5 rounds is admittedly compelling at +235 with FanDuel, the payout on a 25th stoppage win for Fury is even more appealing. DraftKings lists a KO/TKO for the WBC champ at a solid +300, but it’s FanDuel leading ourbest sportsbookswith a most tempting +320.
Best bet:Fury by KO/TKO (+320 via FanDuel)
Fury vs. Usyk odds
Odds via DraftKings as of Thursday.
| Oleksandr Usyk | Method of victory | Tyson Fury |
|---|---|---|
| +100 | Win outright | -120 |
| +475 | Win by KO/TKO/DQ | +300 |
| +185 | Win by unanimous decision | +210 |
| +1400 | Draw | +1400 |
Fury vs. Usyk tale of the tape
| Tyson Fury | Oleksandr Usyk | |
|---|---|---|
| 35 | Age | 37 |
| 6-foot-9 | Height | 6-foot-3 |
| 269 lbs. | Weight | 221 lbs. |
| 85" | Reach | 78" |
| 34-0-1 | Record | 21-0 |
Fury vs. Usyk fight info
- When: Saturday, May, 18 at 2 p.m. ET (main event at 6 p.m. ET)
- Where: Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- How to watch: DAZN, PPV
Not intended for use in MA
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Usyk vs. Fury pick made Thursday at 12:09 a.m. ET
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Written By:
Themi Alexis Twitter link
Themistoklis Alexis is a writer and editor based in Montreal, Quebec. He earned his degree in Journalism from Centennial College in Toronto before working for theScore as an MMA news editor from 2016 to 2018, contributing news stories, fight recaps, and features. His introduction to the sport came in 2007 with Randy Couture's thrashing of Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 74, and he's since spent countless hours watching people in far better shape than him sling zingers in four-ounce gloves. When he isn't getting his regularly scheduled dose of on-screen ultraviolence or losing sleep over his weekly MMA picks, he enjoys reading, watching old films, sketching, and podcasting about filmmakers from bygone eras of cinema.
