Fightful Adds Betting Breakdown from Colorado Experts

Colorado is home to an army of engaged and knowledgeable fight fans, while the Centennial State was also the birthplace of legendary heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey. The Manassa Mauler reigned as world champion from 1919 to 1926, and won 68 of his 83 pro bouts.

Currently, you’re spoiled for choice if you want to bet on boxing or MMA in Colorado. The https://www.coloradobettinghub.com/  resource lists the best betting sites in the state, with operators like DraftKings and Fanatics offering extensive fight markets.

In this piece, we’ll explore the basics of boxing and MMA betting, while also offering some tips on how to wager successfully.

An Introduction to Boxing and MMA

Before you start betting on boxing and MMA, you’ll need to consider the respective rules and formats.

In boxing, professional title fights are contested over 12 three-minute rounds, with the maximum fight length fixed at 36 minutes. If the bout isn’t settled by knockout or technical knockout during this time, the outcome will be determined by three ringside judges who have scored the fight throughout.

When it comes to MMA, pro title fights are contested over five rounds lasting five minutes each. There’s a one minute break between each round, as is the case with boxing. However, non-title MMA bouts will comprise three five minute rounds, with fights lasting a maximum of 15 minutes in total.

Once again, MMA bouts that go the distance will be settled by ringside judges. Despite this, it’s rare for competitive and World Championship fights to end in draws.

Fight Betting – Understanding the Key Markets

Across both boxing and MMA, a similar number of betting markets are available. Although these sports showcase very different skillsets and fight formats, you can wager on universal outcomes such as the fight winner, method of victory and various round markets. Below, you’ll find some of the most common fight betting markets:

Winner or Moneyline Betting

This straightforward bet type requires you to pick the winner of a particular fight. This is arguably more profitable in MMA than boxing as draws are far less prevalent in the former. The main reason for this is that MMA judges are strongly encouraged to pick a winner and fights feature an odd number of rounds.

Method of Victory

You can access slightly longer odds by predicting the method of victory in a fight. As we’ve touched on, boxing bouts are most commonly settled by knockout, technical knockout or a points decision (where the judges determine the winner). MMA unlocks a similar range of lines, but fighters in the UFC and similar promotions can also submit their opponents. 

Round Betting

Round betting is available in both boxing and MMA and can take numerous forms. For example, you can pick one fighter to beat his opponent in a particular round, with this carrying extended odds. You can also bet the over/under on the total number of rounds that will be contested in a specific bout. Betting on this market requires detailed analysis and understanding of the competing fighters, while you should note that boxing bouts feature significantly more rounds than MMA (12 vs five).

Fight Distance

Another variation of round betting is to predict precisely how long a bout will last for. Sportsbooks such as DraftKings allow you to bet on lines that cover a specific number of rounds, such as 1-3 or 4-6. When you bet on the upcoming Super Middleweight title fight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford, for example, you can access odds of -330 that the bout will go the distance. DraftKings certainly isn’t expecting a quick finish to this particular fight, as the odds of the fight ending in the first three rounds are +2000.

Fight Betting Tips and Insights

To fully leverage these markets to your advantage, you’ll need to develop a viable betting strategy. Here are some key tips and insights to keep in mind:

• Research and Analysis is Key: Regardless of how you intend to bet, detailed analysis and research is key. However, this should also be focused on relevant datasets, depending on your chosen market. For example, if you’re betting on the method of victory, consider the respective styles of each fighter and how they tend to win and lose bouts.
• Look at Recent Form: It’s not uncommon for fighters to embark on winning and losing sequences, especially as defeats can sap confidence and highlight flaws to opponents. For example, boxing’s Anthony Joshua won his first 22 fights (21 inside the distance), but has subsequently lost four out of 10 bouts. So, consider the most recent form data when picking potential winners.
• Combine Different Markets to Enhance Odds: When you pick a winner in boxing or MMA, this selection will be based in part on the relevant fighting styles and how they’re likely to gel. Because of this, you may be able to confidently combine a fight winner with the method of victory in a single wager, allowing you to bet at enhanced odds without overly compromising your chances of success.