Boxing superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will make a return to the ring on Saturday for another excellent fight.
He is challenged by the undefeated WBA and Ring Magazine super middleweight champion, Callum Smith.
This match sets up a handful of scenarios depending on the way it ends. Most notably, Alvarez would hold four division titles with a win in this event.
Let’s take a deeper look at the fight.
Event Info
- Date: Saturday, December 19
- Venue: Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
- What’s at stake: WBA Super Middleweight Title – 12 Rounds
Canelo Alvarez Vs. Callum Smith Fight Preview
Smith will have a third opponent attempt to take Canelo’s title away, which he won with a knockout over George Groves back in September of 2018.
Alvarez has a second version of the belt, but with a win over Smith, this would mean he has the right to declare himself an outright four-division world titleholder.
Alvarez has a resume consisting of an enormous 53 wins, one loss, and two draws. He has 36 of those victories coming by stoppage.
Smith, on the other hand, has a perfect record consisting of 27 wins. Nineteen of those victories have been by stoppage, while the rest were decided by the judges.
If you were to look at stats, you could see where Smith would have a small advantage in power over Alvarez. Smith has a 70 percent knockout percentage as compared to Alvarez’s 68 percent.
However, the competition level that Alvarez has faced is also arguably much better than Smith. It is not even close when you look at the number of fights the two have.
Alvarez has 29 more fights, and he has boxed in 268 more professional rounds total, with 402 for Alvarez versus Smith’s 134 rounds.
Canelo Alvarez Vs. Callum Smith Betting Odds
The market is showing Alvarez as a heavy favorite here. For the moneyline, BetNow has the odds placing “Canelo” as a -800 favorite.
| Canelo Vs. Smith Odds To Win | ||
|---|---|---|
| Canelo Alvarez | -800 |  |
| Callum Smith | +550 | |
Our Betting Pick For Alvarez Vs. Smith
Smith is no doubt an excellent boxer, with solid punching and can put forth a variety of well-timed shots. Standing at 6-3, he is bigger than Alvarez, who is around 5-9.
Taking into account Smith’s long arms, this could create an interesting angle in the fight. So, it will be appealing to see how Alvarez plans to overcome this.
Smith also enters this one undefeated. He might not have the same mentality as Alvarez would in this situation.
Even though Smith has a strong resume, his issues will arise defensively rather than offensively. His size also, in a way, puts him at a disadvantage.
What’s Behind Our Prediction
Alvarez is arguably one of the best combination punchers in boxing, so landing shots will not be a problem.
Smith struggled against recent opponent John Ryder at times when Ryder was able to get close and overpower him.
Alvarez will most likely work his way close to Smith’s body and head. After several rounds of this, he can open up if he wants and exploit other weaknesses.
Alvarez appears to have the better boxing arsenal. He is well-equipped to handle a boxer like Smith and has the resume to prove it.
Smith will be a very competitive matchup and will win rounds with his jabs and straight right. But as the fight goes on, Alvarez’s experience could overshadow any progress Smith has made.
Looking over Alvarez’s career, it just makes sense to bet on him.
If anything, most bettors have learned that when you bet against Alvarez, then you are basically throwing money away. This is especially true if the fight makes it to the scorecards.
Our Expert’s Pick: Take Alvarez to win this fight at -800.
Best Online Sportsbooks To Bet On Canelo Alvarez vs. Callum Smith
Read Our Complete Guide On Boxing Betting
About the Author
Joseph Falchetti
Editor-in-Chief, Pro Sports Bettor and Casino Expert
Joe is the author of the majority of sports betting pages on SBS and he serves as a gambling consultant to our content team. He's been mentioned on Forbes.com as a gaming analyst, and his articles have been linked by larger publications, such as the New York Times.
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