Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk — the two best heavyweights of their generation — fought to an instant classic in their first meeting, which was won by Usyk. Seven months later, the two rematch again and we have a full preview of it. Keep reading because we’re offering up free betting picks for Fury vs. Usyk 2!
When the first fight happened, Fury was a marginal -130 favorite to win (Usyk was even money at +100). But to no surprise, the tables have flipped in the rematch. This time Usyk is the slight betting favorite at top boxing betting sites, as he should be after his performance in the first go. Here’s the current betting odds for Fury vs. Usyk 2:
The first result looms large as we preview what’s ahead in Riyadh. Fury had the advantage on all three scorecards after eight rounds, but the bout was won and lost in round nine. That’s when Usyk dropped Fury to the canvas. Fury survived the count and round — even though the ref could’ve arguably stepped in multiple times. However, he was never the same the rest of the way. Ultimately, two judges scored it 115-112 and 114-113 for Usyk, while the other gave Fury a 114-113 victory.
The win made Usyk the first-ever undisputed heavyweight champion in the four-belt era. It also earned Fury his first and only career loss. Seven months later, what, if anything, has changed that could decide this outcome?
Age certainly matters at this stage of both’s careers. Usyk is 37 years old to Fury’s 36, however, we’d guess Usyk’s body is in better shape. He’s taken better care of himself than Fury, who’s had his share of substance abuse issues and contemplated retirement on multiple occasions. So we’re not ready to say Usyk’s body is in decline out of the two.
Fury has vowed to be more “focused” come fight night. For what it’s worth, Fury found a good grove for half the fight. Before the knockdown, he successfully used his size and reach to keep Usyk at bay. Throw in elite feinting and Usyk struggled to hit Fury cleanly for long stretches of the contest. Fury needs to maintain that for a full 12 rounds to turn the result this time around. Will he though? We have our full predictions in the next section.
There are dozens of different Fury-Usyk bets available. Dozens! However, we still find the most value in some of the classic boxing odds. Here are three picks we’re making before the bell rings:
We start with the most straightforward bet of all: who is winning? We’re quite confident Usyk is winning for a second time. This comes down to two things: besides size, he has every other advantage over Fury. Secondly, we don’t see where Fury can really improve upon his first performance.
Many bettors are quick to say “Fury was winning halfway through the fight.” What these folks fail to realize it’s that was all part of Usyk’s game plan. He makes opponents work for every single punch, which Fury did somewhat successfully. The downside though? It tires opponents out, which is exactly what happened with Fury. Once that happened, Usyk could really attack, which led to the near-finish knockdown.
We expect much of the same in the rematch but with an added twist which we’ll cover in a later betting pick.
Check out the odds for the classic over/under bet, which is squarely at 10.5 rounds:
The over is the heavy favorite — so much so that the under feels mispriced. We’re of the belief Usyk is going to fare better this time around than in the first one, a fight where Fury was nearly stopped out in the ninth. If we’re correct, the under is very much in play.
Yes, that would mean that Fury would have to be knocked out for good for the first time in his career, which is very much in the realm of possibility. Allow us to explain why in the next pick.
This bet could be really lucrative. It tasks bettors with not just picking the winner, but also the way they win. Here’s the betting options:
| Outcome |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usyk by KO | +275 | +275 | +275 |
| Usyk by Decision | +155 | +155 | +155 |
| Fury by KO | +400 | +400 | +400 |
| Fury by Decision | +330 | +330 | +330 |
| Draw | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
We hinted it already but we honestly believe Usyk might be able to get Fury out early. We really do. For one, Usyk almost did it before. Two, Fury has a habit of getting dropped — he’s gone down in six different fights. Three, time is catching up with him so much so that he won’t be able to get up like we’ve become accustomed to seeing from the Gypsie King. All things considered, taking Usyk by KO has some hidden value here, hence our pick.
Like our Usyk vs. Fury betting picks? Hate em? You can bet with us or against us at one of the top-rated betting sites below. Plus, they offer extra bets which we didn’t cover here. Give it a look before the bell rings on December 21!
