Top Rank Boxing Betting Update – Lopez vs. Lomachenko

The Unification Bout Happens on October 17th

Although most bookies don’t see much betting boxing action, that could change leading up to October 17 when Top Ranked Boxing delivers. On that day, two of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world head into the ring to battle it out for supremacy.

Vasiliy Lomachenko, the undisputed best boxer on the planet, throws down against young up and comer Teofimo Lopez. Lomachenko is so far a heavy favorite among boxing betting fans. Those who know the fight game, though, have yet to lay down their wagers. When they do, will Loma remain the king in the sportsbooks? Or will Teofimo close the wagering gap?

What we know for sure is that this fight could break viewing records. A battle of this magnitude often demands at least a $60 pay-per-view price. Top Rank Boxing, Bob Arum’s promotional boxing company, has a relationship with ESPN. Due to the relationship, ESPN will air Lomachenko versus Lopez for free.

Anybody who has access to ESPN may watch the best fight of the year. ESPN has brought back Top Ranked Boxing with a bang. The more eyeballs, the more pph sportsbook agents are likely to see betting dollars. Again, boxing bets don’t happen often enough to move the sportsbook needle. ESPN could help change that by airing a top matchup for free.

To help bookmakers market the gargantuan fight, we’ve laid out profiles of each fighter. Bookie software agents should use those profiles for marketing the Lomachenko vs. Lopez boxing match.

Vasiliy Lomachenko – WBO & WBA Lightweight Champion

Ukrainian born Vasiliy Lomachenko wasn’t always a boxer. His father, who also trains him, said that if he wanted to become a great fighter, Lomachenko had to learn how to dance. Vasiliy spent most of his early life dancing. Then, when his father thought it was time, he sent the young Lomachenko to a boxing ring.

Loma has a 15-1 professional record. For those who haven’t followed his career, Vasiliy, also spelled “Vasyl”, may believe he doesn’t have much pro experience. After all, fighters like Canelo Alvarez have over 50 fights, and Canelo is 30-years-old while Vasiliy is 32-years-old.

Believing Lomachenko doesn’t have experience is a mistake. He had close to 400 amateur fights and lost just once.  Loma beat the person who beat him twice after the loss. Loma is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

The pound-for-pound king has a ton of boxing experience. That’s why he’s a -300 favorite to beat Lopez. Those are the current odds. When they announced the fight this past January, Lomachenko was a -400 favorite.

We’ll soon get to why the boxing odds spread has tightened. Right now, let’s turn our attention to Teofimo Lopez.

Teofimo Lopez – IBF Lightweight Champion

Lopez is 15-0 with 12 wins by knockout. He’s nine years younger than Vasiliy Lomachenko. Teofimo won the Lightweight National Golden Gloves in 2015 in Las Vegas.

Teofimo made his debut on Oct. 16 on the Manny Pacquiao versus Jessie Vargas undercard.

On October 17, Lopez will have fought in the professional ranks for just four years. That makes Teofimo a much more inexperienced fighter than Lomachenko. The experience may be the reason Lopez offers +225 odds.

Lomachenko vs. Lopez Top Ranked Boxing Odds Analysis

First, pay per head agents want to know if their players will bet on boxing. The answer to that is, yes, players will wager on boxing if the fight is on the level of a Tyson versus Holyfield or Mayweather versus Pacquiao event.

Lomachenko versus Lopez is on that level. Second, if agents see boxing betting action, they want to know how to manage that action. Should they change the odds on the boxing match? Should they set betting limits?

The odds change on Lomachenko versus Lopez gives us a clue as to how the wagering should go leading up to the fight. Lomachenko is a great fighter, no doubt. He’s one of the best to ever step into a ring. But Vasiliy started at 126 pounds. He moved up to 130 pounds. Loma will fight Lopez at 135 pounds.

Teofimo is a natural 135-pound fighter. When a pugilist moving up in weight fights a natural boxer in that weight-class, the naturally more prominent prizefighter often has the advantage.

The weigh-in happens at least 24 to 48 hours before the fight. Between the weigh-in and the fight, Lopez will put on more weight. Teofimo could enter the ring at 140 pounds. He’ll have an even more significant advantage over Lomachenko if that happens.

Right now, non-boxing fans are wagering off what they know about both fighters. Once boxing fans start making wagers, probably in the first week of October, the spread should shrink. Players may call bookie agents looking for free betting software on the fight.

Bookie agents can provide that. What they shouldn’t offer are better odds on either Vasiliy Lomachenko or Teofimo Lopez. Both fighters have a chance to win on October 17. The boxing spread odds should shrink.

If you decide to market Lopez versus Lomachenko, make sure to let your players know that the boxing match happens on ESPN. Most might believe it’s a pay-per-view event. Also, consider importing your players to PayPerHead. Their Agent Payment Solution (APS®) allows players to make deposits via credit card. Easy deposits make it likelier that your players will wager on the fight.