The welterweight division is poised to get a unified champion on Saturday, when IBF champ Errol Spence Jr. fights WBC title-holder Shawn Porter in Los Angeles. The main card begins at 9 p.m. ET from the Staples Center. Spence (25-0, 21 KOs) is coming off a unanimous decision win over Mikey Garcia in March, while Porter (30-2-1, 17 KOs) took a split decision over Yordenis Ugas that same month. The winner is expected to fight WBA super welterweight king Manny Pacquiao following his narrow win over Keith Thurman in July. Bookmakers list the 29-year-old Spence as a -1100 favorite (risk $1,100 to win $100) in the latest Spence vs. Porter odds, with the 31-year-old getting +500 (risk $100 to win $500) as the underdog. You can also pick how many rounds the fight lasts, whether Spence wins by KO/TKO and whether it ends in a draw, among many wagering options. Before you make any boxing predictions, be sure to see the Spence vs. Porter picks from SportsLine boxing expert Peter Kahn.
A fight game veteran with over 20 years of experience as a manager, promoter and adviser, Kahn has his finger on the pulse of what goes on inside and outside the ring. He can be heard weekly as co-host of “The Fight Guys” podcast on the SB Nation Radio Network.
When Porter upset Danny Garcia a year ago, Kahn was all over the underdog, telling readers that “Porter’s aggressive style and work rate will wear down Garcia and eventually find Garcia making careless mistakes and getting lured into a brawl.” It played out just like Kahn predicted, and anyone who followed his advice cashed big.
Now, Kahn has scouted Spence vs. Porter from every angle and locked in his best bets, including one that pays over 20-1. He’s sharing all of his Spence vs. Porter predictions over at SportsLine.
Kahn expects the betting line to drop as the fight nears. He said Porter had an off-night versus Ugas when he won a split decision “that many felt was a gift. Porter had issues making weight for that fight,” the boxing insider told SportsLine.
“Porter has victories over several pretty big names like Danny Garcia, Adrien Broner, Andre Berto, Paulie Malignaggi, Devon Alexander and Adrian Granados,” Kahn said. “Porter’s only losses are to Keith Thurman in a close fight and Kell Brook by majority decision. I haven’t seen Spence fight anyone who would allow me to say he’s the best welterweight in the world yet.”
But Kahn also knows Spence has a two-inch height advantage and a 4.5-inch reach advantage.
“Spence is the younger and stronger man,” Kahn continued. “He’s also the bigger man and a better pure boxer. Porter is going to try to make this a rough fight versus a boxing match,” Kahn concluded. “I see Spence trying to avoid the infighting if he can.”
Kahn is confident he has the Spence vs. Porter winner, and he’s also going big on a pair of prop bets, including one that pays over 20-1. You should see his best bets before you make your own Spence vs. Porter picks.
— CBSSPORTS