A colossal 86 percent of punters have backed Jake Paul to produce what would be one of the biggest upsets in sporting history when he locks-horns with two-time heavyweight champion of the world Anthony Joshua this weekend.
Of, course, realistically speaking, very few of those backers will be holding too much hope of a profitable return in the early hours of Saturday morning, but a seemingly tempting 6/1 price for the big outsider appears to have pricked plenty of ears.
AJ's promoter Eddie Hearn has made no secret of the fact that he is looking for his charge to 'do what's best for boxing' by securing an early, trouble-free stoppage against the brash and ballsy American.
However, given the Matchroom star's recent demise - especially having looked a shadow of his former self in that devastating stoppage defeat at the hands of Daniel Dubois last September - nobody is quite sure as to what to expect from the Hertfordshire man out in Miami.
One thing is for certain though, the fight - whether you like it or loathe it - has sparked worldwide interest, with similar levels of turnover from Paul's dour points victory over Mike Tyson last year expected come the end of fight night.
bet365's Steve Freeth said: "Leicester City might have something to say about it being the upset of the century should Jake Paul beat Anthony Joshua, but we’re certainly seeing money for the outsider!
There's nothing too uncommon about that though as this is usually the case in these sort of bouts, but make no mistake about it, victory for Paul would be a horrific result for us if he was to pull it off.
- Steve Freeth (bet365)
Despite plenty of boxing bettors backing Paul, Joshua is expected to ignite what he hopes will be a third world title charge in the new year with a destructive KO/TKO triumph in front of the live Netflix cameras.
Over 50 percent of customers staking bets on the Round Betting market are backing a first or second round stoppage for Joshua, with a mere eight percent taking a punt on the 100/1 price for what would be a shocking opening round victory for Paul.
"Predictably, we’re seeing money for Joshua to finish it very early with 43% of our round betting business being for the opening round," Freeth added.
"In an ideal world, we’d prefer the two-time heavyweight world champion winning it early - probably in Round 3 - and I suspect Eddie Hearn would too."
Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul - To Win Fight
Odds: | % Stakes (Singles): | |
Anthony Joshua | 1/12 | 14% |
Jake Paul | 6/1 | 86% |
Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul - Popular Round Betting
Odds: | % Stakes (Singles): | |
Anthony Joshua - Round 1 | 15/4 | 43% |
Anthony Joshua - Round 2 | 4/1 | 13% |
Jake Paul - Round 1 | 100/1 | 8% |
Jake Paul - Round 6 | 80/1 | 5% |
