Teofimo Lopez vs. Arnold Barboza Jr.: Picks, Predictions and Odds

One of the most eagerly anticipated boxing events of the year takes place on Saturday in Times Square with three stellar fights on the ‘FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves’ card.

Ryan Garcia vs. Rolando “Rolly” Romero is the main event, while Devin Haney takes on Jose Ramirez in the co-main and Teofimo Lopez (24-1, 13 KOs) opens the card as he defends his WBO super lightweight crown against interim IBF champion Arnold Barboza Jr (32-0, 11 KOs).

Teofimo Lopez vs. Arnold Barboza Jr. betting picks and predictions

Arnold Barboza Jr. To Win (+200)

The three ‘A sides’ on this card are all clear favorites and if any fight is to produce an upset on Saturday night at Times Square then Lopez vs. Barboza Jr. looks the most likely contender.

Back in 2020 Lopez pulled off what is still his biggest career win as he stunned Vasyl Lomachenko on points to pick up the WBO World Light, having claimed the IBF title with an early stoppage of Richard Commey in his previous bout.

The Takeover was next on the wrong end of an upset himself as he fell short against George Kambosos Jr, losing his titles in the process.

Lopez is on a five-fight winning streak since that loss and he became a two-weight world champion by taking the WBO super lightweight title from Scotland’s Josh Taylor via unanimous decision.

Barboza Jr has had to be patient in his bid to rise to the top level but he brings an unblemished 32-0 record to the table and goes into Saturday’s contest after the biggest victory of his career.

The Californian claimed a split decision win over Jack Catterall in Manchester in February, and in truth he was unfortunate not to claim a unanimous win.

Lopez, 27, is an incredibly talented fighter but he is also capable of producing underwhelming displays, most notably in defeat to Kambosos. But he was arguably lucky to edge out Sandor Martin in 2022 and he failed to really deliver against Steve Claggett in his last bout.

Since losing to Kambosos, Lopez’s standout win was against Taylor but that victory came after the Scot had been an incredibly fortunate winner over Catterall, and he has since lost a rematch. Barboza may be a level above anyone he has faced in recent years.

If Lopez is at the top of his game this is a fight he should win, but we haven’t seen a vintage display from the Brooklyn-born star for some time and anything less than his best may not be enough against a disciplined technician like Barboza.

The 32-year-old does all the basics well and boasts excellent defensive skills, while the older man shouldn’t be overawed by the occasion after picking up a victory over Catterall as the ‘away fighter’ in the UK.  

Barboza has the quality and experience to make this fight a tough and frustrating one for Lopez, and he could be poised to claim the biggest win of his career and land an outright world title.  

Arnold Barboza Jr. to win by decision or technical decision (+300)

If Barzboza is to pick up a win then a points success looks far more likely than a stoppage.

Lopez has been knocked down a couple of times, by Kambosos and Martin, but he has never been stopped and Barboza isn’t a huge puncher.

Barboza has just 11 stoppages on his 32-0 record and only one of his last nine fights has finished early, an eighth round win over Xolisani Ndongeni in January of 2024, so backing the underdog to win on points is the standout pick in the method of victory market. 

Teofimo Lopez vs. Arnold Barboza Jr. Odds

	Teofimo Lopez	Arnold Barboza Jr.
Money Line	-250	+200
By KO, TKO, DQ	+375	+1200
By Decision or Technical Decision	-120	+300

Read Teofimo Lopez vs. Arnold Barboza Jr.: Fight date, ring walk time, how to watch, undercard on site.

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.