England’s Nick “The Wrecking” Ball and Australia’s Sam Goodman are gearing up to throw heavy leather this weekend for the WBA World Featherweight title as the co-main event for Saudi Arabia’s Itauma vs. Whyte fight card.
Those hunting for the best boxing picks on Ball vs. Goodman at the top-rated sportsbooks, look no further. As OddTrader’s resident pugilist handicapping expert, I’m back to dissect this highly anticipated showdown and share my best bets !
Nick Ball vs. Sam Goodman
Saturday, August 16, 2025 – 05:00 PM EDT at Kingdom Arena
- Promotion: Queensbury Promotions
- Scheduled Bouts: 6
- How to Watch: DAZN
- Main Event Bout: Moses Itauma vs. Dillian Whyte
The Tale of the Tape
The Sweet Science: Ball vs. Goodman Skillset Breakdown
Small Frame, Heavy Hands: The Nick Ball Blueprint
When it comes to English fighters and lighter weight classes, I don’t believe we’ve had a star with the potential of Nick Ball in some time. Yes, I’m a fellow Brit, but by no means do I need to enter this breakdown with any bias because Ball’s work speaks for itself.
Ball is the epitome of ‘size doesn’t matter.’ Standing at just 5’2”, the hard-hitting Englishman might not just be the best 126-pounder in the UK, but perhaps in the world!
With a clear size disadvantage in the majority of his bouts, Ball plods forward like a man possessed and is forced to work behind tight guard and clean jab. Behind said jab, his opponents will often be met with a blistering right, one of his best weapons.
Undefeated No More: Goodman’s Biggest Test Awaits
Boxing’s governing bodies have Sam Goodman highly ranked, and for good reasons. He’s 20-0, unbeaten as a professional, and as the best featherweight from Down Under, he’ll be gunning to shock the world this weekend.
With that said, let’s not ignore the elephant in the room: Goodman has not fought an opponent even close to the level of Ball.
With such a huge jump in competition, under the bright lights of a co-main event in Riyadh, somebody’s 0 has to go. The current bookmakers’ boxing odds suggest the Brit has this one in the bag!
Much like Ball, Goodman loves to pressure. So, it’ll be interesting to see what unfolds when these two meet in the center of the ring.
However, with a clear power advantage, Ball will likely force the underdog onto his back foot. That’s where the Aussie challenger could be in some trouble. Not to mention, Ball loves to fake the high and go low to the body. I’ve watched Goodman drop his guard on so many occasions that this could be a crucial path to hard-hitting head shots that Ball can take advantage of.
Let’s trust Ball and, while priced around -120 at Caesars Sportsbook (check our Caesars Sportsbook Review), bet on him winning by KO/TKO.
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*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
