It’s one of the most important fights of the year, and it could become legendary. Tyson Fury (34-2-1, 24 KOs) makes his latest return to the squared circle this Saturday, taking on Arslanbek Makhmudov (21-2, 19 KOs) at what should be a packed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
We say “should” because ticket sales have reportedly been slow for Fury’s fifth career comeback fight, which Netflix will show current subscribers for free starting at 2 PM EST.
The boxing odds at press time have Fury as a chalky 600 favorite, no surprise given his camp is the one promoting Saturday’s card, in front of what should be a partisan crowd on Fury’s home soil. Again, we say “should” for a reason; there’s a very real chance they’ll end up turning on Fury by the time the final bell has rung.
Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov
Tyson Fury Odds: Fade the Public?
There aren’t too many situations in boxing betting where you’d want to bet against the top name on the marquee. But as they say in sports betting, buy low and sell high; Fury is coming off back-to-back heavyweight title losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, dropping the first by split decision and the second unanimously. They’re the first two losses of Fury’s pro career.
Is this even the same Tyson Fury at age 37? His estranged father, John, told Playbook Boxing last month that Tyson’s legs “aren’t there anymore” after that epic 2018-2021 trilogy with Deontay Wilder. Even Fury’s camp has changed somewhat, with promoter Frank Warren handing the lead role for Saturday’s events to Fury’s long-time manager, Spencer Brown.
With that in mind, it’s notable that the early betting action was on Makhmudov when Saturday’s bout was announced back in early February. The reports we’re looking at show Fury moving immediately from –650 to – 595, before gradually stepping back up to where he is today.
Early action is supposedly sharp action when it comes to sports betting, except for boxing, where volumes are low, and one or two big bets can swing the entire market. Still, somebody (or bodies) with deep pockets looked at Saturday’s matchup and decided to lay wood on the underdog.
Arslanbek Makhmudov Odds: Not a Tomato Can
Standing across the ring from Fury will be a man from Dagestan (now based out of Montreal) who has been compared to a James Bond villain.
At 6-foot-5 1/2, Makhmudov is 3.5 inches shorter than Fury, and he’s only one year younger at age 36, but Makhmudov will almost certainly be in better ring shape this Saturday. His training regimen, like that of many Dagestani fighters, includes wrestling with bears and getting hit in the midsection with sledgehammers.
To be fair, Makhmudov isn’t as technically gifted as Usyk, which is why the Saudis who are reportedly bankrolling Saturday’s card are willing to let him step in the ring with Fury. The goal is to build Fury up for a big-money fight with Anthony Joshua – roughly the same size and stance as Makhmudov.
But has Fury bitten off more than he can chew? While it’s been well over a year since Usyk vs. Fury II, Makhmudov is coming off last October’s impressive decision win over David Allen, taking the WBA Inter-Continental title in the process. That bout happened in Sheffield; we now know that Makhmudov can go 12 rounds and beat an Englishman on their turf.
While it might be a bit much to ask Makhmudov to win outright, we can’t help but look at the last time Fury came out of retirement and fought at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where he defeated Derek Chisora in December 2022 via 10th-round TKO – his last stoppage victory. Keep an eye on the boxing props for Saturday’s 12-round tilt; you’ll probably get a reasonable price for Makhmudov to go the distance.
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Shop smart, bet accordingly, and enjoy the fight.
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