With a simple tweet, Conor McGregor set social media afire on September 25 by stating he’s set to box Manny Pacquiao next in the Middle East. With many questions left unanswered, let’s take a look at McGregor vs Pacquiao odds and what boxing bettors can expect.
Anyway all water under the bridge who gives a fook.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) September 25, 2020
I’m boxing Manny Pacquiao next in the Middle East.
However, in typical McGregor fashion, he has now shifted his attention back to the Octagon for a rematch with Dustin Poirier in early 2021 before taking on Pacquaio.
I accept, Jan 23rd is on!
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) October 14, 2020
My goal is to see this fight take place in Cowboy stadium. Proper Style! Jerry Jones is a friend and the stadium can hold our crowd. I will be ready for Texas and Texas will be ready for my fans!
Then Manny. #McGregorSportsandEntertainment
Online sportsbook [Sportsbook not available for your region] has released McGregor vs Pacquiao betting odds with the WBA (Super) welterweight champion, Pacquiao, listed as the huge -850 favorite. The former two-division UFC champion, McGregor, comes back as a +525 underdog.
At +525, McGregor has a 16.00 percent win probability while Pacquiao at -850 has an 89.47 percent win probability.
The betting lines mean you would have to bet $850 to profit $100 with a Manny Pacquiao victory, while a $100 wager on Conor McGregor would earn you $525. You can calculate all of your potential winnings with our sports betting calculator.
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Conor McGregor vs Manny Pacquiao Odds
Fighter | Current Odds | Sportsbook Odds |
---|---|---|
Manny Pacquiao | -850 | -450 |
Conor McGregor | +525 | +325 |
Odds as of October 15 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]
New to betting on boxing? Check out our great boxing betting guide to help you get in the action. Also, keep an eye on our boxing odds page for the latest up-to-date betting lines.
McGregor vs Pacquiao Odds Analysis
It should come as no surprise that the “Notorious” Conor McGregor opened as an underdog making the transition from four-ounce MMA gloves to 12-ounce boxing gloves. If you look at McGregor’s odds history, he was a sizable underdog when he made his first venture into boxing against Floyd Mayweather Jr., closing as a +265 dog in a bout he lost via 10th-round knockout.
Now despite the outcome, McGregor did have some highlights, including of course the first-round uppercut that snapped Mayweather’s head back and a well-placed body shot in a later round. However, the Irishman didn’t do a good job pacing himself, going all-out in the early rounds, which caused him to tire later and led to his demise.
Meanwhile, we have not seen Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao compete since he faced off against Keith Thurman in a fight on July 20, 2019 – a Pacquiao victory. Even at the age of 41, Pacquiao is still one of the best boxers of his generation and has only lost back-to-back fights once in his legendary career.
The Philippines native has been the betting favorite in each of his last six bouts after closing as a +170 underdog to Mayweather, the one and only common opponent he and McGregor share. He also lost to the undefeated boxer but via unanimous decision in a rather lackluster bout.
McGregor vs Pacquaio Preview & Prediction
This fight would likely take place at super welterweight (154 pounds), which is the upper limit for Pac-Man and near the lower limit for Notorious, and the same weight McGregor fought Mayweather at. In an interview with MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, McGregor stated he would win a boxing title, so Pacquiao’s WBA (Super) welterweight strap will likely be on the line.
What makes McGregor and many MMA fighters in general interesting in the boxing ring is that their punches tend to come from unorthodox angles, their footwork is a little unusual and their output tends to be higher. The southpaw, 32, will no doubt take the fight to Pacquiao in the early stages and look to hand him his fourth knockout loss.
Manny, the former lineal champion in five different weight classes, will get hit. He has a brawling style that gets him in the face of his opponent to exchange hands. Despite being the smaller man in many of his fights, he hits hard and his combinations are crisp and accurate and can put you on the canvas in a hurry.
This phone-booth style of fighting by Pacquaio will give McGregor an advantage early in the fight due to his speed and high output, though Pac-Man can carry his pace for 12 rounds and, historically speaking, McGregor cannot. We may see a fight similar to McGregor/Mayweather with Pacquaio putting McGregor away in the later rounds.