Anthony Joshua v Andy Ruiz Jr Rematch Betting and Odds Preview – December 7, 2019

In June, the world of boxing was rocked to its core when the now-ex heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua was downed by Andy Ruiz Jr., a relatively unknown name. The British boxer had an impeccable record coming into the fight with 22 wins in 22 matches. Ruiz Jr. was a massive underdog before the bout took place, but he managed to exceed all expectations by snatching away Joshua’s belts.

Talk of a rematch was ripe since then, with many experts saying that Joshua had a clause in his contract for an obligatory rematch vs. Ruiz Jr. After months of speculation, the rematch has been confirmed for December 7th in an unexpected setting – the Diriyah arena in Saudi Arabia.

A highly-coveted rematch, it gives Joshua a chance to reclaim his belts. At the same time, Andy Ruiz Jr. will be looking for his first title defence. The bout is expected to be completely different than June. Joshua may have underestimated Ruiz Jr. Skills over 5 months ago, but with his belts once again on the line, he’ll surely keep his head in the game.

Event Date: December 7, 2019

Keys to Victory

The June loss raised questions about Joshua’s mentality and preparation. Many experts believed that the Brit simply got too negligent after destroying his opponents before. He certainly underestimated Ruiz Jr’s chances and the Mexican boxer got the best of him.

It was the worst loss in Anthony Joshua’s career, widely considered one of the best boxers of all time. It also introduced a heavy-hitter such as Andy Ruiz Jr. to the world of boxing who isn’t fond of just giving away his hard-earned belts.

Surprisingly, Ruiz won the fight vs. Joshua thanks to his speed. That’s one key factor the Brit must address before the December 7 fight. He might have been a major favourite before the June bout, but the chances right now are closer to the 50/50 mark than bookies will have you believe.
Joshua will have to work hard to prove that he’s a “soldier” – otherwise, he’ll go down in history as one of the best boxers brought down by a virtual unknown.

Andy Ruiz Jr. will surely like his chances entering the match. If he comes out on top once again, he will solidify himself as a heavyweight champion that won two fights against arguably the greatest boxer of all time.

Who Wins the Bout?

For online bookies, there’s no question about the favourite – it’s Anthony Joshua. He’s available at 19/50 at Unibet, 1/3 at Betfred, 4/11 at Betway and William Hill, and 4/13 @ RedZoneSports. Even though experts put the two boxers closer than ever, bookies are not buying it and have put Joshua way ahead of his opponent.

Andy Ruiz Jr’s odds are 2/1 at Unibet, 12/5 at RedZoneSports, 23/10 at Betfred, and 11/5 at William Hill, and 21/10 at Betway. The odds for a draw range from 22/1 at Betway to 33/1 at William Hill. It’s obvious that a draw is not exactly on the cards.

For most punters, Ruiz Jr. looks like a great bet. You’ll triple your stake if the current champ wins the bout opposed to Joshua’s favourite odds that won’t bring you a nice return. We’d have liked the odds to be closer, but must satisfy with what online betting sites offer.

The good news is that the unimpressive winner market means that other markets offer plenty of value.

Round Betting

If you’re disappointed by the odds in the Winner market, you have other options to pick from. Round betting is a highly exciting betting market with plenty of choices at great odds. For those unfamiliar with it, it gives you a shot at predicting the round a boxer will down his opponent at great odds.

The previous match ended with a knockout by Andy Ruiz Jr. in the 7th round. If you believe the outcome will be the same this time around, the odds of Ruiz dropping Joshua in the 7th are 25/1 at Unibet & Betway, 11/1 at Betfred, and 12/1 at William Hill. If the fight ends with a Ruiz win in the last round (12th) the odds of that happening are close to the 50/1 mark.

Many experts believe that Joshua will go out guns blazing and down Ruiz Jr. early. In this market, Joshua goes for 22/1 at Unibet and Betway, 25/1 at Betfred, and the lowest 20/1 at William Hill. These odds are similar to Ruiz Jr. winning in the 7th round, so you may want to consider all options carefully.

If you believe that Joshua wins on points, the odds are around the 18/5 mark – this may end up as a punter’s favourite.

Will It Go the Distance?

Only one of Joshua’s bouts went the distance so that’s not expected for the December 7 bout. You can bet that it won’t on 7/25 odds at Unibet, 2/7 at Betfred, 1/4 at Betway and William Hill as well.

We can all agree that those odds aren’t great. If you’re sure that the fight goes to the distance, you can bet at healthier odds to the tune of 11/4 at William Hill, 13/5 at Betway, and 5/2 at Betfred and Unibet. For what it’s worth, we think you’re better off with other markets.

Who Gets Knocked Down?

One of the few special bets available for the Diriyah arena fight is who gets knocked down. Ruiz is the “favourite” to go down with odds of 8/13 at William Hill and 8/15 at Betway. If you think he’s going to stand on his feet and won’t be knocked down, the odds are 11/8 at Betway.

Joshua was knocked down several times in the June fight so placing a bet on the same may be smart this time around. The odds are 7/4 at Betway and 13/8 at William Hill – keep them in mind if you believe history repeats itself.

Method of Victory Betting

KOs, TKOs, points, and decision are all various methods of victory in a boxing bout. You can bet on each of these at great odds if you believe you can predict the exact winning method for the upcoming bout.

The odds for Ruiz winning by each of the aforementioned methods are 3/1 at Betfred, 11/4 at Unibet and Betway. At William Hill, Ruiz is 4/1 to win by TKO and 9/1 to win by KO. Pretty interesting odds you should definitely keep in mind.

If you think that Joshua will win by a KO or TKO (or DQ), the odds are 8/11 at Betfred, 3/4 at Unibet, and 8/11 at Betway. William Hill’s odds look even better – Joshua is given odds of 4/1 to win by KO.

This is a great betting market with amazing winning potential. If you don’t like anything else, the odds are great here.

Conclusion

We’re going to follow the opinion on bookies here. For what it’s worth, we believe that another surprise is not on the cards this time. Anthony Joshua should see Andy Ruiz Jr. off and prove that bookies weren’t wrong to side with him. It’s not like Andy Ruiz Jr. doesn’t have a shot – he showed what he’s capable of back in June. However, Joshua is a great champion who learned his lesson in the first fight and shouldn’t make the same mistakes again.

The winner odds are not exactly great, but there’s plenty of value in the other markets if you’re interested in the match. Round betting odds look great, especially if you think that Joshua will finish the job early.