Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou Odds
Here's everything you need to know about the Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannouon odds on Friday, March 8 – our expert boxing prediction and pick.
Anthony Joshua has the kingdom of both Saudi Arabia and the sweet science on his shoulders today.
The much-maligned but considerably accomplished former unified heavyweight champion Joshua (27-3, 24 KOs) will seek to kill the hype surrounding former UFC champion turned boxer Francis Ngannou (0-1) in Friday afternoon's "Knockout Chaos" pay-per-view boxing headliner.
The heavyweight fight takes place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Joshua vs. Ngannou is expected to begin at about 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT) back here in the U.S. The AJ vs. Ngannou pay-per-view costs $69.99 on PPV.COM or $39.99 via DAZN with an active subscription.
Let's proceed with my Joshua vs. Ngannou pick and prediction.
Joshua vs. Ngannou Breakdown & Analysis
Ngannou's highly acclaimed pro boxing debut came in a cross-sport bout against WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury that was supposed to be a novelty.
Fury won via split decision in controversial fashion by scores of 96-93, 95-94 and 94-95, even after Ngannous shockingly knocked down Fury in Round 3. Fury, who weighed in at 277.8 pounds (the heaviest of his career), clearly didn't take the fight very seriously beforehand.
Many thought Ngannou was robbed because they think you win a boxing match by having the one memorable moment of a fight while discounting that he outlanded Fury in only three rounds despite being slightly busier.
Joshua, who has learned from his own transgressions of not taking an underdog challenger seriously, profiles to not repeat Fury's same stupid mistakes.
Ngannou deserves credit for knocking down the heavyweight champion.
But man, he's gotten too much of it for somebody who still lost the fight.
And because the secret's out, that means no more surprises.
Joshua is not the heavyweight a dedicated Fury is, but he's one of boxing's best in the once-glamour division and has been for the better part of a decade. He's also coming off his most complete performance in at least three years, a five-round dismantling of contender Otto Wallin, who retired on his stool before Round 6, in December.
Joshua, at his best, is a skilled all-around heavyweight boxer who could defend with skill, counter with precision, and has one-punch finishing ability.
In heavyweight boxing, anything can happen, and Ngannou's power will warrant more than a mere "one-punch-can-change-a-fight" projection, given that he does have some skill despite only having one pro boxing fight under his belt.
Ngannou, at 6-foot-4, also uniquely will carry a one-inch reach advantage over the 6-foot-6 Joshua – 83 inches to 82 inches.
Joshua's shock loss to Andy Ruiz in 2019 has proven to be an outlier historically, though he's a rung below the class of Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, who defeated him in back-to-back decision wins in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Joshua appears to be the third-best heavyweight in the world, meaning a win for Ngannou would cement him as a true world title contender in his second sport.
Joshua vs. Ngannou Prediction & Pick
My knee-jerk reaction was to pick Anthony Joshua by KO/TKO.
I think highly of what Ngannou is accomplishing, and he has the opportunity to prove me wrong here. But I really put the bulk of his "success" in his boxing debut on Fury's lack of regard for his opponent. What Fury did was an embarrassment to the sport – and one that Joshua feels emboldened to correct.
I don't foresee many of the same mistakes, and while Ngannou may find some success, I believe we'll emerge from the bout saying that Ngannou was given too much credit for surviving against a noticeably less than Fury and is not a future heavyweight champion in boxing.
My go-to bet here is Joshua to win by KO/TKO, which BetRivers has at -124 odds (bet365 is next best at -138), as of this writing. The value isn't amazing, but the reason I like it is because that's what's going to happen, in my opinion.
I'm also leaning Joshua by KO/TKO between Rounds 6-10 at +250 odds at FanDuel. But my official play is Joshua to get the stoppage.
Enjoy the fight and don't go broke.
The Pick: Anthony Joshua by KO/TKO (-124 at BetRivers)
