After two weeks of 10-round boxing we have our first championship fight! Top Rank Boxing returns on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET on ESPN) with a junior bantamweight title fight between Andrew Moloney and Joshua Franco.
Moloney (21-0, 14 KO) has fought mostly in his native Australia with the exception of one fight in Chile. This will be his first ever fight in the United States and the first defense of his title since he was elevated from interim champ. This will be Franco's (16-1-2, 8 KO) first shot at a title and his first bout in Las Vegas.
The title fight will be the last of a four-fight card that will take place without fans inside the MGM Grand bubble set up for Top Rank fighters in Las Vegas.
Moloney vs. Franco Odds
Odds as of Tuesday and via DraftKings. Get up to a $1,000 sign-up bonus at DraftKings today or see more offers and reviews for the best online sportsbooks.
| Prop | Moloney | Franco |
|---|---|---|
| Win by KO/TKO | +175 | +850 |
| Win by Decision | -106 | +650 |
| Draw | +2000 | +2000 |
| Win in Rounds 1-3 | +1000 | +3300 |
| Win in Rounds 4-6 | +650 | +2800 |
| Win in Rounds 7-9 | +650 | +2200 |
| Win in Rounds 10-12 | +900 | +2500 |
| Total Rounds (10.5) | Over -200 | Under +150 |
Moloney is a sizable favorite defend his belt (-500) and his moneyline odds convert to an implied probability of 77% against Franco. The over/under for this championship bout is set at 10.5 rounds and based on the odds, the odds are shaded toward the fight going the distance.
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Moloney vs. Franco Betting Pick
Typically a fighter making his debut in the U.S. is a huge adjustment, especially leading into a world title fight; the crowds are bigger, the TV attention jumps up a notch and distractions are aplenty in a place like Las Vegas. The adjustments Moloney had to make for this fight were even more drastic given the travel restrictions they had to clear to arrive in May and the testing necessary to enter the MGM Grand.
That said he's in this fight for a reason after dominating his past four opponents with stoppage wins. He has been able to dish out a considerable amount of punishment over that span.
His ability to stick the jab and pressure his opponents keeps him in command of the ring and will be tough to stop. Moloney has been knocked down twice in his career but recovered both times to get the win. That will be a key thing to watch in this matchup with Franco who can land big shots as well.
Franco is coming off a TKO win in his last fight and has some experience with championship level fighters. He fought a 30-round trilogy with Oscar Negrete that was incredibly close each time and ended in a split-decision win and two draws. Franco can throw punches in bunches but also counters well and I don't see him backing down to the pressure of Moloney.
We saw last week how huge favorites can get upset when Joshua Greer Jr. lost last Tuesday after getting knocked down twice. These fighters are still proving themselves and anything can happen especially in this fan-less environment so I'm staying away from the moneyline odds for both guys.
I expect these two to bring a ton of action and excitement and for someone to go down. I could bet the under 10.5 (+150), but I think I'll take the fight not to go the distance (+130), which has a 40% implied probability.
