Canelo Alvarez vs Edgar Berlanga Odds & Early Betting Market for Saturday, September 14

Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga Odds

Let's look at the Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga odds and the early betting market report for the boxing pay-per-view event on Saturday, September 14.

Consider this piece the prequel to my official Alvarez vs. Berlanga preview next week.

Naoya Inoue has already fought, so there isn't any boxing that absolutely needs to be on your radar until next week. And it's a huge bout – even if one-sided – so we're looking ahead now to see what the early market tells us.

Next week will be the full breakdown, but for now, here are our early impressions of what's available because the Alvarez vs. Berlanga odds have been listed for several weeks due to the anticipation of this fight.

Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) will be defending his WBO, WBA and WBC super middleweight titles against Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) in an attempt to reignite the famed Mexico vs. Puerto Rico boxing rivalry.

I'm Puerto Rican, and let me tell you, this one doesn't count.

The great bouts in Mexico vs. Puerto Rico lore weren't as one-sided on paper. They were seemingly unpredictable, like Salvador Sanchez vs. Wilfredo Gomez – where Gomez was a less than 2-to-1 favorite. Felix Trinidad was credibly seen as close to 50-50. Miguel Cotto was shorter than a 2-to-1 favorite against Antonio Margarito even in the rematch, and was in similar territory before their first fight – also, they actually f—ing hated each other.

Canelo vs. Berlanga isn't that.

Berlanga has star appeal. He looks like somebody, and he has frightening power. He's a Nuyorican, he's big and strong and at super middleweight – as in, not a minimumweight standout.

He's also a lightning rod who evokes strong reactions like few others in the sport. But the ability just doesn't match the profile. He's still somewhat viewed as an up-and-comer at age 27 despite the fact that he's been a pro for more than eight years.

When I followed him for a mini-documentary (award-winning!) six years ago, he was 21 and an actual prospect who hadn't yet signed to Top Rank and wouldn't for several more months.

Alvarez vs Berlanga Early Betting Market

Canelo opened as a favorite in the low thousands and is now -2000 at bet365. He's -1800 at FanDuel and -1600 at DraftKings.

Berlanga at getting around 10 to 1 odds (+1000) to pull off the win. And yet, and still, as Nuyorican as I am, and as much as I'd personally enjoy an upset here, I can't get there. I can't reasonably recommend Berlanga in an upset.

First of all, I wouldn't even look at the moneyline. Berlanga isn't good enough to outbox Canelo. If he wins, it'll be by knockout or technical knockout – and by the way, that would be boxing's biggest upset in at least a half-decade, perhaps much longer.

Berlanga by KO/TKO is +1800 to +2500, and the best I can give you is: "I guess."

Canelo has never been dropped and has beaten out more well-rounded and even more powerful punchers in some cases, like Daniel Jacobs and Sergey Kovalev, and hell, he had a trilogy with Gennady Golovkin. I'd even say the man Alvarez just beat in May – Jaime Munguia – is at least arguably a bigger puncher than Berlanga.

We'll advance more on the Alvarez vs. Berlanga odds and betting picks in a week, but early on, there isn't much I feel the need to jump at.

I'd entertain Alvarez by decision at +340 on FanDuel, but I'm likely not logging that one in the Action App this early if at all. The reason it's interesting is because Alvarez hasn't beaten anyone by stoppage in three years, and as I've written and said here in past previews, maybe he's just not knocking guys out any more. But Berlanga's defensive holes could justify the -300 Canelo stoppage victory prices we're seeing.

I do think, for now, if Alvarez does stop Berlanga, the range is likely to be between rounds 7-12 – listed on FanDuel at +140. If you think Alvarez is going to win by stoppage, that's the bet for now if you're looking for some early action.

Early Pick: Canelo Alvarez in Rounds 7-12 (+140 at FanDuel)

Bet Alvarez's Round Prop Instantly at FanDuel with QuickSlip!