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- Who: Tim Tszyu vs. Keith Thurman
- What: Tszyu’s WBO junior middleweight title
- Date: Saturday, March 30, 2024
- Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
- Location: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV
- How to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
Reigning WBO junior middleweight champion Tim Tszyu puts his title on the line on Saturday, March 30, against two-time welterweight champion Keith Thurman. The bout headlines the inaugural PBC Pay-Per-View on Prime Video from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Tszyu is unbeaten in 24 professional fights, while the fight marks Thurman’s first foray into the ranks of the 154-pound division. Here is some background information before we look at the betting breakdown for Tim Tszyu vs. Keith Thurman.
Tim Tszyu (24-0 with 17 knockouts) won the vacant WBO interim junior-middleweight title in March 2023 with a ninth-round TKO win over Tony Harrison. Tszyu was then booked to face Jermell Charlo on January 28, but that fight was scrapped when the American broke his hand in training. The Australian then defended his title in June with a first-round knockout of Carlos Ocampo. Tszyu was elevated to undisputed champion in September when Charlo faced Canelo Alvarez. In October, Tszyu defended his belt with a unanimous decision win over Brian Mendoza.
Keith Thurman (30-1-0-1 with 22 KOs) saw his undefeated record and title reign come to an end in July 2019 when he lost the WBA super welterweight belt to Manny Pacquiao via split decision. Thurman did not compete again until February 5, 2022, when he defeated Mario Barrios via unanimous decision. The Tszyu matchup marks Thurman’s first trip to the ring since that victory.
Before looking at the betting odds and picks for Tim Tszyu vs. Keith Thurman, check out the best boxing betting sites and where you can find the best boxing picks.
Tim Tszyu vs. Keith Thurman betting picks
| To Win WBO Junior Middleweight Title |  |  |  |  |  |
| Tim Tszyu | -800 | -950 | -835 | -900 | -835 |
| Keith Thurman | +500 | +450 | +535 | +475 | +535 |
Tim Tszyu betting breakdown
According to The Ring, Tim Tszyu is the No 1. rated fighter among all junior middleweights. The WBO champ is a pressure fighter who can also counterpunch with the best boxers in the division. The 28-year-old does a good job in keeping a high defensive guard and then responding to his opponent’s strikes before they can regain their guard. He also has the nifty ability to employ step-back counters. Tszyu’s offense is based on his ability to get his foe to open their guard and then use his fast hands to score. He also has an uncanny ability to control the pacing and location of a fight.
The win over Mendoza gave Tszyu a lot of positives to build on and it showed that he is still developing as a boxer. One thing to watch in this fight for Tszyu is how he reacts to the jab of his opponent as he has struggled with jabs in the past.
Keith Thurman betting breakdown
The one thing that stands out about this fight is Keith Thurman’s inactivity. He has only fought once since his loss to Manny Pacquiao in 2019. During that same time, Tszyu has stepped into the ring a whopping 11 times! Another thing working against Thurman is that his best days came in the welterweight division. Further, Tszyu is younger and has a longer reach than his opponent in this fight. In short, Thurman has his work cut out for him against the junior middleweight champion.
This fight is intriguing and a little problematic for Tszyu because Thurman has nothing to lose in this matchup. He’s a massive betting underdog, who most prognosticators are picking to lose. A turn-back-the-clock type of performance is not out of the question for the former champion.
If Thurman hopes to succeed against Tszyu, he needs to mix up his entries and do his best not to allow Tszyu to gauge his timing.
Best bets for Tim Tszyu vs. Keith Thurman
This is not a great matchup for Keith Thurman, at least not in 2024. His inactivity, age, and size all work against him. Meanwhile, I don’t think we’ve seen Tim Tszyu’s full potential at this point in his career. The betting pick is for Tim Tszyu to get a knockout or technical knockout in the fight’s second half.
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