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- Who: Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang
- Date: Saturday, June 1, 2024
- Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia
- How to Watch: DAZN
Two former heavyweight boxing champions face off in the main event of Saturday’s fight card from Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia. In that contest, Deontay Wilder faces Zhilei Zhang. Wilder is the former WBC heavyweight champion, while Zhang is the ex-interim WBO heavyweight champion. Both men are currently ranked inside the top 10 of the heavyweight division by The Ring. Wilder checks in at No. 9, while Zhang is at No. 5. Here is some background on Wilder and Zhang before we look at the betting breakdown, odds, picks, and predictions for their upcoming matchup.
Deontay Wilder (43-3-1 with 42 knockout wins) is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Joseph Parker in December. Wilder, who held the WBC title from January 2015 through February 2022, is 1-3 in his past four fights with two losses to Tyson Fury in 2020 and 2021. His victory during that stretch was a 2022 knockout of Robert Helenius.
Zhilei Zhang (26-2-1 with 21 KOs), is also coming off a loss to Parker. He dropped a majority decision to him in March, losing the WBO interim title in the process. His other loss came in August 2022 when Filip Hrgovic defeated him via unanimous decision. Between those setbacks, Zhang twice knocked out Joe Joyce.
Before looking at the betting odds and picks for Wilder vs. Zhang, check out the best boxing betting sites and where you can find the best boxing picks.
Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang betting picks
| Fighters |  |  |  |  |
| Deontay Wilder | +125 | +125 | +125 | +132 |
| Zhilei Zhang | -155 | -165 | -155 | -177 |
Deontay Wilder betting breakdown
The big question heading into this matchup is if Deontay Wilder is over his knockout losses to Tyson Fury. “The Bronze Bomber” has not been the same fighter since those back-to-back losses. However, the 38-year-old is saying the right things heading into Saturday’s scrap, “I think I can turn it up some more. Sometimes you have to bring that killer instinct outside of you. Some people are afraid to bring it out because they’re afraid of what can happen to another human being but June 1st we’re gonna bring all that.”
Wilder is one of the most powerful punchers in the heavyweight division. He looks good heading into this fight, but then again, he looked good ahead of his loss to Parker. Wilder’s entire goal is to set up his effective right hand. He must be aggressive and willing to take chances against Zhang. Wilder needs to use the style that saw him rack up so many knockout wins earlier in his career, and that is to use pressure and power. The ex-champ cannot let Zhang dictate where this fight takes place and the pace of the fight. That’s something Wilder allowed Parker to control.
Zhilei Zhang betting breakdown
The 41-year-old Zhilei Zhang is not facing the same volume of questions that Wilder is fielding ahead of Saturday but he is not a sure thing to get the win.
Zhang is a better technical fighter than Wilder, and his team does a great job of putting game plans together for their fighter. The former interim champ does a decent job following those blueprints. He is a smart fighter, but he can’t let his confidence get the best of him. He needs to fight with consistency throughout the entire fight as long as this bout lasts. If Zhang hurts Wilder he needs to stay on him. He cannot give Wilder an opening, which is what cost him the Parker fight. That’s something he will learn from.
Another thing to watch is Zhang’s weight. He came into the Parker bout at 291 pounds, which, carrying that extra weight, caused him to fade as the fight went on. A lighter Zhang will allow him to move better inside the ring, it will also help his cardio if the fight does go the distance. However, that weight will give him the extra power he wants against someone like Wilder.
Best Bets for Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang
The first prop bet to consider for Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang is that the fight will not go the distance. These two have only gone to decision five times in 76 bouts. As for who will get the win, the betting pick is that Zhilei Zhang will score a knockout win over Deontay Wilder.
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