Top Boxing Betting Picks for the Weekend – March 15th

We have three bouts from the world of boxing for you to consider as you put together your boxing betting over the weekend. On Friday night, Tevin Farmer and Jono Carroll will square off for a dozen rounds in Philadelphia as Farmer defends his IBF junior lightweight title. In the co-main event, Katie Taylor and Rose Volante will fight ten rounds for a unification of the IBF/WBA/WBO women’s lightweight title. On Saturday night, Errol Spence Jr. and Mikey Garcia will spar for twelve rounds as Spence will defend his IBF welterweight title. Friday’s action is available to watch on DAZN, while Saturday’s bout is on FOX pay per view. Take a look at our thoughts on each of these three titanic tilts.

Top Boxing Betting Picks for the Weekend – March 15th

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Tevin Farmer (28-4-1, 6 KO) vs Jono Carroll (16-0-1, 3 KO)

This fight is at Philadelphia’s Liacouras Center. Farmer has not lost since a knockout by Jose Pedraza seven years ago; since then, he has won 21 consecutive fights and shows no signs of slowing down. In his last fight, Farmer took down Francisco Fonseca to extend his streak, winning with ease. He has been asking for a bout with Gervonta Davis, who holds the junior lightweight title in the WBA. There is a sense that if Farmer can get by Carroll, that unification bout will become more likely, but Carroll is the first obstacle in his way. Farmer is from Ireland and will be making his debut in the United States on Friday night. Carroll is an offensive boxer who moves forward and brings his hands with rapidity and vigor. His defense is slick, as he can make the other man miss and then slide in with devastating shots. Carroll and Farmer are somewhat similar in this way, but Farmer is slightly less aggressive in punishing mistakes. Neither fighter is known for landing big bombs, as they have combined for 50 bouts but have delivered only nine knockouts over that span. Their strategy is generally to land punches while avoiding them, and then to win on the cards. For Farmer, though, it will be important to look as much in control as possible. This is Carroll’s biggest bout ever, looking to take Farmer’s belt away. Farmer is a terrific fighter, and Carroll will have his hands full in trying to deliver the upset.

Rose Volante (14-0, 8 KO) vs Katie Taylor (12-0, 5 KO)

This one pits Volante’s WBO title against Taylor’s WBA and IBF titles. Taylor comes into this fight with the label as the next great woman in boxing, so the pressure is on her to deliver. She won the gold medal in the 2012 Olympic games in women’s boxing, and she turned professional in 2016. She won the WBA belt in just her seventh fight as a pro, and two fights later, she won the IBF title as well. Volante will represent a significant challenge, as she brings a ton of power to the ring. She fought twice in 2018, and neither went to the cards, as she delivered knockouts in the fifth round or sooner in both of those fights. So you can expect a pair of riveting fights from Philadelphia on Friday night.

Errol Spence Jr (24-0, 21 KO) vs Mikey Garcia (39-0, 30 KO)

This will be a terrific fight from AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, Texas. The oddity in this fight is that Garcia was a lightweight when the bout was announced, set to fight against Spence, the second-best welterweight in the world by many accounts. The betting got so out of hand at one point that Spence was a -550 favorite and Garcia was almost 4/1 as an underdog. That has eased slightly, as Spence sits at -375 and Garcia is almost 3/1 as an underdog. Why are bettors moving in this direction? We’ve seen Keith Thurman, Manny Pacquiao and Shawn Porter all fight since this bout was announced, and none of those welterweight “titans” has looked all that spectacular. Garcia has added weight to get ready for this fight, and he could already rank in the top five in the division. Garcia has consistent power instead of knockout bombs, meaning he delivers punishment over time. He could use openings here and there to deliver unexpected punishment — and end up winning on the cards. Spence will need to rise to the occasion and deliver the aggression that will give him the win.