One of the biggest boxers in the world, Anthony Joshua, is stepping back into the ring this weekend. He doesn’t have the best of opponents, but that doesn’t mean there are not ways to make money off the Joshua fight. I’m this article, we’ll be sharing different wagers that we’re confident will have you profiting come Saturday!
- What: Anthony Joshua vs. Robert Helenius
- When: Saturday, August 12
- Where: O2 Arena in London, England
Anthony Joshua vs. Robert Helenius Preview
As a few days ago, Joshua wasn’t even scheduled to fight Helenius. His original opponent was, Dillian Whyte. Those plans were canceled earlier this week when Whyte was popped for failing a drug test. Enter Helenius into the equation. It’s a last-minute affair so let’s quickly preview Joshua vs. Helenius for those unaware.
Who is Helenius? He is a grizzled veteran, fighting for the 37th time officially. He’s 32-4, but the Finnish fighter doesn’t have that deep of a resume. Helenius is probably best known for being embarrassed by Deontay Wilder back in October. Wilder KO’d him in the first round, his first fight since the trilogy with Tyson Fury.
Make no mistake about it, this is a showcase fight for Joshua. He, like Wilder, is also looking to remake his image after losing two in a row to the same guy. Joshua’s kryptonite, though, was Usyk. This will be his second fight with new trainer, Derrick James.
On paper, this seems like a clear mismatch. Joshua’s fought against the world’s best, and Helenius really hasn’t. Joshua is also younger (by six years) and bigger. For this reason, it’s no wonder why Joshua is the big moneyline betting favorite. Have a look-see at the odds currently available at boxing’s best betting sites:
| Fighter |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Joshua | -2000 | -2000 | -2000 |
| Robert Helenius | +850 | +850 | +850 |
Best Bets For Joshua vs. Helenius
Alright, you saw the moneyline odds, and there’s just about no reason to bet on it unless you think Helenius can miraculously win on short notice. We do not believe that, therefore, we’re digging into the Joshua vs. Helenius betting prop market to get value. Here are a few bets we’re eying:
Exact Victory
Joshua is winning, let’s just be upfront with that. However, the real money is in choosing how exactly Joshua wins — KO or decision? Here’s the list of betting options:
| Outcome | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joshua by Stoppage | -400 | -400 | -400 |
| Joshua by Decision | +450 | +450 | +450 |
| Helenius by Stoppage | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Helenius by Decision | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Draw | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
The big story going into this one is the “new-look” Joshua. He’s now being trained by James, with all activity being done in the United States — not England where Joshua is from and previously trained at. James replaced Robert Garcia (who was with Joshua the second Usyk fight and that’s it) and longtime trainer Rob McCracken before that.
New trainer James has a bit of a reputation for developing knockout artists. That’s the exact quality Joshua wants to bring back— one that he’s gotten away from recently. Though, Joshua failed to win by KO in his first fight under James when he beat Jermaine Franklin by decision earlier this year.
We wholeheartedly believe Joshua is going for the stop here. Joshua and Wilder naturally draw comparisons with one another. There’s no way Joshua wants to win by decision when Wilder made such easy work out of Helenius. We’re confidently betting on the KO victory here as Joshua is in “prove it” mode.
Parlay
Unfortunately, the over/under bet isn’t exactly dripping in betting value either. The bet is marked at 10.5 rounds with the under being the clear-cut favorite. Here are the odds both ways:
| Outcome | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Over 10.5 rounds | +300 | +300 | +300 |
| Under 10.5 rounds | -400 | -400 | -400 |
Alright, we’re jumping in that under. As we said, not only does Joshua have to stop Helenius to look even with Wilder, but he must do so fast. Even an eighth-round knockout won’t be good enough for Joshua. We expect a finish within the first five rounds.
However, betting the under alone isn’t worthwhile. To get some extra betting money out of this, putting that wager into a parlay is almost mandatory. The parlay should consist of the under and Joshua moneyline, at bare minimum. A third leg would make sense if you can cobble something together. With lopsided bouts, you have to get creative to really profit and parlays help in that regard.
How To Bet On Joshua vs. Helenius
Hurry up and get your Joshua-Helenius bets in right now. That’s because this fight is fast approaching. It’s Saturday, but it’s also mid-day if you’re in the United States since it’s happening in London. If we were you, we’d immediately visit one of the bookmakers featured underneath.
All five sites you see are rated high in our newest sportsbook reviews. That’s partly because they offer betting lines at cheap prices — and that goes for this fight too. Every bet we covered in this article can be found at any one of these sites.
Heck, if you leverage a sportsbook bonus, you’re Joshua vs. Helenius picks come free of cost too. Deals are offering free play by the hundreds to thousands of dollars, which is plenty to bankroll your boxing bets. The table underneath lists our favorite offers currently on the table.
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