Online boxing sportsbooks are giving -1000 on Joshua, meaning that the implied probability of him winning is 90.9%. Spoiler alert: we agree with them. We think he’s going to win, but we can’t say for certain when or how he is going to do it. Will it be another knockout, or can Franklin take the match to the final bell?
Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin Odds
| Moneyline | Odds |
|---|---|
| Anthony Joshua | -190 |
| Jermaine Franklin | +155 |
| Spread | Odds |
|---|---|
| Over 7.5 | -115 |
| Under 7.5 | -115 |
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: The O2 Arena in London, England
- Date: Saturday, April 1, 2023
- Time: ~5:00 PM ET
- How to Watch: DAZN
Anthony Joshua Needs to Bounce Back After Two Straight Losses
AJ did not look good mentally after his second loss to Oleksandr Usyk last summer. His speech after the match is what made him look as if he’d lost his marbles. But such things do happen when your dreams don’t come true – he failed to become the world champ again.
But AJ did do okay in the ring, especially in the early rounds. It was the 10th round when Usyk really started winning, which helped the Ukrainian win by split decision in the end. Despite the loss, Joshua performed much better than in his first fight with Usyk, which he lost by a unanimous decision.
Speaking of losses, Joshua’s only defeat by stoppage happened against Andy Ruiz Jr., in a fight that AJ entered as a -3333 favorite.
Jermaine Franklin Looks Like the Kind of a Boxer Who Could Upset AJ
AJ has a knockout-to-win percentage of 91.67%, but this doesn’t scare Jermaine Franklin as he’s already fought one hard-hitter once. Last November, he fought Dillian Whyte who had a 66.66% KO/TKO record before the bout.
White beat him, but not by a knockout. Instead, it happened by a somewhat controversial majority decision, in which one of the judges thought it was a draw.
He was impressive against Whyte at Wembley, but this Saturday, he’s facing an even tougher challenge. Franklin is a huge underdog for a reason, but at least that means that the pressure isn’t on him. He’s coming to AJ’s turf to try and do the (almost) impossible. If he does pull off an upset, great. If not, nobody will care too much.
Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin Prediction
You can’t say Anthony Joshua is thrilled to have to fight Jermaine Franklin. He’d rather fight for the world title again, but that ship has sailed. Still, to get another shot at the championship belt(s), he needs to win on Saturday. Otherwise, his career could come to an end.
But all this means there’s huge pressure on him to perform well at The O2. He’s gonna go for a knockout, but we don’t think he’s gonna achieve his plan. Instead, we do think Franklin has the skillset as well as the stamina to survive all 12 rounds. Unfortunately for the Americans, we don’t think that will be enough to record another win.
Pick: Anthony Joshua & over 7.5 rounds