Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk prediction and prop bets: ‘Fight of the century’

Boxing fans will finally get to see the matchup they’ve been longing for Saturday — Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed world heavyweight championship. It’s the “fight of the century” according to the loquacious Fury. No doubt, it should be a great fight.

Its outcome is very difficult to predict.

Both fighters are undefeated (Fury is 34-0-1 and Usyk is 21-0). Both possess exceptional boxing skills that have made them fixtures on pundits’ pound-for-pound rankings. And both are equipped with knockout power (Fury has 24 KOs, Usyk 14).

The fight is such a toss-up that you could make a legitimate case for each boxer to have his hand raised Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The 6-foot-9 Fury has the size to smother opponents on the inside and the reach advantage to pick them apart from the outside. Usyk, who’s six inches shorter than Fury, has the hand speed to land his power shots first and the foot speed to quickly maneuver in and out of the pocket.

Both also have well-known weaknesses. Fury’s chin has always been a question mark, as he’s been knocked down seven times in his career. Usyk has been bothered by body shots and has complained to the referee about low blows when they aren’t.

Bettors believe Fury will beat Usyk and add the Ukrainian’s IBF, WBA and WBO titles. The 35-year-old Brit is the consensus favorite at all major sportsbooks.

I’m not following the crowd. I see Usyk adding Fury’s WBC belt to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the world since Lennox Lewis in 1999.

Here are my best bets.

Total rounds — OVER 10.5 (-330, FanDuel)

Since moving up to heavyweight, Usyk has had every bout go the distance, except for his last when he knocked out Daniel Dubois in the ninth round. Against Fury, the 37-year-old Usyk will proceed with caution, just like he did in his signature victories against another taller heavyweight with KO power, Anthony Joshua, whom he beat twice by decision.

The matchup figures to be a chess match with each boxer respecting his opponent’s power. And the action will be so painstaking that the fight will go past 10 rounds.

Exact fight outcome — Unanimous decision (+115, DraftKings)

Even with his susceptibility to getting dropped, Fury has the heart and determination to overcome adversity and come back to win, as he did so famously in his rematch with Deontay Wilder. While a stoppage is possible Saturday, it’s more likely that the judges’ scorecards decide this fight.

And all three will see a clear winner.

Fight result (3-way) — Oleksandr Usyk to win (+120, BetMGM)

The advantages of the bigger fighter should be the determining factors in this matchup. In his peak form, Fury surely outpoints Usyk. The one doubt looming over Fury comes from his last bout in October, when he faced MMA fighter and first-time boxer Francis Ngannou.

Fury looked sluggish and shockingly got knocked down in the third round by a left hook. He came back to beat Ngannou by split decision, but that lackluster effort leaves one to wonder which Fury will appear at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.

There are no such concerns about Usyk. He will be sharp. And he will defeat Fury to add a fourth belt and cement his legacy as undisputed heavyweight champ.

Boxing record: 8-6, -0.94 units