Vitali Klitschko prepares for his second title defense of 2012 as he faces off with the unbeaten Manuel Charr at the Olimpiyskiy Arena in Moscow, Russia. Let's go over the current bettig odds and share our picks and predictions for this battle.
WBC
Heavyweight Championship: Vitali Klitschko vs. Manuel Charr
From the
Olimpiyskiy Arena in Moscow, Russia, reigning WBC champion Vitali Klitschko
will put his heavyweight title on the line this weekend against the
Lebanon-born and undefeated contender Manuel Charr.
After an underwhelming
performance against Dereck Chisora back in March, it would appears as though
Vitali has sought out a tune-up fight against the much lesser known Charr
before potentially signing on to a blockbuster showdown with David Haye, who
recently had his WBC ban lifted after being banished for his role in a post
press conference brawl with Chisora.
At betting odds
of -4000, Klitschko currently enters this match at one of his steepest
offerings we’ve see on the German in the last 5 years, which severely reduces
our options to the decision and knockout props in this fight.
Currently, Vitali
by knockout has been on steady incline and is now approaching -400 over at
5dimes.com. Meanwhile, over at bet 365, you can restrict your knockout props
plays to rounds 4-6 at +300, or the more likely option, rounds 7-9 at +275 –
and for those bold enough to expect a repeat performance of his first round
knockout of Odlanier Solis last march, the odds on Vitali knocking Char out in
the opening round sits at +1400.
The less likely
route for Klitschko, walking away with a decision, is currently listed as high as
+390 at most shops, which isn’t too far off from past prices against Shannon
Briggs, Kevin Johnson, and to a -lesser extent Dereck Chisora -- all three of
which made it to the final bell. So adding the decision prop to your sports
picks in the last 3 years over the course of Klitschko‘s 5 most recent fights
has actually been profitable despite popular opinion.
That said,
unlike the Vitali’s 3 previous foes that made it to a decision with the German,
Manuel Charr has yet to be tested by a heavyweight who possessed anything even
remotely comparable to Klitschko’s finesse and power.
In fact,
considering the caliber of heavyweights he was up against at the time, Char has
two fights on his record that were alarmingly competitive. If for no other
reason, those two fights alone are enough to discredit any chance Char may have
in this fight.
The bouts in
question were against Zack Page, a sub .500 fighter with a record of 21-40, and
a slightly more forgivable performance against the 43-9 Danny Williams. Against
Page, Char barely managed to edge out a decision against a fighter who had lost
11 straight bouts and who was by all accounts supposed to be a showcase
opponent for the German.
The only two
minor advantages I can see for Char in this match-up is his hand speed and the
regularity of his combinations. His power, meanwhile, is mediocre at best, as
evinced by his unimpressive 53% knockout ration through 21 professional fights.
For those reasons, the only play I can envision making on the dog here would
have be on the decision prop at +8950.