The ‘Monster’ is coming and we couldn’t be more excited ahead of Naoya Inoue vs Michael Dasmarinas – we’ve put together the perfect big-fight boxing betting guide including latest odds and our expert picks.
Japanese superstar Inoue is now a big deal for US TV audiences thanks to his promotional partnership with Bob Arum’s Top Rank and TV exposure on ESPN.
The 28-year-old, known for good reason as ‘The Monster’, has built a perfect professional resume consisting of 20 fights, 20 wins and 17 knockouts. He is one of the most feared hunters and finishers in the sport today.
Inoue puts his WBA and IBF bantamweight titles on the line Saturday against Michael Dasmarinas of the Philippines. It’s a mandatory defense for Inoue, who will start a heavy favorite to maintain his unbeaten record.
The phrase ‘careful what you wish for’ has never been truer for any world title hopeful who gets to challenge the mighty Inoue.
Southpaw Dasmarinas brings a 30-2-1 pro ledger into Saturday’s bout, with 20 wins coming inside distance. But the level of opposition he has faced is way short of the challenge presented by ‘The Monster’.
Here is all we know heading into Saturday night’s main event…
Inoue vs Dasmarinas Odds
‘The Monster’ is a heavy favorite as expected, as short as -3334 (bet $3334 to win $100) with PointsBet and best value at -1450 (bet $1450 to win $100) with FanDuel.
Dasmarinas is best odds at +1100 (bet $100 to win $1100) with Resorts, with the Draw widely available at +2500 (bet $100 to win $2500).
Inoue vs Dasmarinas Expert Picks
Inoue is one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the game today. Put simply the guy is all action, skill and class rolled into one. He has already captured world titles at light flyweight (108lbs) and super flyweight (115lbs), making the bantamweight king a three-division world champion at the age of 28.
Dasmarinas is durable having only been stopped once in a long pro career that began back in 2012. He is massively up against it this weekend however, and the fact he hasn’t fought since October 2019 doesn’t help his chances.
Inoue can punch with either fist and has a good ring IQ. He proved against Nonito Donaire in their 2019 ‘Fight of the Year’ that he could come through adversity too.
The ‘Monster’ fought for the first time in America in his last fight back in October, defeating the useful Jason Moloney via seventh-round knockout in Las Vegas.
We expect Inoue to maintain his perfect record here, but those prohibitive money line odds have no interest for us. We look to the props offers for our expert pick.
Just going the distance with the heavy-handed Inoue would be a huge accomplishment, but the pick is for Dasmarinas to crumble in the second half of a frenetic battle.
OddsCritic Pick: Inoue vs Dasmarinas to go over 4.5 rounds at -120 (bet365)
When does Inoue vs Dasmarinas start?
Inoue vs Dasmarinas headlines Top Rank’s show at Virgin Hotels, Las Vegas on Saturday June 19, 2021.
Ring walks for the main event are expected to get under way shortly after 2300 ET (2000 PT).
How can I watch Inoue vs Dasmarinas on TV?
You can watch the show on ESPN+, ESPN and stream it on the ESPN App.
Inoue vs Dasmarinas weights
Inoue tipped the scales right on the bantamweight limit of 118lbs. Dasmarinas was slightly lighter at 117.4lbs.
Inoue vs Dasmarinas undercard
Mikaela Mayer defends her WBO women’s junior lightweight world title for the first time against Erica Farias in a 10-round battle. Isaac Dogboe returns in a 10-round featherweight bout against Adam Lopez.