Boxing betting tips: Saturday best bets including Natasha Jonas and Dalton Smith
Chris Oliver has been among the winners again of late and he has three selections for Saturday's action, including a unanimous decision for Natasha Jonas.
Boxing betting tips: Saturday November 12
2pts Natasha Jonas to win by unanimous decision evens (Sky Bet)
1pt Dalton Smith to win in rounds 7-12 9/4 (Sky Bet)
1pt Janibek Alimkhanuly to win in rounds 1-4 7/5 (Coral, Ladbrokes)
NATASHA JONAS attempts to cap off a fantastic year by adding another belt to her collection on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports.
Ricky Hatton’s exhibition against Marco Antonio Barrera will put a few more bums on seats at the Manchester Arena, but the concentration should be on the ‘real’ stuff and an intriguing card is topped by Jonas versus Marie Eve Dicaire.
Having already lost to Viviane Obenauf in 2018, Jonas’ professional career looked destined to end without a world title following an unlucky draw with the then WBC super featherweight champion Terri Harper in 2020 and a narrow points loss to Katie Taylor in 2021. However, ‘Miss GB’ had other ideas and jumped up three weight divisions to knockout Chris Namus in two rounds to claim the vacant WBO super welterweight title in February, before adding the WBC version with a landslide points success over the previously unbeaten Patricia Berghult in September.
At 38, the Liverpool fighter is enjoying a real Indian summer and it could get even better if she can claim Dicaire’s IBF belt this weekend.
Dicaire’s sole defeat in 19 outings came at the hands of the all-conquering Claressa Shields in March last year, when the American won every round on all three scorecards, and she bounced back to claim the IBF strap with a seventh-round stoppage over the inexperienced Cynthia Lozano when last seen 11 months ago.
Nikita Parris ❤️ Natasha Jonas
— Sky Sports WSL (@SkySportsWSL) November 10, 2022
Two sisters who have made it to the very top 👏
📺 Watch Inside The WSL on Sky Sports Football NOW! pic.twitter.com/YqIBeRdCfD
The Canadian may be a 4/1 shot to win again here, but she represents Jonas’ toughest task at super welterweight. While Jonas’ quick stoppage of Namus was impressive, the South American hadn’t won in nearly three years and has been stopped inside a round since. The bigger test present by Berghult was passed with flying colours, but Jonas has more on her plate again now and will need to be at her best to justify odds of 2/9.
Dicaire has quick feet and is very capable of successfully playing the role of the counter puncher, with the right hook from her southpaw stance being her main weapon. However, she doesn’t carry much power and fellow southpaw Jonas shouldn’t have too much to fear in that regard.
Despite fighting well north of her natural weight, Jonas was clearly the puncher in both of her previous outings in the 154lb division and that should be the case again here. She has also carried her speed up in weight and that could negate what is usually Dicaire’s best attribute – her fleet of hand and foot.
The collateral form also reads well for Jonas, with her demolition job on Namus bettering Dicaire’s 10-round decision over the same foe in 2018. Add that to her superior experience at world level – both amateur and professional – and her home advantage, and Jonas has a lot going for her here.
A stoppage victory (4/1) for the favourite is not out of the question, especially late on, but the most likely outcome is another points win for Jonas at 8/13. Sky Bet have Jonas winning by UNANIMOUS DECISION as an even-money 'Request-A-Bet' and that looks very fair.
Stoppage beckons for Smith
There are a couple of cracking contests on the undercard, most notably DALTON SMITH’s first defence of his British super lightweight title against Kaisee Benjamin.
Smith captured the vacant belt with a dominant sixth-round stoppage over Sam O’maison in August, taking his impressive CV to 10 early nights from 12 wins and in the process confirming himself one of Britain’s smartest prospects.
Benjamin has plenty of potential himself, with his sole defeat in 18 (one draw) coming to Sam Evans in the three-round format of the Ultimate Boxxer tournament in 2018, and he arrives on the back of nine straight wins. With fast hands and good reflexes, the Birmingham native will take the fight to Smith and could ask him some questions. Odds of 6/1 may be a little disrespectful to Benjamin, but I am a huge fan of Smith (1/10) and fully expect him to overcome this latest challenge in good style.
Smith moves very well but it is his timing and accuracy that really stand out, as he wastes very little and carries power in both hands. The southpaw is patient and calm under pressure, which will serve him well here as Benjamin likes to be on the front foot and will look to press the action.
The underdog’s aggression could ultimately be his downfall, though, and Smith can show why he is so highly regarded with another stoppage victory. He isn’t usually in a rush to get on with things and the 9/4 about him getting the job done in the SECOND HALF of this 12-rounder could well be the way to go.
Tyler Denny and Bradley Rea’s English middleweight title contest should be another fan-friendly affair and it looks likely to be closer than the odds of 2/7 about the latter would suggest.
Following their hotly disputed draw, Denny’s points win in his rematch with River Wilson-Bent was impressive and the game southpaw will make sure Rea (14-0) must work hard to maintain his perfect record.
Rea is improving and might well just have enough to nick a points win here, but 11/10 represents little value for that outcome and the wisest move might be to enjoy this one without financial involvement.
Alimkhanuly to break down Bentley
There is British interest in Las Vegas in the early hours of Sunday morning, but Denzel Bentley is really up against it in his world title challenge against JANIBEK ALIMKHANUKY on BT Sport.
Bentley was halted in three exciting rounds by the impressive Felix Cash in their British and Commonwealth title fight in April last year, but has rebounded with three good wins, including a four-round war with Marcus Morrison in September. That earned him this unlikely title shot in America, but it may end up being one the Londoner wished he didn’t take as Alimkhanuly is a serious talent.
With over 300 amateur wins to his name as well as a gold medal at the 2013 World Championships, Alimkhanuly has looked the real deal in 12 outings in the paid ranks and registered his sixth successive knockout against another Brit, Danny Dignum, when last seen in May. Bentley is probably better than Dignum, but the ease with which Alimkhanuly despatched of the Essex southpaw that night makes it hard to make a case for Bentley having too much more success.
Efficient and accurate with very fast hands, Alimkhanuly hits very hard and his southpaw stance adds another layer to puzzle. The 1/14 favourite shouldn’t have to go looking for Bentley, who likes to start fast and isn’t the best defensively. We saw that when Bentley was wobbled early and stopped soon after by Cash, while Morrison also rocked him the first round last time and he can’t afford to be caught with the same shots by Alimkhanuly.
However, the problem for Bentley is that he knows his best chance is to take it to Alimkhanuly from the get-go and hope to land something heavy, as he does carry good power himself. Those tactics are fraught with danger and will probably lead him on to a big left hand from the Kazak, who is fancied to end this in the FIRST FOUR ROUNDS (7/5).
This should be exciting while it lasts but that enjoyment may be short-lived, especially for Bentley.
Posted at 1300 GMT on 11/11/22
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