In what many boxing insiders consider a breakthrough for the sport, undefeated lightweights Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis will meet Saturday in a 12-round main event. Their anticipated showdown at a catch weight of 136 pounds tops the pay-per-view main Garcia vs. Davis fight card (8 p.m. ET on Showtime) from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Much of the buzz surrounding the fight involves the unusual circumstances in which it was made. Although Davis is the WBA regular lightweight champion and Garcia is a former WBC interim champion, there are no titles on the line Saturday. The combatants agreed to a super fight in their primes simply to gauge who can claim bragging rights as the top lightweight of this generation, a rarity for a sport that is notorious for failing to make bouts among its most prolific fighters.
Davis is a -240 favorite (risk $240 to win $200), while Garcia fetches a price of +200 in the latest Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia odds from Caesars Sportsbook. The over/under for total rounds completed is 8.5. Before locking in any Ryan Garcia vs. Gervonta Davis picks, make sure you check out the boxing predictions and betting advice from SportsLine analyst Peter Kahn.
Kahn is a true boxing insider who has his finger on the pulse of what’s going on inside and outside of the ring. He has managed numerous world champions and currently manages 20 fighters through his company, Fight Game Advisors. Kahn recently won the 2022 Boxing Writers Association of America Cus D’Amato Manager of the Year award and was named to the 2023 Florida Boxing Hall of Fame.
Kahn is uncanny when it comes to picking fights. He is an astounding 39-10 on his last 49 SportsLine boxing picks, returning more than $4,000 to $100 bettors. Anyone who has followed him has already seen massive returns.
Now, with Davis vs. Garcia on deck, Kahn has studied the matchup from every angle and released confident selections for the fight. You can see those picks at SportsLine.
Ryan Garcia vs. Gervonta Davis preview
Many involved with Saturday’s main event agrees that the driving force behind making the fight a reality was Garcia’s will to make it happen. Now, he must make the most of the opportunity. Not only is Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) responsible for planting the seeds of this matchup by first calling out Davis a few years ago, he stated that he was willing to do anything to make it happen. By all accounts, he has kept his word.
According to numerous reports, Garcia agreed to several concessions in the contract that include taking a lesser percentage of the purse than Davis, a rematch clause and a rehydration clause on fight day. The rehydration clause states that either fighter will receive a significant financial penalty if he weighs more than 146 pounds (10 pounds more than the contracted weight of 136) on Saturday, just hours before the opening bell.
Davis (28-0, 26 KOs), meanwhile, is a three-division champion. Although both fighters have high finish rates, they go about their business with contrasting styles. Garcia is orthodox and 5-foot-10, tall for the division. He relies on volume from range and strong fundamentals to break down his opponents. His last fight resulted in a sixth-round stoppage of Javier Fortuna last July.
The 5-5 Davis is a southpaw who is widely considered one of the most powerful pound-for-pound fighters in the sport. He has knockout power in both hands but his signature shot is a straight left hand that has stopped three of his last six opponents with one shot. Rolando Romero ate a lethal left hand from Davis to end their fight in the sixth round last May as Davis defended his WBA belt. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Garcia vs. Davis picks
Kahn likes the Under 7.5 rounds at a price of +135 in the latest Caesars boxing odds. He’s also made the call on a method-of-victory prop and a money-line pick. You can only see those selections at SportsLine.
Who wins Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia? And which prop is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see Peter Kahn’s best bets for Saturday, all from the boxing specialist who has netted his followers a profit of more than $4,000, and find out.