SHOWTIME will showcase Premier Boxing Champions 12-round junior middleweight fight this Saturday night. The two competing in New York are Danny Garcia and Jose Benavidez. Garcia, the higher touted of the two fighters, has not appeared in a fight in 19 months. Benavidez looks to right wrongs after an unimpressive majority draw and a loss in his last two bouts. Boxing betting odds on this fight, with picks and bets from the Sports Gambling Podcast Network, for Garcia vs Benavidez, is coming up, DING DING.
Boxing Odds, Picks, And Bets: Danny Garcia vs Jose Benavidez Jr.
Garcia (-800), Benavidez Jr. (+500), O/U 10.5 Rounds
Danny “Swift” Garcia: 36-3 (21 KO), 34 years old, HT: 5’8″, Reach: 68″
Jose “Merciless” Benavidez Jr.: 30 years old, 27-1-1 (18 KO), HT: 5’10”, Reach: 71″
David Benavidez’s brother, Jose Benavidez Jr., was once regarded as a highly touted boxing prospect. Benavidez Jr. had the capability to be a mobile power puncher until he took a bullet to the leg in a 2016 shooting. In fights since, Benavidez has been a stable shooter relying on his power. He has two KOs in his five fights since the 2016 incident. The good news for Benavidez is that he will have a three-inch of reach and two-inch height advantage over “Swift” Garcia.
Danny Garcia is coming off of a career-altering loss to Errol Spence Jr. in a welterweight world title fight. After taking some time away from the ring, Garcia has decided to move up in weight. Garcia’s strength of competition is no joke but he has just come up short to the pound-for-pound contenders like Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter, and Spence. The one thing Garcia possesses that nobody questions is a rock-solid chin. Garcia has NEVER been knocked down in his professional career. This fight with Benavidez Jr. was picked to prove that he still can take a few power punches while also giving him a relatively stable target to see if Garcia’s power can also play in the junior middleweight division.
THE BET: Danny Garcia via KO, TKO, or DQ +175
The logical argument is that Danny Garcia will win this fight, so his moneyline is juiced out. The only question is will Garcia be able to knock Benavidez Jr. out in his first fight at 154 pounds? I think he can. This fight will start slow as Garcia regains the comfortability inside the ring. With a strong contingency of Puerto Ricans in New York, and Garcia’s base being in Philadelphia, expect the crowd to be pro-Garcia.
I think the combination of Benavidez’s lack of mobility and Garcia’s lack of activity will result in most of the punches thrown in the pocket. The goal of both fighters: land a big shot. I think over time with body shots inside, Garcia will slow Benavidez down. It will open up a window for his lethal left hook to land on the orthodox opponent. Once he lands a big one expect Garcia to put his foot on the gas and make a good first impression inside the new weight class.
