Rodriguez Picked to Defend Bantamweight Title
Rodriguez vs Nishida Odds

Emmanuel Rodriguez puts his IBF Bantamweight title on the line against Japan’s Ryosuke Nishida in Osaka on Saturday.
Rodriguez vs Nishida odds have the title holder at -250 to win, but fighting in Nishida’s home country makes life tough for the Puerto Rican.
It’s one of the biggest fights on this week’s boxing schedule, so it’s going to be a cracking contest.
Career Resurgence for Rodriguez
Having lost consecutive fights to Naoya Inoue and Reymart Gaballo, the towel could have been thrown in for Rodriguez.
However, the 31-year-old rebounded with wins over Robert Cantu, Gary Russell, and Melving Lopez. Beating Russell was a good effort, and it came via a technical decision after being headbutted.
He won the vacant title by knocking down Lopez three times in the 12th and final round, and he had been dominating the fight prior to that.
He won 120-105 across the board, so that’s an excellent form guide, which is why our boxing odds calculator has him as the favorite.
However, there is some trepidation in betting markets. He had already lost to a Japanese fighter in Inoue, and Inoue sent him packing with a second-round knockout, so he didn’t last long.
Nishida isn’t on the same level as his countryman, but winning fights in Japan against Japanese opponents isn’t easy.
He will need to call on all his experience to get the job done and justify the Rodriguez vs Nishida odds.
He’s the third-ranked boxer in the division, so he should fancy beating someone with only eight fights on their record.
Nishida Ready to Title Shot
The 27-year-old has had only eight fights, but Japanese boxing is on the rise.
Having champions in their ranks, Nishida could add his name to the list, and there is some specking for him at +200.
The latest boxing news suggests he’s ready for the biggest challenge of his career.
“This challenge arrived at the best possible timing,” Nishida, who made his professional debut in 2019, said. “I absolutely want to win it and be the world champion.”
Strangely, his trainer believes he will win in a split decision, which you rarely hear. Most trainers believe their fighter will win handsomely, but it’s good to see some honesty in the boxing ranks.
With only one knockout win from eight fights, it’s safe to see a decision victory would be his best outcome. He’s not a power puncher, but he knows how to win rounds, as he showed when beating Christian Medina Jimenez.
He’s good at winning rounds, but he needs to avoid getting rocked by Rodriguez, who has the distinct power advantage. If he fights smart, he could make a mockery of the Rodriguez vs Nishida odds.
Rodriguez in Nail Biter
We expect the title fight to go the distance, and although it won’t be an easy fight, the champion should come out on top.
He has more experience to call on, and he just needs to adjust to the roaring Osaka crowd. If he can handle the noise, he should technically out-box Nishida.
Getting -250 is a fair price from the sportsbook for Rodriguez, who is having a career resurgence, and that confidence could be enough to win.
We see the fight going into the 12th round, and over 10½ rounds has been hammered into -400. It’s a short price, but a same-fight parlay with Rodriguez to win pays handsomely.
It should be a great back and forth fight, and it could be fight of the week material.
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