Shakur Stevenson vs Oscar Valdez Odds
Unbeatens Clash with WBC, WBO Featherweight Titles at Stake
Featherweight titles are on the line on Saturday night and the Shakur Stevenson vs Oscar Valdez odds have the American as the overwhelming favorite.
Stevenson is the current holder of the WBO featherweight belt and Valdez is the WBC holder, so the winner of Saturday’s fight becomes the unified champion.
With a combined record of 47-0, everything is on the line and it could be one of the fights of the year.
Stevenson Confident of Victory
Shakur Stevenson is never short of confidence, especially after knocking out Jamel Herring last October in the 10th round.
The American kept his unbeaten record intact and he has since sparred with Terence Crawford, which is a vital experience.
The 24-year-old champion believes he deserves his chance at the big time.
“I’ve been fighting champion after champion. You got to understand that Valdez has been champion since I turned pro,” Stevenson said. “Valdez been defending his belts since I made my pro debut [in 2017. Right after going against Jamel Herring, I think I deserve to be on the pound-for-pound list.
“Even though I’m not top of the list of the pound-for-pound, I deserve to be on the pound-for-pound.”
Shakur Stevenson vs. Oscar Valdez betting odds has Stevenson at -800 to beat Valdez, which is a short quote for the less experienced fighter. However, the world is his oyster and he has looked visually impressive.
Stevenson is rated as the best featherweight in the world and that was evident when he destroyed Jeremia Nakathila. The decision win was about as one-sided as you’ll see, so he has the credentials.
He might not be looking to score a knockout win, but Stevenson has the skills to win over the judges.
Is Valdez Underrated?
It’s odd to see the second-best featherweight fighter paying +500 to win.
The Mexican is 30-0 after beating Robson Conceicao by unanimous decision and he hasn’t been dodging the tough opponents, but he’s not getting respected in Shakur Stevenson vs Oscar Valdez betting odds markets.
The 31-year-old has been WBO champion since 2016, which is a long time to defend your belt. That has to be taken into consideration and boxing betting odds are being generous.
Stevenson believes Valdez didn’t want the fight, but his team pressured him into taking the challenge.
“I think that his team – Canelo (Alvarez), Eddy Reynoso and them guys – told him, ‘You need this fight. You gotta fight him. As a Mexican, we warriors. We don’t back down from no challenges.’ So, I think that played a major part,” Stevenson said.
Despite Valdez having not faced the names that Stevenson has fought recently, he still demands attention.
He is a 30-fight veteran and that experience can’t be overlooked. Stevenson has slightly better technical ability, but having faced so many title challengers is a credit to Valdez.
However, momentum is with Stevenson and he could win on points. The sportsbook has the total rounds line at 10½, so it’s expecting the fight to go the distance.
We envision it going into the final round, but Stevenson should prevail on points.