Pacquiao Cotto betting probably represents the fight of the year. At worst, it’s on par with the Mayweather/Marquez bout. That’s no coincidence; ideally, Manny Pacquiao will win and set himself up to battle Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the biggest fight of the decade. Standing in his way is powerful, tough Miguel Cotto. Will Pacquiao roll or will Cotto surprise?
Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2) vs Miguel Cotto (34-1)
Saturday, November 14
Sportsbook odds: Pacquiao -280, Cotto +220
No one can say enough about Manny Pacquiao. “Pac-Man” is an international icon, loved by boxing fans, especially in his native Philippines. He’s beaten legends like Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Erik Morales. He’s dabbled in politics and show business. The guy has done it all.
What makes Pacquiao so special is his lack of any noticeable weaknesses. He’s lightning quick, pretty much always faster than his opponent; that allows him to avoid damage and inflict damage very quickly. He also possesses considerable power for a man his size; by winning titles in five different weight classes, he’s shown that his power translates even against larger opponents. He’s an aggressive fighter and, if he wants to win and eventually battle Mayweather in the boxing equivalent of Super Bowl odds, he’ll have to overcome an equally aggressive fighter.
Miguel Cotto has quite the following himself because of his highly entertaining style. He’s a powerful, tough, brawling type who likes to turn boxing matches into street fights. His swarming style earned him noteworthy wins over Shane Mosley and Zab Judah. However, those fighters were past their prime. Cotto wants to prove he’s a legit world-class fighter and an upset win over Pacquiao would do that to say the least.
The problem for Cotto is twofold. For one, Pacquiao does anything Cotto can do at least as well if not better. Cotto is powerful; Pacquiao can drop anyone. Cotto is aggressive and relentless when he has someone hurt; Pacquiao is equally devastating. Secondly, Cotto doesn’t represent anything Pacquiao hasn’t conquered before. Hatton had a similar smothering approach and Pacquiao relied on his speed to overcome him. He’ll likely do the same against Cotto.
On a great sports weekend that also features NFL odds on the Patriots and Colts, boxing fans won’t be disappointing by Pacquiao and Cotto. Pacquiao should prevail but not before Cotto gives a valiant effort. In the end, pick Pacquiao – the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world today.
Pick: Pacquiao -280
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