Stevenson vs Zepeda Odds & Picks

Shakur Stevenson enters his bout with William Zepeda as an enormous -1200 favorite as the undefeated fighters go to war for the WBC lightweight title this Saturday, July 12th from Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York.

Stevenson vs Zepeda Odds

Fighter	Odds
Shakur Stevenson	-1200
William Zepeda	+680

How to Bet Shakur Stevenson

Stevenson will step into the ring with an undefeated record of 23 wins and 11 knockout victories. Shakur's defensive boxing is his calling card. He demonstrates an innate sense of space and timing and has the ability to make opponents pay with devastating counters. Stevenson's footwork is impeccable and he excels at forcing the opposition to miss by inches and capitalizing.

Stevenson's incredible awareness puts him one step ahead, as he is constantly able to dictate the pace of his fights. Pair that with his fantastic ring IQ, as he rarely gets pulled into wild brawls or makes reckless mistakes, and you have the makings of a championship boxer.

In essence, Stevenson forces his opponents to fight on his terms and at his pace, which is generally a winning strategy. Also, according to CompuBox, Stevenson has recorded the best plus-minus rating in boxing at 21.1, meaning he lands far more punches than he takes. On top of that, he's one of the hardest fighters to hit, with his opponent total punches landed per round sitting at the lowest in boxing at 5.4.

How to Bet William Zepeda

Despite the odds, Zepeda is no slouch. The undefeated Mexican lightweight boasts a record of 33 wins with zero losses, and 27 knockouts to boot. He's a relentless, high volume puncher, who is always moving forward and often mercilessly pummels opponents to dust.

Zepeda will certainly enter this bout with a power advantage, as his knockout percentage of 82% suggests. He'll also have a two inch height and reach advantage over Stevenson. Having said that, consistently landing punches on Shakur is another matter all together.

The San Mateo Atenco native has stopped three of his last five opponents, but each of his most recent scraps have gone to the judges scorecard. Zepeda won the WBC Interim Lightweight championship back in March with a majority decision victory over Tevin Farmer.

Stevenson vs Zepeda Prediction

Zepeda's high volume, all gas-no brakes approach will be an interesting clash with Stevenson's more nuanced system. However, as the old saying goes, styles make fights. I doubt Shakur allows Zepada to get close enough to stand and trade for long periods. Ultimately, Stevenson's evasiveness will lead him to victory here. His slick boxing and defensive genius is a nightmare for Zepeda's volume punching. Zepeda will be looking to stand and bang as often as possible, but he lacks the speed and footwork necessary to cut off the ring and force Stevenson to trade. Back Shakur Stevenson to win this bout by decision.

Pick: Shakur Stevenson by Decision (-220)