Light-flyweight boxing heads to Tokyo this Monday night, as Japan’s Kenshiro Teraji looks to defend his WBA and WBC belts against South African Hekkie Budler. With Teraji having suffered one shock loss before in front of a home crowd, the champion will be eager to avoid a repeat this week as he heads into this bout expecting to win.
Budler is no slouch, however, having held belts in two weight divisions previously. While he’s nearing the end of his career and has lost twice in his past five fights, the 35-year-old also has some of the better defense in the division and could pose something of a challenge for Teraji. We break down all the latest betting odds with bet365 ahead of this clash and outline the best bets to make on Teraji vs. Budler before the first round on Monday night.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: September 17th, 10:00 P.M. (GMT)
Bookmaker bet365 has this bout well and truly in favour of the defending champion Kenshiro Teraji, with the Japanese boxer paying a measly 1.083 to win the fight outright. Hekkie Budler’s odds are about as long as it gets in professional boxing, with a return of 8.00 should the South African prevail.
In terms of method of result odds, a Teraji knockout leads at 1.40, followed by the champion winning on points at 3.60. For Budler, his best chance is on the cards at 12.00, while an upset finish sits at 19.00—just ahead of a draw on 21.00.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: September 17th, 10:00 P.M. (GMT)
Given that Teraji’s outright betting odds are far too low to even consider, betting on this bout comes down to how or when the clash will end. Looking at some of Teraji’s previous fights, there’s no clear pattern in how the Japanese boxer finishes his opponents. While he’s on a three-fight knockout streak, one has come early in the third round, while the others have come in the seventh and ninth rounds. With Teraji having a 62% knockout rate, including in five of his past six wins, the logical bet here is to simply back the champ to win by knockout at 1.40.
For those after a higher return, there’s an argument to be made for Budler forcing a decision here. The South African has excellent defense, and if he’s studied enough tape, will know how to handle Teraji’s aggressive style. Of his four losses, he’s only once been knocked out and has gone to 27 decisions across his career. It’s a risk but backing Teraji to win on points could be the play here for a healthy payout of 3.60.
