Lucas Jones
After a bizarre chain of events that many boxing observers claim is the most unusual they have ever seen, the fight between Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia still continues on Saturday night with some revised arrangements. The 12-round fight will anchor the main card of the Haney vs. Garcia fight (9 p.m. ET) at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The fight was set to be a defense of the WBC junior welterweight title for Haney, but after Garcia missed weight by 3.2 pounds on Friday, he is now ineligible for the title. What’s more, Haney could be in line for a $1.5 million payday from his opponent after Garcia promised at last Thursday’s press conference to pay him $500,000 per pound if he missed weight. However, Garcia’s official financial penalty under the terms of his fight contract remains unclear.
Haney is a -700 favorite (risk $700 to win $100), while Garcia is priced at +425 in the latest Devin Haney vs. Haney odds. The over/under for total rounds completed is 10.5, with the Under favored at -120 and the Over priced at -110. Before locking in any Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney picks, be sure to check out SportsLine analyst Peter Kahn’s boxing predictions and betting advice.
Kahn is a true boxing insider who is aware of what is happening inside and outside the ring. He has managed several world champions and currently manages 20 fighters through his company, Fight Game Advisors. Kahn won the 2022 Boxing Writers Association of America Cus D’Amato Manager of the Year Award and was inducted into the 2023 Florida Boxing Hall of Fame.
Kahn is strange when it comes to picking fights. He is an impressive 49-13 in his last 62 boxing picks at SportsLine, returning nearly $4,000 to $100 to bettors. Anyone who has followed it has seen massive returns.
Now, with Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia on deck, Kahn has studied the matchup from every angle and released confident predictions for the fight. You can only see these picks on SportsLine.
Devin Haney vs.
In addition to believing he is a superior boxer, Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) also stated that he thinks he is capable of breaking Garcia’s will to win. He pointed to Garcia’s loss to Gervonta Davis last year as an example of Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) disappearing when things didn’t go his way in a fight.
In that confrontation, Garcia was knocked down in the second round with a strong kick from Davis and was almost eliminated. He beat the referee’s count and continued, but seemed apprehensive and unwilling to get involved the entire time. In the seventh round, Garcia was hit with what appeared to be a grazing shot to the body and retreated to a vacant corner, where he voluntarily took a knee without even attempting to respond to the count. Haney says these actions are proof that Garcia is weak-minded and plans to put Garcia in a similar position on Saturday.
“He doesn’t have the skills, he doesn’t have the fight IQ and he doesn’t have the heart. We’ve seen him quit before,” Haney told the media.
Despite all the events leading up to the fight, perhaps the ultimate draw for Garcia is his lethal power, with his 83.3% knockout rate ranking among the highest in lightweight history. He’s known for a devastating left hook, a sneaky backhand, and punishing combinations. Because of this, some observers are giving him more than just the proverbial puncher’s chance on Saturday.
Bernard Hopkins is one of them. Hopkins, the former champion who also worked as a boxing analyst for several networks, is now part of the Golden Boy team that promotes Garcia. He told the media this week that Haney’s relative lack of power (15 KOs in 31 wins) will give Garcia the confidence to let go without fearing too many consequences if he leaves openings or makes a mistake.
“I think he can take a chance on Devin Haney because I’ve seen him fight a lot of fights and he’s never hurt anyone,” Hopkins said. “Can he outwork you? Absolutely. But when you’re out there with a guy who you know you can take more risks with than not, it boosts the confidence of whoever is on the other side. That’s Ryan Garcia.” You can take more chances with a guy who can’t hurt you.” See who to support on SportsLine.
How to make choices between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney
Kahn likes the fight to last less than 10.5 rounds. He also decided on a proposed winning method and a confident money line choice. You can only see your picks and analysis on SportsLine.
Who beats Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia and which bracket is mandatory? Visit SportsLine now to see Peter Kahn’s best bets for Ryan Garcia vs. Devin Haney on Saturday, all from the boxing expert who netted his followers a profit of nearly $4,000and find out.
