Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin Heavyweight Boxing Odds

Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is returning to the ring in his home country at O2 Arena in London, England for a big-time heavyweight bout against Jermaine Franklin on April 1st.

Joshua had been heavyweight boxing’s golden boy before he crashed back down to Earth over the past few years, but despite his recent struggles, the English pugilist is still a massive moneyline favorite to win this bout on most Canadian betting sites.

Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin Boxing Odds

While there will be no major belts or titles up for grabs for this fight, a situation Joshua is not used to at all, it’s still a major bout in the heavyweight division because of Joshua’s status as one of the best in the business right now and Franklin’s position as a top 15 heavyweight with a single blemish on his resume. The odds aren’t quite as lopsided as the first time Joshua fought Andy Ruiz Jr., but most other sportsbooks still aren’t giving Franklin much of a chance here. All odds provided by Sports Interaction.

Anthony Joshua Odds

Similar to this fight against Franklin, Joshua entered his first fight against Andy Ruiz Jr. as an enormous betting favorite at -2500 odds while Ruiz came in as a +1100 odds underdog. Ruiz was able to complete one of the biggest boxing upsets in history thanks to a strong chin that helped him come back after getting knocked down in the third round.

Ruiz then dropped a somewhat cocky Joshua later in the round, and from then on the Englishman didn’t look himself, eventually succumbing to Ruiz’s pressure in the 7th round. There are a lot of parallels for this fight with Franklin.

Franklin and Ruiz are similarly built, big boys with big hands and strong jaws, as evidenced by the fact that Franklin has yet to be finished in his pro boxing career. Joshua isn’t the same fighter as he was when he was undefeated, however. Losses teach you things, and Joshua will definitely not be coming into this one taking Franklin lightly as he did with Ruiz in their first fight.

As he did against Ruiz, Joshua comes into the fight with massive advantages in both height (6’6” to 6’2”) and reach (81.9” to 77.2”) over Franklin. This time he will be looking to use those advantages to employ his excellent jab to keep Franklin at a distance that the former champion is comfortable with.

Joshua is also working with a new trainer, Derrick James, which is his third different trainer in the last few years after he dropped Robert McCracken and Robert Garcia. James also trains boxers Jermell Charlo and Errol Spence Jr., who are both unified champs in their weight classes, so the guy knows what he’s doing. Expect Joshua to try and keep the fight at a distance and use his jab to rack up points.

Jermaine Franklin Odds

Franklin is coming in as a very intriguing underdog, because the odds don’t quite tell the whole story here, which means his massive moneyline odds are offering a ton of value. While Joshua is known for his knockouts, he’s only done so once in his last five bouts, and his mental state should be a worry for those looking to put down on the Brit.

His American challenger, meanwhile, could very well be undefeated if not for some suspect scorecards in his last fight against Dillian Whyte in Whyte’s home country of England. Many thought Franklin did some excellent work in that fight, and another trip to Britain shouldn’t be as jarring as the first.

Franklin likes to get busy in the ring. His hands are lightning quick, which is surprising when you look at his size, and he can string together some really impressive combinations that would make any fan of the sweet science swoon. That barrage of punches is a style that has stifled Joshua in the past, as Oleksandr Usyk twice broke the record for most punches landed by a Joshua opponent in their two fights, both Usyk wins.

The Saginaw, Michigan native is great at adapting mid-fight and pinpointing his opponents weaknesses, and as we’ve seen in recent years, Joshua is far from flawless in the ring. You have to lean slightly to Joshua for this one, but if you’re looking for betting value, it’s all on Franklin, because this one is going to be a tightly fought battle that could surprise a lot of people—again. If Joshua wins, we expect it to be via decision, but if there’s a finish, it could be the Saginaw kid getting his hand raised.