Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr: Predictions, picks and bets

2020 has been a strange year for a lot of reasons, so of course, it’s no surprise that this weekend Mike Tyson is returning to the boxing ring for his first bout in over a decade as he comes up against Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition match in Los Angeles.

The 54-year-old, known as Iron Mike (among other things), heads into the contest against Jones Jr as favorite at odds of -230 with FanDuel Sportsbook. Whether the former World Heavyweight Champ can live up to the hype remains to be seen, but millions of curious Americans will be casting their eyes on Staples Center on Saturday night with a tinge of curiosity to find out.

As it’s not a professional bout, betting markets are relatively scarce on this one, but for those of you who can’t help themselves and want to have a wager, we’ve found the best betting value as the two men collide in the bout to knock the other guy out.

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💰 Best Bet: Roy Jones Jr – Moneyline (+176*)

Much has been made of Mike Tyson’s comeback, and with good reason – it has been a herculean effort to come back from the depths of despair to where he is today, in the best shape he’s been in for a long time, buuuuuut are the sportsbooks maybe getting a little too carried away by the Tyson hype?

It’s really hard to read any form lines heading into this one of course, but Jones Jr is three years younger than Tyson, and he’s been fighting more recently, with his last professional bout in 2018. Oh, and Jones Jr is no jobber either; he’s a world heavyweight champ, too. The romantic play is with Tyson, the smart play is Jones Jr.

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💰 Value Bet:  Roy Jones Jr Points or Decision – Method of Victory (+300)

The only person who took an exhibition super seriously was Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, and while Iron Mike might be trying to go out with a point to prove, this bout should go the distance to maximize the PPV value for fans. If our moneyline pick goes the way we think this should, Roy Jones Jr will control the tempo until the final bell rings.

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*odds are correct at time of publishing