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Prediction, pick for Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios

Prediction, pick for Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios

Published:

By: Ryan Wohl

Manny Pacquiao is back after four years to face Mario Barrios for the WBC Welterweight Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. This event begins at 8:00 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime Video PPV.

Here is my best bet for Saturday’s boxing fight between Pacquiao vs. Barrios.

Mario Barrios by KO/TKO/DQ (+130)

In this contest, Barrios is the younger fighter by 16 years and is in the prime of his career. The opposite is true for the legend Pacquiao, who hasn’t fought since 2021. Pacquiao lost his previous bout to Yordenis Ugas, and his last victory came in 2019 against Keith Thurman. Barrios is returning after a draw against Abel Ramos, but has won three straight fights before that and hasn’t lost since 2022.

With Barrios being a -275 favorite, getting him to win by KO/TKO/DQ at +130 is the better play on DraftKings Sportsbook. That is because eight of Barrios’ previous 11 victories have been by knockout. With Barrios’ height and reach advantage, he will be able to keep Pacquiao moving backwards, which will wear him down throughout the contest.

I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.