Canelo Alvarez is one of the most decorated fighters of the 21st century. On Saturday, the legendary boxer will look to add WBA and WBC super middleweight championships to his already incredible resume at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Alvarez will take on WBA champion Callum Smith, while the vacant WBC title will also be on the line. Smith is a perfect 27-0 and has a staggering seven-inch height advantage and eight-inch reach advantage over Canelo.
However, Alvarez (53-1-2) has moved from weight class to weight class effortlessly throughout his career without losing power or finishing ability. After fighting superstars like Floyd Mayweather, Gennady Golovkin, Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosely, he certainly won't back down. The card begins at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday night. Alvarez is a -700 favorite (risk $700 to win $100), with Smith listed as a +500 underdog in the latest Canelo vs. Smith odds from William Hill Sportsbook. Before you make any Alvarez vs. Smith picks, see the latest boxing predictions from SportsLine analyst Peter Kahn.
A 2019 Boxing Writers Association of America Cus D'Amato Manager of the Year nominee, Kahn has his finger on the pulse of what's going on inside and outside of the ring. Kahn has managed numerous world champions and currently manages 20 fighters through his company, Fight Game Advisors. He can be seen and heard weekly on "The Fight Guys" on YouTube.
Kahn is uncanny when it comes to picking fights. He is an astounding 29-3 on SportsLine boxing picks since the hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, returning $3,710 to $100 bettors.
Last week, Kahn said Anthony Joshua would knock down Kubrat Pulev in the first three rounds, a 2-1 underdog pick. The result? Joshua delivered two third-round knockdowns en route to a 9th-round TKO. Last month, Kahn predicted legends Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. would fight to a draw, and anyone who followed Kahn's advice was rewarded with a 12-1 payout.
In October, Kahn called one of the year's biggest upsets, predicting Teofimo Lopez would stun Vasiliy Lomachenko to become the unified lightweight champ. The result? Lopez outhit the pound-for-pound king from the first bell, winning convincingly for a monster payout. Anyone who followed Kahn's advice won $350 for every $100 risked.
Now, with Saturday's showdown fast approaching, Kahn has analyzed Canelo vs. Smith from every angle, identified the best value in the boxing odds and released three best bets. Head to SportsLine to see all of his boxing picks.
Canelo vs. Smith preview
Smith is the youngest of four brothers who became professional boxers from Liverpool, England. Older brother Liam Smith was TKO'd in the ninth round by Canelo for the WBO light middleweight title in Sept. 2016.
However, Smith is six inches taller than his older brother, and this fight will be held two weight classes above the fight with Liam. Canelo most recently defeated Sergey Kovalev at 175 pounds for the WBO light heavyweight title, so fighting at 168 pounds over a year later shouldn't be of major concern.
Smith will try to use his size to keep Alvarez away from his body, where he can cut him down to size. Meanwhile, Alvarez will have to figure out how much power Smith can generate from his right hand as he looks to close the gap.
"While we know what to expect with Canelo, his fights with Daniel Jacobs and Sergey Kovalev were definitely competitive. In fact, his fight with Kovalev was anyone's to win in the 11th round until Canelo stopped him," Kahn told SportsLine.
How to make Canelo vs. Smith picks
Kahn has a confident pick that might surprise you. He's also predicting how long the fight lasts, while one of his props pays a staggering 20-1. You can see all his picks and analysis right here.
Who wins Canelo vs. Smith? What are the three best bets you can make? And how long does it last? Visit SportsLine now to see Peter Kahn's best bets for Saturday, all from the fight game manager who is 29-3 on boxing picks since the sport returned, and find out.
