Tyron Woodley acknowledges that he wasn't exactly a beloved champion while fighting for the UFC. But he appreciates the irony that the combat sports establishment now fully has his back as he takes on social media star Jake Paul in the boxing ring Sunday night. The former mixed martial arts icon faces the polarizing YouTube content creator in an eight-round boxing main event at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, with the pay-per-view main card set for 8 p.m. ET. At his peak, Woodley was the UFC welterweight champion who made four successful title defenses.
Paul is priced as a -190 favorite (risk $190 to win $100), while Woodley comes back at +170 (risk $100 to win $170) in the latest Paul vs. Woodley odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Before making any Woodley vs. Paul picks or bets, make sure you check out the boxing predictions from SportsLine combat sports analyst Brandon Wise.
Wise, who is the combat sports editor for CBS Sports, is an experienced boxing analyst. His strong 2021 boxing record includes nailing the outcome of the much-anticipated fight between Paul and Askren. Wise told SportsLine members to expect an early knockout from Paul (-170), who delivered with a first-round overhand right against Askren (+150), who answered the count but expressed no desire to continue.
The respected combat analyst also called Jamel Herring (+105) to defeat Carl Frampton (-125) for the WBO junior lightweight title in April. Anyone who has followed Wise's combat sports picks has seen massive returns.
Now, with Sunday's showdown fast approaching, Wise has studied Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley from every angle, identified the best value in the boxing odds and released highly confident picks. Head to SportsLine to see all of his boxing picks.
Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley expert preview
Similar to his fight against Ben Askren, Paul opened up as just a slight sportsbook favorite in the boxing odds, only to see the prices change as the money poured in on the social media star. This is largely because serious bettors seem to believe public cynicism about Paul clouds judgment over the clear advantages he has in the ring.
Paul is 15 years younger and 4 inches taller than Woodley and has more boxing experience. There are many observers who believe the lopsided nature of Woodley's last four UFC losses suggest he is incapable of keeping up with Paul in the boxing ring and that he was chosen as an opponent because of this perceived weakness.
Moreover, the ever-confident Paul offered Woodley two wagers. The first was a winner-take-all bet for both fight purses, which Woodley declined. Paul countered with a bet that the loser gets his opponent's name tattooed on his body, which Woodley reluctantly accepted amid much fanfare at a crowded press conference.
One thing that shouldn't be questioned is the competitive spirit of Woodley, who has happily volunteered to carry the flag for combat sports purists who wish to see the Paul hype train derailed in the form of a devastating loss administered by a power puncher.
Woodley can also redeem the loss of Askren, who embarrassed the fighting establishment with his clear lack of preparation and desire to continue after getting tagged by Paul. Woodley's connection with Askren is why he is here in the first place. He worked as his friend's trainer-manager and was taunted by members of Paul's team when he entered the locker room to witness Paul getting his gloves fitted, a standard procedure in the combat sports world.
The former UFC welterweight champ was immediately among the potential opponents called out by Paul, and he wasted no time in expressing his serious interest. Woodley didn't even consider working a new deal with the UFC after his contract expired and instead told anyone who would listen that he was putting his full effort into the boxing match with Paul. Woodley doubled down on that sentiment this week, telling the media numerous times that he has never trained harder for a fight than he has for Sunday's showdown.
How to make Woodley vs. Paul picks
Wise is going under on the number of rounds (3.5). He's also locked in two other best bets, including one on who wins and a prop bet that returns almost 3-1. You can see all of his picks and analysis here.
Who wins Paul vs. Woodley? And what prop should you back for a huge return? Visit SportsLine now to see Brandon Wise's best bets for Sunday, all from the CBS combat sports specialist who was all over Paul's knockout of Askren, and find out.
