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Jack Catterall vs Jorge Linares betting tips:
- Fight to go the distance – 5/4 BetVictor
- Linares to throw 400 or more punches – 5/6 bet365
- Catterall to win by unanimous decision – 2/1 bet365
Jack Catterall goes in search of the 28th professional victory of his career when he faces off against Jorge Linares at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool on Saturday.
Catterall will be putting his WBA Intercontinental super lightweight title on the line for the first time having beaten Darragh Foley via unanimous decision in his last outing a bounce-back performance from El Gato.
The 30-year-old had lost his unbeaten record in his previous fight against Josh Taylor in February 2022 on a split decision.
It was a tough pill to swallow for the Brit as the manner of the result sent shockwaves through the boxing community.
But, he was able to get his career back on track with a dominant performance against Foley.
Catterall now turns his attention to the experienced Linares. The 38-year-old has lost his last three bouts but is a dangerous customer when it comes to facing British opponents, winning all five of his previous fights.
Catterall will need to be wary of the Venezuelan, who has previously held the WBA and The Ring lightweight titles.
Here are our predictions for the bout after looking at the odds from UK bookmakers.
Fight to go the distance?
Although he got back to winning ways against Foley in his last outing, Catterall still feels like has a point to prove.
Ahead of the bout against Linares, he has namechecked Devin Haney and Regis Prograis, highlighting his ambition to challenge for major belts in the near future. He will, therefore, need to take care of business against Linares to enhance his reputation.
The 30-year-old was on point against Foley, knocking the Australian to the mat twice during the bout.
There was never any doubt that Catterall would be victorious after such a powerful display, and that was reflected by the scores of all three judges. Foley carried a three-fight winning streak into the bout, so it was no mean feat to record such a comprehensive victory.
The issue will be repeating that performance against Linares, who will aim to make life difficult. Although the Venezuelan has lost his last three bouts, he has taken two fights the distance, while his other defeat came via a final-round knockout against Zaur Abdullaev.
Catterall has not secured a knockout victory since 2019 when he overcame Oscar Amador within three rounds. The boxing betting sites suggest that it could be a close call, but we’re backing the right to go the distance at odds of 5/4 with BetVictor.
What strategy will Linares use?
In Catterall’s defeat to Taylor, he threw 525 punches and landed 120 blows over the course of the bout. That figure was reduced against Foley, and the manner of the fight against Linares could follow a similar pattern.
The strategy of Linares will be interesting to watch as he may choose to be more active and throw more punches than the Brit, especially in the early stages of the bout in an attempt to force his opponent’s hand.
If Linares is to pull off an upset in Liverpool, he will need to take Catterall out of his comfort zone. We’re backing Linares to throw over 400 punches at 5/6 with bet365.
The quality of those punches will be the difference in the fight. Catterall notched over 100 successful blow in his defeat to Taylor, and he's 11/10 to do the same against Linares, albeit he hopes for a different result.
Catterall to close out win
Linares is a savvy fighter and will not make life easy on Catterall even with the backing of the crowd in Liverpool. The 30-year-old was in outstanding form against Foley and he could use that confidence to secure a victory in a similar manner.
Linares’ experience may allow him to avoid a knockout, but we’re backing Catterall to wear him down during the fight to emerge with a unanimous decision at odds of 2/1 with bet365, potentially setting him up for a world title shot in the not-to-distant future.
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Last Updated: 14th March 2024, 07:22 AM
