Boxing Betting Preview: Zhilei Zhang vs. Joe Joyce

September 23, 2023

The Zhilei Zhang and Joe Joyce long-awaited rematch is coming up soon for boxing fans. Will Joyce earn the talk of a potential heavyweight champion contender or can Zhang silence him again?

Date: Saturday, September 23

Main card: 7:30 p.m. UK / 2:30 p.m. ET

Main event ring walks: 10.30 p.m. UK / 5.30 p.m. ET

Coverage: ESPN+

Zhilei Zhang Betting Preview

Zhilei Zhang (25-1-1) is the current WBO Interim World Heavyweight title holder. In his recent fight, against Joyce, he had a commanding lead that ultimately ended in a doctor stoppage since Joyce’s eye was shutting on him.

He looked great on his feet and seemed to be delivering punches at a faster rate than Joyce. Footwork will be key once again as only six months have passed since the last time these two had met.

Zhang will likely stick to what he does best, which is methodically land punches to do damage over the course of a fight. This will potentially end in his favor.

Joe Joyce Betting Preview

Joe Joyce (15-1-0) entered the boxing world professionally in 2017 and is now 36 years-old. He has a variety of quality bouts under his belt, but his momentum abruptly stopped in his recent fight against Zhang.

He was unable to balance attacks from out the outside and had issues with his footwork. Instead of working with his position of power, he decided to stay in front and absorb a barrage of punches.

Joyce was also the lightest he had ever been in a heavyweight fight, but this alone was not enough to be quick on his feet and agile. A weight gain will likely affect his performance and potentially make him slower, which is the opposite of what he needs.

Game Odds, Series Trends and Free Pick

MyBookie has this matchup coming down to a coin flip, with Zhilei Zhang slightly ahead and favored to win. This should be another entertaining showdown between the two in the rematch, as the last battle left a bad taste for Joyce.

Joe Joyce: -112

Zhilei Zhang: -123

Joyce faces a tough challenge in this upcoming rematch. While other boxers in the past have done well after minor setbacks, this time, it appears to be a daunting task.

In the previous fight, he was arguably outboxed from start to finish (the sixth round) and struggled to find success. The key issue was his lack of agility despite his athleticism, which needs to be addressed quickly.

Despite weighing less in the first fight, adding more weight might not help if he remains sluggish. Joyce can improve, but the outcome will likely be the same, with Zhang landing damaging punches that Joyce cannot seem to anticipate. Look for Zhang to win once again.

Spooky Express Pick: Take Zhilei Zhang to Win at -123

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