Bettors are overwhelming choosing the underdog in the upcoming Vegas showdown between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Despite most experts saying McGregor, a 29-year-old Irishman, has little chance of beating Mayweather this weekend, bettors are still putting their money on McGregor, accounting for 89 percent of all the action, according to BetOnline.ag.
The New York Post says that this could be setting up the city’s sports books for one of its darkest days ever.
Before the fight was officially scheduled, the Post writes, the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook listed Mayweather as a -2500 favorite, and McGregor as a +1100 underdog. In June, Mayweather, the undefeated boxing legend who is returning from a two-year layoff, was listed at -800, with McGregor at +500.
Zach Jorlin, a sports book supervisor at MGM resorts, told the Post that bettors strongly favor McGregor.
“There are over 6,000 more tickets for McGregor than there are for Mayweather. … A lot of people hate Mayweather, and a lot of people want to see him get knocked out, and make some money. This would be a really, really bad loss for us,” he said to the Post.
One hope is that the “sharps” — expert gamblers — come in and put big bets on Mayweather later in the week, providing a safety net.
Las Vegas itself is prepping for the fight, with entertainment venues planning to party. Many nightclubs have booked a long list of celebrities, and there will be boxing-themed cocktails, writes Fox Business.
Tickets to the fight range from roughly $1,400 to $17,000 for non-VIP seats.
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