Oleksandr Usyk will stop Anthony Joshua in the ninth round of their rematch, Sporting Index predict

Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua prediction

Usyk vs Joshua 2 takes place this Saturday night in Jeddah

Oleksandr Usyk will stop Anthony Joshua in the ninth round of their rematch in Jeddah on Saturday night according to predictions from Sporting Index.

The spread betting firm forecast that time will be called in the 27th minute, with the Ukrainian once again crowned the victor.

Usyk comes into the fight as the odds-on favourite to win and if the fight goes the distance he is 17/10 to win on points, with Joshua a 15/2 chance.

Joshua by knockout is priced at 5/2 but Usyk is still favoured in that department at 2/1.

Neville Burdock, Head of Sportsbook at Sporting Index, said: “The long-awaited rematch between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk is finally here, but we don’t expect the result to be any different to last time.

“In fact, our predictions point to a more emphatic victory for the Ukrainian, by stoppage at the beginning of the ninth round.

“A knockout might be Joshua’s best chance of gaining revenge for last time and the Brit is 5/2 to land a telling blow, but Usyk is also likely to have his chances at 2/1, and if the fight does go the distance he is strongly favoured to win on points.”

More opinions on the rematch here: Predictions for Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk 2

Joshua v Usyk:

Everything you need to know about Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk 2

More betting patterns:

Usyk attracts 80% of knockout bets, according to William Hill

William Hill’s customers are heavily backing Oleksandr Usyk in his world title fight with Anthony Joshua, with 80 per cent supporting the Ukrainian to win by KO or TKO.

The leading bookmaker reports the bulk of money has been for the defending champion, with punters expecting Usyk to dominate his British opponent.  

Joshua is the underdog at 13/8, with most support coming for the challenger in round seven to nine, while Usyk, the 4/7 favourite, is being backed for an early finish in rounds one to five.

William Hill spokesperson, Tony Kenny, said: “Most of the commentary around this rematch has been in favour of a Oleksandr Usyk victory, with the Ukrainian being very much the one our customers want to be with ahead of Saturday night.

“In the method of result market, we’ve seen around 80 per cent of bets placed on a Usyk knockout, while support for Anthony Joshua has come in the round betting, notably in rounds seven to nine.”

Anthony Joshua v Oleksandr Usyk:

Method of result: