The next major boxing event takes place on Saturday night from Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
The main event features Vergil Ortiz Jr. taking on former WBO junior welterweight champion Maurice Hooker in welterweight action.
As always with a big-time boxing card, there are certainly plenty of bets to be made. Let's take a look at some of them.
Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Maurice Hooker odds
Vergil Ortiz Jr: -1000
Maurice Hooker: +600
(All odds via BetMGM)
BetMGM has Ortiz installed as a surprisingly huge favorite — as of Thursday, he comes in at -1000, meaning you'd need to bet $1,000 to win $100. Meanwhile, Hooker is a +600, meaning if you pluck down $100, you will win $600.
By no means is it a knock on Ortiz that he's such a massive favorite. It's a matter of fact that this is the biggest test of his career against a former world champion who is still in his prime.
Ortiz (16-0, 16 KOs) looks to secure his most significant win to date after plowing through his competition up to this point. In his only bout in 2020, Ortiz beat Samuel Vargas via seventh-round TKO at the end of July.
Hooker (27-1-3, 18 KOs) returns from a 15-month layoff. The former WBO junior welterweight champion last fought in December 2019, stopping Uriel Perez via first-round TKO at a catchweight bout of 144 pounds.
There's no denying Ortiz has all the tools to become a superstar. He's got the charisma and possesses the most significant thing you need to become a megastar: knockout power. His promotional team at Golden Boy Promotions has given him higher quality opposition each time out. The knockout wins in his last three fights over Antonio Orozco, Brad Solomon, and Samuel Vargas were impressive in their own right.
Hooker is nothing to sneeze at whatsoever. You don't become a world champion because you don't have any skills. Remember that Hooker captured the WBO belt by flying across the Atlantic, going into Terry Flanagan's own backyard in England, and winning a decision.
The biggest key to the fight is going to be experience. Ortiz has never gone past the seventh round while Hooker's gone the distance in five of his last ten fights. Hooker will be the hardest puncher Ortiz has encountered. How will the 22-year-old be to take a significant power shot?
Another thing to think about is how Hooker will look after Friday's weigh-in? He struggled to make 140 pounds the last couple of years, and it affected his performance, especially when he lost Jose Ramirez in a title unification bout in July 2019. Will competing at his natural weight class make a difference?
Expect an all-action clash. Hooker is going to try and use his eight-inch reach advantage early on and establish the jab. Ortiz will try and time the jab and counter with power shots, which will make Hooker want to make it a fire-fight.
I see the fight extending into the later rounds, and that's where Hooker will take control as Ortiz's gas is going to approach empty, and "Mighty Mo" ends up getting the decision win.
Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Maurice Hooker prediction
Muehlhausen pick: Maurice Hooker
Best odds: Maurice Hooker via points: +1100
More Ortiz vs. Hooker odds
Will the fight go the distance?
Yes: +240
No: -350
Method of victory
Ortiz by KO/TKO/Technical Decision/DQ: --300
Ortiz by points: +350
Tie: +2500
Hooker by KO/TKO/Technical Decision/DQ: +1400
Hooker by points: +1100