Sports
Bettors Wagering Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao Bout is Draw
At left, in a May 4, 2013, file photo, Floyd Mayweather Jr. exchanges punches with Robert Guerrero (not shown) in a WBC welterweight title fight in Las Vegas. At right, in a Nov. 12, 2011, file photo, Manny Pacquiao exchanges punches with Juan Manuel Marquez (not shown) during a WBO welterweight title fight in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken, File)
(ESPN) – If the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight ends in a deflating draw, it would be the worst-case scenario for one of Nevada’s largest sportsbooks. It also could set up an even more lucrative rematch for everyone involved.
When the MGM sportsbook opened betting on the fight in February, a draw paid 22-1. The odds of a draw have been bet down to 8-1. Almost 1,000 bets had already been placed on the outcome resulting in a draw, according to MGM vice president of race and sports Jay Rood. That’s double the number of bets on any of the other possible outcomes.
“That will minimize as we get closer, but right now it’s not good — our worst-case scenario,” Rood said.
The fight will take place May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, capping a raucous Saturday in Las Vegas that also features the Kentucky Derby and NBA playoffs. Estimates of how much will be bet on Mayweather-Pacquiao range from $50 million to $80 million.
