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Shakur Stevenson will take on Shuichiro Yoshino at Newark’s Prudential Center on Saturday, April 8th, in an eliminator for the WBC lightweight championship.
Can Stevenson seal the deal in front of a home crowd in New Jersey? Or will Yoshino upset the odds to clinch the title? It’s time to assess the odds, analyze the fighters and lock in your Stevenson vs. Yoshino predictions.
Stevenson vs. Yoshino Betting Lines
Shakur Stevenson to Win (-1600)
Shuichiro Yoshino to Win (+750)
Draw (+2200)
Shakur Stevenson by Decision or Technical Decision (-240)
Shakur Stevenson by KO/TKO/DQ (+240)
Shuichiro Yoshino by Decision or Technical Decision (+2000)
Shuichiro Yoshino by KO/TKO/DQ (+1000)
As you can see, Stevenson is the bookies’ heavy favorite to triumph on home soil, with the American’s moneyline price standing at -1600. On the flip side, Yoshino is priced at +750 to claim the win.
Stevenson is favored to win by decision or technical decision, although the odds for him to win by KO/TKO/DQ are also relatively low. By contrast, Yoshino’s odds underline what the bookies make of his chances.
Stevenson vs. Yoshino Preview
Carrying an unbeaten record of 19-0 into the ring, Stevenson will go in search of a 20th professional victory at Prudential Center. The 25-year-old defeated Robson Conceicao back in September, leaving the super featherweight division after that fight.
The former WBO featherweight and super featherweight world champion has secured nine knockout wins during his professional career. That said, he was pushed all the way in four of his previous five fights, so he could struggle to KO Yoshino.
The Japanese fighter also boasts an unbeaten record, having claimed 16 victories since turning pro in 2015. Impressively, Yoshino has secured 12 wins by way of knockout, meaning he has a KO ratio of 75%. Yoshino retained his WBO Asia Pacific lightweight title with a dominant victory over Masayoshi Nakatani in November, stopping his opponent in the sixth round. However, Stevenson will undoubtedly be the 31- year-old’s biggest test to date.
This will also be the first time that Yoshino has fought outside of Japan, so he will likely find it difficult to gain the upper hand on Stevenson, who will be cheered on by thousands of fans in his home state.
Stevenson vs. Yoshino Predictions
Shakur Stevenson by KO/TKO/DQ (+240)
Shakur Stevenson to Win in Rounds 7-9 (+600)
Under 10.5 Rounds (+250)
You probably won’t be surprised to learn that I’m steering clear of the moneylines for this fight. I’m confident that Stevenson will defeat Yoshino, but odds of -1600 are not worth bothering with.
Instead, I recommend backing Stevenson to win by KO/TKO/DQ. The American has claimed nine knockout victories over the years, with a TKO triumph against Jamel Herring coming in October 2021.
I also recommend backing Stevenson to win in rounds 7-9, as Yoshino is bound to put up a decent fight and the odds are seriously attractive! Accordingly, opting for the under 10.5 rounds wager also makes sense.
