Lyndon Arthur vs. Anthony Yarde betting odds, preview, and pick

Lyndon Arthur and Anthony Yarde face off on Saturday, Dec. 4 in a rematch of one of 2020's biggest upsets. Let's break down their eagerly anticipated rematch, beginning with the latest betting odds.

Arthur looking to repeat against Yarde

In their first bout last December, Arthur essentially beat Yarde one-handed, as he allegedly injured his hand before the fight. His jab was more than enough to shut down the former light heavyweight title contender, however, easily dominating him despite a late charge from Yarde.

Provided he doesn’t hurt himself again, Arthur should have plenty of confidence in the opportunities his jab sets up for him. Yarde’s power is always a concern, but he handled it extremely well considering the circumstances, and is in good position to win even more clearly this time.

Yarde needs to find earlier success

Yarde is best known for nearly beating a badly faded Sergey Kovalev in 2017, but he hasn’t impressed since. The big puncher from Hackney has stopped all but one opponent in 21 wins, but was badly exposed against regional rival Arthur in their first fight.

He went back to his usual level of competition, blasting out an overmatched Alex Theran in one round, but that isn’t enough time to see how he’ll look against Arthur. As thoroughly outboxed as he was, Yarde’s late charge nearly turned the tide. He needs to land his big shots earlier if he hopes to even the score.

Arthur will again outclass Yarde, and win a decision

Arthur being the underdog here is confusing. He practically looked like Larry Holmes against Yarde, dominating him with the simplest of jabs to win a decision far wider than the scores indicated. Bettors keep giving Yarde credit for almost beating a shot Kovalev, which really says it all about how high his ceiling is.

If a fighter can’t figure out how to avoid just one punch, how is he going to deal with another punch coming behind it? What we might see is Arthur literally and figuratively doubling down on his output, giving Yarde a boxing lesson that he’ll surely forget, mainly because he’ll be left unconscious before it’s over.

Expect Arthur to hand an ill-prepared Yarde another lopsided defeat. Unlike last time, Arthur will avoid the late dramatics and close the show by putting enough heat on Yarde that it will draw a stoppage from the ninth onwards.

Boxing free pick: Arthur