Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren betting odds, preview, and pick

Love him or hate him, Jake Paul is going to step back in the ring this weekend for a hotly anticipated clash against Ben Askren.

The social media beef is ready to cook in the ring, and before their April 17 showdown, we have a preview and picks to make you the big winner on fight night.

Paul steps up his competition

After he blasted a fellow YouTuber and an ex-NBA star, Paul will fight someone who can actually fight back, as Askren is a former Bellator and ONE welterweight champion.

Paul has some glaring physical advantages. The 24-year-old is younger, with a significant advantage in reach. He has also demonstrated good power and passable technique.

Unlike his previous appearances, however, he will now face someone who can fight.

Askren returned from retirement

Though retired and inactive, Askren is leaps and bounds better than anyone Paul has fought. While Askren was a decorated MMA fighter, he was already slowing down before he ended his career on a two-fight skid.

Askren was more of a grappler, though he showed a lot of heart and guts when he had to fight an opponent off. His conditioning has never been in question, but how prepared will he be for a traditional boxing match? 

Paul will KO Askren in six

At the risk of copping out, Paul’s handlers zoning in on Askren is not a coincidence. Askren was never a capable striker and was famously stopped by Jorge Masvidal in five seconds. The big problem is that Askren is not hard to hit.

A lot has been said about the Paul brothers, but Jake shows up prepared and has dedicated himself to his training. Because Askren can’t rely on his wrestling to bypass Paul’s reach, the YouTube star just needs to be mindful enough of when to sit down on his shots.

The fact that this is a relatively even fight in the odds emphasizes that Askren, a former combat sports champion, is the right type of fighter for Paul. Pride may prevent Askren from using a hit-and-run strategy to run out of the clock, and Paul might hit paydirt as a result.

Being a decent MMA fighter does not grant a leg up in a boxing ring, so if Paul stays upright for five rounds, he’ll drop Askren and stop him in the sixth.

Boxing pick: Paul -129