Manny Pacquiao is coming out of retirement at the age of 46 in hopes of becoming the oldest world champion in the history of boxing. He’ll face 30-year old WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios in Las Vegas. Barrios was born in San Antonio and has held the title since 2024.

Pacquiao is a legend in the sport, being the only boxer to win a major world title in eight different weight classes. With that being said, he hasn’t fought since 2021, and at the age of 46, his prime is surely behind him.

For that reason, he’s a decently-sized +210 underdog against Barrios at DraftKings Sportsbook on Saturday night. Let’s get into my Pacquiao vs. Barrios predictions and best bets.

Pacquiao vs. Barrios predictions and best bets

Here are some bets that might be worth a look for the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Mario Barrios:

• Barrios moneyline (-230 at bet365)
• Over 10.5 rounds (-140 at DraftKings)
• Barrios by decision (+225 at bet365)

*NOTE: Odds are based on the best value our experts find as of publication; check lines closer to game time to ensure you get the best odds.

While taking the legendary Manny Pacquiao at plus-money is certainly intriguing, it’s sometimes best to think with our heads and not our hearts in these situations. Unfortunately, in professional sports, age is not just a number.

Pacquiao hasn’t fought since 2021 and is now 46 years old. Even if he was a few years younger, you could argue that Pacquiao would have serious issues with Barrios’ reach advantage.

While we trust that Pacquiao will come into this fight in tremendous shape and be relatively fine endurance wise, it’s hard to envision a world where he can generate much on the attack.

I think we see a lot of dancing in the ring and eventually, Barrios will feel comfortable enough to win the fight on points without feeling the need to take a risk in a fight he should control from start to finish.

Pacquiao vs. Barrios moneyline analysis

Mario Barrios is a -280 favorite to defeat Manny Pacquiao according to the odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. A bet on the underdog Pacquiao would pay out at +210.

These odds suggest that Barrios has a 73.7% chance of winning the fight. When you consider the age and reach advantage he possesses, the betting odds seem about right.

Why Barrios can win as the favorite

Best odds: -230 at bet365

Standing at 6-feet tall, Mario Barrios is the tallest boxer that Manny Pacquiao has ever faced.

In addition to that, Barrios is 16 years younger than his opponent and has remained active in the boxing world.

Pacquiao was trending downwards when he decided to retire, and it’s doubtful time away helped him at this age. Barrios has just two career losses, and betting odds suggest it will stay that way.

How Pacquiao wins the fight as an underdog

Best odds: +210 at FanDuel

Look for Pacquiao to be extremely aggressive in the early stages of this fight, before potential signs of his age begin to show in later rounds. He’ll need to use his legendary hand speed and foot work to get an advantage as he tries to keep Barrios close in order to nullify his size advantage. All of this aggressiveness could unfortunately leave Pacquiao quite vulnerable.

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