Another super fight event in Saudi Arabia is taking place this Friday on the schedule of boxing, including the WBO Interim Heavyweight Title bout between Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker as the co-headliner. Will the 40-year-old interim champion defend the belt again while waiting for Fury-Usyk? Or will the resurgence of Parker be too much?
Zhang vs. Parker Picks
- Pick: Zhang Zhi Lei To Win In Round 7 +1200.
Read more for the official Zhang vs Parker prediction ahead of placing any bets for this week’s event.
Zhi Lei Zhang vs Joseph Parker Information
Zhi Lei Zhang vs Joseph Parker
Location of the game: Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Date & Time: March 08, 2024, 2 PM ET estimated ring walk
How to Watch: DAZN PPV
Last Fight Results:
Zhang is coming off a big third-round KO victory over Joe Joyce last September for the WBO interim title.
Parker is coming off a dominating unanimous decision victory over Deontay Wilder in December at the same Arena as this weekend’s event in Saudi Arabia.
Zhi Lei Zhang vs Joseph Parker Betting Analysis
Zhilei Zhang
Zhang is a Chinese boxer with a professional record of 26-1-1, including 21 wins by KO under his belt at the age of 40. Before he turned professional and became the WBO interim champion, Zhang was a champion amateur fighter, winning medals on multiple big stages, including silver at the 2008 Olympics.
Zhang is a 6’6” southpaw with an 80” reach. He is 40 years old, but he hasn’t taken a lot of damage due to the fact he’s only completed 93 professional rounds since making his debut in 2014–meaning most of his wins are KOs in the first 4 or 5 rounds. He boasts an 81% KO rate and has never suffered a stoppage defeat. According to The Ring, Zhang is ranked currently as the #3 heavyweight in the world.
Joseph Parker
Parker is a New Zealand boxer with a professional record of 34-3, including 23 wins by KO so far. He is a former WBO heavyweight champion when he held the title from 2016 to 2018, defending it twice. He has won multiple regional titles as well at the professional level, coming after a successful 66-fight amateur career.
Parker is listed as a 6’4” orthodox boxer with a 76” each at only 32 years old. His career resurgence is most likely due to the change in scenery and gyms, along with being very active as of late–going 4-0 in the year 2023.
Updates
There are no injuries reported to DAZN.
Zhi Lei Zhang vs Joseph Parker Betting Preview
The Zhang vs Parker prediction is very difficult to make because this fight is a coin flip. All of the factors going into this matchup are the key to winning a bet this week. Making boxing picks and parlays every weekend calls for you to preview betting lines and study film.
Starting with the boxing odds for this championship-level matchup, Zhang is coming in as the -250 betting favorite over the +198 Parker, which feels almost refreshing in today’s age of boxing. The over/under line stands at 10.5 rounds, with bookmakers favoring this fight to end inside the distance at -182.
Some interesting factors are present and this is a very interesting matchup. Zhang is only the second southpaw that Parker has fought professionally, and Parker has youth on his side with lots of momentum behind him.
From a technical standpoint, the game plans of both men seem pretty simple to assume. Zhang is going to look to either use his size to control distance or wear Parker down on the inside, but he’s more flexible as the fight goes on. He will most likely look to take the New Zealander out in the early rounds.
Parker will never change. He is going to come forward and use his pressure and toughness to control fights. He has confidence and trust in his new team, proving that against Wilder a couple of months ago when he stuck to a game plan for 12 rounds and dominated against a power puncher.
Zhi Lei Zhang vs Joseph Parker Best Bets and Prediction
After a lot of film study and previewing the betting lines for this world-class matchup, the official Zhang vs Parker prediction is that Zhang will be able to continue his winning ways and find that KO shot.
There’s some skepticism about Zhang’s cardio as the fight goes on, but he is going to catch Parker coming in within the first 7 rounds. A prop bet like that could yield big money, so be on the lookout for that line in your sportsbook.
We are aware that Parker will prepare a game plan, and we are aware that Zhang will show up ready to let his hands go. This is a coin flip fight and the better man will win on Friday, but Zhang has more ways to get his hand raised.
- Pick: Zhang Zhi Lei To Win In Round 7 +1200.
If you love sports and want more sports betting information follow us as @InsidersBetDig on Twitter and sign up to our mailing list for free betting picks. Make sure to visit the best offshore betting sites to maximize your betting experience.