Emanuel Navarrete makes the first defense of his WBO junior lightweight crown Saturday against top-rated challenger Oscar Valdez in a 12-round boxing main event. Their showdown tops the main Navarrete vs. Valdez fight card (8 p.m. ET) from Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Ariz. Navarrete, who is now a three-division champion, won the vacant title with a ninth-round stoppage of Liam Wilson in February. He now faces what most boxing observers consider the toughest test of his career to date in Valdez, a former two-division champion and two-time Olympian who is seeking a coveted championship in a third weight class.
Valdez is a -165 favorite (risk $165 to win $100), while Navarrete comes back at +140 in the latest Emanuel Navarrete vs. Oscar Valdez odds. The over/under for total rounds completed is 10.5, with the Over priced at -340 and the Under fetching a price of +240. Before making any Emanuel Navarrete vs. Oscar Valdez picks, make sure you see the boxing predictions and betting advice from SportsLine analyst Peter Kahn.
Kahn is a true boxing insider who has his finger on the pulse of what’s going on inside and outside of the ring. He has managed numerous world champions and currently manages 20 fighters through his company, Fight Game Advisors. Kahn recently won the 2022 Boxing Writers Association of America Cus D’Amato Manager of the Year award and was named to the 2023 Florida Boxing Hall of Fame.
Kahn is uncanny when it comes to picking fights. He is an astounding 42-13 on his last 55 SportsLine boxing picks, returning nearly $4,000 to $100 bettors. Anyone who has followed him has already seen massive returns.
Now, with Emanuel Navarrete vs. Oscar Valdez in sight, Kahn has studied the matchup from every angle and released confident picks for the fight. You can only see his picks and analysis at SportsLine.
Emanuel Navarrete vs. Oscar Valdez preview
An action-packed fight is essentially a foregone conclusion. Both fighters are straightforward boxer-punchers who prefer not to leave the outcome in the hands of the ringside judges.
Valdez (31-1, 23 KOs) is likely the more household name because of his Olympic pedigree and standout amateur run that saw him become the first Mexican Youth World Champion at age 17. Although he failed to medal in either Olympic appearance, he turned pro 2012 and won his first minor title in his 10th professional fight.
Valdez won his first major belt with a second-round knockout of Matias Rueda in July 2016 to claim the vacant WBO featherweight title. HE defended it six times before moving up and claiming the WBC super featherweight crown.
His record took its first blemish last year when he dropped a unanimous decision to Shakur Stevenson for the WBO and WBC super featherweight titles. He rebounded with a unanimous decision over Adam Lopez in May.
Navarrete (37-1, 31 KOs) posted an amateur mark of 108-7 and similarly made his pro debut in 2012. He dropped a four-round decision in his sixth professional fight, but the 28-year-old has since reeled off 32 consecutive victories while capturing world titles in the junior featherweight, featherweight and junior lightweight divisions.
Navarrete and Valdez were originally scheduled to meet earlier this year for the vacant WBO junior lightweight belt, but Valdez withdrew because of an injury. Wilson took the place of Valdez and Navarrete overcame some early adversity to secure the stoppage and set up an anticipated showdown with Valdez. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Emanuel Navarrete vs. Oscar Valdez picks
Kahn likes the Over 10.5 rounds. He’s also locked in two other best bets, including a strong money-line pick and a plus-mony method-of-victory prop. You can only see those selections at SportsLine.
Who wins Emanuel Navarrete vs. Oscar Valdez, and which prop is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see Peter Kahn’s best bets for Saturday, all from the boxing specialist who has netted his followers a profit of nearly $4,000, and find out.
