Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou Prediction Boxing Picks 3/8/24

Francis Ngannou and Anthony Joshua fight Friday in a boxing match at the Kingdom Arena. Ngannou enters this fight with a 0-1 boxing record. Joshua enters this fight with a 27-3 record that includes 24 knockouts. Here’s a Ngannou vs Joshua prediction. 

Francis Ngannou Betting Preview

Ngannou is fresh off his boxing debut against Tyson Fury. Many believe Ngannou should have won as he produced a knock down in the third round and outlanded Fury as well. However, boxing is a game of politics, so the split decision loss should’ve been expected. Regardless of the result, it was an impressive showing for The Predator. Ngannou was 17-3 in his MMA career, with 71 percent of this wins coming by knockout. Ngannou’s last MMA fight was at UFC 270 in January 2022, and it resulted in a decision win against Ciryl Gane. Ngannou improved his ground game over his career and has 4 career submission wins, but it’s stand up that he’s known for. At 6’4” and with an 83-inch reach, Ngannou is one of the scarier strikers in the world, and his knockout mainly against Alistair Overeem at UFC 218 is legendary. He showed against Jairzinho Rozenstruik he doesn’t need to land clean to drop somebody. Ngannou puts together his punches cleanly, throws accurate combinations and usually lands a strong overhand or a devastating uppercut. Ngannou is dropping anybody with a clean shot, it’s just that simple, and it didn’t take long to convince us he can do it in boxing as well. Ngannou should be taken seriously.

Anthony Joshua Betting Preview

Joshua has won his last 3 fights and is coming off a December win over Otto Wallin. Joshua dominated his way to a fifth round finish, giving him back to back stoppages. Joshua is 34 years old, stands at 6’6”, has an 82-inch reach and an orthodox stance. Joshua has the footwork, movement, and hand speed that separates him from a lot of this division. While everybody at heavyweight has power, Joshua is extremely fluid with his movement and puts combinations together with surprisingly quick hands. Joshua has rebounded from two losses to Oleksandr Usyk, but he’s taken a backseat in the public eye after some shaky performances. Joshua was once looked at in the same breath as a Fury, Crawford or Alvarez, but now he’s not even considered a top-5 fighter in the UK. A win here would improve Joshua’s image in the public eye, especially after Ngannou gave Fury trouble and arguably won.

Ngannou vs Joshua Prediction

Joshua is going to be favored for obvious reasons. Anthony is the pure boxer who has been doing this for decades and was once in the conversation as the best heavyweight in the world. Joshua is still talented, an Olympic gold winner and has wins over Kubrat Pulev, Andy Ruiz, Alexander Povetkin and Wladimir Klitschko that can’t be ignored. With all of that said, Ngannou did enough against Fury to where this big plus money is a must-play. In fact, Ngannou beat Fury if we’re being honest with ourselves. Joshua is a lot more vulnerable than Fury ever was, and it’s been a while since he’s shared the ring with this much power. Because of the lack of experience and resume in the boxing world, Joshua has to be considered the favorite. However, I don’t see how you don’t play Ngannou and a chance to make more than two times your money.

Give me Ngannou and the more favorable price. 

Randy Chambers's Pick: Francis Ngannou +260