De La Hoya vs Pacquiao Fight Set to Explode!

This Saturday's titanic welterweight clash between Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao is now just 36 hours away from taking place! With tension building up before the fight, which will see Pacquiao fighting two divisions higher than he ever has before, a number of different pundits have made completely contrasting predictions. Some think that De La Hoya's size and experience will be enough to trounce Pacquiao, however the fact that some observers are calling De La Hoya a "part-timer" could provide the impetus for Manny to make a huge statement.BIG QUESTIONSListed as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Pacquiao has never been the favourite for this fight at any point. Generally, I think that Pacquiao has much more to prove and that De La Hoya doesn't really need to win this fight. Where does De La Hoya go from here? The MGM Grand should be rocking on Saturday evening in Las Vegas and I'm confident that after watching the odds get slimmer and slimmer on a Pacquiao outright victory that Manny will ultimately step up and win this thing on points. About a month ago, bookmaker 888sport had Pacquiao listed as a 3/1 longshot for an outright victory. Personally, I felt this was a bit high and they also seemed overconfident of a De La Hoya knockout. 20/1-25/1 is the range for round-by-round betting for a De La Hoya victory by KO, TKO or DQ. Pacquiao, on the other hand is listed between 50/1-66/1 to win in a similar fashion. PREDICTIONSIf you ask me, the real value here for the bettor is looking at how the fight will be won. Backing De la Hoya to win on points pays 6/4, which is a pretty solid bet. A KO, TKO or DQ victory pays the same odds. Pacquiao on the other hand pays 15/2 for a KO, TKO or DQ victory while a points win pays a solid 3/1. I really think this one is more even than the bookmakers are predicting and I am backing a Pacquiao points victory. 888 Sports is part of the acclaimed 888 Group offering good odds, in-play betting and a lot of betting options. Go to 888 Sports now and get £50 in FREE BETS!