Trent Reinsmith
- What: 136-pound catchweight bout
- Who: Gervonta “Tank” Davis vs. Ryan Garcia
- Date: Saturday, April 22, 2023
- Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
- Location: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
- How to Watch: Showtime PPV
On Saturday, April 22, one of the most anticipated boxing matchups up the year goes down at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas when Gervonta “Tank” Davis puts his perfect 28-0 record on the line against the also undefeated (23-0) Ryan Garcia. The bout, which will be contested at a catchweight of 136 pounds, will not have a title on the line. Here is some background on the fighters before we dig into the Davis vs. Garcia betting breakdown.
Gervonta “Tank” Davis turned pro in 2013. The 28-year-old has held titles in three weight divisions throughout his career — lightweight, super featherweight, and super lightweight. He is the current WBA (Regular) lightweight champion. The Ring has him rated as the No. 2 lightweight fighter behind champion Devin Haney and No. ranked Vasiliy Lomachenko. Davis is 28-0 with 26 knockouts. He enters his bout opposite Garcia coming off a January knockout win over Hector Garcia.
The 24-year-old Ryan Garcia made his professional debut in 2016. Garcia has a 23-0 record with 19 career knockout victories. He is coming off a July 2022 KO win over Javier Fortuna. Garcia is rated as the No. 3 fighter at 135 pounds by The Ring, one spot behind Davis.
Before we look at the catchweight fight between Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia, check out the best boxing betting sites, where you can find the best boxing picks.
Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia picks
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| Ryan Garcia | +200 | +190 | +210 | +200 | +263 |
| Gervonta Davis | -260 | -230 | -260 | -250 | -181 |
Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia prediction and pick
The odds in this fight are tighter than expected. Some of that might concern the size difference between these two men. Davis is 5’6″ with a 67″ reach, and Garcia is 5’10” with a 70″ reach. However, stylistically this matchup favors the more experienced Davis.
This will be the biggest fight of Garcia’s career, and he has not faced an opponent as skilled, smart and powerful as Davis. That means that the gaps in Garcia’s game, which he is closing, will be areas Davis will exploit.
Garcia tends to fight on a straight line, and his footwork is lacking. That will enable Davis to slide off the center line and avoid Garcia’s power punches while at the same time setting up Davis’ power shots. Garcia also tends to leave his lead foot on the inside and drop his lead hand. Davis will exploit both these tendencies.
One of the advantages Garcia has is his sneaky fast lead hook. Another advantage is that Davis, being a southpaw, will be open for a liver shot. However, this isn’t Davis’ first fight, so he knows Garcia will look to land those blows.
Who has the edge
Davis is the more experienced, smarter, more powerful, and more skilled fighter in this matchup. He also has fewer exploitable tendencies. Those facts are going to make things very difficult for Garcia.
Garcia has the physical edge in height and reach. He needs to use those advantages. Garcia needs to keep Davis from getting inside, and he needs to be the busier puncher, especially when Davis puts himself on the ropes and looks for a break. However, in order succeed on that front, Garcia needs to show a huge improvement in his lateral footwork.
What’s at stake
The winner of this fight could matchup against the winner of the recently announced contest between undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney (29-0 with 15 KOs) and ex-champ Vasiliy Lomachenko (17-2 with 11 KOs).
Best Davis vs. Garcia bets
Ryan Garcia is a live underdog, and as such, there is some value in picking him to beat Gervonta Davis. However, with that value comes risk. For Garcia to win, he needs to control distance, show improved footwork and keep Davis from landing his power punches while also perhaps catching Davis unaware.
For Davis, the key is closing distance and landing power punches, exactly what he has been doing throughout his career. While he is the favorite, there is also some value in Davis because the odds in his fights are usually more lopsided.
The best bets for Davis and Garcia are, if you favor Garcia, a decision win or a surprise KO via a liver shot or hook to the head. If you prefer Davis, the pick is for him to win by knockout in the fight’s second half.
Best bet for Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia: Gervonta “Tank” Davis to beat Ryan Garcia by KO.
See below the best sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
