By Edward Chaykovsky
If the betting action continues in the current pattern, WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao may potentially become the odds-on favorite in his mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 2nd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas sports books are currently receiving a ton of action on the fight and most of the money is being wagered on Pacquiao by a significant margin.
According to Jimmy Vaccaro, who booked money on every big fight for the past four decades in Las Vegas, the better action was never this close for a Mayweather event since Mayweather's breakout fight against Oscar De La Hoya in 2007. The action has been so heavy on Pacquiao that Vaccaro moved the betting line closer to try and draw more action on Mayweather.
“I've never seen Mayweather this low eight weeks out before the fight,” said Vaccaro to SAPA. “This is as close as we get to a legitimate pick 'em fight since Mayweather fought De La Hoya. It's a one-way attack on Pacquiao. We're well into a six-figure loss right now if Pacquiao wins.”
“The smarts really aren't jumping in yet, they're going to wait to see how low it goes. They're telling you that they think it will get much lower.”
The latest odds at the South Point still has Mayweather as the favorite, but now at minus-200. Pacquiao has gone to plus-170. At the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook, Mayweather was minus-210, while Pacquiao was plus-180.