Ilunga Makabu vs. Thabiso Mchunu 2 prediction, odds, picks: Boxing insider reveals best bets for Jan. 29 fight

Ilunga “Junior” Makabu will defend the WBC cruiserweight title Saturday against surging contender Thabiso Mchunu in the main event of a boxing card in Warren, Ohio. The main card is slated for an 8 pm ET start from the Packard Music Hall and is anchored by a rematch between Makabu and Mchunu in a 12-round championship fight. Makabu won the vacant title in January 2020 and has made one successful defense. He stopped Olanrewaju Durodola in the seventh round of their December 2020 fight and brings a nine-fight winning streak into Saturday’s main event. Mchunu has won four straight fights and is ranked in the top five by most major sanctioning outlets. The fighters met in May 2015 and Makabu earned an 11th-round stoppage in an action-packed bout.

Makabu is a -150 betting favorite (risk $ 150 to win $ 100), while Mchunu is offered at +130 in the latest Makabu vs. No odds from Caesars Sportsbook. The over-under for total rounds completed is 10.5, with the over favored at -125 and the under priced at +105. Before making any Mchunu vs. Makabu picks, make sure you check out the boxing predictions and betting advice from boxing insider Brian Campbell.

Campbell is the CBS Sports senior insider for all things combat and widely considered one of the most knowledgeable boxing analysts working today. His resume includes working as a host and analyst on Showtime boxing cards and he also co-hosts the popular Morning Kombat podcast with fellow CBS combat expert Luke Thomas.

Campbell has a documented history of winning boxing selections and is coming off another profitable year in 2021. The highlights included specifically calling for a third-round stoppage by Canelo Alvarez against Avni Yildirim last February. He also predicted a stoppage in Rounds 10-12 for Alvarez against Caleb Plant in November and Alvarez delivered in Round 11. Anyone who has consistently followed Campbell’s boxing picks has already seen massive returns.

Now, with Saturday’s rematch approaching, Campbell has studied Makabu vs. Mchunu 2 from every angle and identified the best value in the boxing odds. You can only see his coveted prop bets and money-line picks at SportsLine.

Ilunga Makabu vs. Thabiso Mchunu preview

The fighters essentially stood toe-to-toe in their first meeting, with Makabu (28-2, 25 KOs) earning the victory. He appeared to have advantages in reach and speed in the small ring at the International Convention Center in South Africa. Mchunu (23-5, 13 KOs) appeared to fatigue as the fight wore on and he ended up on the canvas and failed to answer the count following a knockdown in Round 11.

Mchunu went on to split his next six fights before embarking on a four-fight winning streak that has seen him stick to fundamentals and mostly avoid the brawling that proved to be his downfall in several of his losses.

The 33-year-old South African controlled the action in a unanimous-decision win over 2016 Olympic gold medalist Evgeny Tishchenko in March of last year, which paved the way for this title shot.

Meanwhile, Makabu has emerged as one of the division’s better power punchers and has stopped seven opponents during his nine-fight winning streak. The 34-year-old picked up a seventh-round stoppage against Olanrewaju Durodola in his first title defense.

His last defeat came against since-retired iconic English fighter Tony Bellew for the WBC title in March 2016. He was stopped in the third round.

How to make Makabu Vs. At least 2 picks

Campbell likes the under 10.5 rounds at a price of +105 in the latest Makabu vs. No odds. He’s also found a critical x-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the money line. You can only see his picks at SportsLine.

Who wins Thabiso Mchunu Ilunga Makabu 2? Visit SportsLine now to see the best bets for Saturday, all from the CBS combat sports specialist who crushed his boxing picks in 2021and find out.