Errol Spence Jr. vs. Yordenis Ugas prediction, odds, picks: Boxing expert reveals best bets for April 16 fight

Three major welterweight titles are on the line Saturday when undefeated WBC and IBF champion Errol Spence Jr. takes on WBA king Yordenis Ugas in a 12-round boxing main event. The pay-per-view portion of the main fight card is set for 9 pm ET from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Spence sits at No. 5 in Ring Magazine’s prestigious pound-for-pound rankings and is generally considered one of the best active boxers on the planet. However, he hasn’t fought since December 2020 because of a retinal injury suffered in training camp last year as he prepared for a fight against the iconic Manny Pacquaio. Ugas filled in for Spence on short notice and handily beat Pacquaio as a massive underdog in the biggest victory of his career. In doing so, Ugas set the stage for Saturday’s anticipated showdown.

Spence is a -550 favorite (risk $ 550 to win $ 100), while Ugas is offered at +400 (risk $ 100 to win $ 400) in the latest Spence vs. Ugas odds from Caesars Sportsbook. The over-under for total rounds completed is 11.5, with the over set at -240 and the under priced at +200. Before making any Spence vs. Ugas picks, make sure you check out the boxing predictions and betting advice from SportsLine combat sports analyst Brandon Wise.

Wise, who is the combat sports editor for CBS Sports, is an experienced boxing and mixed martial arts analyst who has consistently provided winning selections for SportsLine members. He is coming off an impressive 2021 campaign that saw him hit numerous boxing selections in big-time matchups.

For example, last November, he accurately called a stoppage between rounds No. 10 and 12 for Saul “Canelo” Alvarez against Caleb Plant in their super middleweight unification bout. The proposition selection paid +450, and Wise also correctly called the fight to go over 9.5 rounds (-125) as Alvarez stopped Plant in Round 11. His strong 2021 portfolio also included calling Jamel Herring (+105) to upset Carl Frampton (- 125). Anyone who has followed Wise’s combat sports picks has seen massive returns.

Now, with Saturday’s mega-fight in sight, Wise has studied Spence Vs. Ugas from every angle and identified the best value in the boxing odds. You can see his confident prop bet and money-line picks at SportsLine.

Spence Vs. Ugas preview

Spence (27-0) is a former Golden Gloves champion and 2012 Olympian who was widely viewed as a future star ever since his decorated amateur days. He wasted no time in delivering on his promise as a professional, delivering a lethal combination of power, speed, timing and ring smarts.

The 32-year-old New York native moved quickly through the ranks and once authored a streak of 11 consecutive stoppages. This run included his first title fight in May 2017 against former champion Kell Brook in Brook’s native England. He stopped Brook in the 11th round to take the IBF title and later added the WBC crown with a split-decision victory over rugged veteran Shawn Porter in September 2019. The narrow decision remains the closest he has come to tasting defeat.

However, his career was then derailed by a car accident in which Spence received serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was later charged with DWI. He returned to the ring in December 2020 to defeat resilient veteran Danny Garcia by decision.

Ugas (27-4) didn’t become a household name until his upset of Pacquaio, but the 35-year-old Cuban has been a dominant force for several years. He has won 12 of his past 13 fights, with the only defeat in that span coming against Porter. Ugas picked up the WBA title with a decision victory over Abel Ramos in September 2020 and the win over Pacquaio was his first title defense.

Ugas controlled the action, landing the more accurate and harder shots against the fading superstar, who has since retired from boxing. He won a unanimous decision and can now cement his status as among the sport’s elite with another mammoth upset.

How to make Spence Vs. Ugas picks

Wise likes the fight to go over 11.5 rounds at a price of -240 in the latest Caesars boxing odds. He’s also made the call on a method of victory prop and a money-line pick. You can only see those boxing picks at SportsLine.

Who Wins Spence Vs. Ugas? And which prop is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see Brandon Wise’s best bets for Saturday, all from the CBS combat sports specialist who crushed his boxing picks in 2021and find out.