Cotto Clottey Betting - Clottey a stiff test for Cotto
Bettors examining the Cotto Clottey odds for this Saturday are pondering the mental state of Miguel Cotto. Cotto is the sportsbook favorite against the upstart Clottey, but boxing betting handicappers want to know if he has fully recovered from his first professional knockout loss. Cotto has superior skills and ability, and if his head is clear, he’ll have no problems taking care of business this Saturday night against Clottey.
Cotto Clottey odds: Cotto -360 favorite against Clottey
- Cotto has to show that he’s past his first career knockout loss
- Cotto has eyes for Mayweather, Pacquiao with a win
- Clottey a challenge, but Cotto will win if he’s focused.
Cotto is at somewhat of a crossroads in his career. The Cotto Clottey odds indicate that it’s not such a big hurdle, but for every boxer, recovering from a first knockout is always a mental challenge. Cotto was knocked out by Antonio Margarito two fights ago, and although the merits of that knockout can be challenged - Margarito was since caught cheating and was suspended - Vegas handicappers know that a fighter is never the same after a knockout.
Cotto Clottey odds makers know that Cotto was a rising star in the best division in boxing prior to that speculative loss, so if he can land a decisive win over Clottey, he can get back on track. If Cotto’s head is clear, Clottey will simply be a tune-up fight for Cotto and a springboard to a bigger fish. If Cotto is still rattled, then he will be in for a dog fight.
Cotto Clottey odds makers aren’t banking on the latter, though, and the online betting community feels the same way. Cotto quickly bounced back from his loss to Margarito with a win over Michael Jennings, which netted Cotto a WBO Championship belt. Meanwhile, Clottey has been off for 10 months since his last fight, which means he might be a little rusty getting back into the ring.
With Clottey being somewhat of the dummy in this case, he should be loose in this fight. No one is expecting him to win and furthermore, the Cotto Clottey odds makers are already eyeing a potential Cotto vs Pacquiao fight later in 2009 if everything goes according to plan. Furthermore, the Puerto Rican Cotto will fight in front of a raucous crowd at Madison Square Garden - which is his home turf - against the Ghanaian Clottey. The fight will also take place on the eve of the Puero Rican Day Parade, which marks the fourth consecutive year that Cotto has fought at MSG on that day. The sports betting lines again show that he’ll again be celebrating his win the day after.
Clottey is a decent fighter but he just isn’t on Cotto’s level. Granted, he has more than a puncher’s chance here because Cotto might still be recovering from his knockout, and also because Cotto might be looking ahead with so many other potential sexy prize fights out there. Even so, as the Cotto Clottey odds indicate, expect a dominant performance from Cotto in front of his faithful fans.
Attell Brunn’s pick: Cotto -360
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His chin may not have been strong enough to stay in the ring, but his sharp mind has kept him active in a number of boxing corners. Attell “The Gun” Brunn spent years in local boxing gyms as a real-life “Mickey Goldmill”, coaching up the youngsters. But now The Gun has hung up the gloves and uses his craft for handicapping the sport. Thoughts or questions? Email Comments@BetOnline.com.
