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The team that wins the turnover battle in a game almost always wins in the NFL, especially in the playoffs. Of course, there is always the exception to the rule.

It's all on the line. Get your Super Bowl XLVI odds and props at Bovada.

In their AFC Championship Game win over the Ravens, New England turned the ball over three times to Baltimore’s one. Thus it was remarkable that the Patriots won. Teams that were minus-two or worse in turnover differential (as the Patriots were) are 3-46 all-time in conference championship games (since 1970) prior to that game. The other two winners were the 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers and 1981 San Francisco 49ers. Teams with at least three turnovers had lost their past 22 playoff games prior New England’s win.

Bovada’s Super Bowl odds has several props when it comes to turnovers. When these two met four years ago in Super Bowl XLII, each had one turnover: an Eli Manning interception and a Tom Brady fumble (Manning did fumble twice but both were recovered by New York). The Giants, who won that game 17-14, are the -135 favorites to commit the most turnovers in this game and -125 to commit the first.

What will the first turnover be? With two pass-happy teams, an interception is the -150 favorite, with fumble at +130 and no turnovers at +700. And there have been several games without a giveaway. The over/under for total interceptions in this game is 2, with the under a -130 favorite. Manning has just one pick in three playoffs games this season, while Brady has three. Yet Manning is the -155 favorite to throw the first pick in this game. Both Manning and Brady have an over/under of .5 picks in Super Bowl XLVI.

So if there is an interception, who gets the first one? Patriots cornerback Kyle Arrington is the 13/2 favorite – he lead the NFL during the regular season with seven picks. New England’s Devin McCourty, who had two picks during the year, is next at 15/2.

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Even this Eagles girl had to admit that Super Bowl XLVI lived up to its hype… No wonder a record 166.7 million U.S. viewers tuned in to watch Eli Manning and his New York Giants stun defeat Tom Brady and his New England Patriots – and at halftime, they watched Madonna strut awkwardly around a self-indulgent stage with a Neil Simon look-alike wire dancer and rapper M.I.A. It was, according to the record books, the most-watched show in the history of television in the United States.

Viewers who tuned in early enough saw Tom Brady commit a massive sin by intentionally grounding the ball while in the end zone. The result was a safety which means that the Giants earned two points from Brady’s mistake. And it was a pretty rare mistake: it was the first safety in a championship game in three years. Despite the low odds, at least one sports fan predicted that a safety would be the first score of the game: Benjamin Lyons tweeted a photo of his winning bet in Vegas. He won $51,000 for his prediction.

What resulted in a bonus for Lyons was likely a bust for many others who played the odds. Two points on a play doesn’t happen very often in football so the final score probably didn’t match many predictions – and possibly screwed up a couple of under/overs. And since folks gamble on everything when it comes to Super Bowl (experts predict that nearly half of all American adults will make some sort of wager on the game), I’m guessing there were a few more losers than winners Sunday night.

What does all of that mean come tax time? The law requires you to report your gambling winnings no matter what the amount. Casual gamblers must report their winnings on line 21 (other income) of a federal form 1040 (the form 1040-EZ isn’t equipped to handle gambling winnings or the forms W-2G). So easy, right?

But what if you lose? And trust me, being from Philadelphia, this is a reality for sports fans. Unfortunately, while you must claim all gambling winnings on your return, you can only deduct your losses if you itemize your deductions. It is a miscellaneous deduction, though, thankfully not subject to the 2% limit. If you do not file a Schedule A, you cannot deduct your gambling losses no matter how great.

If you do itemize your deductions, you can claim your losses if you meet some criteria. Specifically, you must be able to document your losses. This means that you need to substantiate the amount of the loss, the date of the loss and the name and location of the gambling establishment. Be smart and keep a journal of your wins and losses. It will not only be great documentation for the IRS, it’ll be a great conversation piece some day – unless you’re an Eagles fan, in which case it will be just a sad, sad statement on your over reliance on Andy Reid’s game management (or lack thereof).

What if you lose more than you win? Sadly, you’re out of luck: not only does it stink, you cannot deduct more in losses than you report in winnings.

Assuming that it’s just occasionally, playing the odds whether at the casino or as part of the office pool can be fun. There are also real tax and financial consequences (and depending on the nature of the bets, also legal) to making wagers. Make sure you understand how bets, no matter how big or small, may affect you.

And as for this wild ride that was the NFC this season, as I tweeted on Sunday night, “You’re welcome, Giants. Love, the Eagles.”

The Super Bowl XLVI rematch between Eli Manning's New York Giants and Tom Brady's New England Patriots generated heavy gambling action in Las Vegas, resulting in the second biggest "handle," or betting total, in Nevada over the past 10 years.

Gamblers wagered $93,889,840 across the state's 184 legal sports books, according to Frank Streshley of the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

Despite widespread predictions that the wiseguys in Sin City would take a big financial loss on the game after installing the Pats as 3 point favorites, the state says Nevada's legal sports books won $5,064,470 on the game.

Those sports books lost $2,573,103 when the Giants' upset previously unbeaten Pats at Super Bowl XLII in 2008, the only time the state's sports books lost money on the Big Game over the last 10 years.

This year's $93,889,840 handle tops the $87,491,098 wagered on the Green Bay Packers' win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in last year Super Bowl XLV.

But it still trails the $94,534,372 bet on the Steelers' win over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL in 2006, before the bottom dropped out of the U.S. economy and a lingering economic recession wiped out millions of jobs.

Of course, the nearly $100 million bet legally on the Big Game is just a fraction of the money that actually changed hands. Billions of dollars were bet on the game online, across offshore sports books and in office pools and betting boxes.

The harmonization of the laws pertaining to gambling on the internet in the hugely diverse European Union is far from being a done deal. In theory the idea has loads of merit but in practice there are still a few bugs to iron out.

Members of the European Parliament look to be all on the same page when it comes to the course of action required to bring all the member nations into line with online betting laws that comply with the E.U. rules of conduct, that respect the free trade of goods and services model.

Members of the parliament met recently and discussed sports betting and the situation urrounding the activity within the Union. A report frequently called the “the Fisas report” which is also called the European Dimension in Sport focuses primarily on the pan set out to keep sports alive and going strong in the future even as new nations enter the Union.

Recommendations concerned with the “betting right” is addressed often by the British government who are trying to secure a stable future for horseracing in the U.K. The report mentions it in these terms. The acknowledgement that sports betting constitutes as “a form of commercial exploitation of competitions” and the consequent call to the European Commission and EU Member States to recognize and protect the competition organizers’ property rights, “guaranteeing a significant contribution from betting operators” towards “funding grassroots sports” and “protecting the integrity of competitions”
Members of the European Parliament later stated their policy on sports with conviction . A zero-tolerance policy against match-fixing, illegal betting, money laundering and doping in professional sport by making them criminal offences.
All well and said these statements do not diminish the need for Member States to get on board and adopt the policies of the E.U. parliament without hesitation. The attitudes of less well off nations must be focused on and dealt with in order for integrity in sports to be maintained.

A sparkling quartet of top American golfers will be among those trying to prevent Tiger Woods from earning his first victory of the new season in 2012 PGA Tour golf betting action, as the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am unfolds along the Pacific coastline beginning Thursday at Pebble Beach Golf Links, the Monterey Peninsula Country Club, and Spyglass Hill Golf Course in California.

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Woods is the short chalk at 5/1 odds to win at historic Pebble Beach, where the former world No. 1 won the 100th United States Open by a remarkable 15 strokes back in 2000. Woods has shown plenty of signs of finally shaking off the last vestiges of a victory drought that saw him go two years without a win before he claimed the limited-field Chevron World Challenge in December, including a T3 finish at the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi Championship at the end of January.

It won’t be a day at the beach for Woods, however, with the likes of Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Hunter Mahan and Nick Watney all ready to tee it up at Pebble as strong contenders. Each of those four players are listed at 20/1 odds to chalk up a victory this weekend, with Mickelson owning three titles at Pebble Beach already, Johnson posting consecutive wins at this event in 2009 and 2010, and Mahan fresh off a runner-up finish behind D.A. Points in 2011.

Watney has recovered from an illness that forced him to withdraw last week form the Waste Management Phoenix Open, and the No. 13-ranked golfer in the world finished T6 behind Points last year after shooting a sizzling final-round 67. Points is back at Pebble Beach to defend his title, and is listed at 40/1 odds this time around.

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Jimmie Johnson finds himself in an unfamiliar situation as the beginning of the 2012 Sprint Cup Series season approaches – he doesn't enter the campaign as the defending champ.

Find Sprint Cup Series betting odds - including Daytona 500 lines - today at Bovada.

Johnson began his streak of title runs back in 2006, taking the Cup championship that season and in each of the following four years as well. That made Johnson a big favorite to win the Sprint Cup championship on the NASCAR betting lines heading into the 2011 season.

But a sixth straight title didn't come to pass for Johnson in 2011, as he ended up 99 points behind eventual champion Tony Stewart back in sixth place in the final driver standings.

Johnson, who picked up six victories in his championship 2010 season, only managed to take a pair of checkered flags in 2011 – he won the Aaron's 499 at Talladega in April, and visited Victory Lane at the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas in October.

The No. 48 car also earned 14 Top-5 finishes in 2011, and 21 Top-10 results on the year.

So now the question for 2012 is can Johnson fans consider 2011 an anomaly and expect their driver to get back on top of the Sprint Cup Series standings for the upcoming year.

On the Bovada NASCAR futures heading into the circuit's season-opening activities at Daytona Johnson is in fact listed as the 9/2 favorite to win the 2012 Sprint Cup Series championship, just ahead of Carl Edwards (6/1) and Kyle Busch (7/1).

As well, Johnson is the 10/1 co-favorite (along with Dale Earnhardt Jr.) to win the Daytona 500 on February 26; Johnson had to settle for a 27th-place result in the Daytona 500 last season, finishing well behind surprise winner Trevor Bayne.

Get all of your Sprint Cup Series betting odds for the upcoming NASCAR season at Bovada.

After suffering a heartbreaking finish in the driver standings in 2011 Carl Edwards will be looking to be just a tiny bit better in 2012 as the start of the Sprint Cup Series season rapidly approaches.

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Edwards ended up tied with Tony Stewart atop the Sprint Cup Series driver standings in 2011, but Stewart got the Cup championship on a tiebreaker after winning five races during the season; Edwards only visited Victory Lane once.

And Edwards also finished second to Stewart in last year's season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, which sealed his fate in the driver standings.

So what will Edwards' approach be for 2012? Probably more of the same, and hope for a little more luck – and a couple extra checkered flags – along the way. No driver on the Sprint Cup Series circuit was more consistent than Edwards in 2011, as he led the way with both 19 Top-5 finishes and 26 Top-10 results.

Edwards also collected the most prize money last season, winning over $8.4 million in his 36 starts. His lone victory came at the Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March, although he also managed to win the annual All-Star Race.

The oddsmakers at Bovada also see value in the consistent Edwards for 2012 as he's listed second at 6/1 odds to win the Sprint Cup Series championship this season – only Jimmie Johnson at 5/1 odds is ahead of him, with Stewart set back at 8/1 odds.

Edwards is also second on the Daytona 500 odds right now, with a line of 12/1 to win the season-opening race on February 26. Johnson leads the way on that list at 10/1, with Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. two of the drivers sitting with Edwards at 12/1.

Get all of your Sprint Cup Series betting odds for the upcoming season at Bovada.

Denny Hamlin finished second to Jimmie Johnson in the Sprint Cup Series standings in 2010, but he wasn't able to build on that result in 2011 as he ended up in ninth place for the season. Can Hamlin get back into championship contention in 2012? Bet on NASCAR with Bovada.

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The Joe Gibbs Racing driver struggled to pick up high-end finishes in 2011, which ultimately kept him out of the race for the series title. When Hamlin did so well in 2010 he won eight races and finished in the Top 5 14 times.

Last year, however, Hamlin only managed to visit Victory Lane once, and he only ended up in the Top 5 five times. As a result, he finished the season 119 points back of champion Tony Stewart in the standings.

Hamlin's lone victory in 2011 came in June at the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 at Michigan International Speedway, where he held off Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch for the checkered flag.

Still, Hamlin has finished 12th or better in the driver standings in each of his six full seasons on the Sprint Cup Series circuit, and he has 111 Top-10 finishes over 223 races in his career.

Those stats put him at 10/1 on the NASCAR odds at Bovada to win the Sprint Cup Series championship in 2012. Johnson leads the way at 5/1 on that list, followed by Carl Edwards at 6/1, and Kyle Busch at 7/1.

Hamlin, though, was back at 20/1 odds at last update to win the season-opening Daytona 500 on February 26; he finished 21st at the Daytona 500 last season, and has never won a Cup race at Daytona International Speedway.

Find Sprint Cup Series betting odds - including all your Daytona 500 lines - today at Bovada.

Kevin Harvick was second in the Sprint Cup Series with four checkered flags in 2011, but that was only good enough for him to finish third in the final driver standings. He'll be looking to improve on that position and win the circuit's championship in 2012. Bet on NASCAR yourself with Bovada.

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Harvick tied Kyle Busch with four visits to Victory Lane in the Sprint Cup Series last season, and they were both just one win short of eventual champion Tony Stewart.

Harvick, though, only managed to finish in the Top 5 nine times in 2011, which was well down from his 16 Top-5 results from 2010. Harvick also had fewer Top-10 finishes in 2011, just 19 compared to the 26 he earned the previous season.

That caused the Richard Childress Racing driver to end up 58 points back of Stewart in the standings at the end of the season, and in third spot for the second year in a row.

On the current Sprint Cup Series championship futures at Bovada Harvick is listed fourth at 8/1 odds (along with Stewart) to win the 2012 title; he trails Jimmie Johnson (5/1), Carl Edwards (6/1), and Kyle Busch (7/1) on that list.

And Harvick is also in a pack of drivers at 12/1 to win the season-opening Daytona 500 in two weeks. Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are the current favorites on those Bovada NASCAR odds at 10/1 to pick up that win at Daytona International Speedway.

Harvick had a Daytona 500 to forget last season, as engine trouble had him finish in 42nd place. Harvick's four 2011 victories came at Auto Club in March, Martinsville in April, Charlotte in May, and Richmond in September.

One of the safest bets in the sport of boxing will be defending his WBC Heavyweight title this weekend and Bovada is the place to get your boxing odds on the big fight. Vitali Klitschko makes his return to the ring following a 10th-round TKO over Tomasz Adamek last September, and this time he’s defending against the talented Dereck Chisora.

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Klitschko has been the big stud of boxing betting over the last nine years, winning 11 straight fights and defending his title seven straight times. Action on a champion this dominant doesn’t come at a cheap price, and against Chisora this weekend oddsmakers at Bovada have him handicapped as a -1400 favorite.

As usual with Klitschko it comes down to whether or not you think time has caught up with him, and considering his last performance only a few months ago there’s little reason to think it has.

Only nine months ago Chisora looked like he was the future of the Heavyweight division, holding a 14-0 record and the BBBofC Heavyweight title. But two decision losses in late 2011 have left him 1-2 in his last three fights; somehow, though, he finds himself in a WBC title fight against Klitschko. The current Bovada upset line on Chisora is at +750.

Despite the ability to fight at an aggressive pace, and power in both hands, Chisora stands only six feet tall. Against Klitschko’s jab it’s tough to believe that a man of that height will be able to get close enough to the champ to have an impact on how the bout will play out.

But Chisora most certainly has a puncher’s chance, and at +750 that chance might be worth some meager action for a potential big payday.

Tavoris Cloud has been the IBF Light Heavyweight champion for over two years now, and putting together a bout against one of the other top-ranked fighters in the division has been nearly impossible. So once again he will defend his title against an inferior opponent; Gabriel Campillo (21-3-1) will be the next challenger for Cloud’s IBF title and will likely need the performance of a lifetime to walk away as the new champion. Get your boxing odds for the tilt at Bovada.

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The undefeated Cloud (22-0) will be coming off an impressive TKO win over Yusaf Mack which saw him throw punches at a blistering pace for over seven rounds. The most dangerous thing in this fight could be Cloud himself if he can’t find the motivation to fight another questionable title contender who is below his class. If he is focused on the task at hand it should be another day at the office for the IBF Light Heavyweight champ.

Campillo will be coming off a disappointing re-match draw with Karo Murat and boasts a record of 2-1-1 in his last four fights. His best chance of winning against Cloud will consist of keeping his distance and landing straight punches. He will need to make Cloud feel his punches and respect his power early on if he hopes to walk out of the ring as the new IBF Light Heavyweight champ.

Cloud will need to do what he does best and make the fight a close-quarter battle. If he’s able to get up in Campillo’s face the way he’s done with most of his opponents thus far it should be an easy night for the champion, resulting in his fourth title defense and putting him a step closer to a fight with Bernard Hopkins, Jean Pascal, or Chad Dawson.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the Sprint Cup Series' Most Popular Driver award for the ninth straight time in 2011, but he didn't manage to make a single trip to Victory Lane. Earnhardt Jr. will be looking to trade some of that popularity for more track success in 2012. Will it helps his odds on the NASCAR betting line?

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Earnhardt Jr. did at least manage to get back into the Chase in 2011 despite the lack of wins – it was the first time he'd made it into the Chase since 2008, ending up in 25th place in 2009 and 21st place in 2010.

Overall Dale Jr. picked up four Top-5 results and 12 Top-10 finishes in 2011 en route to a seventh-place finish in the Sprint Cup Series driver standings; he ended up 113 points behind champion Tony Stewart at the conclusion of the 2011 Chase.

And while Earnhardt Jr. did improve in the standings last season, he was still back at 18/1 odds to win the 2012 Sprint Cup championship at Bovada at last update. That put him 12th on that NASCAR futures list, and well back of leaders Jimmie Johnson (5/1), Carl Edwards (6/1), and Kyle Busch (7/1).

The No. 88 car might be able to pick up some believers with a top showing at the season-opening Daytona 500 on Sunday afternoon, but he'll have to rebound from a 24th-place result last year in the race when an accident put him out of contention.

Earnhardt Jr. finished in 20th place at the Budweiser Shootout on Saturday night at Daytona, getting tangled up in an accident and knocked out of the event after 54 laps.

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After finding his way back to Victory Lane several times last season can Jeff Gordon regain his past glory this year and challenge for the 2012 Sprint Cup Series championship? Bet on NASCAR today.

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Gordon won just one race in three years from 2008 to 2010 but he broke through again and managed to take checkered flags three times in 2011, winning at Phoenix in February, Pocono in June, and Atlanta in September.

None of those victories, however, came during the Chase portion of the schedule, leaving him to finish in eighth place in the overall standings, 116 points back of both Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards in the race to claim the Sprint Cup title.

Overall Gordon managed to pick up 13 Top-5 results and 18 Top-10 finishes in 2011, numbers which were both up slightly from 2010 (11 Top-5 results, 17 Top-10 finishes).

So clearly the Hendrick Motorsports driver has something left in the tank. That's reflected on his Bovada odds to win the Sprint Cup championship this season, as he sits in the top tier of contenders at 10/1 to claim the title; teammate Jimmie Johnson is the 5/1 leader.

Gordon is also listed at 12/1 odds to win the Daytona 500 on Sunday afternoon, after he drove to a 15th-place finish at the Budweiser Shootout last weekend. The No. 24 car had a Daytona 500 to forget last year, as he ended up way back in 28th place at that race.

Gordon hasn't won the Cup title since 2001, but he also hasn't finished worse than 11th place in the standings in the past 10 years.

The Budweiser Shootout has been contested and the front row for the Daytona 500 has been locked in, so next up on the NASCAR betting menu for this week are the two Gatorade Duel races on Thursday afternoon.

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Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle had the two fastest times in qualifying over the weekend, so they'll be in the front row when the Daytona 500 gets underway on Sunday afternoon. As well, they'll each start out in front for one of the Gatorade Duel races on Thursday.

Edwards, who had the fastest time over the weekend and will be the pole sitter for the Daytona 500, leads the way for Gatorade Duel 1 on Thursday. His Duel race will feature 25 drivers, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, and Denny Hamlin.

Trevor Bayne, the defending Daytona 500 champion, is also a part of Gatorade Duel 1, as is Danica Patrick. Both Bayne and Patrick have guaranteed spots on the Daytona 500 grid.

Biffle will be out front for Gatorade Duel 2 on Thursday afternoon, and his field for the day contains just 24 drivers. Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, and Kurt Busch are all part of that second Duel race as well.

The results of Thursday's Gatorade Duel races will determine the order of the rest of the starting grid for the Daytona 500 this weekend. As well, it'll serve as a qualifying event for drivers who have still not clinched a spot in the 43-car field for Sunday's big race.

The WBO Junior Lightweight title will be on the line this Saturday night when undefeated Adrien Broner (22-0) defends for the first time against undefeated up-and-comer Eloy Perez (23-0-2). This is an interesting matchup between two rising stars who have decided to face each other in hopes of landing a real money fight rather than continuing to pad their records. Get the latest boxing odds for the busy weekend at Bovada.

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Broner comes from an impressive amateur background with over 100 wins to his credit. The Cincinnati native has power in both hands and a high KO percentage as a professional, but has not fought many big names. Wins over Daniel Ponce De Leon and Vicente Martin Rodriguez have put him on the scene, but a convincing win Saturday night could lead to a big payday fight later this year.

Broner will look to put the pressure on Perez and wear down his opponent with strong punching and a relentless pace. He will be a heavy favorite to retain his title despite having yet to prove that he’s the real deal.

Perez has always fought against opponents with winning records but one would be hard-pressed to find one with a name most boxing fans would recognize. He only has seven KO victories in 23 wins, so boxing and movement will be keys to victory against a puncher like Broner.

Despite stopping his last two opponents, Perez will be taking a huge step up in class of opponent and will have the opportunity to launch his career into the upper echelon of the division. A loss and he could fade away for a long time waiting for another contender to step into the ring against him.

WBO Cruiserweight champion Marco Huck (34-1) has made the step up to Heavyweight to challenge undefeated Alexander Povetkin (23-0) and Bovada has all the WBA odds for the bout. The two win meet in Huck’s native Germany in what is sure to be one of the better battles we’ve seen in the Heavyweight division for some time.

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Huck is coming off eight Cruiserweight title defenses and feels the time is right to step up and try to win belts in multiple divisions. A victory will likely get him a huge payday against Wladimir Kiltschko later in 2012, but he will have the difficult job of getting past the heavy hands of Povetkin first.

Huck will also bring lots of power with him and could have an edge when it comes to foot movement and overall speed. The question that comes with Huck is whether or not he can handle being in the ring against a bigger fighter for a sustained amount of time.

Povetkin managed to pick up the WBA Heavyweight title after Wladimir Klitschko vacated it last year. He easily defended it against Cedric Boswell and will be favored to defend it against Huck. The Russian champion has shown little in the way of vulnerability and has yet to be challenged in any serious way in the ring, yet he’s still wise enough to do the Huck fight before Klitschko.

What we can count on is that the WBC champion will be put to the test against Huck, and the question remains as to how Povetkin will react when he’s pushed to the limits by an opponent. For that reason this fight will likely not go the distance, and it could even be a short night if someone lands a big power shot in the early rounds.

This Saturday night Devon Alexander and Marcos Maidana will make their Welterweight debuts following recent losses in the Light Welterweight division. Both are looking for an eventual title shot, so a lot will be on the line when they step into the ring. Bet on boxing with Bovada's odds.

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Having dropped his WBC Light Welterweight title to Timothy Bradley a little over a year ago, Alexander (22-1) makes the step up in weight class following a narrow split decision win over Lucas Matthysse. He’s hoping that the he can have more success as a Welterweight and is certainly putting himself to the test right off the bat against Maidana.

For Alexander to come out on top he will need to utilize his speed and combinations to dazzle his opponent. If he can frustrate Maidana out of his groove his boxing skills should be enough. An Alexander win will most likely come via decision, but the added weight could give him a little more pack to his punch.

Maidana (31-2) has managed to recover from his loss to Amir Khan with victories over Erik Morales and Petr Petrov. Like Alexander he’s decided that the Welterweight division is the place to be right now, putting his WBC Light Welterweight strap on the back burner to face Alexander.

Keys to success for Maidana will be the same as they always are with El Chino: He will need to close the distance and land his power punches. The added weight should make his power shots even more damaging, as long as he can find his range against the fast opponent.

This fight is closely matched and promises to be a classic matchup of puncher vs. boxer. Alexander will enter the ring as a slight betting favorite but this one could go either way.