Betting on Mayweather-McGregor Expected to Be "Even Bigger Than the Super Bowl"

Bets on Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor are surging, leading experts to predict it will be bigger than the Super Bowl.

Even if the fight itself ends up being a disappointment, Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor is easily the most hyped fight of the year, and probably the biggest draw since Mayweather dominated Manny Pacquiao in 2015. The outrageous (and sometimes problematic) trash talk between the two fighters has only elevated the excitement for the upcoming fight.

If you believe the folks in Las Vegas, the increase in publicity coincides with a boatload of money being put down on the fight. Though the Super Bowl tends to be the biggest betting event in sports year after year, industry insiders believe the money being thrown down on Mayweather-McGregor will take the crown for 2017.

Kevin Bradley, the manager of online sportsbook Bovada, told Yahoo Sports that their team was "almost certain" it will be the biggest event of the year.

"We knew this fight would be big, potentially even bigger than the Super Bowl, but now we are almost certain it will be," said Bradley. "The recent trash talking and promotional tour is only encouraging bets and at this rate we cannot even imagine how much we will take on it."

It would take a lot of dough to accomplish that feat. Estimated bets on Super Bowl LI hovered around $4.7 billion, roughly half a billion dollars more than the estimated value of the Dallas Cowboys.

Part of the reason behind the surge is the expansion to non-traditional props for a boxing match. Because McGregor is making the jump from MMA to boxing to fight Mayweather, there are prop bets offering fans a chance wager on whether he'll revert to old habits or not; you can get +1100 odds, for example, that McGregor will attempt a kick during the fight at some point.

If you're not that adventurous, you can always stick to the tried-and-true method of betting on the guy you believe will win the fight. Thanks to his illustrious history in the sport, casinos are banking heavily on Mayweather pulling out a win and staving off promises of a knockout from McGregor. That said, bets have poured in for the underdog McGregor because the odds have been against him. Bradley says an upset would spell doom for sportsbooks everywhere.

"One thing is for sure though, we will need Mayweather huge," said Bradley. "A McGregor early round KO as he promised would be a potential disaster, and is partly a reason we are giving a great price on Mayweather at the moment."

They probably don't have too much to worry about. McGregor was already at an enormous disadvantage just making the switch to a new sport, and footage of his fight preparation did nothing to dispel the belief he is unprepared to match up against one of the best boxers of our time. McGregor has youth on his side, but age isn't worth much if you're still outclassed from a technical perspective.

We'll all get to see who gets the last laugh on August 26. There's still plenty of time left to get your bets in, regardless of who you think will walk out of the ring with the belt. Just make sure you take care of your bills before betting your life savings on a boxing match.

Latest in Sports