Okolie v Billam-Smith predictions and boxing betting tips: Okolie may have to work to see off home hero

Where to watch Okolie v Billam-Smith

Sky Sports Action, 10pm Saturday

Where to watch Lopez v Conlan

BT Sport 1, 10pm Saturday

Where to watch Lara v Wood

Dazn, 10pm Saturday

Best bets

L Okolie to win by decision or technical decision
1pt 13-5 bet365

L A Lopez
2pts 11-10, bet365, Hills, Ladbrokes

M Lara to win in rounds seven to 12
0.5pt 9-5, Coral, Ladbrokes

Okolie v Billam-Smith predictions

There is some incredible British talent in the cruiserweight division and on Saturday night two of the top stars face off at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth as Lawrence Okolie defends his WBO title against Chris Billam-Smith.

Okolie is the heavy favourite but this may be a tougher assignment than the odds suggest as this is his first major test campaigning as an ‘away’ fighter. 

This is the first time these two cruiserweights have fought but they are former sparring partners and should know each other inside out. Okolie goes into the fight with a near perfect record with 19 wins in as many fights and 14 KOs, while Billam-Smith has 17 wins (12 KOs) and one split decision loss to Richard Riakporhe on his CV.

Okolie has a reputation as a knockout specialist but his last two wins have been via unanimous decisions and his opponent has never been stopped, so this bout could go the distance. 

The fact this is taking place in Billam-Smith’s hometown does potentially give him an edge if the judges are required but Okolie is the more polished of the two and has a significant reach advantage, and that suggests he can land enough eye-catching shots to claim a decision victory.

There are two featherweight title fights taking place in the UK on Saturday and a win for Luis Alberto Lopez against Irish challenger Michael Conlan in Belfast is perhaps the bet of the night. There may be concerns as to how Okolie handles being an away fighter, but there are no such issues in that regard for Lopez, who is already a proven road warrior having beaten Josh Warrington in Leeds, and he looks a level above Conlan.

In Manchester, Leigh Wood faces a rematch with Mauricio Lara after a seventh-round defeat in their last meeting. Wood is a tough competitor but has a tendency to leave himself open and Lara can take advantage by finishing this job in the second half of the fight again. 

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