Categories crunchfx

Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson expected to be most bet on fight ever

Love him or hate him, you and your friends probably can’t stop betting on him.

From YouTuber to fighter, Jake Paul has become a strange phenomenon in the boxing world, and betting data obtained exclusively by The Post suggests he is perhaps the biggest name in boxing today.

“With a few fights under his belt, it’s clear Jake Paul is moving the needle,” Patrick Jay, ESPN BET’s senior vice president and head of sports betting, told The Post in an email. “Jake Paul’s fights average 17x the wagering and 13x the stakes per event compared to standard boxing events. Compared to championship boxing events, Jake Paul fights average 2.5x the wagering and 2.5x the stakes.”

Getty Images

Things are going to get even bigger now, with Paul set to box Mike Tyson on November 15 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.

“We expect Jake Paul-Mike Tyson to be the most-betted boxing match in BetMGM history,” Seamus Magee, chief commercial officer at BetMGM, told The Post.

Paul’s July 20 win over Mike Perry, a replacement fight for the injured Tyson with three weeks’ notice, was the 14th most-wagered boxing match in DraftKings and BetMGM history.

Five of Paul’s fights rank in DraftKings’ top 20 on the list of most-betted matches for boxing fights in the sportsbook’s history, with one in the top five.

His fight against Nate Diaz ranks fourth, his fight against Ben Askren ranks 18th, his fight against Tommy Fury ranks 19th and his win over Anderson Silva ranks 20th in the list of dollars wagered on boxing matches.

Jake Paul defeated Mike Perry by TKO in the 6th round as a -400 favorite. Getty Images

“Jake Paul’s entry into boxing has helped elevate a sport that has been steadily declining in popularity,” DraftKings Sports Operations Director Johnny Avello told The Post. “As he gains more experience and improves, he becomes more legitimate for boxing fans and bettors alike. His fights have drawn strong betting activity, and we’re definitely looking forward to his upcoming bout with Mike Tyson.”

BetMGM notes that the Paul-Diaz bout was the second most-wagered boxing event on its platform in the last two years, trailing only Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia in 2023.

This means Paul-Diaz has garnered more betting interest than the Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury bout that took place last May.

Paul was a heavy favorite in nearly all of his fights, mostly fighting MMA fighters but occasionally fighting boxers.

Jake Paul will fight Mike Tyson on Netflix on November 15. Diversity via Getty Images

Paul was seen as a -2500 favorite against boxer Ryan Bourland, but was also seen as an underdog against Fury (+120) and would lose that fight.

Paul is projected as an average -438.33 favorite in his 12 boxing matches, including his bout with Mike Tyson, and is projected as a roughly -225 to -250 favorite in this one.

Despite his status as a heavy favorite, bettors are still flocking to bet on this guy, with ESPN Bet reporting that 58 percent of all moneyline bets in all fights are on him and he takes 62 percent of the winnings.

Mike Tyson and Jake Paul pictured with manager and promoter Nakisa Bidarian. Getty Images for Netflix

“He increases the interest and betting activity in the sport, whether fans are for him or against him,” Jay said.

Paul’s manager, Nakisa Bidarian, told The Post that while these fights may seem like a cakewalk in hindsight because of some key knockouts, they were not when you consider the outlook for the boxing world and the pre-fight odds.

Mike Tyson, 58, will fight Jake Paul in November. LightRocket via Getty Images

“Jake Paul has consistently headlined events where the odds are significantly closer than other boxing events featuring the sport’s most talented fighters,” Bidarian says. “Terence Crawford will fight on Aug. 3 and is a -750 favorite (against Israel Madrimov).

“When Jake fights, the predicted outcome is rarely this one-sided. Jake is -240 against Mike Tyson and I have no doubt that this will be the most bet on combat sports event in history.”


Learn about the Best US Sports Betting Sites and Apps


If these betting figures are any indication of the purchase and popularity of paid streams – and they are at least semi-related – Paul is exactly who he claims to be.