Oddsmakers seem to have made up their minds about the outcome of the highly anticipated Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight, and their pick might come as a surprise to many. Despite Tyson’s legendary status, it’s Paul who has emerged as the solid favorite among oddsmakers for their upcoming sanctioned pro heavyweight bout scheduled for July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

At 27, Paul has youth on his side, and this seems to be a significant factor for many oddsmakers. Five sportsbooks have already posted odds for the fight, with DraftKings listing Paul as a -180 favorite, meaning bettors would need to wager $180 to win $100 if Paul prevails.

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A big underdog

In contrast, Tyson is listed as a +135 underdog, indicating that bettors would win $135 for every $100 bet if Tyson emerges victorious.

“It’s all about age,” DraftKings oddsmaker Johnny Avello told USA Today.

“Who steps in the ring at 57 years old?

“We realize people are going to say, ‘Mike Tyson? The great Mike Tyson is an underdog in this against Jake Paul?’

“And they probably are going to bet the underdog, but we’re OK with that.

“So as oddsmakers we have to look at who actually is fighting these days, and that would be Paul.

“He has some skills. I’m sure he’s not going to just stand there and let Tyson just beat the crap out of him.”

While Tyson did step back into the ring in 2020 for an eight-round exhibition against Roy Jones Jr., which ended in a draw, he hasn’t fought professionally since 2005. Tyson’s last pro bout was on June 11, 2005, when he failed to come out for the seventh round against Kevin McBride.