Anthony Joshua returns to fight in the UK for 18 months when he takes on Jermaine Franklin at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday night.
Joshua will be looking to rebuild after suffering consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, with it being the first time in his professional career that he has lost back-to-back fights. The 33-year-old will also be fighting without a world heavyweight title on the line for the first time since 2015.
As for Franklin, he introduced himself to the British public with a gritty display against Dillian Whyte late last year. Whyte was awarded a majority decision, but plenty of fans and pundits alike scored the bout in favour of the American as he now gets a second chance to impress on British soil.
AJ will also be returning to the O2 Arena for the first time since June 2016, with it being an arena where he has a 7-0 record. He is expected to make that 8-0 this Saturday night if the oddsmakers are to be believed, who have priced AJ as an extremely short-priced favourite to win on Saturday night. Find out how to live stream Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin here.
Continue on to find our best betting tips ahead of Joshua vs Franklin and the best betting sites to follow them with.
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Best Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin Betting Sites
There are plenty of UK betting sites that are available to use ahead of Saturday’s showdown. We have listed some of the best betting sites below, along with their welcome offers that can be claimed today.
William Hill – BET £10 GET £30
Register your William Hill account through the William Hill website or app using the promo code R30. Once your account is registered, using funds from your main account balance place a bet with a minimum stake of £10 on odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater. Free bets will be credited as 3 x £10 denominations once the qualifying bet has settled.
bet365 – BET £10 GET £30
New Customers only. Bet £10* & Get £30* in Free Bets. Sign up, deposit between £5* and £10* to your account and bet365 will give you three times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value and they are settled. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits & exclusions apply.
Betfred – BET £10 GET £40
New 18+ UK customers only. Register using the promo code WELCOME40, deposit and place first bet of £10+ on Sports (cumulative Evens+) within 7 days of registration. First bet must be on Sports. £30 in Free Bets and £10 in Free Spins (50x20p) credited within 10 hours of bet settlement. Free Bet stakes are not included in any returns. Bonuses have a 7-day expiry. Payment restrictions apply. SMS verification and/or Proof of I.D and address may be required. Full T&Cs apply.
888Sport – BET £10 GET £30 + £10 CASINO BONUS
Min deposit £10 • A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £10 • Min odds 1/2 (1.50) • Free Bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days • Free Bet stakes not included in returns • Casino Bonus must be claimed within 7 days and expires after 14 days • Bonus valid on selected Casino games only • Bonus wins capped at £500, excluding Jackpot wins • You must wager Bonus amount x40 – this requirement varies by game. T&Cs apply.
BetUK – BET £10 GET £30
New customers, opt-in and deposit within 7 days, and settle a £10 minimum bet at odds of 1.5 or greater, to be credited with 3x £10 free bets. Free bets must be used on 4 or more selections with odds of 1.3 or greater, stake not returned. T&C’s Apply.
BetVictor – MONEY BACK AS CASH UP TO £30 IF FIRST BET LOSES
18+ New customers only. Opt in, deposit & bet min £10 on any sport market (odds 2.00+) in max 7 days of registration. No cash out. Get refund in cash up to £30 if your 1st bet loses. Card payments only. Click for T&Cs. begambleaware.org
Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin Tips
Tip 1: Joshua To Win In Rounds 7-12 – 8/5 with bet365
The first of our betting tips for this fight is for Joshua to win between rounds 7-12. This price has been set at 8/5 with bet365 and looks like good value when considering the pedigree of both men. Franklin has shown durability by never being stopped in his career to date, but he is yet to be in the ring with a fighter of the calibre of Joshua. Five of AJ’s last six career victories have come between rounds 7-12 and although he will want to make a statement, it could take him a few rounds to gain his rhythm and implement what new trainer Derrick James has added to his tools.
Tip 2: Over 7.5 Rounds – 6/5 with William Hill
Another similar market that we feel has good value is over 7.5 rounds with William Hill. Joshua has seen over 7.5 rounds in each of his last four fights, with three going the full 12 rounds. Whilst we don’t anticipate this bout going the distance, we think Joshua should start to pick off Franklin in the later rounds. Franklin himself has seen over 7.5 rounds in six of his last seven professional bouts. You can also get William Hill’s 25/1 on Joshua to win or 175/1 on Franklin to win enhanced odds offer ahead of this fight.
Tip 3: Anthony Joshua to win in Round 9 – 10/1 with Betfred
If pressed to select a round for Joshua to win the fight in, we would side with round 9. His last KO victory over Kubrat Pulev came in the ninth round, as he retained patience through early joy to seal the win in the second half of the fight. The ninth round in the second fight with Usyk was also Joshua’s standout round from 24 shared with the Ukrainian, leading us to side with a round 9 KO on Saturday at 10/1.
