Danny Garcia vs Jose Benavidez Jr Preview, Odds & Prediction

A massive fight is set for New York this weekend, as Danny Garcia makes his long awaited return to the ring at Barclays Center. The American hasn’t been seen in the ring since his defeat against Errol Spence Jr for the IBF and WBC welterweight titles in December 2020. His opponent on his return is Jose Benavidez Jr, who is also looking to get back to winning ways after disappointing results in his previous two fights.

Tale of the Tape

Danny Garcia vs Jose Benavidez Jr Latest Odds

The BetXchange betting market for the huge welterweight fight in New York is already open, and there is little surprise to see Danny Garcia as the outright favourite. The 34-year-old is currently as short as 1/8 to win the fight this weekend, while Benavidez Jr is priced up at 4/1 with the leading sportsbook. More markets will open closer to the fight, including round betting and method of victory.

Garcia Looking For Strong Comeback

There will be a lot of excitement to see Garcia back in the ring this weekend, as we haven’t seen him since 2020. That has led to confidence in the betting markets, and it’s not surprising given how talented he has been throughout his career. He has won multiple world championships at a couple of different weight classifications, which includes his run as the unified light welterweight champion between 2012 and 2015. He is also a previous world champion at welterweight, as he held the WBC title between 2016 and 2017.

The last time that we saw Garcia in the ring was back in December 2020, as he was beaten by unanimous decision by Errol Spence Jr. It was a thrilling fight between the two American stars, but that was his third defeat in as many years. His other losses came against Shawn Porter in 2018, and Keith Thurman in 2017. However, there had also been showcases of his blistering speed between those fights, as he beat Brandon Rios by TKO in the ninth round in 2018, and Adrian Granados by TKO in the seventh round in 2019.

Benavidez Jr Hoping To Cause A Shock

While this is undeniably a huge fight in the career of Benavidez Jr, he does have previous experience at the highest level. Back during his amateur days, he held eleven national times, which included the Silver Gloves on two occasions. His professional career had started excellently, as he boasted a record of 27-0 after a blistering first round finish of Frank Rojas in early 2018.

However, his perfect record was brought to an end before the conclusion of 2012, as he was handed a first loss by knockout by Terence Crawford when challenging for the WBO welterweight title. His comeback fight was also a pretty underwhelming display at the end of 2021, as he could only pick up a majority decision draw against Francisco Emanuel Torres in Arizona. He will need to be back to his very best to pose much of a challenge for Garcia this weekend.

Danny Garcia vs Jose Benavidez Jr Prediction

There are huge stakes for both fighters this weekend, but we expect Garcia to put on a show on his big comeback fight in New York. We’d expect him to score a stoppage victory, and that may come in the seventh round.

• Danny Garcia at 1/8 with BetXchange.