Anthony Joshua opens as betting favorite against Deontay Wilder

With Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder seemingly getting close to actually finalizing a full heavyweight unification fight, the sportsbooks are, of course, getting in on the action early.

Bovada has listed odds for the bout, with Joshua (21-0, 20 KO) a -225 favorite, and Wilder (40-0, 39 KO) listed as a +175 underdog.

This isn’t really a surprise as an opening line. According to the terms Wilder has reportedly agreed to, the fight would take place in the United Kingdom, giving Joshua home field advantage. Joshua is also widely seen across the industry as the No. 1 heavyweight in the sport right now, a position he arguably firmly took control of with his April 2017 win over former champion Wladimir Klitschko, who dominated the heavyweights for years before losing to Tyson Fury in 2015.

Joshua unified three belts in March with a win over Joseph Parker, too.

Wilder, meanwhile, is seen as the No. 2 man in the division, though a formidable one to say the very least. The knockout artist is coming off of arguably the best and toughest win of his career, a defeat of Luis Ortiz in March.

Of course, once the action starts rolling in, these lines will shift accordingly.

Who do you favor in the matchup?