Canelo Alvarez vs. Daniel Jacobs title fight predictions

Who will win Saturday’s title fight between Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs? The two boxers are arguably both in the prime of their careers and each will bring a trove of skill and determination when they meet in the ring at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Alvarez (51-1-2, 35 knockouts) is the favorite in the battle for middleweight supremacy. He holds both the World Boxing Assn. and World Boxing Council middleweight titles. Jacobs (35-2, 29 KOs) is the International Boxing Federation middleweight champ.

Here are the predictions of Times staffers for the fight (this story will be updated):

Dylan Hernandez: Daniel Jacobs is the “boxer” in this matchup, but he isn’t a classic counterpuncher in the mold of Floyd Mayweather or Erislandy Lara. Rather than slip punches, Jacobs often uses a high guard to block them and waits for his opponents to stop throwing to retaliate. The tendency could be fatal against Alvarez, who is one of boxing’s best combination punchers. Whether the punches land or not, the optics of Alvarez delivering a succession of power shots against a covered-up opponent will likely be more than enough to sway the judges. Read my detailed breakdown of the fight.

Prediction: Alvarez by decision.

Arash Markazi: Despite what the oddsmakers would have you believe, Daniel Jacobs will not be an easy fight for Canelo Alvarez, who is a -450 favorite. Jacobs not only has the height and reach advantage but he has just one loss over the last nine years. Gennady Golovkin defeated Jacobs via unanimous decision two years ago, but it was a close fight and some at ringside had Jacobs winning. Jacobs, who would like a rematch with Golovkin, knows he likely won’t get a decision if he has a similarly close fight with Alvarez on Saturday.

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While Jacobs is a skilled fighter and an amazing feel-good story after beating cancer, Canelo is just entering his prime and will show Saturday why he is the biggest star in the sport by becoming the first Mexican to hold three belts (WBA, WBC and IBF) simultaneously.

Prediction: Alvarez by decision.