Odds mount as Manny rides to Vegas

HOLLYWOOD – Manny Pacquiao takes the customary drive to Las Vegas Monday, unmindful of his big, red tag as the heavy favorite in his coming fight with Shane Mosley.

There’s hardly anyone in Sin City considering the possibility of a Pacquiao loss. Based on the latest odds, chances of him losing this one is practically nil and none.

Pacquiao was listed yesterday as a -900 favorite, meaning you need $900 to win a hundred bucks. Picking him as the winner should be the wise choice, but betting on it is not the wise move.

Mosley is at +600, meaning a wager of $100 wins $600, good enough for a brand new iPad.

During the fight’s press tour last February, Mosley, who’s close to his 40th birthday, said he can’t believe how the odds have gone for the May 7 showdown at the MGM.

“It should be somewhere near even,” said Mosley, then at +425 compared to Pacquiao’s -625.

But his statement fell on deaf ears because barely a week to the fight, the odds have gone higher in favor of Pacquiao, the reigning WBO welterweight champ.

Pacquiao winning by knockout is 5/8 meaning your $800 wager would only give you $500 in return. Pacquiao by decision is the better one at 9/5.

If Mosley wins by knockout, your money grows eight times fold, and if the pride of Pomona scores a knockout and shocks the world, it’s 16/1.

Pacquiao scoring a knockout from the 6th to the 11th rounds is at 10/1; a Mosley knockout from the 5th to the 8th is at 80/1, the 9th to the 11th at 100/1, and the 12th at 125/1.

Pacquiao is unmindful of the odds, saying it’s just a measure of the people’s trust in him.

“I don’t believe in the odds,” he would often say.

He said he’s not even going for the knockout, and that he’s more concerned on how all the people who’d watch the fight would get their money’s worth.

Pacquiao spars for the last time at the Wild Card Gym then takes the four-hour, 300-mile drive to Las Vegas late in the afternoon or early evening.

Freddie Roach said Pacquiao should wrap up his training with four rounds of sparring. When they get to Vegas, it’s all about going through the motions.

He said they’ve got all bases covered, perhaps except what he heard from Big Bear that Mosley’s camp might try to raise an issue with the handwraps.

“I hear about they’re going to complain about the handwraps. They will try to get into Manny’s head. But I won’t let that happen. I won’t allow that argument,” he said.

Roach recalled a similar incident in the days leading to the Oscar dela Hoya fight, when his handwrapping procedure was out into question.

“We’re a hundred percent legal. We’ve already gone into it with the commission many times. We had issues with the Dela Hoya camp, remember? The commission made a ruling on that, and the ruling was on our favor, so no big deal.

“We will make sure there won’t be any bullshit in the dressing room.”

As part of the tradition, he should board his gray Navigator with his wife, Jinkee, and some company. The rest of his entourage will take the bus, the customized Pacquiao bus.

Mosley gets to Vegas just in time for Tuesday’s formal arrival ceremony scheduled at noon. The final press conference is set Wednesday, and the official weigh-in on Friday.

Tickets to the fight are so scarce even Roach couldn’t get a couple more.

“I don’t even have one in my hands right now,” said Bob Arum.