Vegas odds put Manny at 10-1

LAS VEGAS – No, it was no glitch when the giant electronic board at Mandalay Bay’s betting station showed Manny Pacquiao at -1100 early Thursday morning.

The fact is Pacquiao, in the days heading to the fight, has already turned the contest into a lopsided contest, as far as the Vegas oddsmakers are concerned.

When the odds started coming out as early as two months ago, Pacquiao was the 8-1 favorite over Juan Manuel Marquez, and a couple of weeks ago moved up to 9-1.

Close to midnight Thursday, here in cold Vegas, he was at -1000, a 10-1 favorite, meaning a thousand bucks on the 32-year-old Filipino will only win a hundred bucks.

The odds suggest that the only way Pacquiao can lose the fight is if he gets stuck somewhere else and fails to make it to the MGM Grand on Saturday in time for the fight.

Bob Arum, the promoter, looked at the odds, and can’t believe his eyes.

“The odds (at) 9-1 are crazy,” said the chief promoter, who must have missed the printouts of the betting station showing Pacquiao as the 10-1 favorite.

But he said this would only attract the real gamblers, those who want more money.

“If you’re betting values, and gamblers bet values, what should the odds really be, based on ability? Maybe two-to-one, two-and-a-half for Manny, but 9-1 is ridiculous,” said Arum.

“So if you’re betting value, this is the bet to make, to bet on Marquez.”

Marquez said he doesn’t mind what the odds suggest.

“That’s fine with me. People can say what they want. It has nothing to do with the fight,” he said.

Marquez, in the biggest fight of his life, was lowest at +700 Thursday.

The fight going the distance, which means 10 full rounds, is at +155, and that it won’t, meaning the fight ends inside 10 rounds, is at -175.

Marquez winning via knockout is 12-1, and him winning via decision is at 10-1. Pacquiao by knockout is at -400, and Pacquiao by decision is at -300.

A draw, similar to what happened in 2004 but very unlikely to happen this time, is at 22/1.

If Marquez, by chance, scores a knockout inside five rounds, it’s 40/1, from rounds six to 10 it’s 30/1, and if it comes in the last two rounds it’s 20/1.

On the other hand, it’s just 8/1 for a Pacquiao knockout in the first two rounds, 6/1 in the next two, and back to 8/1 in rounds five and six. It’s 9-1 for a Pacquiao KO until the 10th round, 8/1 in the 11th and just 6/1 in the final round.

Arum said if you’re a gambler, you gamble on Marquez.

“Gamblers don’t look for wise bet, gamblers look for value, for the big win. If you then bet on Marquez, and you get 9-1, then you’re getting values,” he said.

Of course, Arum isn’t betting on Marquez.

He’s a promoter, not a gambler.