Pacquiao Favored Over Morales

The rubber match between Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales takes place on Saturday night in Las Vegas (and on HBO pay-per-view). The super featherweight bout - scheduled for 12 rounds - will complete one of the most exciting trilogies in recent memory.

Morales took the first fight by a close (and somewhat controversial) decision in March 2005. However, Morales has not won since then -- losing a lopsided decision to Zahir Raheem and being stopped in the 10th round of his rematch with Pacquiao. In contrast, PacMan is on a three fight winning streak since dropping the first match with Morales -- stopping Hector Velazquez in six, stopping Morales in ten and taking a 12-round decision over Oscar Larios.

Both men have a lot riding on this bout. A loss might mean the end of the road for Morales, whose 52 fights make him seem much older than his 27 years (he had 23 pro fights before he turned 20!). A win for Pacquiao might get him another big payday in a rematch with Marco Antonio Barrera (Pacquiao stopped Barrera in 11 in their first meeting).

As expected, Pacquiao has been installed as the betting favorite:

* Morales +215 / Pacquiao -275
* Pacquiao by KO/TKO/DQ 2-1
* Pacquiao by Decision 3-2
* Morales by KO/TKO/DQ 13-2
* Morales by Decision 15-4
* Draw 16-1
* Over 10.5 Rounds - 180
* Under 10.5 Rounds +140

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