Pacquiao reaches Vegas a clear underdog

LAS VEGAS – For a change, Manny Pacquiao arrived here in Vegas wearing the underdog tag.

After a slow four-hour ride from Los Angeles, Pacquiao checked in at the luminous Mandalay Bay as the clear underdog for his “Dream Match” against Oscar dela Hoya this coming Saturday (Sunday in Manila) at the MGM Grand.

Pacquiao has fought in Vegas eight times over the last seven years, and the last time he was called the underdog was against Lehlo Ledwaba in 2001 and, to some, against Erik Morales in March of 2005.

In Vegas, Pacquiao has won six times, beating the heavily-favored Ledwaba in 2001 in his debut. He beat Erik Morales twice, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez and David Diaz once.

He has only lost once here, during his fight with Morales in 2005, and drew against Marquez a few months earlier.

Against Dela Hoya, Pacquiao is a plus 155 underdog, meaning a wager of $100 wins $155. Dela Hoya is at minus 185, meaning you need $185 to win a hundred bucks.

When this fight was sealed on Aug. 29, the opening odds were even higher in favor of the Golden Boy.

That the fight will go 9 1/2 rounds is at minus 200, and that it won’t go 9 1/2 rounds is at plus 170, meaning that more people believe that it’ll be over inside nine rounds.

Pacquiao is at 3/1 if he wins by decision, and a huge 13/2 if he wins by knockout. Dela Hoya is even winning by decision and 6/5 winning by knockout.

A draw, which is highly improbable, is pegged at 18/1.

Pacquiao is a huge 45/1 if he wins by knockout in the first three rounds, 40/1 until the sixth, 30/1 in the seventh or eighth, 25/1 in the ninth or 10th, and 20/1 in the 11th or 12th rounds.

Dela Hoya is more favored to score a stoppage. He’s only at 20/1 in the first three rounds, 15/1 in the next three, 12/1 in the seventh and eighth, 10/1 until the 11th and back to 12/1 in the final round.

Pacquiao never liked being the favorite, always saying he’d rather be the underdog.

This is his chance, again, to win as one.