Surprising favorite listed in Frank Gore-Deron Williams fight

Frank Gore’s hopes of continuing his NFL career are waning, so he has turned to a new sport: boxing.

Gore will be facing former NBA player Deron Williams in a boxing match on the undercard for the Jake Paul-Tommy Fury fight on Dec. 18.

The online sportsbook MyBookie has released odds for the fight. They list Williams as a fairly significant favorite at -300. They have Gore at +200.

That means you need to wager $3 on Williams to win $1 if he wins the fight. A $1 bet on Gore would double your money to $2.

Williams being such a heavy favorite is somewhat surprising on the surface. Gore played football for 16 seasons in the NFL. Football is a more physical, violent sport than basketball, and a former running back like Gore is used to taking plenty of hits and pain. He is proven to be durable. That’s why it is somewhat surprising to see the athlete from the tougher sport as the underdog.

But Williams has a 6-inch height advantage over Gore, which gives him a better reach than his opponent. Additionally, Williams is a former wrestler and has an ownership stake in an MMA gym. Perhaps the oddsmakers feel that makes him more dangerous in the boxing ring than Gore.

There definitely will be intrigue among sports fans surrounding the fight.

Photo: Jul 25, 2019; Pittsford, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore (20) comes off the field during training camp at St. John Fisher. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports