Boxing betting fans can shake off their hangover after a jam packed May 2 weekend, highlighted by Manny Pacquiao’s vicious knockout of Ricky Hatton, and get ready for another marquee duel on HBO. This time around however, the fight that Jim Lampley and the crew will be calling isn’t as hyped up as it should be.

Lost in all of the hoopla over the past few weeks has been a rematch between “Bad” Chad Dawson and Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver for Dawson’s IBF and IBO Light Heavyweight championship of the world. However, the reasoning behind the lack of hype runs deeper than the fact that the biggest fight of the year was on HBO last weekend. It’s because nobody, including the BetUS sportsbook and boxing odds, is giving Tarver a chance in this rematch.

Perhaps that skepticism is justified however, given how Tarver looked in his first encounter with Dawson. He lost nearly every round on every scorecard, and was knocked down in the 12th round, by a younger, more active Dawson. Bad Chad simply stood on the outside and unloaded for the entire fight, while the Magic Man just covered up, and was barely able to pull a punch—let alone a rabbit out of his hat.

What most online betting sharps are failing to realize when they see the lopsided boxing lines online is that Tarver is a craft veteran with a tremendous history of avenging his losses. Tarver lost to Eric Harding in 2000, but came back to defeat him in 2002. He also lost to defensive whiz Glen Johnson, and won the rematch. And, in his career defining moment, he lost controversially to Roy Jones Jr. in 2003, came back and knocked him out in the second round in 2003, and defeated him once more in 2005.

However, has Tarver’s time past? There comes a time when a boxer may know exactly what he needs to do in order to win, but his hands and his feet simply won’t help him out any longer. Most of those who bet on boxing suggest that now is that time for the Magic Man. He’s also in the ring with a Top 5 pound-for-pound fighter in Chad Dawson, who has sounded angry and motivated for this bout in the media.

My advice would be to avoid the allure of magic this weekend, and stick with the hot commodity.

Pick: Dawson, TKO 9