By Chris Williams: Manny Pacquiao has reportedly been installed as a 4-1 favorite by the oddsmakers to defeats Juan Manuel Marquez on Saturday night in their fourth fight. It’s interesting that Pacquiao is the favorite in this fight because he lost his last fight against Tim Bradley and he appeared to lose to Marquez last year in November.

The oddmakers need to follow the sport a little closer, because I don’t think it’s a good bet to pick Pacquiao as the winner in this fight, unless we’re betting that the judges are going to give him another controversial victory. In that case it might be understandable that Pacquiao is being seen as the favorite in this fight.

Just looking at how Pacquiao has looked in the sparring on the HBO Pacquiao/Marquez 24/7 episodes, he’s not looked good. In the past, Pacquiao used to overwhelm his sparring partners and crush them pretty quickly. But now it’s almost even with them hitting him as much as he’s hitting them. Pacquiao isn’t dominating these guys like he used to, and he doesn’t look like the powerful fighter he was back in 2008 and 2009. Somethings changed. I guess it’s age starting to creep in for the 34-year-old Filipino finally.

Marquez looks in much better shape now and the stronger guy. I don’t know how you can bet against him in this fight because I think he’s going to beat Pacquiao so decisively that the judges won’t take this one from him. He’s going to really give Pacquiao the business this time.

Pacquiao’s going to make it easy for him by attacking him frequently. That’s the perfect style for Marquez, because he’s a counter puncher and he grew up facing opponents in Mexico with that kind of all out attacking style. If Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach has him going after Marquez to attempt to overwhelm him, I see this going badly for Pacquiao with him losing.