The first world title fight of 2025 goes down on Jan. 8 when Jai Opetaia (26-0) defends the IBF cruiserweight belt against David Nyika (10-0). It is time to continue our boxing odds series with a Jai Opetaia-David Nyika prediction and pick.

Opetaia will look to defend his title for the fifth time, having originally claimed it in July 2022. He is coming off a sixth-round knockout of Jack Massey in October 2024.

Nyika is coming into this fight as a short-notice replacement for Opetaia's original opponent, Huseyin Cinkara. The 29-year-old Kiwi has held the IBF inter-continental title since May 2024, when he knocked out Michael Seitz. Nyika enters his first world title fight on a seven-fight knockout streak.

Here are the Jai Opetaia-David Nyika odds, courtesy of FanDuel 

Boxing Odds: Jai Opetaia vs. David Nyika Odds

Jai Opetaia: -950

David Nyika: +590

Over 8.5 Rounds: -108

Under 8.5 Rounds: -118

How to Watch Jai Opetaia vs. David Nyika

Time: 3 a.m. ET  / 12 a.m. PT

TV/Stream: DAZN pay-per-view

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Why Jai Opetaia Will Win

The step-up in competition Nyika will make from Tommy Karpancy to Opetaia is vast. While Opetaia is hands-down the best cruiserweight in the world, Karpancy entered his fight with Nyika at 38 years old and just 2-2 in his previous four fights.

Opetaia will have his usual physical advantages in this fight. Almost no cruiserweight in the world can match his combination of speed and power, Nyika being no exception. Opetaia will particularly be much faster than Nyika, who tends to be flat-footed with his approach.

Nyika, who has never been knocked out, has a tendency to drop his hands in close range. That bad habit, along with his slow exits, is a potential recipe for another Opetaia knockout.

Why David Nyika Will Win

Opetaia is no stranger to being the shorter fighter and will have to deal with that issue again. Nyika will be four inches taller and have a two-inch reach advantage. Both fighters can be plagued with inactivity at times, but if Nyika wants to get ahead early, his jab has to be a frequent weapon.

Stuffing jabs in Opetaia's face would work well for Nyika in the first couple of rounds. Opetaia scarcely throws his own jab, preferring to target his opponent's body early on to establish range. In his recent title defense against Massey, the champion landed just 11 jabs through six rounds.

Even at his best, Opetaia is not unhittable. His pressure and cardio tend to wear fighters down, but he is very prone to counterattacks, particularly as he looks to finish. Nyika does not have devastating power but holds enough to change the momentum of the fight if he catches Opetaia sleeping.

Final Jai Opetaia-David Nyika Prediction & Pick

Nyika has the frame and skill set to make this fighter closer than it should be, but this will otherwise be an Opetaia showcase. Still not considered by most as a top 10 pound-for-pound boxer, Opetaia is being set up to pick up another knockout win to add to his case. Fighting in his native Australia for the first time in two years, the purpose of this event is to make Opetaia look like a star.

While Nyika has been criticizing Opetaia's resume, his own track record is even worse. It is difficult to pinpoint his best win, while just two years ago, he padded his record with a knockout over a 3-20 opponent. Nyika fights primarily out of an orthodox stance and has never fought a southpaw at Opetaia's level. Three weeks is not enough time to prepare for that.

Of his 20 knockouts, 30 percent of Opetaia's wins have come in the later rounds, while 45 percent of them have been in the middle rounds. He is a patient fighter who loves to work the body to set up his finishes. Nyika has shown off an impressive chin before but has never fought anyone who attacks the body like Opetaia does. Expect a methodical start before the champion gets another big finish during the middle rounds.

Final Opetaia-Nyika Prediction & Pick: Jai Opetaia in Rounds 5-8 (+170), Under 8.5 rounds (-118)