Keith Thurman vs. Danny Garcia: Prediction, Betting Odds, Preview, Start Time, Live Stream For Championship Boxing On Free TV

It will be a matchup between unbeaten two belt holders and on national television when Keith “One Time” Thurman (27-0, 22 KOs) meets Danny “Swift” Garcia (33-0, 19 KOs) in a welterweight unification bout Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. For those who closely follow boxing, this is a fight that was circled on the calendar since it features two top boxers in their primes and with so much on the line.

The Premier Boxing Champions event will be broadcasted on CBS, in perhaps the biggest fight on free television in quite some time. This matchup marks just the ever third time that two undefeated welterweight champions met in a unification bout and the last since Felix Trinidad defeated Oscar De La Hoya in 1999.

Both boxers are familiar with fighting at Barclays and both have much to boast. Thurman of Clearwater, Florida, enters the fight as the WBA champion and is coming off a unanimous decision victory in June over Shawn Porter, perhaps the most underrated boxer in the arguably the most competitive division in boxing. Thurman, 28, brawled with Porter for stretches of the captivating bout and used his exceptional balance and defensive skills to fend off Porter's aggressive attacks. Thurman also has excellent stamina and often throws sharper punches as the fight progresses, winning three of his last four fights by unanimous decision.

Garcia is the WBC champion and is coming off a solid TKO victory over Samuel Vargas in his hometown of Philadelphia in November. The 28-year-old throws effective power punches with both hands, as evident by his most notable victory, a technical knockout over Amir Khan in 2012. If there is perhaps some doubts about Garcia, they came in his majority decision win over Lamont Peterson at Barclays in April 2015. While most experts felt Garcia won, Peterson defended himself well and managed to land some good punches particularly late in the fight.

This will be the sixth time Garcia has fought at Barclays.

Thurman weighed in at 146.25 pounds while Garcia came in at 146.5. Both boxers are making $2 million for the fight.

The undercard features a quality matchup featuring junior middleweights. Up-and-coming Erickson Lubin (17-0, 12 KOs), a native of Orlando, Florida, who is just 21 years old, takes on 29-year-old Jorge Cota (25-1, 22 KOs), of Mexico, in a world title elimination fight. The winner earns a mandatory shot against the winner of Jermell Charlo (28-0, 13 KOs) vs. Charles Hatley (26-1-1, 18 KOs), who will fight on March 11 in Maryland with Charlo's WBC belt on the line.

Betting Odds: Keith Thurman -215; Danny Garcia +185

Start Time: 9:00 p.m. ET

TV Channel: CBS

Live Stream: CBS All Access

Prediction: The Garcia-Thurman fight has the makings of a classic and it may feel surreal that a blemish will appear on one of their records (or both if it's a draw). Garcia is an interesting boxer because he at times is a very measured, calculating fighter, while other times leaves himself susceptible to be hit by power punches when he swings wildly. On paper, Thurman has the slight edge considering his confident style, his lengthy time away from the ring and due to the confidence he undoubtedly still has with his win over Porter at Barclays.

Philadelphia boxers have a reputation for their willingness to brawl and if Garcia decides to be more aggressive than usual it wouldn't be surprising if Thurman shows off his hard chin and dishes back with some effective combinations of his own.

Thurman by majority decision