I don't see it. Alvarez has some good speed but he keeps his hands low and he doesn't really have much power. He was teeing off on a shot Edison Miranda and couldn't stop him; A guy who was stopped by both Pavlik and Abraham at Middleweight. Alvarez isn't a spoiler or defensive like Ward/Hopkins and I'm not sure he has a chin like Chilemba, the three men to go the distance or beat the Krusher. I see Alvarez getting sloppy and ultimately stopped by Kovalev, somewhere in the early to mid rounds (probably anywhere from round 4-7 IMO). I think people are forgetting the kind of power Kovalev possesses and if you aren't cognizant of that, you are going to end up on the canvas (and I believe that is where Alvarez is going to end up).
I am not expecting an upset but this guy is fast and he is undefeated and he might make it tough for Kovalev. If Alvarez wins he will win a decision and probably split.
Stylistically Kovalev is horrible for Alvarez. Alvarez stands in front of you and he leads with his combinations rather than setting them up. His hands are fast and his feet are stationary. Kovalev could win this fight off his jab alone. But in the back of my mind I just feel like Alvarez isn't coming to lay down. This could be a fight to gauge where Kovalev is at right now that Mik nor Slava were good enough to do.