This article is part of our Betting Advice series.
If you've checked the odds for the PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic on the BetRivers Sportsbook app, you probably noticed a significant name missing. Jason Belmonte, who will likely open as one of the top three favorites to win every tournament in which he participates, is sitting this one out. He shared on social media that he flew home to Australia to attend his cousin's wedding, and he will be back to compete in the following tour stop, the PBA Indiana Classic.
Belmonte's absence could open the door for a longshot to win, or maybe it will just make the path a little bit easier for the other stars who make up the PBA's "Big 3" - E.J. Tackett and Anthony Simonsen. We'll take a look at ways that both of those possibilities could play out.
Meanwhile, another all-time great who will compete is none other than the namesake for the tournament: "The Bad Boy of Bowling" Pete Weber. Weber announced after the U.S. Open that this will be his last PBA Tour event, which is sure to bring additional fanfare. He enters as the longest of longshots at +15000. (He will continue to bowl PBA50 events, but this will be his last "on the kids tour.")
The competition will take place on the 45-foot Dragon oil pattern at Enterprise Park Lanes in Springfield, Missouri. That pattern was also used at the Wichita Classic in 2023, giving us some insight into which players could excel on one of the longer patterns used on tour.
PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic Matchups - Best Finishing Position
Tommy Jones over Tom Smallwood -112
With a runner-up finish in the PBA Players Championship, Smallwood has settled into the top five in Tour points through three events. While Jones may be a distant 26th in the rankings so far, the two players are nearly even statistically - with both averaging about 220 per game. I'll take Jones as the underdog in this spot based on his eighth-place finish on the Dragon oil pattern in Wichita last year, where he averaged over 224 compared to Smallwood's 214.
Marshall Kent over Jesper Svensson -112
Both Kent and Svensson finished in the middle of the pack on the Dragon pattern last year. As I'm writing this article while watching the PBA Elite League matches on BowlTV, I can't help but take Kent as an underdog. It's an extremely small sample size, but Kent was automatic during tonight's League matches, while Svensson showed some struggles. Kent won the Illinois Classic last week, and I'll look to ride the hot hand to the win here.
PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic Winner Best Bets
Anthony Simonsen to win +500
I actually placed my bet on Simonsen on Saturday before I had a chance to do my research, but now that I've seen the stats I find it reassuring that he was the winner on this oil pattern last year. He averaged over 231 on his way to that title. This time around he won't have to beat out Belmonte, who finished seventh last year in Wichita, or Santtu Tahvanainen, who finished third and still hasn't bowled this season due to injury. E.J. Tackett, who is the favorite to win (+400) this week, finished 25th and missed the cash line in last year's event.
Kris Prather to finish 1st or 2nd +1500
When I placed my wagers, I actually took Prather to win at +2500. Now his odds have moved to +3000 to win, so you can certainly take that or go with the safer 1st or 2nd bet. Prather has bowled well this season, cashing in all three tour events while averaging over 218. On the Dragon pattern last year, he averaged over 224 and finished in fifth place. I project Prather will finish as a top 15 player this year, and a spot atop the leaderboard this week would be a huge step toward meeting that expectation.
For more of our best bets be sure to follow @RotowireBowling and @TheSpatula300 on X (Twitter).
2024 Pete Weber Missouri Classic TV Schedule
All times listed in Eastern.
- Wednesday, February 14 Qualifying Round 1 (six games) at 11 a.m. - BowlTV
- Wednesday, February 14 Qualifying Round 2 (six games) at 7 p.m. - BowlTV
- Thursday, February 15 Qualifying Round 3 (six games) at 11 a.m. - BowlTV
Cut to top 32 (pins carry over)
- Thursday, February 15 Elimination Rd. 1 (six games) at 7 p.m. - BowlTV
Cut to top 24 (pins carry over)
- Friday, February 16 Elimination Rd. 2 (six games) at 11 a.m. - BowlTV
Cut to top 12 (pins carry over)
- Friday, February 16 Elimination Rd. 3 (six games) at 7 p.m. - BowlTV
Cut to top five
- Sunday, February 18 PBA Missouri Classic Finals at 1 p.m. - FS1
