This article is part of our Betting Advice series.
After 12 straight days of action, the Roth/Holman Doubles Championship is completed, and the field is set for the Cheetah, Scorpion and Shark Championship Finals and the PBA World Championship match play rounds.
Jason Belmonte, Packy Hanrahan, Kris Prather, Matt Russo, Anthony Simonsen and Jesper Svensson all excelled on multiple oil patterns, earning spots in two stepladder finals brackets. Russo, Svensson, Hanrahan and Belmonte are also among those who made the cut to the top 16 for the PBA World Championship.
The BetRivers Sportsbook app has been offering many ways to get in on the action, and we've been sharing picks and betting trends on X (@RotoWireBowling & @TheSpatula300) all week. Now that the field has been narrowed for the various tournaments, let's take a look at some best bets.
Roth/Holman PBA Doubles Championship
Jason Belmonte and Bill O'Neill to Win (+275)
As I mentioned earlier, this event has already been completed, as the show was pre-recorded. We'll find out who won when it airs on FS1 today, Sunday, April 14th. With that said, odds are off the board, but for what it's worth our pick to win was Belmo and The Real Deal, who have a long history of success in this tournament, including three straight top eight finishes from 2021 to 2023 and a title in 2018.
PBA Cheetah Championship Best Bets
Deo Benard to Win (+550)
If you like high scoring, the Cheetah pattern is right up your alley. Benard was one of 18 players to shoot a perfect 300 game during qualifying or match play, and 46 players averaged over 230 during 15 qualifying games.
Marshall Kent is rightfully the big favorite as the top seed and the player with the strongest résumé, but Benard has an advantage as the only lefty in the field. He'll be able to manipulate the left side of the lanes to his liking, while the other four bowlers compete for an edge on the right side.
PBA Scorpion Championship Best Bets
Matt Russo to Win (+120)
While Benard has an advantage on the left side in the Cheetah Championship, Jason Belmonte has an advantage as the lone righty on the Scorpion pattern. However, his path to victory is longer (as the 4th seed), and his odds aren't nearly as attractive at +275.
Russo has been at the top of his game this week, averaging over 242 to lead all bowlers over 45 total qualifying round games, including earning the top seed on the Scorpion oil pattern. At +120, I like his odds to win one match better than I like Belmonte's chances to win four matches.
Jesper Svensson over Jason Belmonte (+135)
In fact, Belmonte may have an advantage over the long run with nobody else playing on his side of the lane, but he'll have to make it out of the first match to reap those benefits. In a one-game match on fresh oil, I'll take the lefty at these generous odds. Keep in mind that 11 of the top 16 qualifiers were lefties, including Ryan Ciminelli and Michael Martell, who have been two of the worst touring players this season. Lefties had an obvious advantage, and Svensson is one of the best.
PBA Shark Championship Best Bets
Matt Russo over Kris Prather (+115)
After 15 games of qualifying, Russo secured the no. 3 seed in match play with a 244.33 average. Meanwhile, Prather had already packed up his bowling balls and left before finding out that he had tied for the last position to make the cut and had to come back for a one-game roll off against Kevin McCune. Prather got hot in match play, but based on overall performance the wrong player is favored in this match, making Russo a great value.
Matt Russo to win (+1500)
Like Benard and Belmonte in the Cheetah and Scorpion Championships, Russo will have half of the lane all to himself as the only lefty left standing in the Shark Championship. While it's unlikely for anyone to win four straight matches, especially when EJ Tackett and Anthony Simonsen are among the opponents, I'd pick Russo as the best longshot pick on the animal patterns.
Shota Kawazoe to win (+150)
Tackett and Simonsen are arguably the two best bowlers in the world, so betting against them is always uncomfortable. However, in a one-game match, any pro can beat any other pro, and +150 odds are too good to pass up in this spot. Kawazoe averaged 245.73 over 15 games to secure the no. 2 seed in match play, then earned the top spot on the show by averaging 243.88 while beating Nate Purches and Jake Peters.
PBA World Championship Best Bets
EJ Tackett to Win (+450)
I won't actually be making a futures bet on the World Championship at this point, but if I had to, I would take the reigning Player of the Year to defend his title. The competition will once again be played on the Earl Anthony 43-foot oil pattern that Tackett has had plenty of success on. With Jason Belmonte also among the top qualifiers, I'll be hoping for a rematch in the championship. Last year's title run ended with a memorable 254-247 win over Belmonte.
2024 WSOB TV Schedule
All times listed are local (Eastern Standard Time)
Sunday, April 14
Roth/Holman PBA Doubles Championship Finals: 12:00 p.m. on FS1
Monday, April 15
PBA Cheetah Championship Finals: 7 p.m. on FS1
Tuesday, April 16
PBA Scorpion Championship Finals: 7 p.m. on FS1
Wednesday, April 17
PBA Shark Championship Finals: 7 p.m. on FS1
Thursday, April 18
PBA World Championship Match Play Rd. 1 (eight games): 10 a.m. on BowlTV
PBA World Championship Match Play Rd. 2 (eight games): 5 p.m. on BowlTV
Cut to top nine for PBA World Championship Finals
Saturday, April 20
PBA World Championship Semi-Finals (seeds #5-9): 7 p.m. on FS1
Sunday, April 21
PBA World Championship Finals: Noon on FOX
