This article is part of our Betting Advice series.
We are less than 24 hours away from the qualifying rounds for the 2024 PBA Players Championship, and the BetRivers Sportsbook app has a number of different ways that you can get in on the action. Prior to the qualifying rounds you can place wagers on whether or not a bowler will advance to the match play round, who will have a better finishing position among different pairings, and who will win it all or finish in the top two.
For this event, players will battle through two rounds of six game blocks on Wednesday and another two rounds of six game blocks on Thursday. The top 24 after qualifying will advance to round robin match play on Friday and Saturday. Five finalists will compete for the title Monday, live on FOX.
While Kevin McCune looks to defend his title, all eyes will be on players who relied heavily on urethane bowling balls last year, as rule changes will no longer permit the use of bowling balls manufactured below 78.0 hardness. The betting odds haven't necessarily reflected the uncertainty that the rules bring, presenting an opportunity to fade players like Packy Hanrahan and Matt Russo, who found success with the now illegal Purple Hammer.
Another variable that we'll look at for all of our bets today and throughout the season will be the oil pattern being used. The Wayne Webb 38-foot pattern was one of two patterns used last year for the PBA Tour Finals, where the field was limited to just the top eight players in points from 2022 and 2023. The pattern was used exclusively in the 2022 PBA Colorado Springs Open.
PBA Players Championship Matchups Best Bets
Jason Belmonte over E.J. Tackett +120
Belmonte and Tackett are among the top three bowlers in the world, so it will come as no surprise if either one of them walks away with another championship on Monday. In this spot I like Belmonte because I'm getting plus money in a situation where I think it's closer to a 50/50 proposition. Plus, looking at their recent history on this oil pattern justifies going with Belmo here.
Kyle Troup over Tommy Jones -118
While 2022 was a strong year for Jones, he could have finished even better than sixth in tour points with a 221 average if not for the Wayne Webb oil pattern. He finished dead last in the standings of the Colorado Springs Open, averaging just 185.33 on those conditions. Meanwhile, Troup averaged 216.5 in that tournament and then rose to the occasion on the pattern again when he won the PBA Tour Finals in 2023.
The book has this matchup listed as a coin flip, but even if you took the lane conditions out of the equation, I think that at this point in their careers Troup should be favored over Jones.
PBA Players Championship Best Bets to Qualify (or Not Qualify) for Match Play
Tommy Jones - No +110
Based on the options available, betting on any player to make match play (top 24 in qualifying) comes at a price. Of the 12 players available to select, they all come with a -155 or worse price tag. I will take the bet on Tommy Jones not to make it, based on my earlier analysis of him.
Packy Hanrahan - No +120
This feels a bit riskier, considering Hanrahan has improved from 31st in points in 2021 to 13th in 2022 to sixth in 2023, but at +120 I think it's a good spot to bet against him. Again, he won't have his trusty Purple Hammer, and, like Tommy Jones, he was a no-show on this pattern, finishing 62nd with a 197.58 pattern in Colorado Springs.
PBA Players Championship Winner Best Bets
Jason Belmonte +800 to win
Belmonte, Tackett and Anthony Simonsen dominated the field in 2023, making countless TV shows. If you're betting on bowling, you want to give yourself a chance to at least get your guy to the finals, and then anything can happen. Belmo has scored the best of the three on this oil pattern and is getting better odds than the others.
AJ Chapman +5000 to finish 1st or 2nd
Chapman is my longshot pick. You can take him to win it all at +10000 or play it a bit more conservatively and play for 1st or 2nd place. After not getting drafted in the PBA Elite League, Chapman is as motivated as ever. He averaged over 220 on this oil pattern, and he'll be back in familiar territory in Wichita, as he won the 2015 Intercollegiate Team Championships title and was a first team All-American as a member of the Wichita State University team.
For more of our best bets be sure to follow @RotowireBowling on X (Twitter).
2024 PBA Players Championship TV Schedule
All times listed in Eastern.
- Wednesday, January 10 - Thursday, January 11 Qualifying Rounds at 10 a.m. - BowlTV
- Friday, January 12 - Saturday, January 13 Match Play Rounds at 10 a.m. - BowlTV
- Monday, January 15 at 4 p.m. – FOX
