The second PBA Tour event of the season, the PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic, began with 18 games of qualifying over two days, followed by three rounds of best-of-seven match play, all culminating with the five-man stepladder final coming up on Sunday. We've been posting odds, best bets and trends all week long at @RotoWireBowling on X.
The left-handers in the field were able to take advantage of this week's 45-foot Dick Weber oil pattern (named after the legendary professional bowler and Pete's father). Four of the five finalists are lefties, and several others made it through to the final 24.
Thomas Larsen is the lone righty left standing, and we'll have to wait and see if he can take advantage of having that side of the lane to himself. To do so, he'll have to beat the winner of the Matt Russo vs. Hayden Stippich match followed by second seed Graham Fach and then top seed Justin Knowles.
As I did last season, I'll analyze every win, spread, total and futures bet available on the BetRivers Sportsbook app and identify my favorite bets for the stepladder finals all season long.
2026 PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic Matchups
Matt Russo (-106) over Hayden Stippich
2025 was a rough season for Matt Russo, as he dropped to 64th in Tour Points and only had $6,885 in earnings. It was a stark contrast to a 2024 season in which he finished 12th and earned $189,407. Last week's performance at the PBA Players Championship was a continuation of that disappointing 2025 season, as he finished 89th in qualifying.
But it's a new week in a new center on a new oil pattern, and Russo has been locked in. Other than top seed Justin Knowles, Russo is the highest qualifier still standing. He dropped to the fifth seed when he lost to Knowles 4-3 in match play. Russo let a 3-1 lead slip away, including a 258-256 loss in Game 6. With that said, he was THAT close to coming into Sunday's stepladder final as the top seed. Now he's the underdog to an unproven Hayden Stippich. Give me the more experienced Russo and the more favorable odds.
Matt Russo vs. Hayden Stippich under 445.5 (-117)
Russo averaged 221.9, and Stippich averaged 236.8 in match play. But there were plenty of ups and downs that suggest we could get a lower total here, especially on the TV pair under the pressure of the bright lights. All it takes is one low-200 game or worse to make the over unlikely to hit, and between them, they had eight of 23 games under 210 during match play.
The books know that the public likes to bet overs, so we can usually count on getting some added value on the under. There's also always the possibility that some nerves could lead to a slow start, similar to last week's first match between Brandon Bonta and Spencer Robarge, in which neither player put together three strikes in a row until the ninth frame. Plus, if one player pulls away, he may choose to experiment with a ball change in the tenth instead of shooting for the best possible score, giving us another out.
All odds via BetRivers Sportsbook as of February 28th 1:30 am ET
2026 PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic Winner Best Bet
Graham Fach (+200)
Fach is likely to be a popular choice to come out as the winner here, considering the way he dominated match play. He went 12-2, shooting over 240 in nine of those games. He's also the only player to make the stepladder finals in both PBA events this season, as he finished third at the PBA Players Championship last Sunday, making him a very early contender for the Player of the Year award.
He will have to eliminate two opponents to take the title here, and I'm more confident in him than any other lefty to be able to make the adjustments needed to get the job done.
For more picks be sure to follow @RotowireBowling and @TheSpatula300 on X.
2026 PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic TV Schedule
All times listed are local (Central Time)
Sunday, March 1st
PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic Finals (LIVE) on The CW: 3 p.m.
