PBR Pick ‘Em Morning Line – PBR World Finals Round 4

By: Slade Long

Boudreaux Campbell on 6E Liston:

Campbell bucked off this bull at a rodeo back in July, but this isn’t a bad draw for him. Liston likes to go to the left, and he’s been ridden three times by lefties this season; Chase Dougherty rode him twice, and Dener Barbosa rode him once. Campbell has one low score on the board from Round 1 but came down off very tough bulls in the second and third rounds. He needs to bounce back with a big ride here, or he may be shut out of the short round after winning the Finals last year.

Jose Vitor Leme on 449 WSM’s Jive Turkey:

Leme is 2-for-3 against this bull, meeting him three times in 2020. Overall, Jive Turkey is 37-5 in his career, so Leme accounts for 40% of the qualified rides ever made on him. Leme may have been questionable coming in due to his late-season injury, but he’s ridden all his bulls, which is pretty standard for a guy who is 20-for-26 in PBR World Finals competition over the past five years.

Kaique Pacheco on 202 Capone:

This is not the bull Pacheco needed here, and probably not one he would have picked. Capone is a veteran bull who is primarily known for being insanely difficult to ride. He’s 38-1 in his career, and the one ride was on maybe his weakest trip ever. This bull is a first-class dream crusher who has spanked many big-name PBR riders since he first appeared in 2017.

Dener Barbosa on 08B Hostage:

This is a good matchup with round-win potential, but the odds are definitely with the bull here. Hostage likes to go to the left, and he’s been ridden by left-handed riders, but not in the past year; Barbosa bucked off of him in August. Barbosa has been 89-plus in the last two rounds, but he struggled to get to the whistle on Happy Camper last night. Hostage is a good bit more challenging to ride.

Mason Taylor on 775 I’m a Secret:

Taylor is leading the event right now, and he’s the only guy here who has managed to keep pace with Leme this week. He may be able to stay on track with this draw. I’m a Secret is not easy, but he is rideable. Derek Kolbaba was 90.75 points on him at the 2020 World Finals.

Thiago Salgado on 792 Dagger:

Salgado has been blanked here so far, but it would be an understatement to say he’s drawn tough. The three bulls he’s drawn have averaged 45.75 points. He had the highest-marked bull in Round 1, the highest-marked bull in Round 3, and the second-highest-marked bull in Round 2. But he caught a little bit of a break here. Dagger is one of the better draws in the round and one that many left-handed riders were probably hoping for.

Eli Vastbinder on 34E JuJu:

Vastbinder was 89.5 points on this bull in Fort Worth in August, and he has two 90-plus-point rides in the first three rounds here. Cooper Davis was 90.75 on JuJu in Round 1, and he wasn’t quite as smooth as the two bulls Vastbinder has scored on here. That may be a factor with Vastbinder riding hurt right now. JuJu is holding the lead in the ABBI Classic Finals after Round 1, and a good out here could clinch that for him.

Cooper Davis on 172 Hang ‘Em High:

This is another ABBI Classic bull who is 5-0 in his career so far. He threw Dener Barbosa right at the whistle in Round 1 here. Davis is 2-for-3 and sitting fifth in the event right now. This matchup is something of a wild card for him, but he needs another score.

Cody Jesus on 4101 Prayer Warrior:

Jesus is 0-for-3 here so far, but he can hit a home run on the right kind of bull any time. He needs a high-performance bull that goes to the left and stays hooked. He almost got that last night, and he may have it here. Prayer Warrior isn’t easy to ride, but he tends to go to the left and can post 44-plus-point bull scores.

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