After this weekend’s Missouri Thunder Days presented by Bass Pro Shops, we will be halfway home in the PBR Teams regular season.

Here are some matchups to keep an eye on from Springfield.

Friday, August. 29: Arizona Ridge Riders (10-4) v. Texas Rattlers (8-6)

At one point these were the two top teams in the league, but both struggled in last weekend’s Gambler Days.

The Ridge Riders, who won nine in a row after dropping their first game of the season, were 9-1 at one point, but have since slipped to 10-4. Much of that had to do with last weekend in Austin where they rode a season-low three bulls as a team. That followed a weekend in Nashville where they only rode five, making them 8-of-30 over their last six games after starting 20-of-40 in their first eight.

They take on a Rattlers team that is also trending the wrong way. After starting the season 6-2, they have gone 1-2 in each of their last two weekends. The good news for the Rattlers, however, is they have still ridden 13 bulls in that stretch.

The winner of this one will set themselves up for a strong weekend and potentially a strong finish the second half of the year.

Friday, August 29: Oklahoma Wildcatters (4-10) v. Carolina Cowboys (6-8)

Both of these teams are, in my opinion, better than their records show, and one of them will get a win to match Friday.

The Wildcatters are coming off of their first winning weekend of the season at Gambler Days, going 2-1 with wins over the Arizona Ridge Riders and New York Mavericks. After starting 6-for-25 (24 percent) in the first two weekends of the season, they have ridden 18-of-45 (40 percent) since and in that run, they’ve ridden at least two bulls in eight of their nine games.

The Cowboys were also 2-1 over the weekend and snapped a four-game losing streak in the process. In doing so, they may have found a spark in their lineup in two-time PBR World Champion Jess Lockwood, who looks the healthiest he has been in several years. Lockwood was the Day 2 MVP in the Cowboys’ 345.75-168.50 win against the Thunder. As a team, Carolina matched their season-best by riding seven bulls in a weekend for a third time this season.

Sunday, August 31: Florida Freedom (10-4) v. Arizona Ridge Riders (10-4)

The Freedom are the hottest team in the league, surging into first place in the standings after an 11-of-15 weekend in Austin that included a perfect 3-0 record. Their closer, John Crimber, and leadoff man, Thiago Salgado, sit at No. 2 and No. 3 in the MVP race, with Crimber currently the Vegas favorite to win the award.

The Freedom are also the only team above 3,000 points with 3,184.25, more than 200 ahead of the next closest team, the Rattlers, at 2,956.25.

By Sunday, this could very well be a matchup of the two best teams in the league, but it’s an easier road for the Freedom. They face the New York Mavericks Friday and Outlaws Sunday while the Ridge Riders drew the Rattlers and Cowboys in their first two games this weekend.

Sunday, August 31: Austin Gamblers (10-4) v. New York Mavericks (3-11)

The Mavericks found themselves in a similar spot just a few weekends ago in Nashville; sitting at the bottom of the league and desperately needing a spark. They got it, even if only briefly, with a 2-1 showing. Now they’ll have another chance to turn things around as they close the weekend against one of the league’s top three teams. After being decimated by injuries during an 0-3 stretch in Austin, the Gamblers will be their second major test, following an opening game against the Freedom at Thunder Days.

So what makes the Gamblers so tough? It’s the fact that their loaded lineup continues to deliver. With Jose Vitor Leme sidelined in Nashville and Sage Kimzey out in Austin, they haven’t missed a beat, thanks to big contributions from Dalton Kasel, Lucas Divino, and Dener Barbosa. They’re also expected to add Kaique Pacheco to a roster that already ranks third in the league in both points and riding percentage.

Sunday, August 31: Kansas City Outlaws (7-7) v. Missouri Thunder (6-8)

After going 3-1 against the Thunder last season, the Outlaws also won the first matchup between these two rivals this season back on July 13 in Oklahoma City.

With a 4-9 record all-time against the Outlaws, the Thunder will try to erase their “little brother” moniker to cap off a weekend in front of the home crowd and to do so, they’ll need someone to step up as the team’s best rider. Currently, their highest ranked rider in the MVP race is Jett Harkins at No. 25. For some context, the rival Outlaws have three riders, Koltin Hevalow, Heitor Santos Ferreira, and Sandra Batista, in the Top 15.