LAS VEGAS – Momentum, momentum, momentum.

It is an obvious force, and it is a necessary feeling all 40 bull riders competing at the 2019 PBR World Finals will be searching for Wednesday night inside T-Mobile Arena.

However, for the five riders that remain mathematically alive for the 2019 World Championship – No. 1 Jose Vitor Leme, No. 2 Jess Lockwood, No. 3 Chase Outlaw, No. 4 Joao Ricardo Vieira and No. 5 Cooper Davis – a qualified ride in Round 1 historically has been of utmost importance.

Only five of the past 19 World Champions have failed to ride their Round 1 bull at the World Finals during their gold buckle seasons. Three-time World Champion Silvano Alves actually bucked off his first Finals bull in 2011 and 2012. Justin McBride bucked off his first round bull in 2007, but he was also contending with torn ligaments in his free arm that needed to be surgically repaired following the Finals. Two-time World Champion Chris Shivers bucked off his first-round bulls in 2000 and 2003.

While it is not a deal-breaker if any of the world title contenders come down before the 8 seconds Wednesday night, that first ride can put a rider in a position to gobble up the massive amount of points available for winning the event average at the World Finals.

The event average alone this week offers a rider 1,500 points toward the world standings.

World leader Jose Vitor Leme is 10-for-12 in his previous two trips to the World Finals, and he has never bucked off in the first round.

“That is really the main key for the Finals,” Leme said with the help of Paulo Crimber translating. “Get that first one down. If you get the first one down with a positive attitude and a score, it is a chance for you to finish with a good Finals rather than getting bucked off in the first round.”

Leme has drawn Skyfall (2-1, UTB) for Round 1.

Fans can watch Round 1 live on CBS Sports Network at 10 p.m. ET and on RidePass at 9:40 p.m. ET.

Lockwood is no stranger to starting things off with a bang at the World Finals.

In 2017, Lockwood set a PBR record by winning the first three rounds of the 2017 World Finals. Lockwood netted 900 points toward the world standings from those three victories, propelling himself to becoming the youngest PBR World Champion (20 years old).

Lockwood said the most nervous he ever is at an event is the first round. That first bull is what sets the tempo for the rest of the week.

“That is the most nervous I will ever be. Ever. Every single year,” Lockwood said. “If you kick things off in the first round, then you are rolling. If you get bucked off, you are like, ‘Shoot, now in the second round I have to make sure.’ If you ride that first one, then you are just flowing.

“Every single ride, regardless, has that urgency, but if you can kick it off with a bang, your Finals are off to a very good start.”

Lockwood cannot afford to start the 2019 World Finals slow when he takes on Silver Back (0-0, UTB) in Round 1.

The Volborg, Montana, native begins the Finals 749.16 points behind Leme in the world standings.

Historically, any rider within 2,000 world points of the world No. 1 ranking at the start of the World Finals is a legitimate contender for the season’s World Championship. However, 3,300 points are available across the five days of competition.

No. 3 Chase Outlaw begins the week 1,793.33 points behind Leme in the standings.

Outlaw knows the only solution to getting back into the title race is to dominate his competition every bull of the way until the Finals conclude Sunday afternoon.

The Hamburg, Arkansas, native takes on Foghorn Leghorn (1-1, UTB) in Round 1.

“That first one of the day, you’ve got to get fired up,” Outlaw said. “And say you get a re-ride or something, you’re already fired up. Let’s go. I have to fire myself up because I tell myself it’s just a fistfight, and it could be a fight to the death, so how much are you willing to give?

“That’s the way, pretty much every damn time, what I tell myself.”

Outlaw will go down swinging this week, that is almost certain, and the World Championship fight is down to its final six rounds.

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko