KBO Friday betting preview: Heavyweight pitching duel in Seoul
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Thursday's slate didn't go anywhere near as planned, as yet another ninth-inning NC Dinos comeback doomed us in rather brutal fashion.
On to bigger and better things Friday.
ESPN game: KT Wiz (-110) at LG Twins (-120)
All signs point to a pitchers' duel at Jamsil Baseball Stadium, with former MLB hurlers Odrisamer Despaigne and Casey Kelly getting the starts for their respective clubs.
Despaigne has been excellent through three starts for the Wiz, adjusting to life in Korea quite nicely. He was dominant in home outings against Lotte and Kia, and he pitched well in a road start against the seemingly unstoppable Dinos, allowing three runs on six hits in five innings with six strikeouts to just one walk.
He'll have to outduel Kelly here, who's got a year of KBO experience under his belt after posting a 2.55 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 29 starts last season. The Dinos roughed Kelly up in his first start for the Twins this season, but he bounced back nicely with six shutout innings against Kiwoom, allowing three hits and issuing two walks.
That's the sort of outing he'll be hoping for Friday against a KT side he dominated last season. He gave up just one run on 13 hits in 19 innings across three starts versus the Wiz last year. Unsurprisingly, he was 3-0.
KT enters this tilt with the league's hottest lineup after scoring 58 runs in its last six games. But all six of those contests were at home against two of the league's worst teams. Back on the road against a strong Twins side, expect the Wiz's unsustainable offensive numbers to drop considerably.
Despite the visitors' recent offensive prowess, the edge in this pitchers' duel goes to the Twins because the Wiz own one of the league's worst bullpens. Though he's been successful thus far, Despaigne hasn't pitched more than six innings in any of his three starts. His bullpen has been quick to let him down, allowing 10 runs in 10 innings of relief. Look for the Twins to edge out the win here in a tight, low-scoring contest.
Picks: Twins (-120), under 9.5 (-115)
Other picks:
- Kia Tigers/SK Wyverns under 9.5 (-115)
- SK Wyverns (+150)
- Hanwha Eagles/NC Dinos under 9 (-115)
- Kiwoom Heroes (-140)
Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.