KBO Picks & Odds (September 30): Cash In With KT Wiz as a Road Underdog

•  KT Wiz is 7-3 in its last 10 and has roughed up Samsung’s Ben Lively twice in 2020
•  Kiwoom’s Eric Jokisch has allowed two earned runs in his last 21 innings
• Find odds and best bets for the KBO’s five-game slate on September 30th in the article below

If NC wasn’t playing its best baseball of the season, we could easily be talking about KT Wiz as the number one team in the KBO.

The Suwon racked up their seventh win in their last 10 games on Tuesday over Samsung, and will be looking to improve to 11-3 versus the Lions when they meet again on Wednesday at 1:00 am EST.

 KBO Odds: Wednesday, September 30th

Odds as of Sept. 29th at FanDuel.

Surprisingly though, it’s Samsung, not KT Wiz, that opened up as the favorite. The Lions will send one of its top arms in Ben Lively to the mound, but that shouldn’t scare you off the Suwon getting plus money.

KT Wiz Crushes vs Lively

KT Wiz has hit Lively hard in both of their meetings this year. They’ve lit him up for eight runs in just 6 innings, winning both games in convincing fashion. The last time they faced him, they put up six runs in the first 3 innings, and in the previous meeting they chased him after only seven batters.

yes the MLB postseason starts today but the KBO has a few regular season weeks left and our KT Wiz are still firmly in position to make its first postseason appearance in its brief franchise history!!!@melrojasjr helping the cause with HR #38 today 💥💥💥 pic.twitter.com/pRuvVfo8PC

— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) September 29, 2020

Lively pitched well in his most recent start, but it’s impossible to ignore his propensity for blowups. Two starts ago he allowed five runs and nine hits to KIA, marking the fifth time in 16 outings that he’s surrendered at least four runs. He’s recorded a quality start in just 31% of his outings, and owns a respectable, but certainly not dominant 4.33 ERA.

The Suwon meanwhile, will counter with reliever Dae Eun Lee, which is one of the main reasons whey they’re an underdog. The 31-year-old has worked exclusively out of the bullpen this year, posting a 7.04 ERA and 1.70 WHIP. As bad as that sounds, he’s pitcher very well over the last few weeks. He hasn’t allowed a run in his last four outings, and aside from one bad performance versus NC, he’s shutout the opposition over his last 7 innings pitched.

Pick: KT Wiz Suwon moneyline (+110)

Can’t Fade Jokisch

Elsewhere in the KBO on Wednesday, we have a fantastic pitching matchup brewing between KIA and Kiwoom. The Heroes will send ace Eric Jokisch to the mound, who’s fresh off yet another spectacular performance.

Nasty 3-pitch called strike curveball, changeup whiff, curveball whiff sequence for a K here from Eric Jokisch's recent start against SK #KBO #KBOLeague pic.twitter.com/LHOnC213Hl

— Ben Howell (Him/Kim) (@benhowell71) September 25, 2020

The 31-year-old held SK to a single run and five hits over 8 innings, while striking out 8. He lowered his league leading ERA and WHIP to 2.07 and 0.99 in the process, and has surrendered just two earned runs in his last three outings.

Jokisch’s Last Six Starts

KIA meanwhile, will give the ball to Drew Gagnon, who’s been a nice little run of his own. He’s allowed two earned runs or less in six straight starts and has won each of his last three decisions.

Which pitchers are allowing the least amount of contact in the KBO this season?

1. Aaron Brooks
2. Drew Gagnon
3. Dan Straily

Top 10 in the image pic.twitter.com/mey4KVklB8

— SIS (@SportsInfo_SIS) September 14, 2020

This game projects to be an extremely close, low scoring affair, but getting the league’s best pitcher at just -144 on the moneyline is too good to pass up.

Picks: Kiwoom Heroes moneyline (-144), Under 8.5 (-128)