KBO Picks & Odds (October 17): A Rare Opportunity to Bet on Hanwha
- Hanwha’s Warwick Saupold has won three straight starts, allowing just two runs in the process
- LG is 9-4 versus KIA this season
- Find odds and best bets for the KBO’s five-game slate on October 17th in the article below
Here’s the thing. Betting on the Hanwha Eagles is not fun. If you blindly bet against them every game this season you’d be a massive winner, however, occasionally they do offer value. That’s the case on Saturday, as Hanwha is a significant home underdog against eighth place Samsung.
 KBO Odds: Saturday, October 17th
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Over/Under Run Total | Game Time (Eastern) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doosan Bears | -124 | -1.5 (+124) | Over 10.5 (-106) | 4:00 a.m. |
| Kiwoom Heroes | +102 | +1.5 (-156) | Under 10.5 (-120) | |
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Over/Under Run Total | Game Time (Eastern) |
| KT Wiz Suwon | -170 | -1.5 (-106) | Over 9.5 (-122) | 4:00 a.m. |
| SK Wyverns | +140 | +1.5 (-122) | Under 9.5 (-106) | |
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Over/Under Run Total | Game Time (Eastern) |
| KIA Tigers | +158 | +1.5 (-128) | Over 10.5 (+102) | 4:00 a.m. |
| LG Twins | -194 | -1.5 (+100) | Under 10.5 (-130) | |
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Over/Under Run Total | Game Time (Eastern) |
| Lotte Giants | +164 | +1.5 (-122) | Over 11.5 (-104) | 4:00 a.m. |
| NC Dinos | -205 | -1.5 (-106) | Under 11.5 (-122) | |
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Over/Under Run Total | Game Time (Eastern) |
| Samsung Lions | -170 | -1.5 (+102) | Over 8.5 (+102) | 1:00 a.m. |
| Hanwha Eagles | +138 | +1.5 (-128) | Under 8.5 (-128) |
Odds as of Oct. 16th at FanDuel.
The Lions opened up as sizeable -170 moneyline favorites, despite posting just five wins in their last 13 games. They dropped two of three earlier this week to ninth place SK, and are averaging a league-worst 3.8 runs in 15 October contests.
Time to Take Saupold Seriously?
The offense could be in for a long outing on Saturday, as they’ll take on the red-hot Warwick Saupold. The 30-year-old has turned his season around over the last month, allowing two or fewer earned runs in four straight starts.
Warwick Saupold getting his dad dance on. pic.twitter.com/aBVzBeMepj
— Alex Fast (@AlexFast8) June 24, 2020
He’s been incredible over his past three appearances, holding Kiwoom, KIA and Doosan to two total runs over 19 innings, while striking out 15. Not surprisingly, he’s won three straight starts, a feat no other Eagles pitcher has accomplished all season.
Warwick Saupold Last 3 Starts
| OPP | IP | ER | H | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KIW | 6.0 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| KIA | 6.0 | 1 | 8 | 4 |
| DOO | 7.0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
Saupold has faced Samsung once in 2020, and performed quite well. He limited the Eagles to two runs and three hits over 6 innings, while striking out five.
The Lions will counter with Ben Lively, who’s been on a nice little run of his own. Prior to his last outing, he’d surrendered one run or less in three straight, and hasn’t suffered a loss in his last seven starts.
Been a while since I've tweeted about Ben Lively, but now seems like a good time:
Earlier today, Lively threw 7 HITLESS innings in the KBO. 7 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 5 Ks, 2 BBs, 1 HBP, 108 pitches.
Aaaaand he got a no decision because his team lost 1-0.
But still! #UCF— Brian Murphy (@Spokes_Murphy) September 24, 2020
Under 8.5 is in definitely in play, but with how well Saupold is pitching, Hanwha +1.5 offers the most value.
Picks: Hanwha +1.5 (-128), Under 8.5 (-128)
LG Owns KIA
The LG Twins pummelled the KIA Tigers 9-0 on Friday, and will look to improve to 10-4 against them with another win on Saturday. The second place Twins have outscored their opponents 15-2 over the past two games, and get another favorable matchup versus the Tigers’ Ki Hoon Kim. The 20-year-old enters play with a 5.19 ERA and zero quality starts in five tries.
#KBO fans: Kia Tigers at LG Twins Friday evening had the biggest attendance of this pandemic-interrupted season, with 5,490 fans. To ensure safe distancing, the Twins are only making 5,819 seats out of 25,000 available at Jamsil Baseball Stadium.
— Jeeho Yoo (@Jeeho_1) October 16, 2020
LG had over 5,000 fans in attendance on Friday, and a similar crowd on Saturday will be delighted to watch rookie Ho Nam toe the rubber. The 20-year-old has had an up and down start to his KBO career, but showed immense promise two weeks ago against Samsung. He allowed just one hit and one run over 5 innings, retiring 13 of the final 14 batters he faced.
Nam should have plenty of run support behind him and KIA isn’t exactly an offense to fear. The Tigers rank seventh in runs per game, and are crossing the plate an average of just four times per outing in October.
Pick: LG Twins -1.5 (+100)
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
