KBO Picks & Odds (October 31): The Only Game in Town

• Saturday marks the final day of the KBO regular season
• First place NC is a small road favorite over KIA
• Find odds and best bets for the KBO’s one-game slate on October 31st in the article below

The final day of the KBO regular season is upon us. First place NC, fresh off a 4-4 tie with Samsung, hits the road to face KIA as a small favorite.

This game is the only contest on the slate, but while the Dinos have their sights set on a championship run, the Tigers won’t be involved in any postseason baseball.

 KBO Odds: Saturday, October 31st

Odds as of  Oct. 30th at FanDuel.

First pitch is slated for 4:00 am EST, and with neither team having anything to play for, there’s definitely motivation concerns on both sides.

KIA Lacklustre Lately

KIA has been eliminated from playoff contention for the past couple weeks, and there’s been a substantial drop-off in its play. The Tigers have dropped eight of their last 12 games, and have been outscored 32-14 this week alone.

Mel Rojas’ #KBO league-leading 47th home run gives the #SmilingBlobs a 2-0 lead over the #KiaTigers!!! pic.twitter.com/W9CLG1sH1U

— Greg Peterson (@GUnit_81) October 27, 2020

Last time out, they were crushed 13-2 by Lotte, and the day before they were blown out 9-2 by Doosan. They’ve allowed at least seven runs in 12 of their past 17 outings.

Congrats to the NC Dinos, who clinched the KBO regular season title and will play in the final round of the KBO playoffs! https://t.co/ELi9Jek5BS

— Durham Bulls (@DurhamBulls) October 24, 2020

NC meanwhile, has had the KBO pennant wrapped up for a week now, and hasn’t taken its foot off the gas offensively. They’ve crossed the plate 22 times in the last three games alone, outscoring their opponents 22-9.

How the Starters Stack Up

The Dinos will give the ball to rookie Min Hyuk Shin, who hasn’t started a game since September 12th against this very same KIA team. He’s worked exclusively out of the bullpen over the last month and a half, allowing two runs and 13 hits over 8.1 innings.

He does have six starts on his resume, but the results haven’t been particularly encouraging. He’s surrendered at least three runs in five of those outings, making it out of the 5th inning only twice. The Tigers chased him after just 2 innings in their matchup, after racking up five hits and crossing the plate three times.

KIA meanwhile, will give the ball to Ki Young Im, who’s 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA versus the Dinos in 2020. The 27-year-old has yielded 10 runs in 13.1 innings against NC, serving up 15 hits and two homers along the way.

He pitched well in his last outing versus eighth place Samsung, but prior to that start he’d allowed 21 runs in his previous 21 innings.

Heroes jump out to an 8-0 lead after just two innings! Kim Hye-sung, Seo and Kim Ha-seong already with multi-hit games. Brutal outing for Tigers starter Im Ki-young.

— Kiwoom Heroes International (@kwheroesfan) September 23, 2020

Things were so bad for Im at one point this season that he was demoted to the futures league. The Dinos have been giving their starters plenty of rest over the last week, but even the second stringers they do put out there should be able to get to Im.

Attack the Over

Struggling starters, plus a game that carries no ramifications in the standings, should lead to a care-free environment and plenty of offense.

Six of the past seven meetings between these two clubs have produced a total of at least 11, and Saturday’s contest profiles as another high scoring affair. Enjoy the offense now, because once the postseason rolls on rotations will tighten up and scores will come down.

Pick: Over 10.5 (-118)