KBO Baseball Odds & Picks (May 10): Ex-MLB Pitchers Take Center Stage on Sunday

• Four ex-MLB pitchers will start in the KBO’s five-game slate on Sunday
• Warwick Saupold, formerly with the Detroit Tigers, tossed a two-hit shutout in his season debut on Tuesday
• For Sunday’s odds and best bets, check out the article below

If you’ve got family plans tying up most of your Mother’s Day, fear not: you can still satisfy your sports fix in the wee hours of Sunday morning with a five-game slate of Korea Baseball Organization action.

An added plus for MLB fans is that Sunday’s games will feature four starting pitchers with MLB experience: Warwick Saupold, Dan Straily, Casey Kelly and Jake Brigham. Are they the biggest names in the sport? Not exactly. But a touch of familiarity is better than nothing.

Three of Saturday’s five games were postponed due to rain. Hopefully there’s better luck (and weather) on Sunday, when all games are set to begin at 1am ET (10pm PT on Saturday).

KBO Odds: Sunday, May 10

Odds taken May 9.

Saupold Sizzle

Warwick Saupold wasn’t a dreadful big leaguer, but his 4.98 ERA in three seasons with the Detroit Tigers was not good enough to help him stick. Now he’s in the KBO, and his stat line from Tuesday’s season opener should have bettors excited to put their faith in him for start No. 2.

On Tuesday, Saupold tossed nine scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and a walk, to earn the win for the Hanwha Eagles.

Do you remember Warwick Saupold?

Last night, the former Tiger threw a two-hit shutout for the Hanwha Eagles in their win to open the KBO season.

(via @HaroldRKuntz3)
pic.twitter.com/NVDlVJlP5y

— Tony Dombrowski (@tonydombrowski) May 5, 2020

He faces a tall task against the Kiwoom Heroes, who’ve won four of five. Both games have be close and low-scoring in Kiwoom’s favor, but there’s a fair chance Saupold can turn that around.

Pick: Hanwha Eagles, +1.5 (-130); Under 8 (-110)

A Fluky Finish

For Saturday’s game between the Samsung Lions and KIA Tigers, I suggested taking the under on the run total (9.5 runs, -110). I was wrong.

Everything was going right in that game until the bottom of the eighth inning, when the Lions turned six hits and six walks into a nine-run frame. That turned a 5-2 score (on the comfortable side of the under) into a 14-2 thrashing.

2020년 5월 9일 토요일 대구 KIA전, 경기 결과입니다.
KIA 2 : 14 삼성
[승리투수] 원태인 pic.twitter.com/woQKsHwMLF

— 삼성 라이온즈 (@twittlions) May 9, 2020

Suffice it to say I don’t anticipate that happening again on Sunday. So even though the over/under has dipped to 8.5, leaning on the under is still a better play. And since Samsung has been so dominant on the scoreboard in this series (outscoring KIA 19-2), consider picking the Lions to get the sweep.

Pick: Samsung Lions, +1.5 (-125); Under 8.5 (-115)

Giants Go To Straily

Dan Straily enjoyed an eight-year MLB career before heading to the KBO this season. His first start with the Lotte Giants was solid (5.2 innings, two runs, three hits, four strikeouts), and it served as the first of four wins in a row for the team.

If Straily can turn in another performance like that, Lotte’s league-leading offense (.313 team batting average) should be able to handle the rest.

Pick: Lotte Giants, -1.5 (+145)