KBO Picks & Odds (August 20): All Eyes on Jokisch

• Kiwoom’s Eric Jokisch threw 6 shutout innings last time out versus LG
• Doosan’s Raul Alcantara hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any of his last 12 starts
• Find odds and best bets for the KBO’s five-game slate on August 20th in the article below

Thursday usually marks the end of the first set of KBO series for the week, but for the next month the league has abandoned three-game sets, in favor of mini-two gamers.

The featured matchup on this slate is between second place Kiwoom and third place LG, with the Heroes now just a half-game back of first place NC.

 KBO Odds: Thursday, August 20th

Odds as of Aug. 19th.

The Twins meanwhile, are right on Kiwoom’s heels thanks to a seven-game winning streak. LG pounded KIA 10-1 on Wednesday, but offense should be much tougher to come by against Kiwoom and ace Eric Jokisch.

Jokisch is Back on Track

After a brief rough patch in mid-July, Jokisch has reeled off three straight excellent starts. His last two in particular have been dominant, as he’s allowed just two total runs in 12 innings of work.

https://twitter.com/freddiemills7/status/1292054230346465281

Last time out, he faced these same Twins and was virtually unhittable. He held them scoreless over 6 innings, allowing just four hits, before having to exit the game due to shoulder discomfort. After a brief stint on the injured list, he’s back and looking to join Odrisamer Despaigne and Drew Rucinski as the league’s only 11-game winners.

Eric Jokisch – Last Three Starts

Never a big strikeout producer, Jokisch has excelled at forcing soft contact and keeping the ball on the ground. Over his last three starts he has a 65% ground ball rate on balls in play.

It’s impossible to neglect how hot the LG offense has been, but it’s also important to give their recent winning streak some context. They’ve beaten up on a collection of mostly mediocre pitchers, none of whom are in the same class as Jokisch.

The Twins will counter with Yun Sik Kim, who is winless in four starts and has been hit hard by Kiwoom twice this season. Back on August 8th, he surrendered four runs in 5.1 innings, and on June 23rd, the Heroes tagged him for four runs and nine hits in 5 innings of work.

Pick: Kiwoom Heroes -1.5 (-152)

Alcantara Always Delivers

Defending champion Doosan has been treading water lately, posting a 4-5-1 record in its last 10. Despite the mediocre play, they’re still only four games out of first place and will be looking to inch closer when they square off with Lotte.

Raúl Alcántara, Unfair 97mph front hip Two Seamer. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/WUZCAESeqT

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 3, 2020

The Bears will send ace Raul Alcantara to the mound, who’s just one start removed from dominating the Giants. Back on August 8th, he allowed just one run over 6 innings, while striking out six. He’s allowed three or fewer runs in each of his last 12 outings, and hasn’t lost since Opening Day.

The Giants will counter with Se Woong Park, who’s fresh off an impressive performance of his own. The right-hander tossed 5.1 scoreless innings last week against Kiwoom, and has previously held the Bears to one run or less in two of three starts this season.

Pick: Under 9.5 (-126)