KBO Picks & Odds (July 21): A Pitcher’s Duel Between Kiwoom and Doosan

• Kiwoom sends Eric Jokisch (9-2, 1.62 ERA) to the mound versus Doosan and Raul Alcantara (9-1, 3.13 ERA)
• Lotte’s Adrian Sampson gave up eight earned runs in just over four innings in his last start
• Find odds and best bets for the KBO’s five-game slate on July 21st in the article below

We’re over 60 games into the KBO season and one thing’s for sure; after first place NC there is no clear cut second best team in the league. Two of the clubs vying for that title, Kiwoom and Doosan, square off Tuesday at 5:30 am EST, in a game that features an incredible pitching matchup.

 KBO Odds: Tuesday, July 21st

Odds as of July 20th.

Duelling Aces

The Heroes will send Eric Jokisch to the mound, while the Bears will counter with Raul Alcantara. Both pitchers are tied for the league lead in victories, and both rank inside the top-seven in ERA and WHIP. Jokisch has surrendered two runs or less in 11 of 13 starts this season, while Alcantara has allowed just three runs total in his last three outings.

Jokisch vs Alcantara Statistics

With two dominant aces on the bump, online sportsbooks have priced this game at -115 on both sides, and who can blame them. Both pitchers are capable of erasing the other team’s offense, but of the two, Alcantara is actually pitching slightly better recently. He has a 33-1 strikeout-to-walk rate over his past five outings, and is averaging just over five baserunners allowed per game during that stretch.

Today's #KBO K leader was Raul Alcántara of the Doosan Bears:

7 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 8 K, 0 BB

Check out his 3 Ks to Roberto Ramos. pic.twitter.com/W04xAUbFbO

— Alex Fast (@AlexFast8) July 9, 2020

Jokisch meanwhile, allowed eight hits for the second consecutive start last time out and doesn’t possess the kind of strikeout power that Alcantara does, to help bail him out if he runs into trouble.

The Doosan offense has also performed better than Kiwoom’s recently, averaging a 1.2 more runs per contest in its last 10.

Pick: Doosan Bears moneyline (-115)

Can SK Prolong Sampson’s Struggles?

The Lotte Giants are one of the worst road teams in the KBO, and Tuesday’s outlook in SK doesn’t look particularly bright. That’s because Adrian Sampson will take the ball for Lotte, and so far in 2020 he was not performed well.

With this start included, Adrian Sampson’s #KBO ERA is officially worse than both his 2019 & career #MLB ERA. That’s shockingly bad.

— Greg Peterson (@GUnit_81) July 15, 2020

He was tagged for eight runs in just over four innings last time out and struggled versus these same Wyverns three outings ago. That night, he allowed nine hits and three runs over five innings, en route to a 7-4 loss. His ERA has ballooned to 6.50 and he hasn’t made it out of the 6th inning in any of his last four starts.

That might lead you to believe that SK straight up is the play here, but the over is actually more enticing. We know Sampson is prone to giving up runs, as is Wyverns starter Ricardo Pinto. The right-hander surrendered five runs in a loss last time out versus the Bears, and gave up seven hits and four runs in just over five innings in his only start against the Giants this season.

Pick: Over 9.5 (-105)

Back KT Wiz at Plus Money

KT Wiz may have a worse record than LG, but there’s no reason for them to be home underdogs on Tuesday. The Twins Tyler Wilson has lost three of his last four outings, while the Suwon’s Bae Je-seong has pitched very well recently.

Bae Je-seong, Sliders. ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/TTK74zH80g

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 7, 2020

He’s allowed two runs or fewer in three straight starts, and KT Wiz is the second highest scoring team at home this season. They average the second most hits per game and Wilson’s strand rate ranks 28th out of 38 qualified starters.

Pick: KT Wiz moneyline (+100)