KBO Picks & Odds (July 5): Samsung Lions Take Win Streak Into Attempted Sweep of LG Twins

• The only team in the Korea Baseball Organization with a win streak is the Samsung Lions (five straight)
• NC Dinos have hit double-digit run totals in seven of their past nine games
• Find the odds and best bets for all Korea Baseball Organization action on July 5 in the article below

Not long ago, the Samsung Lions were among the laughing stocks of the KBO. But now, they’re the only team with an active win streak.

The Lions have won five straight — and 10 of 12 since June 21 — with a chance now to sweep consecutive series, as they face the LG Twins in July 5 KBO action.

Both previous games of the series have been tight, with the Lions winning by just three combined runs. Can they stay hot against a Twins team that has put up a good fight amid its four-game losing skid?

Here’s a look at the entire slate of KBO games for Sunday, July 5. All games start at 4am ET (1am PT).

KBO Odds: Sunday, July 5th

Odds taken July 4.

Lions Giving Some Cushion

As a bettor, it’s always nice to have some breathing room. That’s what oddsmakers are providing the Samsung Lions with, as they receive +1.5 runs on the the run line against the LG Twins for Game 3 of their series.

Samsung is hot right now, but look closer and you’ll see they’re skating by in some games. On July 4, they needed extras to beat LG, 7-6. The day before that, the Lions squeezed out a 9-7 win.

Then the Lions got a run in the bottom half, and I thought we might get our first tie of the season! (games end if tied after 12)

But Kim Ho-jae drew the pinch-hit walk-off walk to pick up his first career RBI. #KBO #SamsungLions @MyKBO pic.twitter.com/R5DezKI8uC

— Connor Newcomb (@ConnorNewcomb_) July 4, 2020

With a bit of cushion on the run line, sticking with the Lions makes sense. They have a solid starter on the mound in Chae-heung Choi (5-2, 3.43 ERA) and should be able to keep the game tight, if not come out with a win.

Pick: Samsung Lions, +1.5 (-160)

NC Scoring Machine

This isn’t a terribly original thought, but the NC Dinos are very good at scoring runs (the best in the KBO, in fact). They’re fairly generous in allowing runs, too.

That’s what makes their 9-run over/under total an interesting mark against the KIA Tigers. Though KIA is near the bottom of the league in runs scored, all four matchups between these two teams have reached the double-digit run total.

So take the over, and consider taking KIA on the run line, given that they’ve won three of those four meetings.

Pick: KIA Tigers, +1.5 (-175); Over 9 runs (-125)

KT Wiz Faces Favorite Pitcher

I don’t actually know if Seung-ho Lee is KT Wiz Suwon’s favorite pitcher, but he probably should be. They lit up the Kiwoom Heroes’ left-hander back in May (eight runs on seven hits and two walks in 2.1 innings) and now have a chance to face him again.

A couple walk-off wins tonight featuring the Doosan Bears and KT Wiz pic.twitter.com/No2PDO1hJ1

— Dan Kurtz (@MyKBO) July 3, 2020

KT Wiz is the underdog, but they’ve taken two of five from Kiwoom this season. They could be in line to even the season series now that Lee is back on the mound.

Pick: KT Wiz Suwon, +1.5 (-125)