KBO Picks & Odds (Sep. 13): Ham Fuels Bears’ Postseason Push
- Doosan is hoping reliever Ham Deok-joo can put together a second strong start, this time against Kiwoom
- The presence of Samsung’s Choi Chae-heung means the Giants offer great value in their matchup with LG
- Find odds and best bets for the KBO’s five-game slate on September 13th in the article below
With less than 40 games to go in the Korean Baseball Organization regular season, there is still much to play for for the five teams currently occupying the playoff places. That’s certainly the case for the Doosan Bears, the 2019 KBO champions, who are sitting fourth but with their postseason lives still far from secure with just a two-game edge over the sixth-placed Kia Tigers.
So their game against second-placed Kiwoom Heroes, winners of two straight, is no time for slacking off. Still, the Bears are thinking out of the box somewhat, going with a bullpen arm as they seek to split the two-game series after Saturday’s 2-0 loss. But before we get to that, let’s take a look at all the odds for Sunday’s five-game slate.
KBO Odds: Sunday, September 13th
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Over/Under Run Total at FanDuel | Game Time (Eastern) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doosan Bears | -106 | -1.5 (+146) | O 10.5 (-112) | 1:00 a.m. |
| Kiwoom Heroes | -116 | +1.5 (-186) | U 10.5 (-112) | |
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Over/Under Run Total at FanDuel | Game Time (Eastern) |
| Hanwha Eagles | +190 | +1.5 (-108) | O 9.5 (-118) | 1:00 a.m. |
| KT Wiz | -240 | -1.5 (-118) | U 9.5 (-108) | |
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Over/Under Run Total at FanDuel | Game Time (Eastern) |
| Kia Tigers | -108 | -1.5 (+140) | O 10.5 (-122) | 1:00 a.m. |
| NC Dinos | -112 | +1.5 (-180) | U 10.5 (-104) | |
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Over/Under Run Total at FanDuel | Game Time (Eastern) |
| Lotte Giants | -120 | -1.5 (+126) | O 10.5 (-110) | 1:00 a.m. |
| SK Wyverns | -102 | +1.5 (-160) | U 10.5 (-116) | |
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Over/Under Run Total at FanDuel | Game Time (Eastern) |
| Samsung Lions | +112 | +1.5 (-186) | O 9.5 (+104) | 1:00 a.m. |
| LG Twins | -136 | -1.5 (+144) | U 9.5 (-134) |
Odds taken September 12th.
Bears Put Hopes In Ham
As previously mentioned, the defending Korean champions are turning to one of their relievers for Sunday’s game against the second-placed Heroes. Ham Deok-joo will make just his second start of the season in the contest, but his previous start went so well – zero earned runs over six innings in last Sunday’s 10-0 win over SK – that Doosan decided to turn to the left-hander again.
Ham has previous experience as a starter, making 24 starts in 2017 and going 9-8 with a 3.67 ERA, but he has been in the bullpen since then, racking up 53 saves in the process.
The 25-year-old has enjoyed a successful 2020 campaign though, with a 3.09 ERA and 1.14 WHIP across 35 innings, although he has yet to face Kiwoom.
de-FENSE 👏 👏 👏 Jeon Byung-woo has looked great at the hot corner today. pic.twitter.com/SZmKDJtsNR
— Kiwoom Heroes International (@kwheroesfan) September 12, 2020
The Heroes are turning to Lee Seung-ho, who is 4-5 with a 4.98 ERA so far this year, though he won his only appearance against Doosan back on June 30th, giving up one earned run over six innings in an 11-2 win.
Pick: Bears -1.5 (+146)
Lion-sized Value Against The Twins
The Lions finally snapped their five-game losing streak with Saturday’s 5-1 win over LG, and given the pitching matchup on Sunday, seemed poised to double up on the Twins.
Samsung is sending third-year pro Choi Chae-heung to the mound for the second contest of the two-game series, and he should makes things tough for LG. In addition to his 6-5, 4.11 ERA record on the 2020 season, Choi is 1-0 against the Twins, courtesy of two starts against them.
⚾September 12th⚾ Game scores for today!
▶ Check out the latest KBO standings 👀#KBO #KBOLeague #scores #standings pic.twitter.com/gMjX4P0ksr— KBO (@KBOleague) September 12, 2020
He has been on fire in those two games as well, surrendering just six hits and one earned run across 11 innings, which is why the +112 moneyline at FanDuel represents great value.
LG’s starter is Kim Yun-sik, who is 1-2 this year with a 6.55 ERA, and his only familiarity with the Lions was a relief appearance back in May where he pitched 0.1 of an inning.
Pick: Lions (+112)
For the last 20 years, Paul Attfield has worked in sports media. Starting out in his native Britain with the likes of The Independent, he eventually switched continents, with his work appearing in the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and Yahoo Sports since.
