Korean Series Picks and Odds (Nov. 20): Opportunity Knocks for Both Offenses
- Defending champion Doosan clashes with NC in Game 3 of the Korean Series
- The best-of-7 series is tied at 1, after the Bears won 5-4 in Game 2 on Wednesday
- Find odds and best bets for the KBO’s one-game playoff slate on November 20th in the article below
The Korean Series is now down to a best-of-5 after Doosan held on in Game 2 for a 5-4 victory. Game 3 goes Friday, at 4:30 am EST, as the series shifts back to the defending champs’ backyard.
The Bears will send Won Joon Choi (10-2, 3.80 ERA) to the mound versus the Dinos’ Mike Wright (11-9, 4.68 ERA).
KBO Korean Series Odds: Game 3
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Over/Under Run Total | Game Time (Eastern) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NC Dinos | -116 | -1.5 (+140) | Over 8.5 (-140) | 4:30 a.m. |
| Doosan Bears | -106 | +1.5 (-180) | Under 8.5 (+110) |
Odds as of Nov. 19th at FanDuel.
NC opened up as a short road favorite, which now makes three straight games where the away team has been the chalk. The total sits at 8.5, which seems low given the recent struggles of both Wright and Choi.
Choi’s Durability in Question
Doosan’s starter continued his troubling trend of exiting early in his lone start of the postseason. He lasted just 2.2 innings versus KT Wiz in the Playoff round, surrendering five hits, including a home run, to the Suwon. Over his last five starts, he’s failed to make it out of the 5th inning three times, and has an awful track record versus the Dinos.
Series tied at 1-1! Very entertaining first 2 games in #KoreanSeries so far. Series resumes on Friday 4:25 a.m. ET on #ESPN2! #KBO #KBOonESPN #NCDinos #DoosanBears pic.twitter.com/LN4DoQfXf3
— Daniel Kim 대니얼 김 (@DanielKimW) November 18, 2020
Choi made five appearances against NC this season, surrendering 11 runs in 8.1 innings. That equates to an 11.88 ERA, which was by far his worst versus any team in 2020. He gave up four homers to the Dinos and averaged over two hits allowed per inning pitched. NC is off to a bit of slow start on offense in the Korean Series, with only 9 runs through two games, but a matchup against a pitcher they’ve dominated this season could get them right back on track.
Can Wright Get Right?
Mike Wright meanwhile, was abysmal down the stretch going 0-4 in five October outings. He surrendered 23 runs over that span and failed to make it out of the 5th inning in three of those starts.
📊 Mike Wright (라이트) has given up 19 runs across his last 3 matches
🤞 Let's hope the NC local can find some form before the end of the season#NCDinos | #KBO
— taewoongi (태웅) (@taewoongii) October 13, 2020
His final outing of the season was by far his best during that stretch, but it lasted just 4.2 innings. He held LG to one run and five hits in that start, so perhaps a return to his mid-season form isn’t out of the question.
He did have some success against Doosan in 2020, posting a 2-1 record with a 4.09 ERA, however his last outing versus them was not pretty. He allowed seven runs and eight hits over 6 innings, en route to a 7-3 defeat.
Over and Out
The two highest scoring teams in the league have yet to produce a high scoring affair, but that could change in Game 3. Both squads are trotting out struggling starters with major durability concerns.
It’s true that playoff baseball breeds low scoring contests, but that’s typically the case with elite arms on the mound. Neither Choi or Wright projects to go to deep into the game, which means the high-powered offenses of both clubs should get plenty of at-bats versus the opposition’s bullpen. With that likely being the case, I’ll take over 8.5 every day of the week.
Pick: Over 8.5 (-140)
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
