Nippon Professional Baseball Odds, Picks & Best Bets for June 28

• The Chiba Lotte Marines make it seven straight wins with an extra-innings victory over the Orix Buffaloes
• The Tohoku offense went on tear on Saturday, ripping off a season-high 18 runs in a blowout win over Hokkaido
• See the odds and best bets for all six NPB games on Sunday, June 28th

It was a veritable run fest in Nippon Professional Baseball on Saturday, as a full four of the six games finished with the over in total runs. And while 9-6, 8-6 and 8-7 results all kept the scoreboards ticking over, Tohoku’s 18-4 waxing of Hokkaido took top honors by some distance.

Of course, Sunday is a brand-new day, with fresh pitching staffs and the promise of a well-earned day off after the first full week of the resumed NPB in Japan.

So without further ado, here is a look at all of Sunday’s odds before we delve into some best bets.

NPB Odds: June 28th

Odds as of June 27th.

Time for a Giant Statement

After an up-and-down week that has seen Yomiuri win some games, lose some games, and even tie one game, it’s time for the defending Central League champions to make a statement of intent on Sunday against their crosstown Tokyo rivals, the Swallows.

What better way to do it than by putting the ball in the right hand of Angel Sanchez. The former Pittsburgh Pirate thrived in his Nippon Professional Baseball debut last week, restricting the Hanshin Tigers to just four hits in 5.2 innings of work, while giving up one home run in putting the Giants on course for a 7-1 win.

NPB starting pitchers announced for Jun 28 #npb pic.twitter.com/gBQyB5Q7I7

— NPB on reddit (@NPB_Reddit) June 27, 2020

Of course, Tokyo, firmly in the middle of the Central with a 4-4 record, is not just going to roll over for the Giants. The Swallows are responding by sending out left-hander Hiroki Yamada, a 31-year-old who has spent much of the last few years pitching in Japan’s minor leagues. He pitched in just nine NPB games in the four seasons between 2014 and 2018, during which time he was traded to the Swallows from the Fukuoka Hawks.

Not a high strikeout guy, Yamada had an earned-run average of 3.90 in 14 appearances last year, and took the loss in an 8-4 defeat to Chunichi in his season debut this season, giving up three earned runs and five hits in seven innings.

Pick: Giants (-165); Under 10.5 (-135)

Coming Out Fighting

Nobody in the Hokkaido clubhouse should be feeling good today. No matter in which league, or which sport you’re playing, an 18-4 drubbing leaves some scars, emotionally and mentally as well as in the standings.

NPB standings through Jun 27 https://t.co/tnaDrNMR6P #npb pic.twitter.com/ksIQiDdwrA

— NPB on reddit (@NPB_Reddit) June 27, 2020

So after Saturday’s loss to the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, the Nippon-Ham Fighters should be ready to stand up and be counted when they finish up their six-game series on Sunday. Tohoku has a 4-1 lead so far.

Hideto Asamura hits a 3-run shot to go ahead of the Fighters 5-4! #楽天 #RakutenEagles #浅村栄斗 pic.twitter.com/Phpz973Ksu

— Tom Mussa (@tom_mussa) June 27, 2020

If there’s such thing as a silver lining in such a calamity though, Tohoku may be able to find it in the shape of Toshihiro Sugiura. After the Eagles put the Fighters’ bullpen to the sword – scoring 17 of their 18 runs from the fifth inning onwards – Hokkaido will need the 28-year-old left-hander to eat up innings.

Turning to Toshihiro

Though he lasted only four innings in his season debut against Seibu last Sunday before getting into a jam, Toshihiro didn’t give up any runs and set the Fighters on course for a 12-2 victory. And in a limited sample size, he has performed well at the NPB level, and hasn’t had a season ERA above 4.00 since 2016. And he even had a perfect game going through five innings against the Eagles last year before he was lifted from the game after just 65 pitches, an agreed-upon limit before the game.

Fastball (Toshihiro Sugiura)
ストレート (杉浦稔大) pic.twitter.com/6RcL1DE3GX

— KenHama (@bb_8baseball) February 11, 2020

The Golden Eagles meanwhile, will try to wrap up a 5-1 series victory on the arm of Ryota Ishibashi, who had a respectable 3.82 ERA last season but had a baptism of fire in his season debut against the Orix Buffaloes, getting tagged for all four runs and giving up eight hits in a 4-0 loss last Sunday.

Pick: Fighters (+115); Under 8.5 (+105)