Our KBO betting coverage officially kicks off by looking at the KBO odds for Friday, May 8 as we bring you our favorite Korean baseball picks, including a play on the undefeated NC Dinos.
Full disclosure, I know little about the KBO, but we’re going to use some baseball betting odds fundamentals as we dive into KBO baseball picks. For more information on Korean baseball make sure to check out our KBO Betting Guide. Want to know who the favorite is to win this season's Korean Series? Click here for the latest KBO title odds.
KBO Betting Odds
Here are the KBO odds for Friday, May 8:
| Away Team | Odds | Home Team | Odds | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanwha Eagles | +130 | Kiwoon Heroes | -180 | 9.5 |
| Kia Tigers | -160 | Samsung Lions | +120 | 8.5 |
| KT Wiz | +150 | Doosan Bears | -200 | 9.5 |
| LG Twins | -130 | NC Dinos | -110 | 8.5 |
| SK Wyverns | -140 | Lotte Giants | +100 | 9 |
KBO Picks
Kia Tigers vs Samsung Lions (+120, 8.5)
Probable Pitchers: Drew Gagnon (Tigers) vs Chae-Heung Choi (Lions)
The Samsung Lions are looking for their first win of the season as they open a series with the Kia Tigers, who salvaged their opening series with an 8-5 win over the Kiwoom Heroes last time out.
The Lions were swept by the NC Dinos, thanks to their bats going silent, scoring just five runs in their first three games. But this is not the norm for the Lions at home. The Lions hit the second-most homers last year and no other park saw more home runs in 2019 than Daegu.
They’ll face import starter Drew Gagnon. The right-hander is making his KBO debut after spending parts of the last two seasons with the Mets. Meanwhile, the Lions hand the ball to Chae-Heung Choi. It’s just the 25-year-old lefty’s second full season in the KBO and he finished last year strong pitching to a 1.02 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP over his last three starts. That included seven innings of six-hit, one-run ball against the Tigers. We like the value with the home dog.
Pick: Samsung Lions (+120)
LG Twins vs NC Dinos (-115, 8.5)
Probable Pitchers: Tyler Wilson (Twins) vs Jae-Hak Lee (Dinos)
The NC Dinos have ridden excellent starting pitching and the long ball to their perfect 3-0 start. The Dinos lead the KBO in team ERA at 1.67 and home runs with six, but things could be tough in this matchup against the LG Twins.
The Twins hand the ball to import star pitcher Tyler Wilson. The former Baltimore Orioles’ prospect has thrived in Korea, pitching to a 2.99 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in two KBO seasons. And while NC has been Dino-mite with the dingers, they are hitting just .238 as a team.
On the other side, the Dinos hope their pitching stays hot when they hand the ball to Jae-Hak Lee. The 29-year-old is coming off his best season (3.75 ERA) since 2013 and was on fire down the stretch, allowing two or fewer earned runs in seven of his last eight starts. With two teams still finding their swings, we like this one to be low scoring early.
Pick: Under 4.5 First 5 Innings (-114)
SK Wyverns vs Lotte Giants (+100, 9)
Probable Pitchers: Seung-Won Moon (Wyverns) vs Kyung-Eun Noh (Giants)
There’s a universal baseball betting rule: Ride the hot streak until it runs cold. And there is no hotter team in the KBO than the Lotte Giants. They have come out swinging to start the season, leading the KBO in batting average and runs scored, resulting in a perfect 3-0 start.
The Giants now host the SK Wyverns in their home opener. The Wyverns dropped two of three in their home-opening series against the Hanwha Eagles, but are in the middle of the pack when it comes to most hitting and pitching stats.
The Wyverns hand the ball to Seung-Won Moon, who is coming off the best season in his KBO career (3.88 ERA, 1.13 WHIP). The Giants counter with veteran Kyung-Eun Noh, who didn’t pitch in the KBO in 2019 after reportedly trying out for some MLB clubs.
We like the value of the hot home team in this one.
Pick: Lotte Giants (+100)
Looking for betting information on Taiwan's CPBL?
Check out our MLB Forum, where Brandon DuBreuil is doing a daily CPBL preview and giving his favorite picks.
KBO Betting Card for Friday, May 8
- Samsung Lions (+120)
- LG Twins vs NC Dinos - Under 4.5 First 5 Innings (-114)
- Lotte Giants (+100)
Where can I bet on Korean baseball odds?
While not every online and casino sportsbook will carry odds for the KBO League, many do, especially those looking to take baseball betting action with the 2020 MLB season on hiatus. Check out the best sportsbooks available where you live and see what KBO odds they have available.
