KBO Friday betting preview: Back Wright to keep Eagles grounded
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We had to settle for a 2-2 finish on Thursday as both unders missed by a combined 1.5 runs, in what was oh so close to a clean sweep.
But such is life as a baseball bettor. Let's get the sweep on Friday, instead.
(Odds source: theScore Bet)
ESPN game: NC Dinos (-240) @ Hanwha Eagles (+190)
All eyes will be on the Daejeon Hanbat Baseball Stadium on Friday as the first-place NC Dinos visit the last-place Hanwha Eagles, who are looking to put an end to a lengthy 11-game losing skid. These are rough times for the Eagles; in their next four series, the club faces the league's top-three teams.
The start of this difficult stretch sees them face one of the league's top pitchers in Dinos starter Mike Wright. Through five outings this season, Wright has a 3.21 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with 24 strikeouts to 12 walks. He's been a touch worse on the road, but his stats are impressive across the board regardless of venue.
This will be Wright's second start against the Eagles this season after surrendering four runs over six innings in his first. However, that start wasn't nearly as bad as the 6.00 ERA suggests, as he allowed just two hits and two walks in the game, leaving him with a strand rate of 0.0 as all four baserunners came around to score. That's merely a case of bad luck.
The Eagles counter with Jang Shi-hwan, who has been about as bad as Wright's been good so far this season. Jang has a dreadful 6.93 ERA and 2.11 WHIP through five starts. In his last four outings, he's walked 17 batters and surrendered 25 hits in just 18 2/3 innings.
No matter where you look, Jang's numbers are poor. In four starts against the Dinos since the beginning of last season, he's allowed 19 runs (15 earned) on 26 hits and 10 walks across 17 2/3 innings. The Dinos have the bats going once again and they should have a field day aginst Jang. It might be a public play, but there's little case to be made for the other side here.
Pick: Dinos -1.5 (-140)
Other picks:
- Kiwoom Heroes (-135)
- Lotte Giants (-120)
- Samsung Lions (+110)
Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.