KBO Predictions and Analysis – Tuesday, August 17 (2021)

It’s interesting to see how this week of South Korean baseball begins on Tuesday. The weather reports suggest that one game is under serious threat of postponement because of rain, and at least two others could be canceled too.

And yet, it’s possible that four or even all five fixtures proceed as expected. That’s why I cover all of the following in my KBO predictions for August 17.

This one is really hard to predict because both sides are expected to be far from their best. The Doosan Bears are the better team in general, and their spot in the KBO table confirms that.

At the same time, the side is about to start a struggling pitcher who has abysmal stats. The Bears as a whole have been very inconsistent recently, so I don’t expect much on Tuesday.

It’s hard to be too confident in the Tigers, either. They are ninth in the table, and they have scored the least number of runs in the entire league.

And yet, Kia’s recent form has been solid with seven wins in the past ten games, and the team has a slight advantage when it comes to the starting pitchers. That’s enough for me to back the Tigers for game one.

The mouthwatering clash between the two top sides in South Korean baseball is another one that could easily go either way.

It’s no surprise that the Twins are expected to send arguably their best pitcher. Andrew Suarez has eight wins so far in 2021, and his stats have been great. On top of that, he will get the support of the strongest bullpen in the league.

KT Wiz is also going to use a good player from the beginning, but Bae Je-seong can’t compare with the American. Suarez should be able to lead his team to a win on Tuesday.

Both the NC Dinos and the SSG Landers have been inconsistent this year. I didn’t expect that from the reigning champions, and their sixth place in the standings is certainly a surprise.

The team still has a chance to qualify for the playoffs, and beating direct rivals like the Landers is crucial.

The Dinos have the upper hand in the head-to-head record against the same opponent in 2021, and their offense has been firing on all cylinders.

The Landers have a slight advantage in the starting pitchers, but I don’t think it will be enough. I expect a lot of runs from the Dinos, and I believe they should be able to win this one.

The Samsung Lions sit third in the KBO table, and they have an excellent opportunity to make up some ground in the next three days. The team is about to face the last-placed Eagles, while the two leading sides will play against each other.

The favorite is about to use Mike Montgomery, who was slightly inconsistent in his first two KBO games, but they both came against offenses far superior to what Hanwha has to offer.

The Eagles don’t have the tools to trouble the opposition, and I prefer the Lions in my KBO predictions for August 17.

With eight wins from the last ten games, the Kiwoom Heroes managed to climb the rankings, and they are now fourth in the KBO. If the good run continues, a higher position will be the target by the end of the regular season.

The Heroes enter Tuesday’s clash against the Giants with plenty of confidence. The offense has been great recently, and it’s Choi Won-tae’s turn in the rotation. The youngster has been decent so far, and he could contain the Giants for most of the game.

Enderson Franco is getting the nod for the Giants, and I don’t like his chances against the flying Heroes.

It must be mentioned that this clash might fall through because the weather reports suggest it could rain.