KBO Predictions and Analysis – Friday, April 9 (2021)

It’s still early in the season, but the best South Korean baseball teams already delivered many exciting games. I hope the same continues on Friday this week when we have another round of fixtures.

I share my KBO predictions and analysis for all of them in this post. For those looking to wager on baseball betting sites, there are no odds available yet, but I’ve included info about the projected starting pitchers and each squad’s form in my analysis.

Here’s the full list of games covered in my KBO predictions for Friday, April 9.

The Samsung Lions are currently at the bottom of the KBO table, and the start of the season has been worse than expected. And yet, the team just had two solid games in a row against a strong opponent and even won the second one comfortably.

Samsung’s best starting pitcher David Buchanan is returning for this one after a bad start to the season. The American was excellent in 2020, so I expect him to perform better in his second game.

That Lions should have the edge in the first game against the shaky KT Wiz. Suwon has been very inconsistent so far and will use one of its more unreliable pitchers, so I prefer Samsung in this clash.

The NC Dinos are far from the form that made them KBO champions last year, and I don’t think they will find a quick fix to their problems by the next game against Kia.

At the same time, the Dinos will play Shin Min-Hyuk, who struggled badly last season, recording a 5.79 ERA in seven starts.

The Tigers are simply better right now, and I can’t go against them in my KBO predictions for Friday.

You would normally expect an easy victory for the Bears against the worst team in the country. Doosan’s offense should feast on the opposition’s unreliable pitchers, but I’m not so sure that would be the case.

The good news is that their defense is working, which should be enough to suffocate the Eagles.

And yet, I expect a relatively close clash, and I won’t be shocked to see a surprise here, so be careful with your bets on this game.

Both teams have started the season well and sit at the top of the KBO table with three wins and one defeat. Yet, the schedule has been kind to the Landers, and I don’t think they are on the same level as their opponents on Friday.

LG’s defense can pretty much keep anyone at bay, and Ham Deok-Ju might get a rare start on April 9. The guy is usually a reliable reliever, but he will get the chance for more, and I expect him to grab it.

As for the Landers, their starter has struggled to prove himself after a 5.68 ERA last season, and this might be one of his last opportunities to keep his place in the rotation.

The Twins should have the upper hand in this one, and we might see some runs from them.

The two highest-scoring teams in the KBO meet on Friday, and you would normally expect a lot of runs when that’s the case. The Heroes are likely to score plenty, but I’m not so sure about Lotte.

The Giants are about to face Erik Jokisch, who might be the best pitcher in the league. Last year, the American was phenomenal and started the current campaign with an almost flawless game against the Samsung Lions.

You can always rely on him to perform, while the Giants hope that the top KBO draft pick from 2021, Kim Jin-Uk, can deliver in his debut. The 18-year-old certainly has the talent, but the lack of experience might hurt him, and I expect a win for the Heroes.