Samsung Lions vs Kia Tigers Prediction, 4/23/2021 KBO Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Samsung Lions vs Kia Tigers

Date: Friday, April 23, 2021

Location: Gwangju Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, South Korea

TV: KBS N Sports

Odds/Point Spread: Samsung (-210) Kia (+175)

Daniel Mengden and the Kia Tigers (6-7, 7th in KBO) host the Samsung Lions (8-6, 3rd in KBO) at Gwangju Kia Champions Field on Friday. The line on this contest has the Lions priced at -210 and the Tigers are at +175. The O/U opens at 8.5. The pitchers expected to start will be Jeong-hyeon Paek and Daniel Mengden.

The Lions have accumulated 20 two-baggers as a unit and have hit 10 balls out of the park. Samsung has a slugging percentage of .380 and have been rung up 84 times, while getting the free base on 60 occasions. As a team, the Samsung Lions are scoring 4.6 runs per game, which ranks them 5th in the league. They have 59 runs batted in in addition to 119 hits this season, while their team batting average is sitting at .262. They have racked up 64 runs scored while holding a team on-base percentage of .348.

Min-ho Kang is a hitter who can be a difference maker for Samsung. Kang has an average at the plate of .275 for his baseball career, with 772 runs scored and an OPS of .819. He has struck out 1,307 times and has taken a walk on 635 occasions, contributing to a .355 on-base %. In his MLB career, Kang has slapped 273 balls out of the park while driving in 964 runs. His slugging percentage is .464 and he has accumulated 2,796 bases. For his career, he stepped up to bat 6,905 times and has delivered with a hit 1,660 times.

The Lions have stolen 5 bags and have been gunned down 5 times, which shows us their caught stealing percentage comes in at 50.0%. The Samsung Lions have earned 363 putouts over the course of the season, in addition to 123 assists and 7 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding at .986 which is 4th in KBO and have accumulated 11 double plays.

The Lions have a team ERA of 3.35 for the season (2nd in the league), and their staff has struck out 107 batters. Lions pitchers have conceded 8 home runs and also 52 runs (8th in KBO). Samsung has conceded 104 hits (7.7 per 9 innings) as well as 45 earned runs. They have earned a K/BB ratio of 2.06 and their pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.29.

Paek has taken the mound for 691 frames and has earned 577 punch outs in his pro baseball career. His earned run average is 4.87 (374 earned runs allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.492. He has conceded 750 base hits (9.8 hits per nine innings) and has 282 walks. Paek (38-35 career record) is the owner of a FIP of 5.26 while he has gone up against 3,062 batters in baseball.

Kia has recorded 1 long ball so far this season in addition to 57 runs batted in. They have 20 doubles, while taking a walk 60 times as well as putting up 59 runs. The Kia Tigers have earned an OBP of .340 in addition to a batting average of .252 this year. The Tigers hold a team SLG% of .313 and they are scoring 4.54 runs per contest (6th in the league). They have been called out on strikes on 91 occasions (7th in baseball) and have notched a total of 119 base hits.

Won-joon Choi is a hitter who can be a difference maker for Kia. Choi has earned a walk 84 times while going down on strikes on 177 occasions. His OBP sits at .338 and he has earned a lifetime OPS of .723. Over the course of the 1,130 at-bats in his MLB career, Choi has accrued an average at the plate of .283 in addition to 320 hits. He has scored 192 runs and has 125 runs batted in. He has hit the long ball 11 times, in addition to having 435 total bases and also a .385 slugging percentage.

The Kia Tigers have turned 8 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .992 (1st in KBO). The Tigers have accrued 131 assists, 4 errors and have accounted for 371 putouts on the campaign. Of their 11 chances at stealing a base, they have made it 9 times and been caught 2 times (18.2% caught stealing percentage).

The Tigers have a WHIP of 1.526 with a FIP of 5.31 as a team this year. Their K/BB ratio sits at 1.44 (95 strikeouts against 66 free passes). They sit at 3rd in the league as a staff in total hits allowed with 122. They have conceded 12 homers and they relinquish 5.31 runs per 9 innings (8th in the league). The Kia pitching staff have allowed 73 runs this year while holding a team ERA of 5.19 (71 earned runs relinquished).

In his pro baseball career, Mengden has allowed 882 hits while accumulating 850 K's in 976 frames. Mengden (62-52 win-loss record in his career) has earned a 3.65 earned run average while conceding 8.1 hits per nine innings. He has conceded 396 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.191 and being the owner of a FIP of 4.1. His K/BB ratio is 3.04 and he has gone up against 3,890 hitters thus far in his career.

Who will win tonight's baseball game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Samsung (-210)

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here