Another week of KBO action is upon us and after stringing together a number of winning weeks, Matt is back to keep the train rolling with his picks and parlays for June 9. With the MLB season still up in the air during the COVID-19 outbreak, there are still other options for us baseball bettors in the meantime.

KBO Picks and Parlays June 9

Many fans, myself included, have found solace in the Korean Baseball League over the last couple of weeks. Not only are the games decent quality, but the online betting markets have proven to be pretty soft thus far.  At least as far as I am concerned.

Now the sport will be seen by even more people after ESPN made a deal to broadcast six KBO games a week until life goes back to normal in the United States.

The focus of my KBO picks has been laser-focused on starting pitchers so far this season and we’ll do that again for June 9.  I am, after all, still learning the nuances of the league overall.  But truth be told, I have found that betting on import pitchers and fading the local aces to be the best strategy thus far.

With that in mind, let’s break down my favorite game on Wednesday’s early-morning card and make a pair of best bets for your daily parlay card.

Kia Tigers -175 | Aaron Brooks (2-2, 3.13 ERA) vs. KT Wiz +145 | Kim Min (2-2, 7.83)

The Kia Tigers came alive on Tuesday and ended their brutal losing streak by beating KT on the road to open this series. Looking for revenge, and to stop their five-game skid, the Wiz head back out to try and discover just what happened to their offense.

The Wiz should not only be concerned about their prowess at the plate tonight but also on the mound.  When you are looking to snap a five-game losing streak, you want a bit more from a started than Kim Min will likely give you.

With a 2-2 record and a 7.83 ERA on the season, the Wiz will have to find their bats if they want to avoid a sixth straight loss. Now, some of these KBO players ERA numbers have to be taken with a grain of salt this early in the season due to some impressive FIP numbers.  Min is not one of those players. His FIP is actually just a shade lower than his ERA at 7.16 and tells me that Min has been pitching exactly as he should.  Poorly. No luck involved here folks, that ERA over seven has been earned and is well deserved. Min is also walking more hitters than he is striking out, giving out an average of 6.3 free passes per nine innings.  To make matters even worse, when Min isn’t walking batters, he is allowing way too many long balls.  His last game out he lasted just 2.1 innings against Doosan, giving up eight runs and a pair of home runs in the process.

Opposing Min will be our bet on candidate here, Aaron Brooks.  Brooks, who pitched for the Orioles as recent as 2019, has been on a tear so far this KBO season.  Posting a 2-2 record with a 3.13 ERA in six starts, the former MLB prospect is on the verge of dominating this league.

I say that because of his ERA, while impressive, it is actually a product of bad luck if certain metrics are to be trusted.

His batting average on balls in play is an absurdly high .349 and that should begin to level off as the season progresses.  Brooks is easily a sub 3.00 ERA pitcher in this league.

He has to be if Kia wants to avoid more losing streaks in the future.

The Tigers have seen their offense sputter much like their opponents, but at least they have a solid arm on the hill.   Brooks is whiffing almost eight batters per nine innings and walking less than two.  He has three straight quality starts and is five for six on the season in that department.

The Wiz has seen their offense atrophy over the last few weeks, reverting to their early season form.  They are in a five-game hole and plated just two runs against Kia on Tuesday.

It should be no surprise at this point that I am all over Kia here, considering we have an ace pitching against a bum whose team is on an extended skid.

I will be taking the Kia Tigers on the runline to try and get a little more value than a SU win of -175 would earn me.

I would also like to add a total to this game so we can double down on this valuable matchup.

Despite my lack of faith in Min, I think if things go south he will get the hook in a hurry.  I am not expecting another six runs in two innings despite my lack of faith in him overall.

Kia won game one this morning 3-2 with neither team fielding an ace pitcher. The fact is, despite the Tigers’ obvious advantage on the mound, neither team has been hitting the cover off the ball lately.  It is with that in mind that Ill add an UNDER play to this game.  The total is at 10.5 right now and I am banking on another game to end in single digits for these two teams.

Best Bet: Kia Tigers -1.5 (-120) & UNDER 10.5 runs (+100)