NPB: Nippon Professional Baseball League Predictions for October 1-2

By Chris Horton

27 Sep 2022

Chris Horton 27 Sep 2022

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This week's Nippon Professional Baseball League predictions
Nippon Professional Baseball League odds, stats and matchups
Yomiuri Giants at Yokohama DeNA BayStars
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks at Saitama Seibu Lions

Inform your Nippon Professional Baseball league predictions ahead of this week's biggest matches with Pinnacle's weekly update, including analysis, team news, and the latest baseball odds.

NPB: Yomiuri Giants at Yokohama DeNA BayStars

The Yokohama DeNA BayStars have come up short in their aim of winning this year’s Central League, with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows officially having won the title over the weekend.

With a playoff spot confirmed for the BayStars, though, they may rest some of their star players for this game, offering a vital opportunity for the Yomiuri Giants to claim victory on Saturday, with the visitors needing a win to help cling on to the final postseason spot.

At the time of writing, the Giants have a record of 67-3-71 and a winning percentage of .486. This is one of just two games they have remaining, however, with the Hanshin Tigers and the Hiroshima Toyo Carp chasing them down. That pair are both on winning percentages of .482 and each have one extra game to play over Yomiuri.

Considering Yokohama and Yomiuri are in the playoff spots, both bizarrely have a negative run differential with the Giants having scored 545 runs while allowing 586 and, at the time of writing, the Baystars having scored 477 with 512 conceded.

There have been bright sparks on both pitching staffs, however, with Shota Imanaga leading the way for Yokohama with a 2.37 ERA and a 10-4 win-loss record, and for the Giants, Shosei Togo has impressed with a 2.65 ERA and 147 strikeouts in 166.2 innings of work.

Given the closeness of the Giants’ playoff race, they will be desperate for a win here and may be able to take advantage of the BayStars resting some of their key players.

Bet on Yomiuri Giants at Yokohama DeNA BayStars

NPB: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks at Saitama Seibu Lions

The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks have managed to cling on to their lead at the top of the Pacific League throughout much of the second half of the season, despite the efforts of their rivals in a competitive division.

Now the Hawks take on the Saitama Seibu Lions on Saturday looking to secure the pennant. Fukuoka are 73-2-62 at the time of writing, with a .541 winning percentage which puts them just ahead of the Orix Buffaloes, who have a winning percentage of .536.

The Hawks do have the distinct advantage of having three games in hand on their rivals and will be looking to win this weekend to maintain their place at the top of the league.

Their opponents, the Saitama Seibu Lions, are currently on the outside looking in as they sport a record of 69-3-67, leaving them level on .507 with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles but behind their rivals in the standings based on runs scored.

The Lions' top performer with the ball has been Kona Takahashi, who has registered a 2.24 ERA and an 11-8 win-loss record.

For the Hawks, Koudai Senga has led the way with a 1.97 ERA, second among starters in the Pacific League, and 147 strikeouts in 137 innings.

This match will be crucial for both teams as they look to secure either the pennant or a postseason spot in the final games of such a tightly contested division.

Bet on Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks at Saitama Seibu Lions

NPB: Orix Buffaloes at Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles

The Orix Buffaloes remain in hot pursuit of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in a race for the Pacific League title that could go down to the wire. They take on the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles on Sunday, who are stuck in their own battle for a postseason spot.

The Buffaloes have a record of 74-2-64 at the time of writing, with a .536 winning percentage that is just shy of the Hawks’ .541. However, they have played three games more than their rivals.

For the Eagles, they are level with the Saitama Seibu Lions with a winning percentage of .507 after amassing a record of 68-3-66 at the time of writing. However, they have the advantage of having played two games fewer than the Lions.

Yuki Matsui in the Eagles’ bullpen has been crucial to their success, registering a league-leading 32 saves from 50.2 innings and amassing a 1.95 ERA in the process. For the Buffaloes, Masataka Yoshida has been their standout performer with a batting average of .337 to rank second in the Pacific League.

Both sides will be desperate to get the victory in this game to push them towards a postseason spot, and in the case of the Buffaloes, a potential pennant.

Bet on Orix Buffaloes at Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles

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