Nippon Professional Baseball League Predictions for Saturday, September 3

01 Sep 2022

Ben Darvill 01 Sep 2022

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This week's Nippon Professional Baseball League predictions
Nippon Professional Baseball League odds, stats and matchups
Saitama Seibu Lions at Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
Yokohama DeNA Baystars at Hiroshima Toyo Carp

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: Saitama Seibu Lions at Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

The gap at the top of the Pacific League could hardly be tighter with the Saitama Seibu Lions clinging on to top spot in the face of a late challenge from the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, as the pair face off on Saturday.

The Lions have, at the time of writing, played six games more than their rivals and have a record of 64-3-54 while the Hawks’ record stands at 61-2-52, giving the pair a winning percentage of .541 and .539 respectively.

Seibu have allowed the fewest runs in the Pacific, 366, while their opponents Fukuoka have scored the most with 450 so this is set to be an intriguing clash.

Both teams have had closers who have excelled in tight games, for the Lions Tatsushi Masuda has led the way with a 1.74 ERA and the joint-most saves in the Pacific, 28.

For the Hawks, Livan Moinelo has been their standout arm in the bullpen, racking up an ERA of just 0.89 in 40.2 innings, picking up 18 saves and 70 strikeouts in the process.

With the division race set to go right down to the wire, these head-to-head clashes could have a major say in which team takes home the Pacific title this season.

Bet on Saitama Seibu Lions vs. Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

NPB: Yokohama DeNA Baystars at Hiroshima Toyo Carp

The Yokohama DeNA Baystars have put together an impressive late season run for the Central League title but have faltered somewhat in recent games as they chase the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.

Yokohama recently lost three in a row to their rivals and their record at the time of writing stands at 59-2-51 as a result, chasing the Swallows’ 69-1-47 from five more games.

The DeNA Baystars must put together another strong run to pick up the division title, starting with their game on Saturday against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.

The Carp sport a record of 56-3-63 at the time of writing, just two games off the final playoff spot in the Central.

Starting pitcher Masato Morishita has been integral to the chances of the Carp, registering a 3.01 ERA and 114 strikeouts, the second-most in the Central, in his 155.2 innings.

For the Baystars, their bullpen has been a real standout. Yasuaki Yamasaki, Edwin Escobar and Hiromu Ise all have ERA’s below 2.00 across their 152.3 innings while Yamasaki also ranks second in the NPB with 30 saves.

Performances like those from their bullpen will be necessary if they are to keep themselves in the race for the division, while every game matters for the Carp in their race for the final playoff spot.

Bet on Yokohama DeNA Baystars vs. Hiroshima Toyo Carp

NPB: Chunichi Dragons at Tokyo Yakult Swallows

After looking like the division winners for almost all of the season, the Tokyo Yakult Swallows wobbled somewhat recently and looked like being chased down by the Yokohama DeNA Baystars before their recent rally.

The Swallows face the Chunichi Dragons on Saturday and at the time of writing sport a record of 69-1-47 while their opponents are 52-1-63.

The undoubted standout for the Swallows and likely MVP has been Munetaka Murakami. The 22-year-old leads the Central in batting average (.339), total bases (299), RBIs (120), home runs (49) and walks (98). His season has been one of the most impressive in recent NPB history and has set him up as one of the league’s biggest stars.

For the Dragons, Yohei Ohsima has had a strong year, albeit not quite to Murakami’s level, the veteran is second in the Central’s batting average rankings at .321.

The Swallows must continue their pace to fend off the efforts of the Baystars and the bottom of the section team the Dragons present a good opportunity to do so.

Bet on Chunichi Dragons vs. Tokyo Yakult Swallows

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