Jim Feist Handicapper Review & Free Sports Picks

 Jim Feist’s Free Play of the Day has the Houston Astros beating the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night. Tampa Bay has been hot, stringing together eight-straight wins. However, they always seem to find these against division opponents and this feels like a classic value spot against the streak. Tampa Bay will start Nick Martinez who owns a 7-2 record and a 2.66 ERA. Houston will send Spencer Arrighetti to the hill and he is coming in at 7-4 with a 4.00 ERA, 75 strikeouts and 72 innings pitched. He also has better swing-and-miss upside than Martinez.

Houston just has to have one power-fueled inning at home. Yordan Alvarez is hitting .319 with 26 home runs and 60 RBI. Look for the Astros bats to overcome the odds and cash this game with one big inning. Arrighetti has been all over the place, but if he keeps the walks down he has the strikeouts to keep Tampa’ speed and contact attack at bay. The Rays are also coming off a sweep on the road against Baltimore so take Houston to win here and cash Jim Feist’ Friday Free Play.

Jim's Free Play: 968. Houston Astros

The Cubs are rolling into this Friday matchup against St. Louis and it’s just the type of game where momentum, home-field advantage and even the bats lean toward Chicago.

Andre Pallante (9-5, 3.83 ERA, 89.1 IP, 68 SO, 1.23 WHIP) takes the bump for St. Louis while David Peterson (4-6, 5.86 ERA, 73.2 IP, 65 SO, 1.59 WHIP) starts for the Cubs. At first glance, you’d much rather have Pallante’s season stats, but this isn’t just about starter ERA. This is about the matchup as a whole and when you look at the entire game the Cubs have the advantage.

The first reason to like Chicago in this one is just based on how this Cubs lineup is swinging the bats. Chicago smoked San Diego 23-3 on Thursday night, hit eight home runs, tied a franchise record for homers in a game and capped off a series sweep. That’s wasn’t just a game, that was an out-of-this-world offensive outburst and when a lineup gets hitting like that, it can roll over into the next series.

Dansby Swanson has been on fire, Michael Conforto is crushing the ball, Seiya Suzuki, Pete Crow- Armstrong and Michael Busch all homered in this Padres series and this Cubs lineup suddenly looks like it can pose problems from top-to-bottom. Against Pallante that’s big because he is not overpowering strikeout pitcher. With just 68 strikeouts in 89.1 innings pitched he puts the ball in play and against a Cubs lineup that is seeing the ball so well that could spell trouble.

Again, Peterson’s season numbers aren’t great but he does not need to be phenomenal for Chicago to win this game. If he can keep things under control, avoid the big inning and limit the damage the Cubs should be able to let their hot bats do the heavy lifting. With Chicago scoring the way they have been lately Peterson has more cushion than he would if this team was struggling to score runs.

Chicago holds a home-field advantage at Wrigley Field too and they have been much better at home than they have been on the road. Home-field matters in this divisional matchup. Chicago plays well in this ballpark, the crowd will be behind them and their offense just went out and showed everyone how dangerous it can be when the wind is at its back.

Sure the Cardinals won in Atlanta on Thursday coming back from multiple runs down late, but that also sets up an interesting travel day/letdown game against Chicago. St. Louis had to pour everything they had into that comeback win over Atlanta and now they have to fly to Chicago and play the Cubs who are playing their best baseball of the season right now. Not easy.

Chicago stays hot at home on Friday and wins this NL Central showdown.

Jim's Play: 952. Cubs

Jim Feist likes the OVER in Friday’ s Miami Marlins and Oakland Athletics game and here’s why: It’ s one of those totals where the bats have every opportunity to inflict damage.

Miami will start Tyler Phillips (1-3, 3.02 ERA) while Oakland goes with Jack Perkins (2-3, 6.00 ERA). Phillips obviously has the better surface stat, but he isn’t a strikeout guy and his walk rate is enough to raise an eyebrow if the Athletics get guys on base. Perkins, on the other hand, is ripe for the picking. An ERA of 6.00 against this Miami lineup that hits the ball hard and often, runs the bases well, and manufactures offense is as good as any recipe for disaster.

Pitching is the biggest reason to take the over, but Oakland’ s pitching profile here plays right into the over’ s hands. The Athletics just haven’t been able to keep opposing teams off the scoreboard consistently and their staff has let far too many balls get put in play all season. Miami isn’t a pure power team, but they make their contact, they’re speedy, they steal bases, and they find ways to put pressure on defenses. Opposing pitchers have to go deep into games against this lineup, which opens the door for the over because Marlins hitters are capable of threatening from first pitch to last.

Miami is also coming off a frenzied series in Colorado where the scoreboard had more flashes than a midnight buffet. The Marlins scored 10, 14, 3, and 4 runs during that four-game set. Miami’ s bats didn’t cool down on Thursday either as Otto Lopez went 3-for-4 on the road trip with a triple and double. This lineup has confidence, the speed to take extra bases, and make enough contact to make Oakland’ s pitching pay.

The Athletics average 4.6 runs per game, hit more homers than Miami, and get their home ballpark matchup against a starter who may have a nice ERA on paper but whose peripheral profile should allow for scoring opportunities. Whether it’ s Shea Langeliers, Nick Kurtz, Max Muncy, Lawrence Butler or anyone else from this lineup, Oakland has enough pop to capitalize on one walk and one mistake by Phillips.

The park is friendly too. Sutter Health Park has played well for hitters while the total sits around 9 to 10.5 runs depending on where you look. Considering Perkins owns a 6.00 ERA, Oakland has bullpen problems, and both of these lineups can produce in the late innings…respecting the number makes all the sense in the world.

You’ ll find those same feelings in Jim Feist. Friday’ s Marlins vs. Athletics total is up for grabs with speed, contact, and momentum on Miami’ s side while Oakland counters with big flies and a hittable staff. Perkins will be the early focal point for Miami’ s bats, but Phillips should still provide enough opportunities for Oakland to mount an attack of their own. Expect traffic on the bases, middle inning pressure, and bullpen explosions late.

Jim's Play: 975. Marlins/A's OVER

Jim Feist puts his AL Central Game of the Week cash on Friday night with the Cleveland Guardians taking on the Chicago White Sox. This is a prime spot to get divisional action going when you have momentum, pitching and home field all aligning on one side of the board.

Chicago gets Anthony Kay on the mound who is 6-3 with a 4.50 ERA and 65 strikeouts, while Cleveland counters with Gavin Williams who is 9-4 with a 3.81 ERA and 117 strikeouts. That is your first big strike. Williams has the better arm, the bigger strikeout guy and the starter more capable of navigating a big divisional tilt.

The reason to like Cleveland even more than the talent advantage up top has to do with Thursday night’s emotional roller coaster. The Guardians fell behind 5-2, never gave up and then watched Brayan Rocchio blast a two-run walk-off homer in the ninth to stun Chicago 6-5. Cleveland did not just steal a win. The Guardians landed a divisional haymaker that reels themselves right back into the AL Central race.

Cleveland comes home right away to take on the White Sox with Williams taking the mound on Friday. If you have the better starting pitcher in this kind of situation you absolutely want to get your Game of the Week roll going with that matchup up top. Williams features swing-and-miss stuff, he can work out of jams and his 117 strikeouts prove he has the power fastball to silence rallies without having to be perfect behind him. In a game like this, that strikeout advantage is huge.

Kay has been solid for Chicago, but he also carries a 4.50 ERA which tells you he can be exploited. The Guardians lineup does not have to blow up on Friday. Cleveland just has to work counts, manufacture traffic and force Kay to make pitches with runners in scoring position. After bouncing back to win late Thursday, this Cleveland clubhouse has zero doubt they can win a game in the late innings if it’s close.

Chicago’s bullpen and mindset also works against them in this spot. They had the lead on Thursday and couldn’t close it out. Losing like that can haunt a club, especially when the loss comes against a division foe on the road.

This game screams “Cash” to me on Friday. Cleveland has the better starter, home-field advantage, walk-off win and much stronger spot to win a big AL Central showdown. Expect Williams to set the tone, Cleveland to pressure Kay and cash Jim Feist’s AL Central Game of the Week.

Jim's Play: 966. Guardians (AL Central Game of the Week

Jim Feist is betting the OVER in Friday’s Saskatchewan Roughriders and Ottawa Redblacks matchup, and this is precisely the type of contest why the number is high but the flow of game favors totals.

It’s hovering around 57.5, which seems attainable when you break down both teams strengths. Saskatchewan has one of the top offenses in the CFL, ranking fifth in points (35.0) and yards (472.7). Quarterback Trevor Harris has been leading the charge through the air, and when the Riders are able to get into a rhythm they can score quickly and put teams in hunt mode.

Saskatchewan also just lost 40-34 to Toronto, where Harris threw for 409 yards and two touchdowns. Saskatchewan’s offense isn’t the issue, it’s an defense that surrendered 40 points last week and is giving up 34.7 points per game this season. That’s what you want as an over player. You want an offense that can keep up scoring, but also a team that isn’t afraid to give up points.

Ottawa will gladly oblige when it comes to staying in the scoring column. The Redblacks  finally got it going on offense last week during a 37-35 loss at Montreal. Jake Maier threw for 336 yards and touchdowns, while Justin Hardy added 119 yards receiving. You can’t ask for much more than that from your quarterback and Ottawa has a chance to build off that performance at home on Friday night.

Defensively is where this total really gets interesting. Ottawa is surrendering 36.7 points per game, while Saskatchewan isn’t far behind at 34.7. When you pair these two defenses together you’re looking at a recipe for shootout. Both teams have been susceptible through the air, both give up the big play, and both quarterbacks can make every throw.

Neither of these teams are elite on special teams either, so you’re bound to see some unexpected shifts in field position that lead to scoring drives.

Need more reasons why this game could reach 57.5? How about the CFL?

It’s a league that’s conducive for late game points. We have big fields, three downs, quarterbacks that go deep frequently, ugly special teams that can drastically change field position and defenses that haven’t proved they can stop anyone consistently. Those are the type of games that go into overtime or push the total over the number.

Jim's Play: 691. Sas Roughriders / Ottawa Redblacks OVER

Jim Feist likes the OVER in Friday’s WNBA game between Chicago and Las Vegas and it’s right in his wheelhouse why the number is high for a reason but can still hit.  This total is nowhere near a ridiculous number for these teams as the last meeting between these teams went OVER that total with ease as they combined for 206 points in a 107-99 Las Vegas victory. THAT was not a fluke basketball game. That contest had everything. Pace. Shot-making. Free throws. Points inside. Points outside. Both teams getting buckets from multiple areas of the floor. When a game goes OVER deep into NBA territory just THREE days prior, you have to factor in the offensive momentum coming into this one.

You also have to take into consideration just how deadly Las Vegas is on offense. The Aces average 90.7 points per game as a team. Las Vegas’ trio of Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray and Chennedy Carter can manufacture offense on a consistent basis, and if A’ja Wilson is able to suit up and play, wow do the Aces have another lethal weapon. Of course Wilson’s availability is huge. However, even if she can’t go or is limited, Vegas still has enough firepower off the guard play and shot-making ability to impose its will and score on Chicago.

Chicago is more than capable of keeping pace as well. The Sky average 86.4 points per game and proved they could score against this Aces defense in the first matchup as Kamilla Cardoso and Azura Stevens led the way with 24 points apiece. Chicago attacked the paint, they got easy buckets off offensive rebounds, and they were able to score from the perimeter too. THAT is what players of the OVER want to see.

When all is said and done, the OVER has its best chance based on the defensive matchups. Chicago has been outright bad defending at times and Las Vegas comes into this game with the swagger of a team that KNOWS it can score at will if it gets going. Conversely, the Aces have been shooting themselves in the foot by giving up points as well, especially at home. Chicago will score, especially if Vegas builds a big lead and the Sky are forced to throw everything they have at the Aces basket.

You have to like this total just like Jim Feist does. Over 200 points wasn’t a fluke EVEN THOUGH it likely won’t reach that absurd amount again. Both teams have proven they can score on each other. Vegas brings an unstoppable offense while Chicago proved in Game 1 they can hang with them. Expect another fast-paced affair with buckets in the first quarter and buckets in the fourth. OVER.

Jim's Play: 609. Chi Sky / LV Aces OVER