Jim Feist Handicapper Review & Free Sports Picks

My best bet for Thursday night is to take the OVER on this Thursday night NFL game between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks. I feel like both these teams should score well above what the total is saying they will. Last week both of these defenses were tested and we know injuries play a huge role in the NFL as well. The Seahawks scored 29 points on Sunday against San Francisco but allowed 32 to get through. The Denver Broncos defeated the Chargers by a score of 23-17. Since Denver is at home I think their offense can find a way to reach 20+ points on Thursday.

As mentioned before Denver will be missing some key players in their secondary. They will be missing All-Pro corner back Pat Surtain II and safety Talanoa Hufanga. Corner Back Riley Moss is also listed as a question mark for Thursday's game. This should allow Seattle to really exploit this weakness. Quarterback Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are one of the best passing duos in the league right now. They should be able to gain quite a few points against Denver's defense.

I believe Denver can find some points as well against the Seattle defense. We saw them struggle to stop San Francisco's offense last week. They will be missing their starting linebacker Drake Thomas which could also be beneficial for Denver's offense. Bo Nix has not had his best games but should be able to find a good flow playing on his home turf. As long as Denver is not stuck in long drives that lead to field goals I think they can rack up some points. They will just have to make sure they convert when they get in the red zone.

There could be some turnovers that help out both teams as well. Seattle gave up 4 turnovers to San Francisco on Sunday. Both of these teams can throw for big yardage if given the opportunity. We don't need this game to go crazy high to hit the over. Both teams just need to score in the 20's. My best bet for Thursday is to take the OVER.

Jim’s Play: 109. OVER

I think the Cleveland Guardians will win game 3 against Tampa Bay because of the starting pitchers. With Gavin Williams pitching I think they have a good chance of winning. He's struck out 24 hitters in 11 2/3 innings this postseason. Struck out 12 batters in 5 2/3 scoreless innings in the division series clincher. His fastball has been touching 99 mps in the post season so he'll definitely have some swings and misses against the Rays. Whose batting average is only .215 this postseason. 

Another factor is Cleveland will be at home after splitting the first 2 games in Tampa. They already beat their pitching in game 1 when they won 7-3. Jose Ramírez is one of their biggest weapons in their lineup. He's going .333 with a slugging percentage of .667 this post season. Already has a few extra base hits and drove in 3 runs in game 1 of the ALCS. 

The last factor is Tampa Bay's starting pitcher Griffin Jax. He had a great 3.53 ERA this year but he wasn't really used to being a starter this year. He only pitched more than 5 innings in 3 games and has not started since Sept 26th. So that may cause Tampa to use their bullpen more than Cleveland. Which again if they use Gavin Williams they can get a lot of innings out of him.

Also in game 2 Cleveland stranded 9 runners on base. And only went 1-6 with men on base. There were also errors that played a factor in their runs scored. If they play cleaner and get some hits with runners in scoring position they'll have a better chance. 

Jim’s Play : 912. Guardians

Texas State should be able to cover against Colorado State on Thursday at a number around -14 to -14.5. Texas State's offense will have a field day against the Rams. They are putting up around 532 yards per game which includes 264 rushing yards a game. After allowing Oregon State to score 56 points and gain over 600 yards Colorado State has no business trying to play defense against a team that will play fast and run and throw the football. 

Another reason why I like Texas State is because the Colorado State Rams have multiple players hurt on their offense. QB Hauss Hejny is listed as questionable with a hamming injury. Their leading receiver RJ Vick is also listed questionable and they have already dealt with injuries on their offensive line. If they continue to use K'saan Farrar as their starter they will be missing some of that big play ability from Hejny. Which could cause them to fall behind if Texas State starts putting up 30-40 point games. 

Another spot I like is Texas State being at home. Both teams had a bye week so they had time to prepare and I feel like Texas State will want to redeem themselves after dropping a game to San Diego State. Colorado State is on a 3 game losing streak and their defense was so bad they had to change coordinators after the Oregon State game. Change always helps but it's tough when you're playing against one of the best offenses in the country. 

What worries me is Texas State's defense but I don't think we will see them giving up too many points. Colorado State will be able to score and stay competitive for some of the game but over the course of 4 quarters I think Texas State will out play them and run away with this game. 

Jim’s Play : 116. Texas State (PAC-12 Game of the Month)

Toronto Maple Leafs have the better offensive upside and are playing at home where I believe their top six should have a considerable advantage. Toronto can deploy Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares at different points throughout the game across their scoring lines. Doing this creates matchup problems for Buffalo as they will have to defend multiple potent units and cannot simply key in on one line. Toronto is coming into the game with a record of 3-3-1, which is the same as Buffalo but the Leafs appear to have more ability to consistently create offense. They have scored five on Nashville and four in their last road game.

Buffalo’s defense could be without captain Rasmus Dahlin who is day to day with an upper body injury. Dahlin is a big part of Buffalo’s game as they utilize him to drive the play, defend against other teams’ top lines and quarterback their offense from the backend. If he is hurt or even simply played sparingly due to injury the Leafs should be able to generate more offense by driving play and spending more time in the offensive zone creating chances off the cycle and in transition situations. Buffalo lost in a shootout to Montreal on Tuesday so they aren’t coming into this game with much momentum.

Toronto is playing at home where they can take advantage of matchups and get Matthews and Nylander into advantageous positions. Buffalo is 0-1-2 in their last three games at Scotiabank Arena, not winning in Toronto since November 20,23. Home ice advantage and Toronto’s ability to finish games make the Leafs the team I want more in a close contest.

Jim’s Play: 56. Maple Leafs