Jim Feist Articles
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Date added: 03.01.10
Jim Feist
Final Run to the Big 10 Title
Tournament play is on the horizon! It's the start of a wild few weeks with conference tournament play helping to whittle the field. In the Big 10, Ohio State made the title game three years with Greg Oden while Michigan State won it all in 2000. Here's a look at some of the top teams of the Big 10 looking to make a similar run. Purdue: The Boilermakers ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 02.22.10
Jim Feist
College Hoops: Best Pac 10 Teams
It's been a mediocre year in Pac 10 in basketball, with the struggles of UCLA and a string of teams battling for the top spot. Here's a look at the strengths and weaknesses of some of college basketball's best teams in the Pacific 10.Cal: The Bears have used a strong home court edge and a dynamite backcourt to have strong season. The three-guard offense ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 02.15.10
Jim Feist
College Hoops: Best of the SEC
by Jim Feist The SEC has a bunch of teams that are loaded with talent, depth and athleticism. Kentucky won the national championship in 1998, Florida knocked on the door in 2000 getting to the title game against Michigan State, the won it all with back-to-back titles. Here's a look at some of college basketball's best teams in the SEC. ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 02.08.10
Jim Feist
College Hoops Takes Center Stage
With the Super Bowl in the rear view mirror, the next big event on the sports stage is college basketball's season-ending tournaments. Since 1997, college basketball's national champion has come from several different conferences: the Pac 10 (Arizona), SEC (Kentucky and Florida), Big 10 (Michigan State), the ACC (Duke, Maryland, North Carolina), Nig ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 02.01.10
Jim Feist
Super Sunday!
by Jim Feist The top two seeds in both conferences have made it to the Super Bowl. That's not the norm, as it hasn't happened since 1993. The Colts are looking for their second Super Bowl title in four seasons while the Saints make their first trip to the big game. For those examining expert football picks, back in August the Colts were 8-to-1 to ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 01.25.10
Jim Feist
Super Bowl Countdown!
In the world of eleven to ten, there's nothing quite like Super Bowl week. In this case, it's two weeks, as the teams have two weeks to prepare for the Big Game. It's also one of the most creative weeks of the sports betting season. While there's only one game left on the football calendar, there are still ample opportunities for betting with hundreds ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 01.18.10
Jim Feist
NFL Playoffs: Conference Champions at Stake!
This is it, the final weekend of games before the Super Bowl. The last month we've been hearing about playoff seedings, bye weeks and home field advantage. Are all those things really important? Historically it has been during the second round of the playoffs. Teams with the bye have home field advantage and two weeks to prepare, both of which are ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 01.11.10
Jim Feist
NFL Playoff Time!
As the playoffs begin, those who earned the top two seeds in each conference have a key edge, as they get a bye the first week while watching the others duke it out. Sitting at home this past weekend were the Saints, Vikings, Colts and Chargers. A year ago the favorites to win the 2010 Super Bowl were the Patriots at 6-to-1, the Steelers at 7-to-1, ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 01.04.10
Jim Feist
BCS Hysteria: No. 1 vs. No. 2!
by Jim Feist Happy New Year! After recovering from the weekend’s New Year festivities while celebrating and analyzing sports picks, we glide through the end of the bowl season. The GMAC and Orange Bowls are appetizers for the tune-up that is the January 7 Texas/Alabama showdown for all the marbles. Orange Bowl (Tues., Jan. 5): This game is outdoors ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 12.28.09
Jim Feist
Bowl Bonanza!
As 2009 draws to a close, we find ourselves smack in the middle of the bowls. You shouldn't be bowled-out, either, as they build to the crescendo that is the Texas/Alabama showdown for the national title.Humanitarian Bowl (Wed., Dec. 30): Check the weather for this game, as it is frigid and can get windy in this outdoor game from Boise, Idaho. Out ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 12.21.09
Jim Feist
Late December: The Best Time for Bowling!
As 2009 draws to a close, we find ourselves smack in the middle of the bowls. You shouldn't be bowled-out with football picks, either, as the bowls slowly build to the crescendo that is the Texas/Alabama showdown. Poinsettia Bowl (Wed., Dec. 23): Utah (9-3 SU, 6-6 ATS) Coach Kyle Whittingham has another balanced, strong team, averaging 29 points, 157 ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 12.14.09
Jim Feist
NFL Juggernauts and Fading Has Beens
Looking at NFL streaks, two things stand out in 2009: The Saints and Colts. It was quite a story two years ago when the Patriots were trying to march through the NFL regular season at 16-0 as it hadn't happened in 35 years. Now, just two years later, a pair of teams are threatening to do it! Oddsmakers caught up quickly to these powerhouses. After ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 12.07.09
Jim Feist
The Overlooked Edge: Football Depth
Depth is such an essential element of success in pro and college football, and one that is easily overlooked. Big college programs have this as a huge advantage over small schools. Because of injuries, Oregon had to use backup QB Nate Cost in the middle of the season, and he played well in a win over UCLA. A year ago, Oregon had to use four QBs, including ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 11.30.09
Jim Feist
NBA Early Season Surprises
Preseason prognosticators and handicapping analysis focuses in on what they expect to happen, based on the draft and offseason moves, but there are always surprises at the start of each season. Here's a look at some of the early NBA surprises, good, bad and ugly. Hawks: Didn't we see this athletic young team taking Boston to seven games in the playoffs? ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 11.23.09
Jim Feist
Turkeys, Turnovers and Upsets!
It's Thanksgiving week, which means the middle of the NFL campaign while winding down the college football regular season. Late season college football means heated races for conference titles and bowl berths, plus rivalries that span decades, all of which can influence college football predictions. These games can have far more importance for players ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 11.16.09
Jim Feist
Pro Parity and 20 Point Blowouts
For years, pro football has been the sports leader when it comes to parity. Pete Rozelle was credited with, "On any given Sunday any team can beat another." You say, "Wait a minute -- the Saints and Colts started 16-0 SU/11-5 ATS. Where's the parity?" How about four wins by the Colts of 4 points or less? They didn't lose a game ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 11.09.09
Jim Feist
Football Totals and Coaching Philosophies
There are many factors to examine when making football predictions when studying totals. Defensive and offensive statistics need to be examined, of course. Some of the questions a good handicapper asks: Is there speed in the defensive secondary? Does a club have a one-dimensional offense? Do they prefer a powerful running game or wide-open passing ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 11.02.09
Jim Feist
Winning Football: "D" Comes Before "O"
So what do you prefer: offense or defense? Most casual bettors examining NFL picks like offense, which is why Monday night football games often take more action on the over. There have been some terrific offensive football teams that last few years, such as USC and Texas in 2005, LSU and Florida the last two years, and pro passing attacks like the ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 10.26.09
Jim Feist
Wagering on the World Series
October memories glare the brightest in baseball lore. Bobby Thompson's 1951 home run, Don Larsen’s perfect game in Game 5 of the ’56 Series, Bob Gibson’s 17-strikeouts in Game 1 '68, Carlton Fisk's home run in '75, Kirk Gibson's blast in '88, Joe Carter's Series ending three-run homer in 1993. While home runs mostly dot the top of ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 10.19.09
Jim Feist
The Value of Run Defense
Like a giant leak on a sinking ship, one of the first signs of a poor pro football team is weak run defense. Stopping the run is essential to building a championship team. Who won the Super Bowl in January? The Steelers, a team with the No. 1 overall defense, including No. 2 against the run. In 2007, the eventual champion NY Giants were No. 8 against ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 10.12.09
Jim Feist
Turnovers Can Turn the Tide
by Jim Feist A recent Monday night football game saw Brett Favre battle his old team, Green Bay. Favre was the story, with a terrific performance, but young QB Aaron Rodgers put up some sizzling numbers, with 384 yards and 2 TDs. Impressive. Did they win? Or cover? No, as Minnesota won 30-23. The most obvious explanation and it's obvious: 2 turnovers. ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 10.05.09
Jim Feist
Beware of Early Season Phonies!
by Jim FeistSo…are we all set for the Jets/Broncos AFC Championship game, with the winner facing the survivor of the Vikings/Saints NFC Title game? Because after three weeks, those were four of the remaining seven undefeated teams in the NFL, along with the Giants, Ravens and Colts. To put that in perspective from a handicapping sports picks ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 09.28.09
Jim Feist
September College Football: Upset City!
There's a reason they play the games. Teams don't always play the way stats and power rankings suggest they are supposed to. That's often evident early in the pro and college football seasons because some teams are very different from year to year. Look at a team like Michigan. The Wolverines stumbled badly last year with a very young team and a new ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 09.21.09
Jim Feist
Scheduling and Sandwiches
College and pro football offer a variety of great match-ups every weekend. A good handicapper, though, doesn't just look at individual and team match-ups. There are other factors surrounding a game that can be equally important to identifying a winning spread cover, such as scheduling and road travel. For instance, last September in college football ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 09.14.09
Jim Feist
Are Defenses Ahead of the Offenses?
You have to remember that in September it's more likely that defenses are ahead of the offenses in pro and college football. This might not seem the case when you watch Miami and Florida State put on an exciting 38-34 shootout with both teams tallying over 400 yards. However, that's not the norm, either, something that needs to be assessed carefully ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 09.07.09
Jim Feist
Pro Football Stats: Read Between the Lines
The best time of the sports calendar is here, the opening week of the pro football campaign! There are mountains of stats and angles available for sports bettors to digest from this season and years past. Information certainly is a huge key when analyzing games and point spreads. Sometimes it can seem that there is too much info, but it's essential ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 09.01.09
Jim Feist
The Best of the AFC
by Jim FeistThe pro football season kicks off next week when the Titans travel to the Steelers to battle the defending champs. Pro football picks are in the air, and the best way to attack the books is with information! Here is a look at some of the best of the AFC, the conference that has won 9 of the last 12 Super Bowls. Ravens (13-6 SU, 14-5 ATS): ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 08.26.09
Jim Feist
Jim Feist's 2009 CF Top 20 Countdown!
by Jim FeistIt’s time to kick off a new football season. College football begins September 3rd and here’s a look at my Top 1-20 countdown! 20. North Carolina: It's all about talent and recruiting and Butch Davis knows how to do that. The Tar Heels are off an 8-5 SU, 6-5-1 ATS season, going to a bowl. This offense was productive, despite ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 08.24.09
Jim Feist
The Bullpen is Mightier Than The Sword
With pennant races in full swing and the playoffs just around the corner, it's a great time to examine one of the most important aspects of championship baseball teams: The bullpen. In 1970, there were eight pitchers who topped 290 innings for the season. Four of them topped 300 innings, with Gaylord Perry leading the way with 329 innings pitched. ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
Date added: 08.18.09
Jim Feist
New Coaches Hope to Upgrade Pro/College Programs
Football head coaches get all the glory, but top assistants can be extremely important in a team's success or failure. Offensive and defensive coordinators have great influence on game plans and a unit's effectiveness. There was no better example two years ago than NY Giants' defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. He came over from the Eagles ... read more
Jim Feist Bio and Picks
