Jim Feist's 25-Star Diamond Dominator Total (Mon 7:05PM)
Totals offer just as much value as favorites and dogs, and Jim Feist is set toHAMMER THE BOOKS with a coveted 25-STAR DIAMOND DOMINATOR total. This total encapsulates ALL of Jim's bold handicapping insight that has made him a Las Vegas legend for decades. If you like to play totals, or just like to win, step up to the plate with this exclusive 25-Star Diamond Dominator Total and play Vegas baseball with the big boys TONIGHT!

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Jim Feist's AL West Game of the Year - Tuesday! (Tue 10:10PM)
When ALL the factors come together, you step up to the plate (and the window) with a Game of the Year. That's the situation on the baseball diamond Tuesday for Jim Feist. Jim has found a MONSTER selection where pitching, bullpen, offense and situations all combine to HEAVILY favor one team, strong enough to be his AL West Game of the Year! Go inside the stats and angles, and collect with Jim's AL West Game of the Year, then BLAST your BOOK TONIGHT!

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Jim Feist's 20-Star NBA Hi Roller TV Steamroller - (Mon 9:35PM)
Jim Feist is red-hot in the NBA Playoffs and is lined up to ATTACK another soft number on one of Monday's hardwood tilts, a 20-Star NBA High Roller Playoff TV Steamroller! This is another game that Jim is ready to laugh all the way to the bank with. EXPECT TO WIN with Jim's 20-Star NBA High Roller Playoff TV Steamroller then WATCH and WIN TONIGHT!

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NHL Powerhouse Ice Crusher - Tuesday! (Tue 9:05PM)
Theres a one-sided mismatch on the ice Tuesday, a game that oddsmakers overlooked. There are soft lines all over the NHL board - if you know where to look and what to look for! Jim Feist knows, so go inside that stats, angles and matchups for this Tuesday NHL Powerhouse Ice Crusher and clean up at the window!

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September Football: Defenses Ahead of Offenses?

by: Jim Feist

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 Virginia Tech and Boise put on an exciting 33-30 shootout. However, that's not the norm, either.   

The defenses are more ahead of the offenses than you might think. New Kansas coach Turner Gill wouldn't argue with that, after watching his young offense stuck in first gear the whole game, a stunning 6-3 home loss to North Dakota State.  Notre Dame brought aboard Coach Brian Kelly, who ran exciting no-huddle offenses at Central Michigan and Cincinnati. But the opener was no offensive show, a 23-12 victory over Purdue as both offense was less than spectacular.  

Another Kelly comes to mind a year ago, you may recall, when a high-powered Oregon offense under first-year coach Chip Kelly laid an egg at Boise, getting 8 points and 152 total yards. Kelly had been running wide-open offenses there which was a reason he got the job when Mike Belloti moved up to the AD's office.   

That certainly wasn't what he had in mind for an opener. Oregon managed just 14 yards in the first half and was forced to wait until the third quarter to record its initial first down. By mid-season, though, the Ducks were clicking on all cylinders offensively.  

Think back one year ago to the first week of the NFL season. The unders went 9-7, with normally powerhouses offenses like the Colts getting 14 points, the Bengals 7 and the Texans 7. Houston would end the 2009 season as the No. 1 ranked passing offense.  

Think back to the 2008 opening week, when the high powered offenses of the Saints, Colts and Patriots combined for 24, 13 and 17 points in Week 1. Granted, the Patriots lost QB Tom Brady that game, but Drew Brees and the Saints wouldn't have that low a scoring game again until Week 7, while the Colts were totally out of sync offensively.   

Go back to the opening of the 2007 NFL season and the unders ruled by a whopping 11-5 edge. In 2006 the under were 11-5 in the first NFL week. Quarterbacks need to develop timing with receivers, and offensive linemen have to learn to mesh on blocking schemes and pocket protection. All of that takes time, patience and practice. As we know, preseason doesn't offer much time to practice as coaches are more concerned with keeping starters healthy than getting the offense finely tuned.      

All of which makes another interesting year for sports bettors who play totals. Will the defenses be ahead of the offenses in September and early October? That is often the case, as it takes far more time and practice to get execution down between offensive players.   

Notice that in 2006 after going 11-5 under in Week 1, the overs had a slight edge of 25-19-1 in Weeks 3-4. Part of it is that oddsmakers adjust their lines based on what happened the previous week, but also offenses begin to mesh together better after Week 1.  Another factor to keep in mind is that the NFL changed the rules a few years to aid the offense, outlawing the “horse collar tackle.” Essentially was when a defensive player tackled the ball carrier by grabbing his shoulders, which is no longer legal. The league also has enforced the five-yard rule, which was designed to help wide receivers get downfield faster, as opposed to being mugged at the line of scrimmage by linebackers and defensive backs. A defensive player can still bump the wide outs when the ball is snapped, but has to be careful not to after the offensive player advances five-yards past the line of scrimmage, otherwise a penalty will be called. It is not easy being a defensive player in the pros anymore! 

Passing yardage and scoring did increase during the 2004 season when those rules were enforced. In fact, during that season the unders were 43-27 the first five weeks of the season, but the overs were 92-71 from weeks 7-17.   

It was also interesting that three offensive coordinators got axed in August before a single regular season game had been played. Who says there's not pressure to produce offensively, even in preseason?  

So keep a close tab on yardage and totals in September and early October. Scoring and unders can rule early in the season, but that can change when the offenses begin to get more in sync.

Jim Feist Past Articles

Lean Toward Big Dogs More than Big Chalk
by Jim Feist April and May means that many novice sports bettors may look at the matchups and lean toward ace pitchers and lay the big price. But let ... read more

Baseball Hot and Cold Starts
More than any other sport, baseball is a game of patience. It's not how you start, but where you finish, and with a 162-game regular season, there is ... read more

NBA Stretch Run: The Best of the East
It's been a long haul, even in this abbreviated 66-game NBA regular season, but the playoffs are just around the corner. So who wins the NBA title? The ... read more

Some NBA Teams Pack It In Late
There are three more weeks to go in the NBA regular season. This means there are professional athletes in the NBA who will be going on vacation in a month, ... read more

Tourney Matchup Tips
It's the final stretch of a long college basketball season. There are better teams, tougher matchups, and defensive intensity. It's a good time of the ... read more

All Jim Feist Past Articles

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All Jim Feist Past Picks