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!

$35

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!

$35

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!

$35

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!

$25

MLB

Get a full week's worth of baseball plays from World Handicapper Jim Feist -- EVERYTHING that's released on this sight, including Games of the Week, Games of the Month and his coveted Inner Circle selections. It's all here, 2-3 plays per day, 15-20 per week!
MLB Baseball 7 Day Package
$99 | 

$99

NBA

Get the remainder of the NBA season, all of Jim's Executive Service selections, with all of his picks right through the Finals at a discounted rate. That is every side, every total and every top play through the end of the NBA Finals!
NBA Basketball Season Package
$180 | 

$180

Seven days of premium NBA picks and analysis, straight from legendary handicapper Jim Feist. All his analysis and insight brought to the table each night. Don't hope to win, sit back, play with a pro and KNOW you have an ace on your side!
NBA Basketball 7 Day Package
$75 | 

$75

The Bull(Pen) By the Horns!

by: Jim Feist

Starting pitchers in baseball get much of the attention (and money) thrown their way. The average starter is asked to go 6-7 innings, while aces are expected to give 7-8 quality innings. Many games are decided in the last three innings, however, making relief pitchers an extremely important, and often overlooked, element.
  
The use of effective relievers is nothing new. Specialized closers were around in the 1960s, with terrific relievers like Dick Radatz, John Hiller, Luis Arroyo and knuckeballer Hoyt Wilhelm. During the early 1970s, the Oakland Athletics had a deep bullpen with Rollie Fingers, Dave Hamilton and Darold Knowles. That group helped win three straight World Series from 1972-74. Then came the Big Red Machine, and Sparky Anderson had lights-out relievers in Will McEnaney and Rawley Eastwick. That has evolved into a situation where today managers league-wide use a variety of closers, middlemen and lefty/righty specialists.
 
It's important from a betting perspective to examine which teams have solid bullpen depth and which ones don't. Cleveland had a deep bullpen in 2007 that helped get them to the seventh game of the ALCS. That pen completely fell apart the next three seasons – until 2011, where they have had the top relief staff in baseball that has helped to fuel their surprising first place run. The Rockies had a lot of effective relievers that same season, which was a huge key in their shocking late 21-1 run that led to the NL pennant.
  
That same season the eventual champion Red Sox had outstanding starting pitching, with Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Tim Wakefield going 6-7 innings almost every night, as did last year's champion Giants with Lincecum, Cain and Sanchez. That took a load off the bullpen, which was outstanding while being used only sparingly. That's why starters who can stay healthy and eat innings have value beyond their numbers, as they can have a domino effect on the relief staff.
   
The Yankees righted the ship in 2009 by getting two huge innings-eaters with the additions of C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. But this season, they failed to add free agent starter Cliff Lee and the strains are already showing on an aging starting staff that has been hit hard by injuries. The Yankees are on a 9-2-2 run over the total at home and 5-1-1 over against a lefty.
 
And how about the Milwaukee Brewers? Adding Shaun Marcum and Zach Greinke alongside ace Yovani Gallardo has helped the surging Brewers the last month.   The teams with the most blown saves? The Astros, Braves, Nationals, Cardinals and Angels. The AL defending champion Rangers are eighth in blown saves, fifth worst in bullpen ERA, a major weakness for a first place team. Note that the Rangers are 11-4 over the total in their last 15 after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game. Don't be surprised if you see the Rangers looking for relief help before next month's trading deadline.

Milwaukee had a train wreck season last year largely because of an explosive bullpen, finishing the season with 21 blown saves, third most in the NL. This season they have also struggled with blown saves, but should get better if a guy like Greinke (who didn’t join the team until May, can regularly give them 7-8 innings, which he hasn’t been doing. Otherwise, mark the Brewers down as a team that will be shopping for bullpen help before the deadline.

Strong bullpens can help keep scoring down from the sixth inning on. Three years ago, the Angels had a dynamite bullpen which helped fuel a stretch where they won 10 of 15 games, going 13-2 under the total. Over a nine-game stretch, the relievers didn't allow a run in 17 innings.

A key to the Red Sox hot streak since May has been starters Beckett, Buchholz and Lester staying healthy and throwing well, taking the heat off a pen. Boston blew 22 saves last season while not making the playoffs, the second most in the AL. Teams that go with a lot of untested young arms can experience breakdowns. If the kids can't throw a lot of innings, that can wear down a pen fast, something to keep an eye on. You can't pay too little attention to the pen, which is a huge part of baseball success today, on the field and at the betting window.

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

More past picks...

All Jim Feist Past Picks