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!
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!
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!
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!
MLB
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NBA
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The Bullpen is Mightier Than The Sword
by: Jim Feist
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. In 1980, Steve Carlton threw 303 innings, and as recently as 1988, pitchers Dave Stewart and Orel Hershiser each topped 300 innings pitched in the regular and postseasons combined.
It's a much different ballgame today. Two years ago, only five pitchers in all of baseball topped 230 innings, and only one was in the American League. For most starting pitchers, logging 200 innings is considered a high watermark. Many pitchers are coddled and expansion has made pitching the rarest of commodities. Organizations would rather have a young arm go six-to-seven innings instead of nine to save wear and tear.
All of which makes the bullpen a vital asset in baseball. No longer do teams put their worst pitchers in the pen. The Reds and Athletics began this trend back in the 1970s, and the baseball world copied it in the 1980s with the success of Tony LaRussa's A's and Lou Piniella's Reds.
In 1990, the Reds had average starting pitching, but stormed through the playoffs and World Series with brilliant relief pitching from Norm Charlton, Rob Dibble and Randy Myers. Dibble and Myers were co-MVPs of the NLCS and when the Reds swept the heavily favored Athletics in the World Series, managers and GMs recognized how valuable a deep pen can be. Sports handicappers under stand this value when analyzing daily picks, too.
Everyone knows it now. Look at the 2006 playoffs. The Tigers upset the Yankees in the playoffs because of better starting pitching and a dominant bullpen with Joel Zumaya (1.94 ERA), Jamie Walker (2.81), Wilfredo Ledezma and hard throwing Fernando Rodney. The old adage "Great pitching tops great hitting" was certainly on display in that series. In fact, in the Tigers final 12 playoffs games of 2006, the under was 7-5, while the champion Cardinals were 11-5 under the total in all their playoff games.
Since 2002, the champion Angels, Marlins, Red Sox, White Sox and Cardinals had deep, versatile bullpens. The 2006 Yankees were 12th in baseball in team ERA and then had a 5.56 ERA in losing to the Tigers in the ALDS.
Depth is just as important as having one dominant closer, too, especially in the playoffs. Postseason games pit the best against each other, so more close games are likely. This can create tight 3-3 games in the 7th inning, or extra inning games. Teams with lefty-righty flexibility in those spots and ones with a lot of quality arms to rely on have several advantages.
During the 2004 ALCS, Boston trailed the Yankees 3 games to none, yet won Games 4 and 5 in extra innings. One edge the Red Sox had was a deep bullpen, while the Yankees were built more with offense. After losing back-to-back extra inning tilts, the Yankees bullpen was shredded and this caught up with them, also losing Games 6 and 7 by 4-2 and 10-3 scores. Never underestimate a strong bullpen. The pen is mightier than the sword, and bullpen strength is a key component that can't be ignored, by baseball teams, baseball bettors, or sports handicappers searching for daily picks.
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
Jim Feist Past Picks
MLB Baseball
St. Louis Cardinals @ Los Angeles Dodgers Sunday May 20, 2012 8:05 pm
Sunday Night Game of the Month : Two first place teams match-up here on Sunday night as the Central leading Cardinals take on the West leading Dodgers. Heading into Saturday night's game, the Cardinals have been slumping a bit, losing six of their last 10 (before Saturday's game) ... read more
MLB Baseball
Los Angeles Angels @ San Diego Padres Saturday May 19, 2012 10:05 pm
05/19 10:05 PM EST MLB (929) LOS ANGELES ANGELS VS (930) SAN DIEGO PADRES Take: (929) Interleague Road Warrior Game of the Year: Angels. The Angels have improved their offense over the last week, with their big bats producing finally. The Angels' Howie Kendrick ... read more
MLB Baseball
Minnesota Twins @ Milwaukee Brewers Saturday May 19, 2012 4:10 pm
05/19 04:10 PM EST MLB (913) MINNESOTA TWINS VS (914) MILWAUKEE BREWERS Take: (913) MINNESOTA TWINSReason: The Twins are 5-1 in their last 6 interleague games vs. a team with a losing record and 4-1 in their last 5 interleague games. Starter Carl Pavano has allowed ... read more
NBA Basketball
San Antonio Spurs @ Los Angeles Clippers Saturday May 19, 2012 3:30 pm
05/19 3:30 PM EST NBA (525) SAN ANTONIO SPURS VS (526) LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS Take: (525) NBA Playoff TV Steamroller Game of the Month: Spurs in Game 3.The Clippers played good defense in their 7-game series win over Memphis, but it is deceiving as we've seen in this ... read more
NBA Basketball
Oklahoma City Thunder @ Los Angeles Lakers Friday May 18, 2012 10:35 pm
05/18 10:35 PM EST NBA (523) OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER VS (524) LOS ANGELES LAKERS Take: Game 3 Under the total.The deeper you get into the playoffs the more you find the intense defense. The Lakers were able to play their game in Game 2 and it was all about defense ... read more
MLB Baseball
Minnesota Twins @ Milwaukee Brewers Friday May 18, 2012 8:10 pm
05/18 08:10 PM EST MLB (971) MINNESOTA TWINS VS (972) MILWAUKEE BREWERS Take: (971) MINNESOTA TWINSReason: The Twins are 5-1 in their last 6 interleague games vs. a team with a losing record and 4-1 in their last 5 interleague games. Minnesota has a talented ... read more
NBA Basketball
Boston Celtics @ Philadelphia 76ers Friday May 18, 2012 8:05 pm
05/18 08:05 PM EST NBA (521) BOSTON CELTICS VS (522) PHILADELPHIA 76ERS Take: (522) 20-Star NBA High Roller Playoff TV Steamroller: 76ers in Game 3.Philadelphia was humiliated at home in game 3 and is in bounce back mode. They bounced back from losing Game 1 by ... read more
MLB Baseball
Cincinnati Reds @ New York Yankees Friday May 18, 2012 7:05 pm
05/18 07:05 PM EST MLB (961) CINCINNATI REDS VS (962) NEW YORK YANKEES Take: (961) Interleague Dog of the Month: Reds.The Yankees are scuffling and face a talented Cincy offense on a team that has a winning road record. The Reds are 5-1 in their last 6 road games ... read more
NBA Basketball
Los Angeles Clippers @ San Antonio Spurs Thursday May 17, 2012 9:35 pm
05/17 09:35 PM EST NBA (519) LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS VS (520) SAN ANTONIO SPURS Take: over the total. Reason: The Clippers won only their third postseason series in 41 years by stunning Memphis in Game 7. LA shot 38% and Memphis 32% as LA won 82-72. However, that was ... read more
MLB Baseball
Boston Red Sox @ Tampa Bay Rays Thursday May 17, 2012 7:10 pm
05/17 07:10 PM EST MLB (929) BOSTON RED SOX VS (930) TAMPA BAY RAYS Take: (929) Shocker of the Month: Red Sox.Boston comes into Tampa with a fine offense, one ranked second in baseball in runs scored, 4th in slugging and 5th in on-base percentage. They will have ... read more
