Jim Feist Premium Picks

Jim Feist has  San Francisco sitting pretty for a Saturday bounce-back spot against the Atlanta Braves. It’s games like this where you can play the starting pitching discrepancy right on full handicap. The Giants roll with Logan Webb (4-5, 3.35 ERA, 70 SO) while Atlanta counters with Bryce Elder (5-5, 3.71 ERA, 79 SO). Elder has been good enough to manage games but Webb has proven to be a bit more trustworthy in a spot like this at home.

Really the biggest thing San Francisco has going for them is that Friday’ game against the Diamondbacks wasn’t really one they were dominated in. They had runners in scoring position all night, stranded 9 guys on base, and had opportunities late to change the outcome of the game. These are the types of box scores that breed value the following day because what the score says doesn’t always match how the game felt. Giants were in the game late and now get a slight upgrade on the mound with Webb.

Simply put, Webb is what you want on the bump in a bounce-back spot. He gives San Francisco the chance to dictate pace, go deeper into games, and keep opponents from compiling pitch-after-pitch at-bats. When Webb is on the mound for the Giants the entire game usually looks better than when someone else is starting. That will be important because San Francisco isn’t necessarily needing another big offensive game to take care of business. They just need to make a few more outs than they did on Friday.

Speaking of making outs, there should definitely be some juice in the Giants lineup to respond after failing to capitalize on so many opportunities on Friday. Stranding 9 guys and going 0- for-8 with runners in scoring position isn’t going to happen every single game for San Francisco. If they get a little bit better against Atlanta the offense can help Webb limit exposure and truly put the game on Elder’s shoulders. Atlanta won the opener but that also means San Francisco should be lining up on Saturday with some urgency and a good idea of where they let Friday’ game slip away.

For all those reasons this one has all the makings of a classic Jim Feist Saturday winner. You have the better starting pitcher on the bump in Webb, a classic Giants bounce-back spot, and home ballpark game where one night of offensive struggles can turn into correcting yourself the very next day. San Francisco has a good shot at responding with Logan Webb on the mound.

Jim's Play: 962. Giants

Jim Feist has the Chicago White Sox rolling into Saturday revenge- and-repeat territory against the Kansas City Royals and it’s really a spot where everything – momentum, home field, starting pitching matchup – lines up in the same direction. Kansas City rolls with Michael Wacha (5-5, 3.48 ERA, 77 strikeouts) while Chicago counters with Davis Martin (9-3, 3.18 ERA, 87 K). That’s a very live edge for the White Sox and especially so with Martin backing Chicago with a steadier profile and winning ways entering this affair.

When you combine that pitching tilt with the pure swagger that Chicago is playing with right now, the White Sox are easy favorites. Friday’s blowout win wasn’t some fluke outburst. It was another example of how capable Chicago’s offense can be when it gets going. There’s real danger in this lineup once it starts churning early because it does not let off the gas pedal.

Martin is also your prototypical starter to have in this spot as the Saturday home chalk. He’s had a good season, he’s done a nice job of keeping games under control and he should give Chicago a chance to work with being ahead. It matters because Wacha may have OK enough numbers on paper, but Kansas City’s still rolling into Chicago against a White Sox team that’s crushing the baseball and coming off a game where just about everything went.

Chicago being much better at home while Kansas City struggles on the road is another factor in this spot playing well. The White Sox have turned their home field into an advantage and now they get a Royals team that was trashed in game one and now has to immediately turn around and face a 9-3 pitcher. It just isn’t going to be easy for Kansas City to respond here. They have the pitching matchup and offensive surge working in their favor, and if things go according to plan Chicago should be able to seize control early and keep Kansas City on their heels. Martin gives Chicago the better starting pitcher, the bats are red hot and home field is just icing on the cake. Seems like another spot where Chicago will play with the lead and never look back. For Saturday winners, roll with the White Sox.

Jim's Play: 970. White Sox

Jim Feist is looking at the OVER in Saturday’s Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles game. This contest has all the makings of one that can exceed the total. With the number falling between 8.5 and 9, there is enough room on the board for both teams to do their jobs, especially with two starters who have been good enough to gain some respect but are by no means untouchable in a game that could shift quickly once traffic builds.

Washington will start Foster Griffin (8-2 with a 3.15 ERA and 89 strikeouts) while Baltimore will counter with Brandon Young (6-2 with a 3.07 ERA and 49 strikeouts). On paper those statistics may indicate a game with limited scoring, but this is where those in search of values tend to find it. Sure both pitchers have quality numbers, but neither stand out as shutdown guys when matching up against offenses that are more than capable of creating runs from top to bottom.

Washington has been one of the better scoring teams in the game hitting for a 5.3 run average. Baltimore has not been quite as potent but still puts up 4.6 runs per game and has enough offense to reach its half of the total especially when playing at home.

It’s also the type of game where one big inning can change everything. Baltimore just returned home and should feel more comfortable offensively in this spot. Griffin has had a solid season but Washington’s lineup scares me a lot more than a team you want to lay tickets against.

Both teams have the capability of posting a crooked number which should make the total much more attractive than you would believe just by looking at the starting pitchers ERA’s.

This is exactly what Jim Feist likes to attack when game planning for the week. The number is right where you want it to be, both sides have the ability to hit and this matchup has enough hidden potential to finish over before the game is complete. Slide them all together and take the OVER in Saturday’s Battle of the Beltways.

Jim's Play: 977. Nationals / Orioles OVER

Jim Feist has Toronto in a great spot on Saturday in this WNBA spread matchup against the Phoenix Mercury. There’s a lot to like about the favorite in this spot controlling the game from start to finish. Toronto is playing at home with momentum and confidence. Not to mention they boast a huge scoring weapon that’s playing the best basketball of her career right now. The Tempo don’t need to play perfectly to cover this number. They just need to play like the team we’ve seen over their last couple games.

Toronto’s biggest strength coming into this matchup is without question the offensive explosion we’ve seen coming out of their locker room. Marina Mabrey poured in a career high on Wednesday and when you have a player hitting like that it completely changes the dynamics of how an opponent must play defense. Toronto is confident in their offense, the ball is moving, and they’re playing with pace and space to create easy looks for their shooters. You want your short home favorite playing with this kind of form moving into your matchup.

Toronto also has beat Phoenix straight up, winning their first meeting by eight points. This matters because it’s not like we’re just theorizing on whether or not Toronto has a better chance to score points based on “numbers.”  They have already gone head-to-head with Phoenix and came out with the victory. Now they get a rematch in what projects to be another high-scoring affair, but this time at home and with the Mercury missing key pieces.

Speaking of missing pieces, Phoenix not having Alyssa Thomas available is a massive blow to their chances in this game. Thomas is one of the Mercury’ best playmakers and toughest all-around players. When you take a player of that caliber out of the equation, you hurt yourself in scoring, rebounding, ball movement, and stability late in games. Toronto takes a huge advantage here with Phoenix shorthanded and a spread they don’t need to “push up against” to secure a cover.

Toronto may be without Brittney Sykes but they still have too much momentum and offensive firepower to let this game get away from them. The offense just scored 113 points in a game, they’re playing on the home floor which has been a serious advantage for teams this season, and the Mercury have consistently struggled on the road. Throw in some separation from their first meeting and you have exactly the kind of game Jim Feist looks for when posting up a short number with the team playing better basketball.

Toronto has a great opportunity to go out and do what good home favorites are supposed to do. Control the game, keep the pressure on their opponent, and cover the spread. With wins in this matchup already, Phoenix losing key players to injury, and Mabrey leading the charge for a team that’s playing its best basketball of the season, I like Toronto to cover on Saturday.

Jim's Play: 608. Toronto Tempo

Jim Feist has Calgary Stampeders in live action Saturday against the B. C. Lions, and it is exactly this type of game where the hungrier, battle-tested team can come through and grab that first win of the season. Calgary sits at 0-2 but this is a much better football team than their record would indicate. The Stampeders have lost each of their first two games by a combined five points. That is not getting manhandled. They are right in the thick of it and this feels like the week they come away with the win.

Reasons to like Calgary start with the fact that Calgary has been the more competitive team through two games. B.C. got blown out last week, and has had problems stopping people. Calgary has simply been in two games that easily could have swung in their favor. That is a massive difference between two winless teams. Calgary is close. B.C. still has some issues to work through.

Calgary also boasts the more balanced offensive attack coming into this game. Vernon Adams Jr. has been just good enough to move the chains for the Stampeders, while the run game has been dominant led by Dedrick Mills rushing for over 100 yards in each of the first two weeks. Balance is key in this spot because it allows Calgary to attack in multiple ways while not allowing the Lions to key in on Adams. Get Mills going early and the entire playbook opens up.

On top of everything else Calgary gets Folarin Orimolade back. That is a massive addition to the pass rush and overall vibe that Calgary’s defense brings. When you add an above average defender to a game against a team struggling for answers it can completely change the flow of the game. Calgary cannot necessarily force four defensive quarters. It just needs to force a couple of big stops or a momentum swing and getting Orimolade back drastically improves its chances of one of those happening.

One other thing this team has going for it is the fact that this feels like a game about finishing over raw talent. Calgary has already shown it can hang with winning teams. They now get a B.C. squad that is cleaning up defensive leaks and desperately trying to find some confidence early in the year. Opponents you want to face when you are looking for your first win.

With that in mind the Stampeders are good enough to win this football game. They have been more competitive, they have the more reliable run game, they get a major defensive piece back and they host a Lions team that has looked nothing short of mediocre through two games. I really like Calgary stepping up in this spot to cash the ticket and get into the win column for the first time Saturday.

Jim's Play: 685. Cal Stampeders