Sports Handicapper Jim Feist's Picks & Predictions

The Detroit Pistons face elimination in tonight's Game 5 at Madison Square Garden as they trail 3-1 in the series against the New York Knicks. The Detroit Pistons have shown both resilience and competitiveness in the series despite their current deficit. Cade Cunningham played an exceptional game in Game 4 by achieving a triple-double with 25 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds which showcased their team's tenacity. Cunningham's persistent turnover problem included 24 giveaways during the series which allowed the Knicks to effectively score from these mistakes.

The players supporting the Pistons such as Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr., Malik Beasley, and Dennis Schroder have made notable contributions by achieving double-figure scoring averages. Jalen Duren dominates the court with a game average of 11 rebounds. If Isaiah Stewart cannot play due to a knee injury this might weaken the Pistons' interior defense and rebounding performance.

The Pistons must reduce turnovers and manage the game pace while maximizing their scoring chances against the Knicks' experienced lineup led by Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns to prolong the series. If the Pistons win tonight they would secure Game 6 at their home court allowing them to decrease the deficit between the teams. Detroit possesses the necessary weapons to achieve an upset victory and prolong their season thanks to Cunningham's comprehensive play and their deep roster. Detroit Pistons will face their opponent in this critical game.

Jim's Play: Detroit Pistons

Tonight marks a decisive Game 5 for the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena against the Los Angeles Clippers while the series remains evenly matched at 2-2. The Denver Nuggets earned back their momentum and home-court advantage thanks to a dramatic 101-99 Game 4 win finalized by Aaron Gordon's buzzer-beater dunk. Nikola Jokic remains the foundation of Denver's success through his commanding performance in Game 4 which featured 36 points alongside 21 rebounds and 8 assists. Jokic's series averages of 28.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 10.8 assists per game demonstrate his MVP level performance.

Jamal Murray hasn't yet reached his full potential but the Nuggets have received strong performances from Christian Braun and Michael Porter Jr. who played despite his shoulder injury. Although Russell Westbrook faces a foot injury and Porter Jr. has a probable status, Denver shows strong depth and resilience.

Kawhi Leonard and James Harden have led the Clippers to demonstrate strong defensive abilities by keeping Denver below its season scoring average across their four matchups. Leonard leads the series with an average of 26.5 points per game but Harden provides 21.3 points and 9.5 assists per game.

The Denver Nuggets hold a potential advantage to take the series lead since they benefit from home-court support and Nikola Jokic’s leadership while the series remains even. If Denver wins tonight they will lead the series 3-2 and get the chance to finish the series in Los Angeles. 

Nuggets also a small dog here tonight, which I'll gladly take. 

Jim's Play: Denver Nuggets

The Philadelphia Phillies will welcome the Washington Nationals to Citizens Bank Park where the game starts at 6:45 PM ET tonight. With their 15-13 record the Philadelphia Phillies intend to use their home field advantage to gain an upper hand over the 13-16 Nationals.

Right-hander Zack Wheeler pitches for Philadelphia with a 2-1 record and a 3.62 ERE. As a dominant force in the Phillies' rotation Wheeler stands out for his ability to overpower the opposition's batting lineups. Nationals' left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore is 2-3 on the season with an earned run average of 3.34. MacKenzie Gore demonstrated impressive moments throughout this season but will now take on the Phillies' powerful batting order.

The Phillies show strong offensive performance with Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber leading the way when playing at home. The Phillies have demonstrated strong performance at Citizens Bank Park with a home record of 9-4. Away from Nationals Park the Nationals have faced difficulties in their road games with a 4-9 record showcasing their away-game struggles.

Injuries have impacted both teams. The Nationals lineup lacks their key pitchers Josiah Gray and Cade Cavalli together with infielder Paul DeJong. The Phillies lack outfielder Brandon Marsh and pitcher Ranger Suárez in their lineup. The absence of key players from both teams will likely affect the game's dynamics especially during the later innings.

Both startes are decent here today and as such I'll be looking to play the UNDER in this game. 

Jim's Play: Nats/Phillies UNDER

The Milwaukee Bucks must secure victory in their Game 5 clash against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse as they trail 3-1 in their first-round playoff series. Without star guard Damian Lillard who tore his Achilles tendon during Game 4 Giannis Antetokounmpo must now carry the team's offensive responsibilities. Giannis Antetokounmpo has maintained his dominance this season by posting averages of 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game. Milwaukee needs strong performances from players like Gary Trent Jr., who set a franchise playoff record with nine three-pointers in Game 3 and Bobby Portis to continue their series against the Pacers.

With Tyrese Haliburton distributing 9.2 assists per game the Pacers have showcased balanced and efficient offense during the series. During Game 4 Indiana demonstrated their team strength when they managed to get eight players into double-figure scoring which showcased their team depth and versatility. By leveraging their home-court advantage Indiana Pacers target to finish off this playoff series after winning their first game at Indianapolis against the Bucks.

Injuries continue to impact both teams. The Bucks will likely miss Tyler Smith as he is doubtful and Indiana lacks Isaiah Jackson while Benedict Mathurin remains questionable. What is the difference for me is the depth of bench. The Bucs rely on Giannis too much while the Pacers have shown they can go deep on the bench.

I look for the Pacers to wrap up the series here tonight and cover the spread.

Jim's Play: Indiana Pacers.

The St. Louis Cardinals look to tie their series with the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at Great American Ball Park. The Reds achieved a 3-1 win which extended their winning streak to five games and raised their season record to 16-13 while the Cardinals dropped to a 12-17 standing after suffering their second consecutive loss. The Cincinnati Reds lead Major League Baseball's third-highest run-scoring offense with 150 runs this season. The series featured strong performances from Elly De La Cruz who pushed his hitting streak to 12 games with a first-inning double and Gavin Lux who achieved 3 hits including two doubles in the series opener. Noelvi Marte delivered a critical go-ahead RBI triple during the fourth inning.

Brady Singer will take the starting position for the Reds on the mound because he has maintained a 4-0 record with a 3.62 ERA in 27.1 innings this season. Singer permitted just 22 hits while striking out 32 batters and walking nine opponents. The Cardinals will send Miles Mikolas to the mound who is looking for his season's first victory. Miles Mikolas has a 0-2 record with a 5.70 ERA through 23.2 innings during which he has given up 27 hits and struck out 13 batters while walking nine players.

The St. Louis team has recorded a poor 2-12 away game record in their away matches. Lars Nootbaar leads the team with four home runs and 17 RBIs and Brendan Donovan maintains a .349 batting average. 

Cincinnati looks set to extend its winning run thanks to its current momentum and Singer's impressive pitching. The Cardinals will try to take advantage of any chances they get to turn their road performance around. I like the Reds and Singer here today as they keep momentum going. 

Jim's Play: Cincinnati Reds

NL Game of the Month

The Minnesota Twins will take on the Cleveland Guardians in their scheduled game at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 starting at 6:10 p.m. ET. The Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Guardians will play their second game in their four-game series after the Twins won decisively 11-1 in the first matchup.

During the series opener the Twins' offense produced an impressive 17 hits which set a new season record. Edouard Julien immediately set the tone by hitting a home run on the first pitch of the game. Ryan Jeffers contributed both a two-run home run and three runs batted in while Ty France and Byron Buxton each delivered two hits and two RBIs. During his time on the mound Bailey Ober pitched a superb game by giving up only one run across 7 2/3 innings. Minnesota's winning streak reached four games after their victory which also brought their record to 13 wins and 16 losses.

Cleveland's Guardians currently stand with a 15-13 record after experiencing three straight defeats. Gavin Williams, the starting pitcher, faced difficulties during Monday's game and gave up four runs during his two innings on the mound. The Cleveland bullpen failed to perform in the game and gave up more runs which made it impossible to recover. Steven Kwan maintained his hitting streak at 11 games despite his team facing difficulties.

The Twins will face off against the Guardians with right-handed pitcher Chris Paddack while the Guardians counter with right-handed pitcher Tanner Bibee. Chris Paddack starts the game with a 0-3 win-loss record alongside a 6.45 ERA throughout 22 1/3 innings where he allowed 23 hits and 13 walks, gave up five home runs but struck out 20 batters. Bibee maintains a 2-2 win-loss record and sports a 5.19 ERA after pitching 26 innings that saw him allow 24 hits and 14 walks while giving up eight home runs as he recorded 20 strikeouts.

Byron Buxton and Ty France spearhead the Twins offense through six home runs and 17 RBIs and a .248 batting average respectively. Kyle Manzardo with his seven homers and 18 RBIs provides the offensive backbone for the Guardians while Steven Kwan tops the team with a .345 batting average.

I will take the Twins here on Tuesday as they look to extend their win streak.  

Jim's Play: Minnesota Twins

The Chicago Cubs will start a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh when first pitch begins at 6:40 p.m. ET. The first matchup between National League Central rivals occurs this season.

The Cubs boast a 17-12 win-loss record while maintaining a 1.5-game lead in the NL Central standings. The Chicago Cubs suffered two defeats in their recent three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies and lost the final matchup with a 3-1 extra-inning defeat. Chicago's offense has shown strong performance this season by averaging 5.9 runs per game and hitting .260 while maintaining a .340 on-base percentage. Kyle Tucker stands out with seven home runs and 25 RBIs as the team leader.

The Cubs pitcher will be left-handed Shota Imanaga who has won two games and lost one and maintains a 3.18 ERA across 34 innings on the mound. 

The Pirates currently hold an 11-18 record and are seeking to recover from their recent series loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Pittsburgh lost their most recent game with a final score of 9-2 although Andrew McCutchen completed four successful hits in four at-bats. The Pirates have been unsuccessful offensively with an average of 3.5 runs per game and a team batting average of .224. Oneil Cruz tops the team with eight home runs and 16 RBIs.

The Pirates will send left-handed pitcher Andrew Heaney to the mound who has performed well this season with a 2-1 win-loss record and a 1.72 ERA across 31.1 innings. In his time on the mound Heaney gave up 18 hits while striking out 31 batters and walking six during his pitching appearances.

Heaney makes the Pirates a live dog here on Tuesday. The Cubs faltered a bit in their series with the Phillies and that may just carry over to Tuesday's contest.

Jim's Play: Pittsburgh Pirates

The Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners will face off against each other on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at T-Mobile Park in Seattle starting at 6:40 PM PDT. This game brings together two American League West rivals who are performing in contrasting ways.

The Mariners maintain their AL West lead with a 16-12 record after winning 12 of their last 16 matches on a hot streak. During their last 10 games the Mariners averaged 6.8 runs per contest while Cal Raleigh hit 10 homers for the team and Jorge Polanco led with 20 RBIs. Seattle's pitching staff has performed well during this period by maintaining a 3.79 ERA.

The Angels have performed poorly in their recent matches by losing five out of their last six games which resulted in them holding the bottom position in the AL West with a record of 12-15. The team's offense has been extremely weak as they scored only 28 runs in their last 13 games and maintained a .180 batting average. Despite Mike Trout's seven home runs and 18 RBIs which lead the Angels the team continues to struggle with delivering consistent run support.

Seattle's Bryce Miller will face Los Angeles' Jack Kochanowicz on Tuesday's pitching matchup. Miller maintains a respectable 4.21 ERA despite a 1-3 win-loss record and shows home game effectiveness with a 3.38 ERA at T-Mobile Park. Jack Kochanowicz has recorded a 1-3 win-loss record and a 5.47 ERA while facing difficulties in holding opposing teams back.

The Mariners are on a hot run while the Halos have cooled off.  I do like Miller here today also over Kochanowicz.  

Jim's Play; Seattle Mariners.