Sports Handicapper Jim Feist's Picks & Predictions

The Washington Nationals face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third match of their four-game series at PNC Park on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. The series stands at one win for each team after the Pirates dominated the initial game 10–3 and the Nationals won game two with a 3–0 shutout.

The Washington Nationals will send left-handed pitcher Mitchell Parker (2–0, 1.96 ERA) to start the game. In his initial starts Parker has demonstrated strong performance granting only four earned runs through 18.1 innings. During his most recent game versus the Miami Marlins he pitched six innings and allowed three runs along with five hits. The Nationals secured victories in all three appearances where he started during this season. James Wood has taken center stage offensively by hitting his sixth leadoff home run of the season during Tuesday's game. Nathaniel Lowe and Nasim Nunez delivered multiple hits during their team's last game.

Bailey Falter will start as the left-handed pitcher for the Pirates with career stats of 0–2 and a 7.20 ERA. Falter has experienced difficulties in his recent starts by permitting 12 total runs (eight earned) across 10 innings pitched. Pittsburgh's offensive performance shows inconsistency as they rank among the last teams in both batting average and home runs. The team managed to get four singles but could not advance any runners beyond second base in their defeat on Tuesday.

The Nationals seem positioned to dominate the series thanks to Parker's excellent performance and the offensive difficulties faced by the Pirates. Fluctuating performances from both teams ensure that the final result cannot yet be predicted.

Take: Nationals

The Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers will play Game 2 of their three-game series on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The Texas Rangers gained a 1-0 series lead thanks to their 4-0 triumph during the opening game.

José Soriano (2-1, 2.70 ERA) will take his position on the mound for the Angels. Throughout the season Soriano has maintained strong performance by permitting only four earned runs through 20 innings and limiting opposing players to a batting average of .182. In his latest game he worked through 7 2/3 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays where he surrendered one run with five hits allowed. During his career, Soriano has played against the Rangers three times and achieved a one-win record while maintaining a 0.93 ERA across 9 2/3 innings.

Veteran left-hander Patrick Corbin (0-0, 6.75 ERA) will take the mound for the Rangers. Corbin started his season against the Chicago Cubs on April 8 and gave up three runs while allowing five hits across four innings. Throughout his three appearances against the Angels he has maintained a career record of 1-0 with an earned run average of 6.00.

Mike Trout leads the Angels' offense with six home runs and fourteen RBIs while Jorge Soler contributes with a batting average of .298 and a slugging percentage of .561. The Rangers offense includes Corey Seager with a .255 batting average and .436 slugging percentage while Jonah Heim contributes three home runs and seven RBIs.

Both teams are dealing with injuries. Injuries have sidelined Angels shortstop Zach Neto with a shoulder issue along with third baseman Yoan Moncada who has a thumb injury and pitcher Ben Joyce who also has a shoulder injury. Wyatt Langford the left fielder who has an oblique injury along with pitchers Cody Bradford who suffers from an elbow issue and Jack Leiter dealing with a finger injury are currently out of roster play for the Rangers.

The Angels look ready to tie up the series because of Soriano's impressive performance and their determination to recover from their recent shutout defeat. 

Take: LA Angels

The Chicago Cubs will face the San Diego Padres for the final game of their three-game series on Wednesday April 16, 2025 at Petco Park. The current series stands at an even one win for each team after the Padres won the first game 10-4 and the Cubs took the second 2-1 in extra innings on Tuesday night.

Wednesday's pitching matchup features two in-form starters: The upcoming game on Wednesday pits Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd against Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta. The game begins with both pitchers holding identical 1.59 ERAs after 17 innings pitched. Boyd has achieved 17 strikeouts and issued seven walks in his starts while Pivetta has managed to strike out 18 batters and walk four players. During their April 5 match-up against the Padres, Boyd maintained a scoreless run over six innings while Pivetta conceded three runs across three innings.

Fernando Tatis Jr. leads the Padres offensively with a .354 batting average and has hit six home runs while accumulating 12 RBIs. San Diego keeps a strong lineup even without Jackson Merrill and Jake Cronenworth because of their injuries. The Cubs respond with Kyle Tucker who has recorded five home runs and 18 RBIs and Nico Hoerner who hit the winning triple in Tuesday's extra-inning game.

The teams have shown solid performance right at the start of this season. The Padres maintain a 14-4 record showing their home field advantage while the Cubs stand strong with a 12-8 record through road game performance. 

This looks to be another close match on Wednesday. Boyd had the edge in the first meeting and I look for him to continue that today.

Play: Chicago Cubs. 

The high-stakes NBA Play-In Tournament match between the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls will take place at the United Center in Chicago on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. The winner of this match will play against the team the Atlanta Hawks, who lost to the Orlando Magic 95-120 on Tuesday. This game will determine the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot.

The Bulls hold a slight edge as they proceed into the game with a 9th seed secured by their 39-43 record while the Heat stand as the 10th seed with 37 wins and 45 losses. The Chicago Bulls won all three matchups with Miami this season including a recent home win of 119-111. The Bulls have shown exceptional performance by winning 10 of their most recent 13 games while scoring an average of 117.8 points per contest which places them sixth in team scoring within the league. The team's performance relies heavily on Coby White and Nikola Vucevic while rookie Matas Buzelis stands out for his shooting prowess from three-point range.

The Miami Heat encountered difficulties during this season which intensified after Jimmy Butler's trade. Following the All-Star break Miami Heat have compiled a 12-17 record while their offensive play has dropped to an average of 110.6 points per game. The Miami Heat stand as a strong defensive team since they permit only 110.0 points per game which positions them seventh in NBA defensive rankings. The Miami Heat have Tyler Herro as their top scorer and playmaker while Bam Adebayo acts as their defensive leader. The Heat's roster depth has been compromised due to multiple players remaining on day-to-day injury lists.

The outcome likely depend on whether Bulls guard Josh Giddey can play after his forearm injury recovery. Giddey is currently listed as probable for tonight's contest.  The Chicago Bulls have thrived recently due to Giddey who recorded averages of 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 9.3 assists during his last 19 games. 

With Giddey likely to play, I like the Bulls at home to just win this game on Wednesday.

Take: Chicago Bulls 

The Sacramento Kings will host the Dallas Mavericks for a Western Conference Play-In Tournament match at Golden 1 Center on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. The winner of this crucial game will secure a position in the final playoff slot.

The Mavericks have struggled through a tough season since the loss of Luka Doncic after their trade decision left them with a 39-43 record. The Mavericks suffered a major setback when Kyrie Irving sustained a season-ending injury. The Mavericks offense has underperformed with an average of 114.2 points per game and they failed to reach 105 points in four of their most recent five matches. Anthony Davis, acquired in the Don?i? Anthony Davis has played a vital role in the Mavericks' offense but remains listed as probable because of his left adductor strain. Klay Thompson has delivered scoring help as a veteran leader but the team does not have a reliable offensive leader.

The Kings who have a current record of 40-42 have displayed more consistency by winning four of their past six matches. Domantas Sabonis and his teammates DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine push their team to an average score of 115.7 points per game offensively. The team demonstrated defensive progress by permitting under 102 points during both of their last two regular-season contests. Their home game performance contributes to their advantage in this matchup.

The matchup between the Mavericks who have recently struggled offensively and the defensively improving Kings is expected to produce low-scoring results. The total line stands at 215.5 points but the under side seems to be advantageous when analyzing team tendencies together with the play-in game pressure. The game promises to be a close competition with Kings likely to win with a final score between 110 to 103.

Take: UNDER the Total