SFTC and SIU picks for Feb. 20

Well darn it, my picks haven't gone quite as planned.  That's what happens when you make or suggest more picks though: your winning percentage goes down just by nature of you picking more.  I've thought about just posting my top 2 picks of the day, but I wanted to give at least one or two from each sport in order to help a  larger number of people, especially people who may not be interested in the same sports as I am.

The key to winning Streak for the Cash is to be patient.  The temptation is so strong to pick multiple times a day, trying to build and increase your streak as fast as possible.  Remember, slow and steady wins the race!  If you're careful and patient about your picks, your chances of building a long streak increase dramatically.  I have definitely not mastered this principle yet, but creating this blog and really analyzing my top picks is really helping.  Here I come in March!

What I think I'll do from now on is just give my top pick from each sport.  That way you will have a larger variety than just my top two overall picks, and I won't have to spend so much time analyzing multiple picks and have the chance of bringing down my win percentage.

So for tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 21, the following are my top picks.  Those marked with a * (or a very similar prop) are also featured on Streak It Up.

NCAAM:  
*My Top Pick:  California 3 pointers made over Oregon's winning margin or tie
Reasons:  California is on fire lately!  They have beaten Arizona, UCLA, and even beat Oregon once already on Feb. 2.  Their 3pt % is not great, but they should make at least 5, and I expect this to be a close game.  I would not be surprised at all if Cal wins.
Confidence:  70%

NBA:
*My Top Pick:  Miami Heat over the Chicago Bulls
Reasons:  Miami is clearly the best team in the Eastern Conference, and still being without D Rose, the Bulls will have a hard time winning this game or evening making it far come playoffs.  I think the game will be close, but Lebron is just tearing it up right now and I like the Heat to win here.
Confidence:  70%

NHL:
My Top Pick:  Philadelphia Flyers over the Florida Panthers
Reasons:  The Flyers seem to have gotten back on track after a dismal start to the season.  They have recently beaten the Islanders and the Penguins.  They should continue their streak in this game, especially being at home.  The Panthers have been inconsistent at best, more so on the road than at home.
Confidence:  70%

Soccer:
*My Top Pick:  Metalist Kharkiv to advance over Newcastle United
Reasons:  The aggregate is tied at 0 - 0, but Metalist is at home, and the odds clearly favor them.  Nearly 90% of picks are on Newcastle though, which is very confusing.  There aren't many good soccer picks for today, so this is the one I feel the best about.
Confidence:  50%

Golf:
My Top Pick:  Tiger Woods to win the match during holes 10 - 16 against Charles Howell III
Reasons:  Tiger is simply the better golfer.  6 holes is not a lot to win a match by, but I would expect Tiger to be up by at least 1 stroke, and that's all it takes.
Confidence:  60%

Good luck with your picks everyone and please subscribe to this blog, join my groups on SFTC and SIU, and most importantly, spread the word to your friends!