Basketball site news, SFTC picks for 3/17

What a great day of basketball yesterday!  I can't wait for the bracket to be released and for March Madness to get into full swing!  If you haven't already, check out the basketball page of The Fantasy Sports Center.  A lot of new content will be posted once the bracket is released, so check back often so that you will have the latest help and advice for creating your perfect bracket!  

A new poll has been created, so please take time to vote and make your voice known.  We thank everyone who voted on the previous poll and the results revealed that most people's favorite sport was either basketball or football.

Our top 3 "stash" picks are:

1. NCAAM:  St. Louis Bilikens
2. Tennis:  Maria Sharapova wins 2 - 0
3. NCAAM:  No Tennessee does not make the field

Our picks for all props:

1. *Soccer:  Norwich City Win or Draw
• The Canaries won the first meeting this year 2-1 at their home and now return to play Sunderland.  Norwich leads Sunderland by 3 points in the table.  Both teams are hoping to get points in as many matches as possible at this point in the season to ensure they avoid relegation.  I could see this match going either way and would not be surprised to see a 0-0 draw since both teams struggle to score.
• Confidence 40%
2. NHL:  Pittsburgh Penguins
• The Penguins won in dramatic fashion the last time these two teams played, scoring 3 goals in the third period after being down 0 - 2.  This game is a battle for the lead of the Eastern conference, and both of these teams are high-caliber teams.  The Penguins are undefeated in the month of March, and since their at home, their winning streak should continue.
• Confidence: 60%
3. *NCAAM:  North Carolina
• The Miami Hurricanes have never made it to the ACC conference tournament final game.  North Carolina has a long history in this tournament.  They have made it to the championship game 32 times and have won it 17 times.  They have been runner up the previous two seasons. Miami has beaten North Carolina both times they played this season, and are favored by 3 in this game, but I think North Carolina gets revenge here.  They would love nothing more than to spoil Miami's run and shot at a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
• Confidence:  50%
4. *NCAAM:  St. Louis Bilikens
• St. Louis is a great basketball team.  VCU is as well, but St. Louis beat them by 14 at home and are favored by 3 in this game.  VCU is great on defense and force a lot of turnovers, but St. Louis takes very good care of the basketball.  They tied for the lowest number of turnovers against VCU at 8.  Watch out for St. Louis when it comes time to fill out your brackets!
• Confidence:  70%
5. *NCAAM:  Ole Miss win/single digit loss
• Both of these teams have had a great run through their conference tournament.  Florida beat Ole Miss by 14 at home during the regular season and is favored by 11 in this game.  However, Ole Miss wants to seal the deal on making the NCAA tournament, and winning this game is the only sure way to do that.  They should still make the tournament, but they don't want to leave any doubt.  Marshall Henderson has been outstanding for Ole Miss and should help them keep the game close, if not win.
• Confidence:  70%
6. Other:  Toyota
• The Any Other Manufacturer pick has won the last few times a prop like this has been featured on Streak for the Cash.  In the latest race result, Toyota came in 1, 3, 4, along with a few other lower finishes.  Toyota's top drivers are Kyle Bush, Denny Hamlin, and Brian Vickers, who have all been driving well of late.
• Confidence: 50%
7. Soccer:  Houston Dynamo Win or Draw
• The Dynamo have been to two straight MLS Cup finals.  They are led by midfielder for the USMNT Ricardo Clark.  The Dynamo have been one of the more consistent teams over the previous few seasons.  I expect the Dynamo to win, although as I have mentioned on previous picks, it is still early in the MLS season and it is not always clear which team will come out ahead, so pick with caution.
• Confidence 50%
8. Golf:  Any Other Golfer
• The two golfers mentioned are nearly at the top of the leader board, but there are so many other golfers that are tied with them that is is very unlikely that either of them would win.  I mean the odds are definitely against them, just because of the number of other golfers that are currently tied with them.   
• Confidence: 60%
9. Tennis:  Maria Sharapova wins 2 - 0
• This has been a back and forth match up in the past with Sharapova holding the head to head match up 4-2. Wozniaki has struggled recently, especially against the top women and that will be a factor in tomorrow's match. Sharapova carries a lot of firepower in her game and Wozniaki struggles to stay in games where her opponent can overpower her. As long as Sharapova can serve effectively and plays her game, this match ends in two sets.
• Confidence: 65%
10. NCAAM:  Ohio State Buckeyes
• Ohio State is going for their third Big10 tournament championship in four years.  They have the most championship appearances of any other team at 8.  Each team won at home during the regular season, and Ohio State is favored by 2 in this game.  From how we've seen these teams play, this should be a great, hard-fought game.  It could really go either way, but Ohio State has more experience in this situation, so they should pull out the victory.
• Confidence:  60%
11. *NHL:  Ottawa Senators
• The Senators keep finding ways to win, despite all of their injuries.  The Jets are very solid, but Ottawa is at home this game, and the Jet's goalie has lost 4 consecutive starts againt the Senators.
• Confidence: 50%
12. Tennis:  Any Other Result
• This is more than a rematch of the MSG exhibition match. From all we've seen so far Nadal is back in form. Yes his knee isn't perfect and won't ever be, but he can still play dominating tennis. Del Potro is coming off a big upset over Djokovic by playing the power game he is known for which netted him the 2009 U.S. Open. The feeling is that he won't be able to keep up that level of play against Nadal. Being taller and having a solid two-handed backhand he'll be able to corral the Nadal forehand but in the end it will be Nadal who claims the victory in three sets.
• Confidence: 70%
13. NCAAM:  No Tennessee does not make the field
• Tennessee is purely at the mercy of the selection committee.  They had to win some marquee matchups in the SEC tournament, but failed to do so.  Instead they lost to Alabama, another bubble team, by 10.  Their only somewhat quality wins were against Kentucky and Missouri.  Kentucky definitely will not make the field though, so it's not looking good at all for Tennessee. I will be totally shocked if they make the field.
• Confidence:  80%
14. NCAAM:  No Virginia does not make the field
• Virginia has a couple high-quality wins against Duke and Wisconsin, but they also have some horribly bad losses, the worst of which being against Old Dominion.  Joe Lunardi is historically extremely good at predicting who will make the field, and he has Virginia on the almost definite out list.  Their numbers are very typical of an NIT tournament team, which is where they will most likely go.
• Confidence:  70%
15. *NHL:  Washington Capitals
• The North-east worst Sabres have not won a road game since Feb. 28.  They have also struggled at home, losing to Ottawa last night.  The Capitals on the other hand have been mediocre at home, but should have enough to squeeze out a victory here.
• Confidence: 60%
16. NBA:  Minnesota Timberwolves
• T-Wolves wins + Hornets wins < the wins wins of the tops of 5 in the west.  The Wolves have 22 wins this season, the Hornets have 22 wins.  The top 5 teams in the west have more than their combined win total of 44.  So lets just say if you choose to watch and partake of this exciting game, it should be a very very mediocre matchup.  So enjoy.  But anyways, the Wolves are playing at home, so I give them the advantage.
• Confidence: 65%
17. *NHL:  Edmonton Oilers
• The Predators beat the Oilers at home 6 - 0 on March 8.  Since then they are only 1 - 2 - 1 in their last four.  The Oilers have surged a bit lately, and their starting goalie is 3 - 2 - 1 with a 2.19 GAA against Nashville.  I'm giving the edge to the Oilers in this one since they're at home.
• Confidence: 50%
18. Other:  3 runs or more
• Puerto Rico has not scored many runs at all during the first 3 innings of games.  Japan on the other hand, at least against the Netherlands, has scored a ton in the first 3 innings.  These WBC props are so hard to predict though!
• Confidence:  50%
19. Other:  2 or more batters strike out in the 6th inning
• Again, WBC props are so unpredictiable, but in a normal MLB game, 2 or more would be pretty likely.  This is just a toss up prop, so pick at your own risk.
• Confidence:  50%

Props marked with a * are also featured on Streak It Up.