SFTC Picks for Tuesday, March 26

It was a really busy weekend for us, and we're back to normal with SFTC picks write-ups.  We had a great weekend on Tournament Challenge, and College Hoops Pick'em, in which game we are only 7 points behind the leader and in the 100th percentile.  Check out our Basketball Games tab above to see our basketball site, our games records, and most importantly, news and write-ups for all basketball games.

Thank you to everyone who voted on our poll question.  It is really fun for us to get your impressions and input on these questions.  Erin Andrews was the overwhelming favorite sports personality.  We invite you to check out the new poll and provide us with your input.  We also invite you to follow us on Twitter and join our groups for Streak for the Cash and Streak It Up.
And if you have time, take a look at our other sports blog, the James Lee Sports Report. 

There are not many really great picks on the board today, so if you have a high streak, we suggest you sit out the day.  Here are our picks for all props:

1. Tennis:  Any Other Result
• The gritty veteran takes on the flashy newcomer in this match as David Ferrer takes on Kei Nishikori. They have split their four previous matches with Ferrer taking the most recent victory at the Aussie Open. Ferrer is known for his dogged play and chasing down everything hit his way. Nishikori can play finesse and power tennis which makes him dangerous but at times he seems to lose focus in a match. With that being said, Ferrer will be the victor because in the end he'll make less mistakes and play the smarter game.
  
• Confidence: 55%
  
2. Soccer:  Portugal, Win by 2+ Goals
• How many of you have heard of Branimir Subashic? Well he is the leading goal scorer for the Azerbaijan National Soccer Team.  Now how many of you have heard of Cristiano Ronaldo? Yeah, I don't really need to explain to anyone who he is.  He is the pretty boy who is considered by just about everyone the best soccer player in the world, if it wasn't for Lionel Messi.  So what, he is the second best player in the world and the best player for the Portugal National team.  Azerbaijan is currently ranked #116 in the FIFA rankings and  Portugal is ranked #7.  There is really no question in my mind that Portugal will win, but will they win by 2+ goals? Last time they played in September they won 3-0.  I am gonna say that the Portuguese are a little bit better than that other country that I don't want to type again since it is so hard to spell, so I gotta pick Portugal.
• Confidence: 60%
3. MLB:  St. Louis Cardinals
• The Cardinals have won 2, and the Mets 3, of the previous 5 meetings between these two teams this spring.  The team with the tie option has never won this type of prop, and it has been featured numerous times.  Will this be the one time the tie option wins?
• Confidence:  60%
4. Soccer:  France, Win or Draw
• Spain is the best team in the world, there is no question about that.  They are the current world and European champions.  Spain is ranked #1 in the world, and France is all the way down at #17.  When they last played in October the game ended in a 1-1 draw.  That match was in Spain, this match will be in France.  Spain drew with Finland just last week and even though they completely controlled the game, they were only able to score once.  I know that it is only one player, but I think not having Xavi Hernandez in the midfield disrupts the flow of the team.  I think this game too will end in a draw, therefore, I have to pick France. 
• Confidence: 40%
5. NCAAW:  North Carolina 3-pointers made
• Delaware is a good team, and they will have home-court advantage for this game.  I think North Carolina will win the game, but it should be a close game.
• Confidence:  60%
6. NHL:  Carolina Hurricanes
• The Hurricanes are on a 5-game losing streak, and will be very motivated to win this game.  The Jets are at the top of their division and with this game begin an extended road trip.  This could be a tossup though since Carolina is under .500 at home and Winnipeg is exactly .500 on the road.
• Confidence:  50%
7. NBA:  New York Knicks
• The Celtics are in a very tough spot right now.  They have lost 4 straight games and if they are not careful, they may slip down to the dreaded 8th spot in the East.  If they fall to 8th, that means a meeting with Miami in round one, which is basically team suicide.  So the C's are desperate.  The Knicks on the other hand have won 4 straight and are fighting with Indiana for the #2 seed.  Without Kevin Garnett in the lineup, I have to give the advantage to the Knicks.
• Confidence:  60%
8. *NCAAM:  Alabama Crimson Tide
• Alabama is favored by 4 in this game, which is a very favorable line for a straight up pick.  The game is at Alabama, which makes the pick even more favorable.  Both of these teams have been playing well in this tournament, but it's hard to ignore this line and home-court advantage for Alabama.
• Confidence:  70%
9. NBA:  Minnesota Timberwolves
• Why the T-Wolves? Well, it's simply, they are just a little bit less crappy than the Pistons.  The Pistons had lost 10 in a row before beating the equally awful Bobcats by 1 point.  Yes this game is in Detroit, but a 1 point win over the Bobcats is not enough for me to think the Pistons have overcome their losing ways. 
• Confidence:  60%
10. NHL:  Tampa Bay Lightning
• I'm hoping that a mid-season coaching change will help the Lighting get back on track and be able to make the playoffs.  The main reason for the coaching change seems to be because of their recent form, as they have lost 11 of their last 15 and each of their last 3.  I'm hoping they will come out strong at home and win this one for their new coach.
• Confidence:  50%
11. *NHL:  Philadelphia Flyers
• The Flyers have a pretty good home record of 9 - 4.  The Rangers are only mediocre on the road, at 5 - 7.  Neither of these teams have been spectacular, and have pretty similar results.  I'm feeling the Flyers in this one, but pick at your own risk, as this seems like a total tossup.
• Confidence:  50%
12. NCAAW:  Any Other Result
• There is no doubt that Baylor will win this game, but I really think Florida State can cover the 35 point margin.  This is a home game for Baylor, but they only beat the #16 seed by 42 when the line was 60+.  
• Confidence:  70%
13. Soccer:  Mexico Win
• Let me break this down for you: the United States has won a grand total of one game, that is right, one game ever on a soccer pitch in Mexico.  Mexico is the US team's biggest rival, but that is like saying in the Duke and North Carolina rivalry that Duke has only beaten UNC once ever on Carolina's court.  I don't know why that is but the United States simply cannot beat Mexico in Mexico.  Yeah I know they won the last time they played there, but that was a friendly and nothing was on the line.  This is a World Cup qualifier.  The United States has not looked good in the past two games of the "hex."  They lost to Honduras 2-1 and beat Costa Rica in the snow 1-0.  But that game shouldn't count, I mean, the players from Costa Rica had probably never seen snow in their entire lives, how can we expect them to play a match in a blizzard?  I simply do not see how the United States is going to win this game, especially with their backup keeper in the net.     
• Confidence:  70%

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