We're back with SFTC picks for July 1.

Well everyone, after a long absence, we're back!  We hope you had a great month in June.  We personally got to a win 15 last month.  Of course its cliche, but we plan on winning the stash in July!  It will be tough, because there are not many sports besides baseball, but hopefully we can do.  And hopefully we can help you in the process!  

We can really use your help to get the word out again.  As I stated earlier, school is keeping me busy and requiring a lot of time, and it's important that I focus enough there so that I can finish well.  I will try my very best to post every day, but at least you'll know the reason why if I'm not able to post.

So let's get to the important stuff: sports!  What a crazy NBA draft that was and a great Confederations cup!  June had some great props and awesome sports stories and events.  Hopefully July brings more of the same!

Our top stash picks:

1. Tennis:  Serena Williams
2. MLB:  Cincinnati Reds

Our picks for every prop:

1. Other:  Any Other Cyclist
• I'll be honest, I don't know much about cycling, but from the research I've done, there are a lot of cyclists that are very capable of winning this stage.  The any other cylist option has won every time this year, although that's not saying too much since there have only been two props so far.  I'll just take my chances with large number of cyclists over one.
• Confidence: 65%
2. Tennis:  Serena Williams
• I can't think of a single reason to even consider not taking Serena in this match.  According to flashscore.com, these two have only met twice, with Serena winning the first meeting in straight sets and the second at 4 games to 1 in the first set because Lisicki retired.  This is basically a free green, so why would you not take it?
• Confidence:  100%
3. Tennis:  Any Other Result
• This one's a little bit tough, because I think both options could win.  Djokovic has won every match of this year's Wimbeldon in straight sets.  Haas has been playing very well lately as well.  Djokovic owns the head-to-head record at 6 - 3.  Haas did beat him at Wimbeldon in 2009 and in straight sets in Miami (though that was hardcourt).  Overall, I just think any other result has the better chance of winning this one, and the first set will be Haas best chance of winning a set.
• Confidence: 60%
4. Tennis:  Yes 1+ breaks of serve in the first set
• This prop is also a little tough, and I don't think the yes option is as much of a lock as everyone says it is.  It is important to note that a tiebreak does not count toward this prop!!  The last time a similar prop was featured was for the first four games of the first set between Djokovic and Reynolds a few days ago.  Nearly everyone picked yes, and there were no breaks of serve in those 4 games.  In fact there were none in the entire first set.  Will the same thing happen in this match? Who knows, but I hope so.
• Confidence: 50%
5. MLB:  Detroit Tigers
• The Tigers have been struggling lately, plain and simple.  They've gone 1 - 5 in their last 6, including going 5 for 42 with runners in scoring position over their last 5.  The Blue Jays are favored, but are without Cabrera and Lawrie.  I think the Tigers will get out of their funk today, and I just don't trust Dickey because he's been very inconsistent this year.  
• Confidence: 65%
6. Tennis:  3 or 4 games
• Right now I think this is the best option.  My pick may change after watching the first two sets though, so be sure to come back and check for updates.
• Confidence: 55%
7. Soccer: Sligo Win
• These teams have played 7 times.  They have drawn 4, including the latest match, and Sligo has won the other 3.  Sligo is defintely favored in this match, and has had the better form of late.  I'm not super confident about this one though.
• Confidence: 50%
8. MLB:  Cincinnati Reds
• Let's face it, the Giants have been awful lately.  They finally got a win last night, but have only won 4 of their last 15 games.  The Reds have struggled a bit on the road as well, but are back at home now are clear favorites at -170.  They send Arroyo to the mound who is 6 - 6 with a 3.61 ERA on the season, and is 4 - 2 with a 1.72 ERA over his last 9 starts against the Giants.   The Giants counter with the rookie Mike Kickham, who is just 0 - 2 with a whopping 10.57 ERA.  
• Confidence: 80%
9. MLB:  No, neither gets a hit in their first at-bat
• Honestly, this is a toss-up prop.  I think Votto definitely has the better chance to get a hit, given Arroyo's histroy against the Giants and Kickham's numbers.  Votto does walk a good amount of the time though, so I'll take my chance with neither getting a hit.
• Confidence: 50%
10. MLB:  Miami Marlins
• The Marlins have really started to turn their season around.  After a miserable first two months of the season, they have won 7 of their last 9 and went 15 - 10 in June.  Their rookie Jose Fernandez has been a big part of the success.  He went 2 - 1 with a 1.67 ERA in five starts in June, and is 2 - 0 with a 1.76 ERA over his last seven starts at home, limiting batters to a .189 batting average.  Miami is favored at -128, and I like them to keep their winning streak going. 
• Confidence: 70%
11. MLB:  No, no home runs during innings 3 - 5
• As of now I'm going with no.  Yes, the Great American Ballpark is in the top 5 for most home runs hit, but I'm just not feeling it with these teams.  If one is hit, I would expect it to be hit by the Reds, not the Giants.  I may change my mind after the first two innings though.  
• Confidence: 45%
12. MLB:  Tampa Bay Rays
• Matt Moore has a very good record, but his control has definitely been lacking at times.  He's among the worst in the AL for walks, but they've been able to overcome that, and I don't think Houston will present too much of a problem.  The Rays are the favorites at -168.  
• Confidence: 70%
13. MLB:  New York Yankees
• The Yankees really struggled at the end of June, but they won't stay down forever.  Pettite has lost his last three starts, but has won his previous 10 starts against the Twins.  He is 5 - 6 with a 4.22 ERA on the season.  The Twins counter with Scott Diamond who is 5 - 7 with a 5.40 ERA on the season, but he is 2 - 5 with a 6.21 ERA at home this season, and last month was definitely his worst of the year.  I wouldn't be surprised to see the Twins won, but I trust Pettite more.
• Confidence: 60%
14. MLB:  2 runs or more
• I'm feeling the over right now, but definitely come back or pay attention to our tweets for updates.  
• Confidence: 50%

News for lack of posts

Just want to let everyone know that due to my deciding to take classes this summer, and a hectic work schedule, I have been absent from making picks for a while.  I will try my best to post my picks for the remaining days in June, but will definitely do what I can to post every day in July.

I did get up to a Win 15 this month, which was awesome.  Having this blog has really helped me get a feel for the game.  I wish you the best of luck with your picks the remainder of this month!  Again, I'll try my best to post again soon.

SFTC Picks for Thursday, June 13

We send our apologies for the lack of picks yesterday.  Although, maybe it's a good thing we didn't make picks because yesterday was truly awful.  Pretty much everyone atop the leaderboard lost, and the higher percentage on nearly every prop lost!  

If you haven't heard, in all likelihood the golf props tomorrow will be pushed or cancelled due to almost guaranteed rain.  So don't plan your day around the golf props.  Anyway, here we go!

Our top stash picks:

1. MLB:  Tampa Bay Rays
2. NBA:  4 or more

Our picks for every prop:

1. Golf:  Keegan Bradley or tie
• It's interesting that this prop is for holes 11 - 1.  It shouldn't make much difference, I mean it's still 9 holes.  It's reported that Mickleson will not arrive until early tomorrow morning and so will not have much preparation time, and unless he sleeps well on the plane, will most likely be tired.  The tie option wins a good amount of the time, and I think that these two are similar enough in talent that I'll take the tie option.
• Confidence: 70%
2. Soccer:  FC Honka Win or Draw
• FC Honka is 3rd in the league table with 6 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses, and a GD of +2.  Turku PS is 5th in the league table with 5 wins, 1 draw, 4 losses, and a GD of 0.  Turku did just beat Honka at home 2 - 0 back in April, but Honka has been in excellent form recently, winning their last 5 league matches.  Honka is also higher in the standings and has a better GD, so I'll take the draw option in this one.
• Confidence:  65%
3. Golf:  9 strokes or more
• For a description of this hole (hole 18) click here.  This is one of the toughest on the course, at 521 yards, and neither Mahan nor Watney are exactly birdie specialists.  I expect one of them to bogey.
• Confidence: 60%
4. Golf:  Yes Tiger gets at least 1 birdie on holes 1 - 4
• The best birdie opportunities are holes 1 and 2.  If he doesn't birdie one of these two, I think the prop is pretty much over.  Tiger didn't have a great showing in his last tournament, but I think he'll bounce back and I'll take the chance that he can net at least one birdie. 
• Confidence: 50%
5. Golf:  Any Other Score
• For a description of this hole, click here.  After reading the description, I'm inclined to think Van Pelt will bogey this hole.  I highly doubt a birdie will green the Any Other Score option, so this is basically a 4 vs 5+ prop.  Van Pelt hasn't been that impressive of late, so I'll take the 5+.
• Confidence: 50%
6. MLB:  Cincinnati Reds
• The Cubs have lost 8 of their last 10, and the Reds have won 19 of 22 against the Cubs, including the last 3 of this series.  They should continue their success against the Cubs and get the series sweep, especially with Matt Latos on the mound.  Latos is 6 - 0 with a 2.87 ERA while Samardizja is 3 - 7 with a 3.18 ERA.  The Reds are the favorite at -125 and lead the season series 10 - 2.
• Confidence: 70%
7. MLB:  Washington Nationals
• There is not much history between these teams this season as this is the first series between them this year.  The series is tied, as the Rockies won the first, and the Nationals won the second yesterday.  The Nationals send Detwiler to the mound who is 2 - 4 with a 2.76 ERA on the season.  The Rockies counter with Francis who is also 2 - 4 but with a 6.30 ERA on the season.  I'm not super confident about it, but I'm taking the Nationals here based on pitching.
• Confidence: 50%
8. MLB:  San Francisco Giants
• Although the Giants lost the first two games of this series, I'm going with the Giants today based on the pitching matchup.  Matt Cain has been pretty solid this year.  He is 4 - 3 with a 5.09 ERA on the season.  On the other side, Charlie Morton will make his season debut for the Pirates today.  The edge goes to Cain in this matchup, and I don't think the Giants will get swept.  The line is only Giants -108 though, so I wouldn't pick this game with a high streak.
• Confidence: 60%
9. MLB:  Tampa Bay Rays
• Here's an interesting stat for this game:  the home team has won 13 of the last 15 meetings.  Although on paper Hellickson looks worse than Santana, don't let it fool you.  Hellickson hasn't lost since April 25, and he averages 6.86 runs of support.  Santana on the other hand only averages 3.2 runs of support, has an ERA of 6.86 at Tropicana Field, and is just 2 - 5 in his last nine starts there.  The Rays are -141 favorites.
• Confidence: 75%
10. NBA:  San Antonio Spurs
• We took a chance on the Heat in their last game and boy were we wrong.  The Heat were taken behind the woodshed on Tuesday!  The game was already decided after the third quarter, and the Heat played as if they didn't care and didn't want to be there.  I mean they didn't even make a decent effort to defend the 3 point line after the Spurs made so many of them.  They were just embarrassed, plain and simple.  Although I don't think they lose by close to 40 points again tonight, I highly doubt they will win.  And as much as LeBron says he won't let it happen, it's not really up to him.  He's not the kind of player that can win games all by himself.  Anyway, to make a long story short, the Spurs are favored in this game, and should win again to increase their series lead to 3 - 1.  
• Confidence:  70%
11. NBA: Spurs 3 pointers made
• LeBron hasn't been scoring that much in the first halves of these finals games.  He only had 4 points in the first half on Tuesday.  The Spurs will probably make at least 6 3-pointers in the first half, and I just don't see LeBron making that many field goals in the first half.
• Confidence:  60%
12. NBA:  Yes at least one team makes their first FGA of the 2nd half
• Wow, talk about a tossup prop.  There is really no amount of research that can decide this one.  You might get a better sense of it by watching the first half, but even then, it really could go either way.  I'm just feeling the yes option.
• Confidence:  45%
13. NBA:  4 or more
• In game 1 there was 1 3-pointer made in the 4th quarter.  In game 2 there were 5 made in the 4th.  In game 3 there were 7 made in the 4th.  The total has increased every game.  While I don't think the Spurs will have as great of a shooting night as they did on Tuesday, between these two teams, they should be able to make 4 or more 3s pretty easily.  
• Confidence: 75%

SFTC Picks for Tuesday, June 11

Our top stash picks:

1. MLB:  St. Louis Cardinals

Our picks for every prop:

1. Soccer:  Japan Win
• Japan vs Iraq.  Historically two of America's biggest rivals.  Japan during WWII and Iraq well, since before I was born until now.  Good thing this is a soccer match and also a good thing that Japan is now America's buddy. So for that reason, I have to pick Japan.  Well, Japan is also ranked 32 in the world while Iraq is ranked 98.  So I think Japan should have the advantage, plus, they have Kagawa and Honda, who does Iraq have? 
• Confidence:  75%
2. Other:  North Carolina
3. Soccer:  Belarus Win
• Finland and Belarus. Neither team is a contender to win the world cup and both would be thrilled to qualify  but both are long shots.  Neither is ranked in the top 50 in the world, but Belarus is the better team and I expect them to win.  Now, 50 bucks to anyone who can point out Belarus on a map... anyone... anyone... yeah, I didn't think so.  
• Confidence:  50%
4. Soccer:  Armenia: Win, draw, lose by 1
• Denmark is currently ranked #20 in the world but did not do much to impress me at last summer's Euro Cup.  But the Danes should beat Armenia today, the only question is by how much.  I am not very confident on this pick because I don't know much about either team, but I just don't see Denmark dominating and winnin by 2+ goals. 
• Confidence:  50%
5. Soccer:  Ecuador Win or Draw
• This pick is 100% subject to change depending on whether or not Lionel Messi is in the starting lineup.  Messi came on in the last match around the 60th minute and made an immediate impact. Argentina should have won the game if it was not for an offsides call that was incorrect and disallowed the go ahead goal for the albiceleste.  Because of a red card in the last match, Gonzalo Higuain will not be able to play today, so if Messi and Higuain are not in the starting lineup it will be much harder for Argentina to take down a very very good team from Ecuador on their pitch.  They will have to send out some sort of lineup including Di Maria, Lavezzi, Aguero, Pastore, and whoever else Alejandro Sabella decides to put on the field tonight.  Now those players are all great and if they are playing well, can beat anyone in the world, but I think Argentina needs Messi today.  So wait to make your pick until the starting 11 is announced.  
• Confidence:  50%
6. MLB:  San Francisco Giants
7. MLB:  Los Angeles Angels
8. MLB:  Miami Marlins
9. MLB:  St. Louis Cardinals
10. MLB:  Boston Red Sox
11. Soccer: Costa Rica: Win, Draw, Lose by 1
• Mexico has not been impressive against their competition in the hex.  The barely beat Jamaica 1-0 and the drew with Panama.   They have not been able to score and well, soccer is simple, if you don't score, you can't win.  So with this prop I say, if you can't score, there ain't no way you win by 2+ goals.  So I think El Tri will win the match today, but not by 2 goals, and maybe not by any.  
• Confidence:  60%
12. MLB:  Cincinnati Reds
13. MLB:  Detroit Tigers
14. MLB:  Chicago White Sox
15. MLB:  Minnesota Twins
16. MLB:  Colorado Rockies
17. NBA: Miami Heat
• I am still confused about this series and I have not the slightest clue as to who has the upper hand.  But I pick the Heat based on one stat.  Of the 8 quarters that have been played, Miami has won 7 of them.  The Spurs won the 4th quarter of game 1 and were able to beat a team that looked like the better team the entire night.  And after seeing what the Heat did against the Spurs in game 2, even though tonight's game is in San Antonio, I have to pick the Heat.
• Confidence:  50%
18. NBA: Spurs: More 3PM in first half
• This is a toss up and I don't really don't have a stat to tell you why I am picking the Spurs.  Both teams average about seven 3's a game.  In game 2 both teams made ten 3's while in game 1 the Spurs made 7 and the Heat made 8.  The Spurs can get 3's from Green, Neal, Leonard, Parker, Bonner and other depending on who Pop puts on the floor.  The Heat can get triples from Chalmers, Miller, Bosh, Batier, Allen, James, also, just depends on who is out on the floor.  So I don't really have the answer for you. But my guts tells me to pick the Spurs, so maybe you should just listen to your gut.
• Confidence:  50%
19. MLB:  Oakland A's
20. Soccer: Panama: Win, Draw, or lose by 1 
• I realize that after the US beat Germany last week, many people were ready to give the US the 2014 World Cup trophy.  I think most people were expecting it to be Fed Ex'd to the States and a parade to soon follow.  But once the Von Trapps got back into the hex, they looked more like I expected them to look, kinda blah.  There is nothing about the USMNT that makes me think they can beat anyone.  I want nothing more than to see my country do well in my favorite sport, but I simply don't see the potential.  Yes they beat Germany's "B" team, yes they beat Jamaica in stoppage time (which was actually very thrilling), but do I think they can beat Panama by 2+ goals, no I do not.  
• Confidence:  60%
21. MLB:  Atlanta Braves
22. MLB:  Los Angeles Dodgers
23. NBA: 93 Points or Fewer 
• I'm not gonna say much about this prop.  Watch the first half and then decide for yourself.  I can't make a prediction before seeing how the two teams look in the first half.  We may tweet about this prop later, so keep your eyes on the twitter account.  
• Confidence: 50%

SFTC picks for Monday, June 10

Hey everyone, we hope you had a good day yesterday.  We had some solid greens for you, including our top stash pick. Today doesn't look so good.  I would probably sit the day out with anything at or above a W5, but that's just me.  At any rate, here are our picks.  Sorry we don't have full writeups, but its late again. We'll try and have full writeups for Tuesday.  Good luck!

Our top stash picks:

1. MLB:  9 or fewer
2. MLB:  Atlanta Braves

Our picks for every prop:

1. Other:  South Africa
2. Soccer:  Portugal Win
3. Soccer:  No Croatia doesn't score in the first half
4. Soccer:  Dundalk Win or Draw
5. Other:  North Carolina Tar Heels
6. MLB:  Boston Red Sox
7. MLB:  Yes at least one pitcher throws 14+ pitches in 1st inning
8. MLB:  Miami Marlins
9. MLB:  No XBH in 3rd inning
10. MLB:  Chicago Cubs
11. MLB:  Texas Rangers
12. MLB:  Toronto Blue Jays
13. MLB:  Detroit Tigers
14. MLB:  9 or fewer
15. MLB:  No run scored in the 8th inning
16. MLB:  Atlanta Braves

SFTC Picks for Sunday, June 9

I didn't get around to posting the remaining picks yesterday, so sorry about that.  It's been a busy weekend, and it's already late at night, so I won't be doing full writeups.  Instead I'll just give my picks.  Good luck!

Our top stash pick:

1. Soccer:  Netherlans U21 Win

Our picks for every prop:

1. Soccer:  Egypt Win
2. Tennis:  Any Other Result
3. Soccer:  Netherlans U21 Win
4. Other:  South Carolina loses by 1 or wins
5. MLB:  Texas Rangers
6. MLB:  Detroit Tigers
7. Other:  Any Other Driver
8. MLB:  Tampa Bay Rays
9. MLB:  Philadelphia Phillies
10. Soccer:  Germany U21 Win or Draw
11. Soccer:  Brazil Win
12. Other:  Vanderbuilt wins by 2+ runs
13. MLB:  San Francisco Giants
14. MLB:  Seattle Mariners
15. NBA:  Miami Heat
16. NBA:  LeBron James or Tony Parker
17. MLB:  St. Louis Cardinals
18. NBA:  No, neither teams score 50+ points in the second half

SFTC picks for Saturday, June 8

We only have the early morning props up right now.  It's a busy weekend for me, but I'll try to add the rest later.  Good luck!

Our top stash pick:

1. MLB:  Detroit Tigers

Our picks for every prop:

1. Tennis:  Any Other Result
• I can't even tell you how much I dislike Serena Williams.  I just can't stand her.  I really, really wish that Maria will beat her tomorrow.  If we go by history though, Maria hasn't beaten Serena for 9 years.  She's only taken a set from her once in their last 8 matches.  Maria is playing very well right now though and won this tournament last year.  Go Maria!!
• Confidence:  65%
2. Soccer:  Ethiopia Win or Draw
• These teams have only ever played each other once, a 1 - 0 win for Ethiopia at home on March 24 of this year.  Ethiopia has 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 loss in their last 5 matches while Botswana has 2 draws and 3 losses.  The odds do favor Botswana to win, but looking at their recent form, the win or draw for Ethiopia seems like the clear choice.
• Confidence: 65%
3. Other:  North Carolina Tar Heels
• These teams haven't played each other this year, so there's no real data to go off of.  South Carolina played well in their Regional games, but most of those were home games for them.  Now North Carolina has home field advantage.  They are obviously the higher seed and will hopefully get the win at home.
• Confidence: 55%
4. Soccer:  No, Any Other Result
• Wow this is a tough prop.  I think there's little doubt that Ivory Coast will win.  The main question is will they be leading at halftime.  I don't think Gambia will score, so it's basically a matter of whether Ivory Coast gets a goal in the first half.  These teams last played back in March, a game which Ivory Coast won 3 - 0, but scored all of their goals in the 2nd half.  That match was a home game for Ivory Coast.  This match is a home game for Gambia, so I'm thinking they'll make it tough for the first half but that Ivory Coast pulls out the win in the second half.
• Confidence: 40%
5. Other:  Mississippi State loses by 1 or wins
• These teams haven't played each other this year, so there's no real data to go off of.  This is a home game for Virgina, but I don't think they're that much better that Mississippi state.
• Confidence: 55%
6. MLB:  Texas Rangers
• The Rangers shouldn't lose with Darvish pitching.  He's 7 - 2 with a 2.77 ERA on the season.  They are in a little bit of a funk right now, but they'll get Nelson Cruz back and with them facing Buehrle, they should get back to winning.  Buehrle is just 2 - 4 with a 5.42 ERA on the season.
• Confidence: 70%
7. Golf:  Shawn Stefani or tie
• English has beaten Stefani both of the previous rounds of this tournament, but only by 1 stroke each time.  I think Stefani can get the tie this time.  
• Confidence: 50%
8. Other:  Vanderbuilt wins by 2+ runs
• Vandy and Louisville played once during the regular season: a home game for Louisville which Vanderbuilt won 10 - 2.  This game is a home game for Vandy and I think they'll win by at least 2, probably more.
• Confidence: 55%

SFTC picks for Friday, June 7

What a game!  Spurs take game 1 of the Finals and remain undefeated in game 1s of the NBA Finals!  It was a great game, and I think this should be a good series.  

There are some good picks today, so you should be able to get a good streak together going into the weekend.  Hopefully we can help you get there!  Good luck and thanks for visiting the site!

Our top stash picks:

1. MLB:  Baltimore Orioles
2. Other:  LSU wins by 2+ runs

Our picks for every prop:

1. Tennis:  Rafael Nadal
• Nadal beat Djokovic in 4 sets at this tournament last year.  He also beat him in 2 sets at Rome and Monte Carlo last year, all matches being played on clay surfaces.  Nadal's best surface is clay by far, and he has won the French Open a record 7 times.  These two have met 4 times at the French Open, and Djokivic has only won 1 set against Nadal in those 4 matches.  Djkovic did just beat Nadal in straight sets at Monte Carlo in April, I can't pick against Nadal at the French Open.
• Confidence:  75%
2. Tennis:  David Ferrer
• The last time Ferrer and Tsonga met was in November of last year, a match which Ferrer won in straight sets.  The last time they met on clay was at Rome in 2010, a match which Ferrer also won in straight sets.  Both Ferrer and Tsonga have won each match of this French open in straight sets and are playing very good tennis at the moment.  I really could see either one, but I'm giving Ferrer the edge, as he's much more experienced and is just a better player than Tsonga.  If Tsonga plays like he did against Federer though, he has a great chance of winning this match.
• Confidence:  55%
3. Soccer:  Congo DR Win or Draw
• These teams have only every played each other once, a 0 - 0 draw at Congo DR on March 24 of this year.  Congo DR has 4 draws and 1 loss in their last 5 matches while Libya has 1 draw and 4 losses.  The odds do favor Libya to win, but looking at their recent form, the draw seems like the clear choice.
• Confidence: 65%
4. Soccer:  Bosnia-Herzegovina Wins by 2+ goals
• I'm not even going to pretend that I know very much about either of these teams and who should win, because I have no idea.  I will tell you what stats I have found, but I wouldn't pick on this match unless I had a losing streak or a W3 or less.  Bosnia is at the top of their group with 13 points and a GD of +15.  Latvia is 5th in their group with 4 points and a goal differential of -3.  Bosnia has 4 wins and 1 draw in their last 5 while Latvia has 1 win, 2 draws, and 2 losses in their last 5.  These teams have only met once, a match which Bosnia won 4 - 1 at home in September last year.
• Confidence: 55%
5. Golf:  David Toms or tie
• I'm not sure why Toms has the tie option here.  I would expect him to win outright.  Yesterday he shot a -3 and Poulter shot a -1.  I really don't think Poulter will outshoot Toms in the second round.
• Confidence: 65%
6. MLB:  Chicago Cubs
• I wouldn't be too surprised if the Pirates win, since they lead the season series 4 - 2.  However, I'm taking the Cubs in this one because they are slightly favored at -110, but mostly because they have Travis Wood on the mound.  He has been great against the Pirates, going 2 - 1 with a 1.53 ERA in three starts against them, giving up only 6 hits and striking out 18.  Liriano has been good for the Pirates, but he's never started at Wrigley field.
• Confidence: 65%
7. Soccer:  Czech Republic Win or Draw
• Italy leads the Czech Republic by 5 points in the table and currently sit in third place behind Bulgaria.  However, the Czech Republic have only ever lost once to Italy, and they are at home for this match.  A win would move them into second place ahead of Bulgaria, while a loss would surely make their chances to advance very slim.  
• Confidence:  55%
8. Soccer:  Russia Win or Draw
• The results of these two teams throughout the world cup qualifying have been very different.  Russia has been perfect, winning 4 games while scoring 8 goals and conceding none.  Portugal has been anything but perfect, sitting third in the group table.  If they hadn't tied it up with Israel in the 93rd minute, they would be last in their group.  Russia plays very good defense, and with Portugal's coach pretty much refusing to play any formation besides the 4-3-3, I think it will be hard for Portugal to score.
• Confidence: 70%
9. Soccer:  Argentina Win
• Argentina is clearly the best team in South America.  Columbia hasn't been good at soccer for many years, but they have definitely gotten better recently.  There is a great 30 for 30 film about Columbian soccer called The Two Escobars  that you should watch if you haven't already.  Argentina sits comfortably atop their group table.  A win for Columbia, though highly unlikely would bring them to within two points of Argentina though.  That would be a long, long shot though considering this match is at Argentina.  It is still not 100% certain if Messi will play.  If he does, you can lock this up for a win.  If he doesn't, I think Argentina still has plenty of talent to win.
• Confidence: 75%
10. Other:  LSU wins by 2+ runs
• These teams have not faced each other recently, at least not in the past two seasons.  LSU lost to Stony Brook in the super regional last year.  This game is the first of a best-of-three series, and since LSU hasn't played Oklahoma recently, it's hard to predict the result of this game.  The favorite has usually won and covered the spread on these NCAA baseball props though.  LSU is 55 - 9 on the season while Oklahoma is 43 - 19.  This is a home game for LSU, which is also a good reason to take them.
• Confidence: 75%
11. Other:  Cal State Fullerton wins by 2+ runs
• These teams have met twice during the regular season, once at UCLA and once at Cal State Fullerton.  Cal State won both games by 3 runs, 9 - 6, and 5 - 2.  Cal State Fullerton is 51 - 8 on the season while UCLA is 42 - 17.  This is the first of a best-of-three series, and Cal State is at home.  I don't see any reason to not take the 2+ win.  
• Confidence: 75%
12. Other:  3 hits or fewer
• This really could go either way, I'm just banking on it taking a few innings for the bats to warm up.  
• Confidence: 40%
13. MLB:  Texas Rangers
• These teams have not met this season, but the Rangers are clearly the better team.  Some of their stats are pretty similar though.  They are both 5 - 5 in their last 10 games.  The Rangers have a 18 - 14 away record while the Blue Jays have a 14 - 16 home record.  I give the edge to the Rangers here because Tepesch has had some solid starts recently, and the Rangers have better offense.
• Confidence: 60%
14. MLB:  St. Louis Cardinals
• The Cardinals lead the season series 4 - 2, all games being played in St. Louis.  Now they travel to Cincinnati for a 3 game series.  Leake has been solid for the Reds, going 5 - 2 with 2.75 ERA on the season.  Wainwright has been better though, going 8 - 3 with a 2.33 ERA, and I trust him to lead the Cardinals, one of the best teams in baseball, to a win on the road. 
• Confidence: 65%
15. MLB:  Baltimore Orioles
• The Rays lead the season series 5 - 4 and are slightly favored at -108.  They also swept the Orioles in their last series.  I just can't take the Rays with Archer on the mound though, even if they are at home.  He made his season debut on Saturday in Cleveland and was tagged for 5 runs, 7 hits, and 3 walks.  So he's 0 - 1 with an 11.25  ERA on the season.  Hammel had a rough outing in his last start against the Tigers, getting ejected after hitting a batter, all this coming after he gave up three straight homers.  He has been good considering though, going 7 - 3 with a 5.43 ERA on the season.  The Orioles have been one of the hottest teams in baseball of late and should continue the trend tonight.
• Confidence: 75%
16. Other:  Any Other Competitor
• Octavious Freeman had the fastest qualifying time at 10.99.  There were two other runners at 11.00, and one at 11.02, with the rest at 11.14 or slower.  With three other runners so close to Freeman, and the rest not that far behind, I like my chances with AOC.
• Confidence: 50%
17. Other:  Charles Silmon(TCU)
• Silmon had a qualifying time of 9.92.  The second fastest time was 9.97 and the rest were 10.00 or slower.  There aren't nearly as many runners as close to Silmon like there are for Freeman in the women's 100M, so I'm taking Silmon in this one.
• Confidence: 50%
18. MLB:  Philadelphia Phillies
• With the Phillies favored at -140 and with Cliff Lee on the mound, the Phillies are definitely favored and should win.  Lee is 7 - 2 with a 2.45 ERA on the season while Figaro is 0 - 0 with a 3.67 ERA.
• Confidence: 70%
19. MLB:  Chicago White Sox
• Even as hot as Oakland is right now, I can't pick against Chris Sale at home.  He is 5 - 3 with a 2.44 ERA while Parker is 4 - 6 with a 4.90 ERA on the season.
• Confidence: 65%
20. NHL:  Pittsburgh Penguins
• Ok, I know I said I wouldn't pick the Penguins again if they lost, but with them being down now 0 - 3, I have to think they won't get swept, but will win and take the series back home.  They were simply outplayed in every way in the first two games.  They played much better and dominated most of the game on Wednesday, but lost a heart-breaker in double OT.  I'm giving them one more shot, as their playoff lives depend on it.
• Confidence: 65%
21. Soccer:  USA Win
• I don't think you can read too much into the USA's win over Germany.  Germany obviously didn't have all of their top players, and frankly, the USA just got lucky.  The USA won 1 - 0 the last time they played Jamaica, and in all liklihood will win this game, but sometimes the USA  knows just how to disappoint.
• Confidence: 50%
22. MLB:  Arizona Diamondbacks
• I'm pretty sure Corbin is the only undefeated pitcher left in baseball.  I may be wrong though.  At any rate, he is doing awesome this season, going 9 - 0 with a 2.06 ERA.  The Giants lead the season series 4 - 2, including sweeping the DBacks back in late April, but I think Corbin and company get it done at home tonight.
• Confidence: 55%
23. Soccer:  Mexico Win
• After drawing every match this year, Mexico finally got a win against Jamaica a few days ago.  Mexico has historically been dominant over Panama, but they haven't played them since 2009, so there is not anything recent to go by when analyzing this match. 
• Confidence: 50%
24. MLB:  Atlanta Braves
• Just going by my instincts on this one, but I'll probably do more of a writeup when more info becomes available.
• Confidence: 55%
25. Soccer:  Ecuador win or draw
• Ecuador owns the head to head battle, winning 4 times and drawing once.  They haven't met since 2011, a game which Ecuador won 2 - 0.  Ecuador is 2nd in their group table with 20 points and a GD of +6.  Peru is 7th in the table with 11 points and a GD of -4.  I really like Ecuador to at least draw here, even though the match is in Peru.  Peru always seems to lose after a win, and they just won against Panama.
• Confidence: 70%

Streak for the Cash picks for Thursday, June 6

All of our picks are now posted, including a hopefully insightful writeup about game 1 of the Finals tonight.  Speaking of the Finals, we've created a group for the game Finals 50/50 and invite you to join our group.  You can also join via the links to the left under the Join Our Groups heading.

At the beginning of the month, we informed you that we'd be creating a new site and asked for feedback.  So far we haven't gotten anything.  We'd love to get feedback and know what you, our fans, would like to see on the new site.

Also remember to always follow us on Twitter (@TheFantasySC) for our latest tweets.  

I don't like too many of the props today, and if I had a streak of 8 or more I'd probably sit the day out.  Good luck though today and thanks for visiting the site!

Our top stash pick:

1. NHL:  Los Angeles Kings

Our picks for every prop:

1. Golf:  Phil Mickelson
• Mickelson has won quite a few of these 9 hole props.  I'm not very sure about this pick though.
• Confidence:  50%
2. Tennis:  Maria Sharapova
• Sharapova is my favorite women's tennis player, but I'm trying to not let that influence my pick. She did oddly lose the first set 6 - 0 yesterday, but other than that she is playing extraordinary tennis right now.  Azarenka is also playing extremely well.  Although Azarenka holds the head-to-head lead at 7 - 5, I'm giving the edge to Sharapova because she is slightly favored in this match and beat Azarenka on clay in Stuttgart last year and Rome the year before that, and because she is the defending champion of this tournament.
• Confidence:  65%
3. Tennis:  Sara Errani total games won
• These two have played head to head 5 times, with 5 victories for Williams. The last victory was in Madrid earlier in the year though Errani challenged for a set. Errani's best surface is clay and she has been at this stage before so expect a fight. Williams has too much firepower and steam to lose but it should be a good match to watch.
• Confidence:  70%
4. Soccer:  Russia U21 Win/Draw/Lose by 1
• These two teams last met in March.  Spain won by 2 (3 - 1), but only thanks to a penalty in the 93rd minute.  This game is being played in Israel, so neither team will be home field advantage.  
• Confidence:  60%
5. Golf:  Brandt Snedeker
• Dustin Johnson missed the cut and withdrew from his last two tournaments, respectively.  Snedeker has been playing very good golf lately.  
• Confidence:  65%
6. Soccer:  Netherlands Win or Draw
• The odds I've seen have Netherlands win/draw at -180 and Germany to win at +150.  The Netherlands have 4 wins and 1 loss in their last 5 matches.  Germany has 2 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss in their last 5 matches.  They haven't met head to head since 2011.
• Confidence:  65%
7. MLB:  Boston Red Sox
• This series is tied 1 - 1, but Texas leads the season series 4 - 1.  Holland is 5 - 2 with a 2.81 ERA.  Lester is 6 - 2 with a 3.53 ERA.  Although he has a higher ERA, I think Lester gets the job done, especially at home.  
• Confidence: 60%
8. MLB:  Oakland A's
• The A's and White Sox just completed a 3-game series in Oakland, which the A's swept, holding the White Sox scoreless in two of the three games.  The A's pitching staff has been the major contributor to their success.  Today's pitcher faced off in one of those games, a game which Oakland won 4 - 3 but one for which Stailey did not receive a decision.  The A's are 8 - 2 in their last 10 compared to 2 - 8 for the White Sox.    The line is Oakland -132.
• Confidence: 70%
9. MLB:  Kansas City Royals
• The Royals have the worst home record in baseball, but they have had great success at home against the Twins, winning 4 of 5.  They have also won 16 of their last 19 against them overall.  The Twins' starter, Mike Pelfrey, has allowed batters to hit .332 against him while going 3 - 6 with a 6.66 ERA on the season.  Davis hasn't been that much better of late, but he has been good against the Twins, going 3 - 0 with a 2.16 ERA in 4 starts against them.
• Confidence: 70%
10. MLB:  Milwaukee Brewers
• This is a tough one.  I could really see either team winning.  Peralta and Cloyd battled it out last Saturday, a game which the Brewers won 4 - 3.  I'm just giving the edge to the Brewers since they should have Braun back in the lineup and they are at home.  The line is Brewers -141.
• Confidence: 60%
11. MLB:  Colorado Rockies
• The Rockies are undefeated against the Padres this season, going 6 - 0.  The line is Rockies -137.  Chacin won his previous two starts against the Padres this season.  He hasn't been as good since then though, and is 3 - 3 with a 4.26 ERA on the season.  Cashner's last start against the Rockies was a loss back in September.  He has only faced them as a reliever this season.  The Rockies should continue their dominance over the Padres at home.  
• Confidence: 70%
12. NBA:  San Antonio Spurs
• All right!  We've made it to the NBA Finals!  Are you excited?  I know I am.  This should be a great series.  I've read a lot of opinions about this game.  Here are mine and some interesting stats for this game.  First, many people think the Spurs will be rusty from so much time off.  They haven't played since May 27.  They could be rusty, but more likely is that they will be sharp and ready to go, as they've had time to prepare and see how other teams have had success against Miami.  Second, a lot of people think Miami will win the series since they have home-court advantage.  This may be true since home teams are 50 - 16 in game 1 of the Finals, but here's an interesting stat for you.  The Spurs have never lost game 1 of the  NBA Finals, and are one of only 2 teams with a perfect record in game 1 of the Finals.  Although the Spurs lost the two regular season meetings against the Heat, I like them to win this game, re-take home court advantage and go on to win the championship.  A couple of other interesting stats for you:  Tim Duncan is one of only 3 players to play in the Finals in 3 different decades, and Greg Popovich is almost 22 years older than Erik Spoelstra, the largest age differential between head coaches in NBA Finals history.  
• Confidence: 70%
13. NBA:  Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobli or Tie
• The regular season ppg averages for Parker, Duncan, and Ginobli are 20.3, 17.8, and 11.8 respectively.  They have averaged 23.0, 17.8 and 11.5 ppg  respectively in this postseaon though.  Against the Heat they have averaged 12.0, 17.0, and 0 (Ginobli didn't play in the games against the Heast this season) ppg respectively.                                                                                                                               The regular season ppg averages for James, Wade, and Bosh are 26.8, 21.2, and 16.6 respectively.  They have averaged 26.2, 14.1 and 12.3 ppg  respectively in this postseaon though.  Against the Spurs they have averaged 23.0, 19.0, and 20.5 ppg respectively.                                                                                                                                Let's look at the postseason stats since those are the most current.  Parker, Duncan and Ginobli had a combined 52.3 ppg or 26.15 points per half.  James, Wade, and Bosh had a combined 52.6 ppg or 26.3 points per half.  Those are really close numbers, so the tie option looks like the best option.  I don't think you can read too much into the stats against the other team because Ginobli didn't play against the Heat this season, and the last time they met was March 31.
• Confidence: 70%
14. NHL:  Los Angeles Kings
• Chicago will be without their top defensive player due to a one-game suspension.  He is vital to their defense, and his replacement has not played this entire postseason.  This will be a big disadvantage for the Blackhawks, and further decreases their chances of spoilling the Kings perfect postseason home record.  I just can't pick against the Kings at home in the postseason. I do think the Blackhawks will eventually win the series though.
• Confidence: 75%
15. MLB:  Atlanta Braves
• The Braves have won their last 5 games and 15 of their last 19, including a series sweep of the Dodgers a couple weeks ago.  Since coming back from a broken collarbone, Grienke is 0 - 1 with an 8.78 ERA in three starts.  He's also 0 - 1 with a 5.73 ERA in two starts against the Braves.  Hudson hasn't been too good on the road this season, but I just think the Braves will have more talent on the field since the Dodgers are still missing several players due to injury, and because of that, and their current hot streak, should win the game.
• Confidence: 70%
16. MLB:  Seattle Mariners
• The Mariners win alot on SFTC when at home.  They also won 2 of 3 against the Yankees in New York earlier this season, including a 12 - 2 blowout in which Phil Hughes, the starter tonight, was the starting pitcher.  Harang started off the season poorly, but has had a great last two outings.
• Confidence: 65%
17. NBA:  Spurs first to 10 points
• This is a toss up.  I'd, wait to see the result at halftime.  If either team is down by 5 or more, I'd pick that team though.  The Heat often start out slow in the third quarter though.
• Confidence: 45%
18. NBA:  47 points or more
• Perhaps a better way to look at this is if you think each team will score 23 points in the 4th.  I think this will be a lower scoring game, but the first three quarters should give you a pretty good indication of the pace for this prop.  I may end up changing this pick, but I feel pretty good about it right now.
• Confidence: 70%

Streak for the Cash picks for Wednesday, June 5

Our picks for every prop:

1. MLB:  Oakland A's
• The A's lost a heartbreaker in extra innings last night.  Still, I think they win tonight and take the series.  Colon has been outstanding for the A's.  He has one of the lowest ERAs of any pitcher on the team and is tied for the team lead in wins.  He has won his last three with a 0.78 ERA and 18 consecutive scoreless innings.  Gallardo, once the Brewers' top starter, has been the opposite.  He is 1 - 5 with a 5.97 ERA over his last 6 starts overall and 0 - 2 with a 6.19 ERA in his last 3 at home.  
• Confidence: 70%
2. Soccer:  England U21 Win or Draw
• Italy is only very slightly favored to win.  Italy is 8 - 1 - 2 in their last 11 matches.  England is 10 - 0 - 1 in their last 11 matches, winning many of them by multple goals.  These teams have only met 4 times, the latest being in 2011.  Italy has won 3 of them and drawn one.  
• Confidence: 70%
3. Soccer:  France Win or Draw
• Although this match is in Uruguay, Uruguay has had some surprising results recently.  Perhaps the most suprising  was their 2 - 0 loss to Chile back in March.  These teams have only met 6 times in their history.  The first was in 1924!  The latest was 2011, and Uruguay has only won the matches of 1966 and 1924.  Needless to say, Uruguay hasn't beaten France in a long, long time.  And with this being a friendly, I'll take the draw all day!
• Confidence:  75%
4. MLB:  San Francisco Giants
• As I was hoping, Lincecum had a great game and let the Giants to a win last night.  Zito should do the same and even up the season series.  Zito last his last matchup with Dickey in Toronot, but he is much better at home than on the road.  He is 0 - 3 with a 10.19 ERA in 4 starts on the road compared to 4 - 0 with a 1.43 ERA in seven starts at home.  Dickey has been inconsistent at best, so it's hard to say how he'll perform. 
• Confidence: 70%
5. MLB:  Boston Red Sox
• After Texas was taken to the woodshed yesterday, you'd expect them to respond with a win.  I'm not sure it happens tonight though.  The Red Sox have the best offense in baseball right now, and boy was it on display last night.  Ogando hasn't started in about 3 weeks so he will probably be a bit rusty.  Lackey has won 2 of his last 3 home starts with a 0.90 ERA and 20 strikeouts in as many innings.
• Confidence: 65%
6. MLB:  Yes the Red Sox score 1+ runs in innings 1 and 2
• Last night the Red Sox scored 2 runs in the 1st inning and 6 runs in the 2nd inning.  With the best offense in baseball, the Red Sox are very equipped to score, and I don't think that Ogando can neccesarily slow them down.  
• Confidence: 60%
7. MLB:  Los Angeles Angels
• With Jason Vargas being so on fire right now (he went 5 - 0 with a 2.30 in six starts in May), and the Angels have such a better lineup than the Cubs, I have to take the Angels in this one.  Their last series against the Astros was a real surprise, but I don't think the Angels will have many problems against the Cubs.    
• Confidence: 70%
8. MLB:  New York Mets
• The Nationals won game 1 of this series in dramatic fashion, coming from behind in the bottom of the 9th.  If the Nationals win tonight, they will want to get to late innings and face the Mets' bullpen, which has not been good.  Gee has been great for the Mets, and the Nationals' offense has be abismal, totaling just 10 runs in their last 5 games.  Haren has really stuggled to get wins as a result.
• Confidence: 60%
9. MLB:  Detroit Tigers
• The Tigers just emabarassed Matt Moore and the Rays yesterday.  If they can beat Moore, they can surely beat Cobb.  They have had great success against the Rays, winning 13 of their last 16 against them, including their last 4 straight. 
• Confidence: 70%
10. Soccer:  Columbus Crew Win or Draw
• Columbus sits at 7th in the table at 4 - 5 - 4 with a GD of +3.  Philadelphia Union sits at 6th in the table at 5 - 4 - 5 with a GD of -5.  These teams last played at Columbus Crew on April 6, with a 1 - 1 result.  Columbus also has drew against the second in the table team New York on the road. 
• Confidence: 65%
11. MLB:  Yes 1+ home runs hit during innings 4 - 6
• Both of these teams have very capable home run hitters, and the majority of home runs are hit during these innings.  The only thing that concerns me is the Green Monster and Fenway's ballpark. 
• Confidence: 60%
12. NHL:  Pittsburgh Penguins
• I've picked the Penguins twice now and lost both.  If they lose tonight, their postseason is over, and I won't pick them again.  I'm taking them tonight because their backs are against the wall, and this is a must-win game for them.  Voukun is in net for the Penguins and Rask for the Bruins.
• Confidence:  60%
13. NHL:  Yes both team score in the 1st period
• In game one, only the Bruins scored in the 1st period.  Both teams scored in the 1st period in game 2.  This truly is a tossup, but I'm taking both, because the Penguins have to come out scoring, and the Bruins shouldn't have too much of a problem scoring at home.
• Confidence: 45%
14. MLB:  No XBH in the 8th inning
• This is really a tossup, but I'm banking on the closers for this game doing their job.
• Confidence: 50%

Streak for the Cash picks for Tuesday, June 4

All of our picks with writeups are now posted.  Thanks and good luck!  Be sure to follow us on Twitter if you're not already to stay connected with our latest news and updates.

Our top stash pick:

1. MLB:  Baltimore Orioles

Our picks for every prop:

1. Tennis:  Roger Federer
• These two have matched up before so probably unlikely to see anything super new in this latest match. Federer owns the overall head to head 9-3 with 2 of those victories coming on clay. The last time though was back in 2011 in Rome. Tsonga's last victories over Federer were his come from 2 sets down victory at Wimbledon then a hard court victory later that summer in 2011. With all that in the past Federer still knows how to get it done and will take a hold of another record when he books his ticket to the semifinals.
• Confidence: 65%
2. Soccer:  Lebanon win/draw/lose by 1
• These teams have only met head to head 7 times.  The most recent was in June of last year, a match that South Korea won at home 3 - 0.  South Korea has beaten Lebanon by 2+ 4 of those 7 times, but all of them were home matches for South Korea.  Lebanon has never lost at home to South Korea by 2+.  Now granted, most of their head to head matches are from many years ago and may not be too relavant to this match.  In their last 5 matches of this year, Lebanon lost by 2+ once (on the road), and South Korea hasn't beaten anyone by 2+.  Lebanon has done better at home than on the road, and since this is a home match for them, they should keep the scoreline within 1 goal.
• Confidence: 65%
3. Soccer:  Poland wins by 3+ goals
• Well, these teams have never played each other and they haven't played any common opponents in their last 11 matchups, so it's hard to get a feel for this game.  Poland has 5 wins, 2 draws, and 4 losses in their last 11 matches.  Liechtenstein (I should get a reward just for spelling that correctly) has 1 win, 1 draw, and 9 losses in their last 11 matches.  In their last 2 friendlies at home they won by 3+ goals.  I think they should be able to do it here as well.
• Confidence: 60%
4. MLB:  New York Yankees
• For whatever reason, the Indians can't seem to beat the Yankees this season.  The Yankees now lead the season series 4 - 1 after winning yesterday.  David Phelps, the Yankees' starter, is 3 - 3 with a 4.65 ERA on the season.  Travis Kipnis, the Indians' starter, is 3 - 2 with a 5.13 ERA on the season.  With Mark Texeira and other players now back in the lineup, the Yankees are poised to continue winning.  
• Confidence: 65%
5. MLB:  Tampa Bay Rays
• What an intruiging game this should be!  The best pitcher in baseball against the best hitter in baseball.  Matt Moore and Miguel Cabrera, under the lights.  Here we go!  Matt Moore has yet to lose a game.  He is 8 - 0 with a 2.18 ERA, and is limiting hitters to a .178 average.  Cabrera leads the majors with a .367 bating average and 65 RBIs.  Despite Cabrera's awesome numbers, the Tigers have lost 5 of their last 6.  They have also lost 7 of 12 when facing left-handed pitchers.  The Rays on the other hand have won 11 of their last 16.  These teams have not met this season.  Will Moore extend his streak to 9 - 0?   
• Confidence: 70%
6. MLB:  Texas Rangers
• The Rangers lead the season series 3 - 0, all of them at home.  Now they travel to Boston, but it shouldn't be too hard from them to get a win there, as they have won 10 of their last 13 at Fenway.  Grimm has been solid for the Rangers, winning his last 3 and going 5 - 3 with a 3.93 ERA on the season.  Dempster has been struggling a little bit to find his groove, losing 4 of his last five while accumulating a 6.41 ERA over that span.    
• Confidence: 70%
7. MLB:  Pittsburgh Pirates
• I'm not super confident about it, but I'm taking the Pirates in this one.  Minor is 0 - 1 with a 6.00 ERA in two starts against the Pirates this season.  Locke has been better than Minor, going 2 - 0 in his last two starts, and 5- 1 with a 2.25 ERA on the season.  The Pirates lead the season series 3 - 2, and are the underdogs for this game, but I just have a feeling that having Locke on the mound and McCutchen back in the lineup will help them get the win
• Confidence: 50%
8. Other:  Any Other Result
• The 12 inning affair between these two was a first for both teams.  Neither had played that many innings in a WCWS finals game.  Neither team scored through 10 innings, then both scored 3 in the 11th, then Lauren Chamberlain hit a 2-run shot in the bottom of the 12th to give the Sooners the win.  Before last night, Oklahoma had won by as much or more than the predicted winning margin on SFTC.  I'm taking any other result this time because I think Oklahoma may have met their match in Tenessee.  I wouldn't be surprised if Oklahoma wins by 3+ though.
• Confidence: 60%
9. Other:  Tennessee leading after 2nd inning or tied
• I'm leaning more on the game being tied than for Tennessee to be leading for this prop.  Like I said in my previous writeup, the game was tied 0 - 0 through 10 innings last night, and 3 - 3 at the end of the 11th.  I think this will be another great pitching duel, and both teams play defense well, so it may be another extra-inning game.
• Confidence: 70%
10. MLB:  Baltimore Orioles
• Surprisinly, the Astros currently hold the longest winning streak in baseball.  They went 6 - 0 on their latest road trip, including a 4 game sweep of the Angels.  Who would've thought?  They still have a long way to go to even reach .500 though.  I think their winning streak ends tonight.  Chris Davis and the Orioles now come to town, the first time they've been to Houston since 2003.  They have won their last 6 against Houston though, and Chris Tillman should get them to 7.  He is 4 - 2 with a 4.26 ERA, although he has never faced Houston.  Lucas Harell is 4 - 6 with a 5.37 ERA on the season, but had a rough month in May, going 0 - 4 with a 7.53 ERA.  The line has moved a lot in Baltimore's favor, starting at -145 and currently sitting at -177.  
• Confidence: 75%
11. MLB:  Oakland A's
• The A's are now just 1 1/2 games back from Texas for the AL West lead, thanks to their success on the road.  They are 8 - 3 on the road, winning 4 straight.  They have also won their last 4 against Milwaukee.  Griffin is 5 - 4 with a 4.04 ERA on the season.  Lohse is just 1 - 6 with a 4.37 ERA on the season.  Milwaukee are only very slight favorites at -101, but Griffin and the A's should get it done, extend their streak, and keep pressure on the Rangers.  
• Confidence: 70%
12. MLB:  St. Louis Cardinals
• With two relatively unknown pitchers, I have to go with what I know: the Cardinals have the best record and best offense in baseball.  The line for this games is at -151, and the Cardinals have won 5 of their last 6 at home against the DBacks.  
• Confidence: 60%
13. NHL:  Los Angeles Kings
• This game is really tough to call in my opinion.  The Kings have been dominant at home, only losing 4 times in regulation all season.  One of those defeats came at the hand of Chicago in the season-opener however.  St. Louis was in a position similar to that of the Blackhawks and lost the next two at Staples Center.  A huge concern is the Kings' scoring woes though.  They have only scored 29 goals in 15 playoff games, just under 2 goals per game.  They'll be hard-pressed to keep up with the Blackhawks at that rate.  I'm taking the Kings at home being down 0 - 2 in this series, but I would not be surprised if Chicago extends their lead.
• Confidence: 50%
14. NHL:  35 or more or no goal scored
• I really have no idea about jersey numbers of these teams.  I'm mostly banking on no goal being scored in the 1st period to win this prop.  This is a tossup though, so beware.
• Confidence: 50%
15. Soccer:  Jamaica Win or Draw
• Although Mexico is favored, this match has draw written all over it.  Mexico has not won, but has drawn, every match this year.  They have draws against Denmark, Jamaica (on Feb. 6), Honduras, USA, Peru, and Nigeria.  Jamaica also has 3 draws and 1 loss this year.  The Feb 6 result was in Mexico and this match is in Jamaica.  I've seen nothing so far that convinces me of a Mexico win.
• Confidence: 70%
16. NHL:  2 goals or more
• In game 1 of this series, 2 goals were scored in the 2nd period.  3 were scored in game 2.  While those games don't determine the outcome for this game, I think it's pretty safe to assume the same result for this 2nd period.  In reality, this is really a tossup though, and in SFTC fashion, there will probably be 0 goals scored in this 2nd period.
• Confidence: 65%
17. MLB:  Los Angeles Dodgers
• Well I thought the Padres could pull off a win yesterday but that clearly didn't happen.  Now with them sending Richard to the mound, I'm definitely taking the Dodgers.  Richard is just 1 - 5 with a 7.86 ERA on the season.  The Dodgers send Lilly to the mound who is 0 - 2 with a 4.26 ERA on the season.  They will also most likely get Hanley Ramirez back for this game to complement Adrian Gonzalez.
• Confidence: 70%
18. MLB:  Seattle Mariners
• The White Sox will surely get out of their slump at some point, I just don't think it's tonight.  Not against Felix Hernandez.  Hernandez is 2 - 0 with a 2.17 ERA in five starts against Chicago at Safeco field.  The White Sox have really struggled during their losing streak, batting just .179 while being outscored 37 - 11.  The Mariners won last night and should get the win again tonight, being the favorites at -152.
• Confidence: 70%
19. MLB:  San Francisco Giants
• If Tim Lincecum loses to the Blue Jays today, I think it's safe to say he'll lose his spot in the starting rotation.  He has really been off his game this year and has posted an 8.37 ERA while losing each of his last 3 starts.  Former Giant Melky Cabrera and the Blue Jays try to continue their success over the Giants this season, but I'm just banking on Lincecum having the night of his life to stay in the rotation.  I wouldn't be surprised if the Giants lose though, considering Lincecum's history and their recent form.  They avoided the sweep against the Cardinals, but were blown out in evey other game of that series. 
• Confidence: 55%

Streak for the Cash picks for Monday, June 3

All of our picks are now posted.  Good luck to all!

Our top stash picks:

1. Soccer:  Sweden wins by 2+ goals
2. Other:  Oklahoma wins by 3+ runs

Our picks for every prop:

1. Tennis:  Any Other Result
• Nadal has looked especially vulnerable this French Open even though his last match was a straight sets victory. Nishikori is the first Japanese man to make it this far in this tournament in something like 80 years. He is a very good young talent and look for him to test Nadal.
• Confidence: 70%
2. Tennis:  Any Other Number
• Sharapova isn't known for her clay court grace but has managed to become quite good at the surface in recent years. She completed her Career Grand Slam at the French Open last year so everyone knows she can handle herself out there. The youngster Stephens is coming into her game and looks to be a force in the years to come. In this matchup however the favor goes to the defending champion. Sharapova has won both times they've played including a demoliton of Stephens a couple of weeks ago in Rome.
• Confidence: 75%
3. Soccer:  Estonia Win or Draw
• The odds I've seen have Estonia to win/draw at around -270 and Belarus to win at around +170.  Estonia has won or drawn 3 of the last 4 times they have played Belarus, but their last matchup was in 2006.  The win/draw option is also usually a very good pick for the home team.
• Confidence: 70%
4. Soccer:  Sweden wins by 2+ goals
• For Sweden's starting 11, click here.  They are sending out a strong lineup for this game.  They are also heavily favored in this match and Macedonia is missing several players for various reasons.  They have only faced each other twice, both back in 2001, each of which Sweden won by 1 goal.  The win by 2+ option also won every time yesterday, and Sweden's at home for this game, if you need any more incentive to take Sweden here.
• Confidence: 75%
5. MLB:  New York Yankees
• The Yankees lead the season series against the Indians 3 - 1.  Only one of those, the one they lost, was even close.  The rest were all blowouts.  The Yankees did just play last night in a game that was called after 5 1/2 innings due to weather, but that shouldn't play a factor in this game at all.  Pettite has been very good for the Yankees, going 4 - 3 with a 3.83 ERA on the season.  Masterson has also done well for the Indians, going 8 - 3 with a 3.07 ERA on the season.  It seems like the Yankees are still working out a few kinks as a few players finally return from injuries, as evidenced by their struggles in their last series against the Red Sox.  However, with them being at home and favored at -120, and with their success over the Indians this season, I have to roll with the Yankees.
• Confidence: 70%
6. MLB:  Atlanta Braves
• I'm torn on this one.  Neither one of these pitchers have done well at all lately.  Burnett has lost his last 5 starts, going 0 - 3 with a 2.91 ERA and getting just 6 runs of support over that span.  Medlen's last win was April 9, and he is 0 - 5 with a 3.93 ERA since then.  He has gotten more run support than Burnett though, and for that reason, and the fact that Atlanta is at home, I'm taking the Braves.  I wouldn't be shocked if the Pirates win though.
• Confidence: 50% 
7. MLB:  Cincinnati Reds
• The Reds have the best home record in baseball at 20 - 7.  They have not faced the Rockies yet this season, but had great success over them last season, going 5 - 1.  Chatwood has been the better pitcher this season, going 3 - 0 with a 2.12 ERA compared to Arroyo's 5 - 5 mark with a 3.75 ERA.  Chatwood has never faced the Reds though, and with Cincinnati favored at -137 and at home, I'll roll with the Reds.
• Confidence: 65%
8. MLB:  7 or fewer
• Wow, this one could really go either way.  I'm going with 7 or fewer because of the double play possibility and mostly because it usually takes batters a few innings to get used to the pitcher.  I mean the majority of scoring, and therefore multiple plate appearances, happens in the middle to later innings of games.  The Yankees, although I think they'll most likely win, haven't been hitting the ball very well of late and Masterson has had some good success against them.
• Confidence: 50%
9. Other:  Oklahoma wins by 3+ runs
• Oklahoma is clearly deserving of their #1 ranking.  They are 55 - 4 on the year and have just been cruising through this world series.  They have also met or exceeded the winning margin in every prop they have been featured in on SFTC.  They have not played Tennessee this season, but they beat Texas by 8 in 5 innings, and Tennessee only barely beat Texas by 1 yesterday.
• Confidence: 75%
10. NHL:  Pittsburgh Penguins
• The Penguins lost game 1 of this series mainly because they didn't play their game.  They looked really distraught, uptight, and frustrated.  They will have to keep their emotions in check and be stronger mentally for this game.  I think they will.  If they lose tonight, I think the series is over.
• Confidence: 60%
11. MLB:  Oakland A's
• There isn't any recent history between these clubs so it's hard to get a good indication for this game.  Oakland hasn't been to Milwaukee since 1997 and Milwaukee hasn't visited Oakland since 2002.  Pitching will be especially important for this game, as each team's form has followed their pitching staff.  Oakland has been winning because of great pitching, and Milwaukee has been losing because or poor pitching.  Milone has been the more consistent of the two, and has won his last 3 starts.  I'm taking my chances with the A's in this one.
• Confidence: 50%
12. MLB:  St. Louis Cardinals
• Each of these pitchers lost their last meeting against the opposing team in this matchup.  Lynn has been the better pitcher of the two.  He hasn't lost in his last 8 regular season home starts.  Although the Cardinals lost 2 of 3 in the previous series this season against the DBacks, they are at home for this series and should get the win.
• Confidence: 70%
13. NBA:  Indiana Pacers
• You'll probably think I'm crazy for making this pick, but I'm going to anyway.  I know history is not on the Pacers' side as home teams are 16 - 2 in game 7s in the conference or NBA finals, and David Stern and the NBA want Miami in the Finals, but I'd like to see history made.  I would love to see the Pacers pull off the upset!  LeBron has lost game 7s at home before though.  Just ask Cleveland.  
• Confidence:  30%
14. NBA:  26 points or fewer
• Dwane Wade has certainly been struggling this postseason.  He's only averaging 13.6 ppg, and in his last three games, just 12 ppg on 32% shooting.  So don't count on Wade to carry his weight in this prop.  It's more of a question of how many points LeBron will score.  He's been averaging about 25.8 ppg, or around 13 points per half.  I'd count on at most 16 points for LeBron in the first half.  That leaves 11 for Wade if the over will win.  I just don't see it.  
• Confidence:  75% 
15. NBA:  No: Any Other Result
• I seem to remember this prop on one of the earlier games of this series and that the any other result option won as the Pacers outscored the Heat in the third quarter. 
• Confidence:  60%
16. MLB:  San Diego Padres
• The Dodgers are just too banged up right now for me to pick them.  The Padres lead the season series against them 4 - 2, including the last 3 straight in the Dodgers' stadium.  The Padres start Stults who is 4 - 4 with a 3.86 ERA on the season.  The Dodgers are bringing up Stephen Fife from the minors who is 0 - 0 with a 7.71 ERA.  The line is Dodgers -115, but I just don't trust their lineup at all right now, and the Padres have been doing well of late.
• Confidence: 70%
17. MLB:  Seattle Mariners
• I don't know the exact percentage, but the Mariners seem to win at a high percentage at home when featured on SFTC.  The White Sox have been dominant against the Mariners, winning 26 of their past 31 games against them, but their offense has been anemic of late.  They were just swept by the A's and have lost their last 7 in a row on the road.  It's a good thing the Mariners are at home for this game, as this season Joe Saunders is 3 - 1 with a 2.41 ERA at home compared to 0 - 4 with a 9.00 ERA on the road.  Danks has done well against the Mariners, going 4 - 0 against them on the road, but I just trust Seattle at home more than I do Chicago's anemic offense right now.
• Confidence: 70%

Streak for the Cash picks for Sunday, June 2

Yesterday was by far the best day we have ever had on our site.  We went 20 - 7 overall and 2 - 1 on our top picks.  Hopefully we can keep it going today!  

All of our picks with writeups are included below except for the soccer picks, which Jim will add shortly.  Good luck today!

Our top stash picks:

1. Tennis:  Agnieszka Radwanska
2. Soccer:  Germany: Win

Our picks for every prop:

1. Tennis:  9 games or fewer
• These two men have matched up 6 times in the past with each one taking three of those encounters. Of the two matches where they met on clay Tsonga came out the winner in straight sets both times. In front of the home crowd and playing some good tennis of late Tsonga will take the first set and match fairly easily.
• Confidence: 75%
2. Tennis:  Agnieszka Radwanska
• Ivanovic's last victory came back in 2008 and it was on an indoor hard court. Radwanska won both times on clay and the last 6 matches over all. Though neither have played amazing tennis of late an upset here is not expected.
• Confidence: 80%
3. Soccer:  Georgia: Win, draw, or lose by one
• We have the state of Georgia going up against the entire country of Ireland.  Sounds a little bit uneven of a matchup, especially considering that they don't even play a lot of soccer in the south.  Oh, what was that, this is the country Georgia not the state.  Whoops.  Well, I guess that makes a little bit more sense.  In that case, I still expect Ireland to win, but probably just by one goal.
• Confidence: 55%
4. Other:  Troy Trojans
• This is the regionals of the College World Series, where double elimination is the rule.  Troy just beat Alabama two days ago.  They played the Crimson Tide one other time and lost, but that was almost a month ago.  Alabama is at home for this game, so that appears to be their only advantage, but Troy has the better record, and should advance.
• Confidence: 55%
5. Golf:  Any Other Golfer
• After 3 rounds, Kuchar is the overall leader at -8.  Kyle Stanley is 2 strokes behind him.  There is another golfer at 2 strokes back and a number of them at 3 strokes back.  It's safe to say that Kuchar and Stanley are by no means assured of a victory.  With so many golfers that are close to the lead, I'll take my chances with any other golfer.  
• Confidence: 50%
6. MLB:  Cleveland Indians
• The Rays lead the season series against the Indians 3 - 2.  The Indians won yesterday though, and I like them to win here to even this and the season series.  For whatever reason, Hellickson is just not good in the month of June, going 1 - 7 with a 4.56 ERA all time in that month.  He was also not good last month, posting a 6.69 ERA.  The Indians counter with Zach McAllister who is 1 - 1 with a 1.53 ERA this season against the Rays.  The Indians are the favorites at -125.
• Confidence: 70%
7. Other:  Texas Longhorns
• Texas and Florida couldn't have had more opposite games yesterday.  Texas lost by the mercy rule after 5 innings.  Florida finally put away Nebraska after a 5+ hour, 15 inning affair.  Florida will be super tired, and unfortunately will not have much time at all to rest for this morning game.  
• Confidence: 70%
8. Other:  Hendrick Motorsports or Joe Gibbs Racing
• I must warn you, I know basically nothing about Nascar.  I just know the favorite has won more often than not on SFTC Nascar props, and I'll go with the majority, especially when I really don't know the sport very well.  
• Confidence: 40%
9. MLB:  Atlanta Braves
• Without Strasburg and Harper, the Nationals will be hard-pressed to win consistently and keep pace with the Braves.  For this game the Braves send Paul Maholm to the mound who is 6 - 4 with a 3.74 ERA on the season.  The Nationals will send Nathan Karns to the mound who made his major league debut on Tuesday and is 0 - 0 with a 6.23 ERA.  The Braves are the clear favorite at -181 and lead the season series 6 - 3.    
• Confidence: 75% 
10. MLB:  Cincinatti Reds
• The Reds have simply been dominant against the Pirates, mostly due to their awesome pitching. Mat Latos, who is undefeated against the Pirates and on the season, should definitely continue that trend.  He is 5 - 0 with a 3.01 ERA on the season, while the Pirates' Jenmar Gomez is 2 - 0 with a 2.30 ERA on the season.  The Pirates haven't been swept at home since last September, but with them getting blanked in their last two games, with Latos on the mound, and with the Reds favored at -117, the Reds have a great shot at doing just that.  
• Confidence: 70% 
11. MLB:  Philadelphia Phillies   
• Well, the Brewers won a close one yesterday, getting their first back-to-back wins in over a month.  Facing Cliff Lee though, they won't be so lucky.  He is 4 - 0 with a 1.15 ERA over his last 5 starts.  The Brewers counter with Mike Fiers, who is 1 - 3 with a 5.66 ERA on the season.  The Phillies are favored at -170, and Lee should help them bet back to winning ways.
• Confidence: 70%
12. MLB:  Minnesota Twins
• While Diamond has not been great this season, the Twins have a good shot at winning today with the Mariners sending Bonderman to the mound in his major league debut.  The season series is tied 1 - 1 and the Twins are favorites at -135.  
• Confidence: 60%
13. MLB:  St. Louis Cardinals
• The Giants got the better of the Cardinals last season, but not this year.  The Cardinals have been dominant over the Giants this season.  They lead the season series 4 - 1, are the favorites at -154, and have outscored the Giants 15 to 1 in their last 2 matchups.  Lyons looks to continue the trend, and with the Giants really lacking a presence at the plate, he is poised to do just that.  Gaudin for the Giants will make his first start of the season since Voglesong is out with a broken hand.  The Cards have the best record in baseball, and I see no reason to not take them here.  
• Confidence: 80%
14. MLB:  Arizona Diamondbacks
• The Diamondbacks just demolished the Cubs 12 - 4 yesterday, and with Patrick Corbin on the mound, they will do it again.  Corbin is undefeated this season, going 8 - 0 with a 1.71 ERA.  Edwin Jackson for the Cubs is just 1 - 7 with a 6.11 ERA on the season.  The DBacks are favored at -137, and although the season series is tied at 1 - 1, Arizona gets the win here.
• Confidence: 80%
15. Soccer:  Germany: Win
• I assumed that this was going to be a prop like "Germany Wins by 3+ Goals" but it is a straight up pick.  The US did not look good against Belgium just a few days ago and although Belgium is good, Germany is one of the best in the WORLD.  Germany is currently ranked #2 in the world behind Spain and in front of Argentina.  Yes it is just a friendly and Germany may not send their top men onto the pitch tonight, but the attacking of Germany should break through the US back line quite easily and I would be surprised if they score anything less than 4 goals.  Germany should win this game.  I think I may just go bet my house on it.
• Confidence: 85%
16. Soccer:  Brazil: Win
• Yes we live in America and should be supporting our US Men's National Team (USMNT) but if you are interested in watching a good soccer match, I recommend that you tune into Brazil and England.  Two giants in the world of soccer meet up in Brazil.  This should be an exciting match, but truthfully, I have been less than impressed lately with England.  They have drawn their last two matches with Ireland and Montenegro and although they did beat Brazil last time they played, I expect the result to be different tonight as England continues to search for an identity on the pitch.  
• Confidence: 70%
17. Other:  Washington Huskies
• Washington and Michigan played once during the regular season, a game which Michigan won 6 - 1.  That was clear back in March though, and after playing in the middle of the night last night thanks to Florida and Nebraska, Michigan will be super tired.  Washington lost to Tenessee on a walk-off single in the bottom of the 7th, but their game was early yesterday and they will be well rested.  
• Confidence: 70%
18. MLB:  Chicago White Sox
• The A's have managed to put a win streak together, and the White Sox have lost their last 5 straight, but with Chris Sale on the mound, I have to take the White Sox in this one to avoid the sweep and get a much needed win.  Sale is 5 - 2 with a 2.53 ERA on the season while the A's counter with Parker who is 3 - 6 with a 5.40 ERA on the season.  The White Sox are only slight favorites at -109, and I'm not super confident about this pick, but I just think Sale the the Sox will squeak out a win.  
• Confidence: 55% 
19. MLB:  Colorado Rockies
• Ryu has had some great starts for the Dodgers, but he is not 100% for this game after hurting his foot on Saturday.  The Dodgers also have a number of their top players on the DL and are really struggling to put a quality team on the field.  They have managed to stay in games and keep them relatively close, but the Rockies, favored at -134, should win again, take this series, and increase their lead in the season series.   
• Confidence: 70%
20. Soccer:  Canada Win, Draw, or lose by 1
• The US Women have only beaten Canada by 2+ goals 4 times out of their last 10 matches, dating back to 2001.  The last time they faced each other was in the Olympics last year.  Make no mistake, our US Women's team is very, very good, but given the history between these teams and since this game is in Canada, I'm taking Canada to cover.
• Confidence: 65% 
21. Soccer:  LA Galaxy: Win
• Both the Galaxy and the Revolution have played 12 matches so far this season.  The Galaxy have 20 points off those 12 matches while the Revolution have 16 points.  So not too great for either side.  But in the last 3 matches, the Galaxy are coming off of a 4-0 and a 4-1 win. I believe having Landon Donovan back on the pitch will help the Galaxy recover from their slow start and make a run towards the top of the table.  
• Confidence: 60%
22. Soccer:  Honduras: Win
• This should also be a good match to watch.  Both are good but not great teams but both find themselves tied for second place in their current qualifications for the World Cup.  The process for Israel to get to the World Cup will be much more difficult than it will be for Honduras.  Not that that has anything to do with today's match.  From what I have seen, Honduras is the better team and after seeing what they did against the USMNT, I expect them to beat Israel today. 
• Confidence: 60%
23. MLB:  Boston Red Sox
• Bucholz will try to make history tonight and become the first Red Sox pitcher in 5 years to start the season 8 - 0.  He holds the lowest ERA in the American League at 1.73 and has a great shot at helping his team take this series and win two consecutive series against the Yankees.  Kuroda has also been outstanding for the Yankees, but the Red Sox have the better offense right now and although they are slight underdogs, the Red Sox should get the win here.
• Confidence: 70%
24. MLB:  Any Other Result
• This really is a tossup, but this any other result pick wins much more often than the hit/walk/strikeout option.  
• Confidence: 65%
25. NHL:  Chicago Blackhawks
• The Kings simply can't win on the road in the postseason.  They are 1 - 6 on the road this postseason ahd have lost each game 2 - 1.  Coincidence?  You decide, but I like the Blackhawks to win tonight and take a 2 - 0 series lead to L.A.
• Confidence: 70%
26. MLB:  Hits or tie
• This pick could really go either way, but the tie option may be huge here, and with the Red Sox swinging the bat well, I like them to get a few hits.
• Confidence: 65%
27. MLB:  4 or more
• Obviously the only way for the 3 or under to win is if exactly 3 batters come to the plate.  Only 1 batter has to reach base and the 4+ wins (assuming no double play).  With the Red Sox up to bat in the top of the 7th, there is a very good chance of this happening.  
• Confidence: 65%