In today’s SportSense Entertainment Newsletter…

Additional Model Predictions ⬇️

NHL Model Predictions- Click Here

There were no model predictions yesterday, February 4, 2023.

Six NBA games are scheduled to take place today. Our model’s predictions for all six matchups can be found below.

Dallas Mavericks @ Philadelphia 76ers

Model Predicts- Mavericks ML, UNDER 242, Mavericks -1.5

The Dallas Mavericks will hit the road for a three-game road trip on Monday, with the first stop coming in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to take on the 76ers.

Dallas enters tonight’s matchup with a 26-23 record, placing the Mavericks in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, Philadelphia owns a 30-18 record this season, good enough for fifth place in the East.

Several key players are either listed as questionable or out for tonight’s game, and according to our model that has tipped the scales in Dallas’ favor tonight. Let’s dive in to why that is.

Dallas Mavericks

• Struggling to find win column recently

  • 3-7 in last ten games, 0-2 in last two games with losses to Timberwolves and Bucks

• Defensive struggles have been reason for losses

  • Own 126.1 Defensive Rating in last ten games- ranks last in NBA

  • Opponents shooting 53.1% overall and 39.9% from three in same ten game stretch

• Injuries- Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are questionable. Dereck Lively and Dante Exum are OUT

Philadelphia 76ers

• Have also fallen in to losing skid

  • Own 1-5 record over last six games

  • Losses to Pacers, Nuggets, Trail Blazers, Warriors, and Nets

• Injuries and defense have been biggest factors for losses

  • Own 126.3 Defensive Rating in last six games- 28th in NBA

  • Opponents averaging 125.7 points per game while shooting 52.7% from the floor

• Injuries- Tobias Harris is questionable, Joel Embiid, De’Anthony Melton, Robert Covington, and Nicolas Batum are OUT

What’s the Play?

Neither one of these teams can find its footing on the defensive end of the floor, but we agree with our model that Dallas can win and cover the spread in tonight’s game.

The absence of Joel Embiid has proven to be a crucial one for Philadelphia this season, as the 76ers are just 4-10 overall when last season’s MVP does not suit up. His absence takes nearly 35 points out Philadelphia’s lineup, and the potential absence of Harris mean the 76ers will be without two of its top three scorers.

Irving and Doncic being on the injury report isn’t a great sign either, but Irving is expected to play tonight while Doncic was on the court for Dallas’ most recent game and scored 40 points. The Mavericks have far more offensive firepower at their fingertips, which should enable them to build and sustain a lead tonight.

The Play: Mavericks -1.5 (-115)

Money Line Trends 💰

• Cleveland Cavaliers- 31-16 overall this season, 5-0 in last five games

• Los Angeles Clippers- 33-15 overall this season, 8-2 in last ten games

Over/Under Trends ⬆️⬇️

• Los Angeles Lakers- Over is 28-24 this season, 18-8 as the away team

• Los Angeles Clippers- Under is 27-20-1 this season, 15-10 as the away team

Spread Trends ➕➖

• Los Angeles Clippers- 27-21 against the spread (ATS) this season, 11-7 ATS as an away favorite

🤕 Embiid out indefinitely following meniscus procedure. Philadelphia 76ers' standout player Joel Embiid is set to undergo surgery on his left meniscus following an injury in a game against the Golden State Warriors, with the recovery timeline yet to be determined. This marks the second instance of Embiid requiring surgery on his left meniscus, having undergone a similar procedure in 2017. With an anticipated extended absence, his impressive season statistics, averaging 35 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in 34 games, may impact his eligibility for awards like the MVP, and the Sixers face a challenging 4-10 record in games played without him this season.

💪 Clippers pick up 25th win in last 30 games. The Los Angeles Clippers, displaced from their home venue due to the Grammy Awards, continued their strong performance on a seven-game road trip by defeating the struggling Miami Heat 103-95. Kawhi Leonard contributed 25 points and 11 rebounds, while James Harden scored 21 points, leading the Clippers to a 5-1 record on the extended trip. The Clippers, boasting a 25-5 record since December, displayed a dominant second half, shooting 50% and outscoring the Heat 27-12 from beyond the arc, securing their status as one of the NBA's top teams in recent months.

Today’s trivia requires you to dig into multiple pockets of your brain, testing your knowledge of recent events as well as those that happened decades ago.

See how many of the below questions you can get correct. Answers are provided at the end of the newsletter.

Question #1- Four NBA players have scored at least 70 points in a game over the last two seasons. Who were the two players to do it in the 2023-24 season?

Question #2- Who was the first quarterback selected in the 2002 NFL Draft?

Question #3- Cody Bellinger played for what MLB team from 2017-2022 before playing for the Chicago Cubs in 2023?

Anyone know what has happened on February 5th throughout history? We didn’t have a clue either, but it appears that it has been a busy day.

On February 5th…

1989- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar becomes the first player in NBA history to score 38,000 career points. The milestone came in the final season of his Hall of Fame NBA career, with one of the greatest scorers retiring at the conclusion of the 1988-89 season. He would end his career with 38,387 points, the second-most in NBA history.

1998- Author Tom Clancy agrees to buy the Minnesota Vikings for more than $200 million. At the time, the deal set a new NFL Franchise purchase record. However, the deal fell through several days later, as Clancy backed out due to a pending divorce.

2017- The New England Patriots defeat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. New England scored 34 points to Atlanta’s 28, outscoring the Falcons 31-7 in the second half and overtime. Tom Brady, who threw for 466 yards and two touchdowns, was named MVP.

1. Joel Embiid, Luka Doncic

2. David Carr

3. Los Angeles Dodgers