In today’s SportSense Entertainment Newsletter…

Additional Model Predictions ⬇️

NHL Model Predictions- Click Here

NCAAB Model Predictions- Click Here

There were plenty of model predictions to go around yesterday across the NHL, with our model focusing in on one of those predictions in our Featured Matchup. That prediction went 1-0 overall, and you can see how the rest of the model performed below.

Money Line Predictions: 6-5

Over/Under Predictions: 7-4

Puck Line Predictions: 5-6

Featured Matchup: 1-0

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

Memphis Grizzlies @ San Antonio Spurs

Model Predicts- Spurs ML, OVER 217.5, Spurs -6.5

The Memphis Grizzlies will continue a four-game road trip on Friday night, with the next stop coming in San Antonio Texas to take on the Spurs.

Memphis has yet to find the win column on its road trip dropping the first two games in a skid that has continued a four-game losing streak. However, San Antonio hasn’t played great basketball as of late either, picking up just one win in the last five games.

It’s always an interesting gamble backing one of the worst teams in the NBA, but our model has spotted some value on the Spurs as a home favorite. Let’s take a look at why that is.

Memphis Grizzlies

• Enter tonight on four-game losing streak

  • Losses to Hornets, Thunder, Kings, and Warriors

  • -49 point differential in that span

• Defensive struggles have been largest catalyst for losing streak

  • Own -11.6 Net Rating and 120.6 Defensive Rating in last four games- bottom six in NBA in both categories

  • Opponents averaging 121.5 points per game while shooting 52.7% from the floor

• Injuries- Entire team: Eight players listed as OUT, four players listed as questionable

San Antonio Spurs

• Struggling to find win column

  • 1-4 in last five games. -20 point differential in that span

• Have still looked solid defensively despite recent slump

  • Rank 11th in Defensive Rating since March 1st (112.5)

  • Opponents shooting 48.2% overall, but just 31.4% from three this month

• Injuries- Zach Collins is questionable

What’s the Play?

This is certainly not the most appealing matchup on tonight’s slate, but we agree with our model that this is a good spot to back the Spurs.

Despite recent losses, San Antonio is still competing on a nightly basis. Only one of the Spurs’ last five losses have come by more than 10 points, and that is largely because the team has started to click defensively, especially when it comes to protecting the perimeter.

San Antonio’s offense has been poor, but Memphis’ defense gives the Spurs a great opportunity to get the lid off the basket and explode on that end of the floor. We’ll take the Spurs at home here.

The Play: Spurs -6.5 (-110)

Money Line Trends 💰

• Minnesota Timberwolves- 47-22 overall this season, 23-9 as the home team

• Miami Heat- 38-31 overall this season, 17-15 as the home team

Over/Under Trends ⬆️⬇️

• Oklahoma City Thunder- Over is 36-29-3 this season, 19-13-1 as the away team

Spread Trends ➕➖

• San Antonio Spurs- 5-1 against the spread (ATS) as a favorite this season

• Indiana Pacers- 37-31-3 ATS this season, 18-14-1 ATS as the away team

🤕 Huerter out indefinitely with shoulder injury. Sacramento Kings player Kevin Huerter has been sidelined with a dislocated left shoulder and torn labrum following an injury sustained during a game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Huerter, who is averaging 10.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game this season, was injured while attempting a drive against Desmond Bane in the first quarter. The team has not provided a timeline for his return.

🚫 NBA shuts down G-League Ignite Team. The NBA has announced that it will discontinue the G League Ignite program after the current 2023-24 season, which was created in 2020 to provide a different route to the NBA for players not yet eligible for the draft. NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim stated that the decision to end Ignite comes amidst changes in youth and collegiate basketball, suggesting a shift in focus towards earlier player development. Despite featuring promising prospects like Matas Buzelis, Ron Holland, and Tyler Smith, the Ignite team has struggled with a 6-40 record this season.

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- What team defeated the Wisconsin Badgers to win the 2014-15 March Madness national title?

Question #2- Who won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award for the 2013-14 season, averaging 16.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game?

Question #3- One quarterback was drafted before Patrick Mahomes in the 2017 NFL Draft, going second overall. Who was that player?

Anyone know what has happened on March 22nd throughout history? We didn’t have a clue either, but it appears that it has been a busy day.

On March 22nd…

1969- The 31st NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship is contested between UCLA and Purdue. The UCLA Bruins took home the win by a final score 92-72, winning their third-straight national title in the process. Lew Alcindor, A.K.A Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was the named the tournament’s most outstanding player.

1972- NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is named NBA MVP. Kareem earned the award as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks, and it was his second MVP in only his third season after he averaged 34.8 points per game in the 1971-72 season. He would go on to win the MVP award six times in his career, the most of any player in NBA history.

1989- Pete Rozelle announces his retirement as the NFL’s commissioner. Rozelle held the prestigious position for 29 years, taking office in 1960 following the death of Bert Bell. Only 12 teams were in the NFL at the time Rozelle took the lead, and by his retirement 28 teams were in the league.

1. Duke Blue Devils

2. Michael Carter-Williams

3. Mitchell Trubisky