In today’s SportSense Entertainment Newsletter…

Additional Model Predictions ⬇️

NHL Model Predictions- Click Here

There were plenty of model predictions to go around yesterday across the NBA, 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’s performed below.

Money Line Predictions: 5-1

Over/Under Predictions: 4-2

Spread Predictions: 2-4

Featured Matchup: 1-0

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

Minnesota Timberwolves @ Chicago Bulls

Model Predicts- Timberwolves ML, OVER 218.5, Timberwolves -5

The Minnesota Timberwolves will begin a five-game road trip on Tuesday night, with the first stop coming in Chicago, Illinois to take on the Bulls.

Minnesota enters tonight’s matchup fresh off a dominant 111-90 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday, pushing the Timberwolves’ record to a stellar 35-15. That place Minnesota in second place in the Western Conference, while the Bulls sit in ninth in the East at 23-27.

There is already a significant talent gap between these two squads, and some key injuries to Bulls players makes our model believe the Timberwolves can cover the five-point spread on the road. Let’s dive into why that is.

Minnesota Timberwolves

• Have won five of last seven games

  • Wins over Wizards, Nets, Thunder, Mavericks, and Rockets

  • +72 point differential in that time

• Defense has been key to recent success

  • Own 103.4 Defensive Rating in last seven games- 1st in NBA by nearly 5.0 points

  • Opponents shooting 44.9% overall and 35.0% from three

• Injuries- No players listed on injury report

Chicago Bulls

• Struggling to find win column consistently

  • 5-5 record in last 10 games

  • Have not won two consecutive games since January 20th

• Lack of perimeter shooting is catching up

  • Bulls shooting 34.3% from three over last 10 games- 24th in NBA

  • Meanwhile, opponents shooting 37.0% from behind the arc in that same stretch

• Injuries- Zach LaVine and Patrick Williams are OUT, Coby White, Dalen Terry, Torrey Craig, and Alex Caruso are questionable

What’s the Play?

Our model predicts Minnesota to win this game by just over nine points, nearly four more points than the current spread of five. That’s an edge that we think is worth taking.

Minnesota is arguably the most elite defense in the NBA this season, a group that has held its opponent to just 96.5 points per game over the last two games. It was already going to be difficult for Chicago to score in bunches, but now that LaVine and Williams are removed from the lineup and guys like Coby White and Alex Caruso may not be at full strength, production on the offensive end becomes much harder to come by.

We’ll back the better and healthier team tonight.

The Play: Timberwolves -5 (-110)

Money Line Trends 💰

• Orlando Magic- 27-23 overall this season, 3-0 in last three games

• Minnesota Timberwolves- 35-15 overall this season, 16-10 as the away team

Over/Under Trends ⬆️⬇️

• Dallas Mavericks- Over is 25-24-1 this season, 12-10-1 as the away team

• Brooklyn Nets- Over is 25-24-1 this season, 14-12 as the home team

Spread Trends ➕➖

• Orlando Magic- 33-17 against the spread (ATS) this season, 13-9 ATS as a road underdog

💪 Lakers defeat Hornets behind Davis’ triple-double. The Lakers, led by Anthony Davis and LeBron James, secured their third consecutive victory against the Charlotte Hornets despite facing uncertainty ahead of the NBA trade deadline. Davis recorded his third career triple-double, contributing 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists, while James added 26 points. Although the Hornets, notably powered by Brandon Miller's career-high 41 points, rallied in the fourth quarter, the Lakers' strong offensive performance, with a 64% shooting rate in the first half, ultimately secured the win.

🔥 Mitchell, Cavaliers stay red hot with win over Kings. The Cleveland Cavaliers clinched their sixth consecutive victory and 14th win in 15 games on Monday, fueled by Mitchell's 29 points and Max Strus' 22. Despite injuries to key starters, the Cavs have surged to the top of the Eastern Conference standings with a league-best record since mid-December, displaying cohesion and depth as they head into the All-Star break with momentum. Sacramento's Domantas Sabonis impressed with a triple-double, but Cleveland's relentless offense, highlighted by a season-high 23 3-pointers, and defensive tenacity secured another commanding win.

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- Two sets of brothers currently play on the Milwaukee Bucks. Who are they?

Question #2- What team did Zach LaVine play on prior to joining the Chicago Bulls?

Question #3- Who is the NFL’s all-time rushing touchdown leader?

Anyone know what has happened on February 6th throughout history? We didn’t have a clue either, but it appears that it has been a busy day.

On February 6th…

1971- American astronaut Alan Shepard becomes the first person to hit a golf ball on the moon. It is estimated the ball was hit 200 yards, but there is no official measurement. No astronaut has accomplished the feat since Shepard.

1990- St. Louis Blues star Brett Hull records his 50th goal of the season. It was the first season of Hull’s career in which he reached the 50-goal mark, making him and his father, Bobby Hull, the first father-son duo to each score 50 goals in a season during their careers. Brett Hull would end his career with 741 goals, the fifth-most in NHL history.

2011- The Green Bay Packers defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. Green Bay scored 31 points in the game to Pittsburgh’s 25, jumping out to an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter and never giving it up. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns, was named MVP.

1. Giannis/Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Brook/Robin Lopez

2. Minnesota Timberwolves

3. Emmitt Smith