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 NBA, with our model focusing in on one of those predictions in our Featured Matchups. That prediction went 0-1 overall, and you can see how the rest of the model performed below.

Money Line Predictions: 3-3

Over/Under Predictions: 2-4

Spread Predictions: 2-4

Featured Matchup: 0-1

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

Minnesota Timberwolves @ Orlando Magic

Model Predicts- Timberwolves ML, OVER 217.5, Timberwolves -5

The Minnesota Timberwolves will continue their four-game road trip on Tuesday, stopping in Orlando, Florida to take on the Magic.

Minnesota enters tonight’s battle as one of the best teams in the NBA, posting a 25-10 record through the first 35 games of the season. That puts the Timberwolves in first place in the Western Conference, while Orlando sits in fifth place in the East with a 21-15 record.

Minnesota has seen mixed results on its current road trip, but some key injuries for Orlando makes our model believe the Timberwolves will win and cover the spread here. Let’s take a look at why that is.

Minnesota Timberwolves

• 1-1 on current road trip

  • Win over Rockets, loss t Mavericks

• Now sit at 1-3 since January 1st

  • Rank 14th in Net Rating (+0.5)

  • Defensive Rating has spiked to 114.0- Up from 108.7 on season (1st in NBA)

• Injuries- No players on injury report

Orlando Magic

• 2-0 in last two games despite missing key players

  • Wins over Nuggets and Hawks

  • Went into halftime of both games down at least nine points

• Defensive production has started to fall off

  • Surrendered at least 120 points in three of four games since January 1st

  • Own 114.8 Defensive Rating in that time

• Injuries- Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr, Gary Harris, Joe Ingles, and Jonathan Isaac all OUT

What’s the Play?

The Magic have found ways to win recently despite injuries to key rotation players, but we agree with our model that that streak ends tonight.

Orlando has needed two miracles in order to win its last two games. It took the Hawks scoring just 18 points in the third quarter on Sunday and outscoring the Nuggets, who were on a back-to-back, by 16 points in the second half on Friday to pick up those wins, two performances that aren’t sustainable given the injuries the Magic face.

Luck has been on Orlando’s side over the last few days, but going against a fully healthy Timberwolves team is going to be a tough task for the Magic tonight. We’ll back Minnesota here.

The Play: Timberwolves -5 (-110)

Money Line Trends 💰

• Minnesota Timberwolves- 25-10 overall this season, 11-8 as the away team

• Los Angeles Lakers- 18-19 overall this season, 12-6 as the home team

Over/Under Trends ⬆️⬇️

• Sacramento Kings- Under is 10-5 as the away team this season

• Memphis Grizzlies- Under is 21-15 overall this season

Spread Trends ➕➖

• Sacramento Kings- 18-17 against the spread (ATS) this season, 9-6 ATS as the away team

🤕 Morant to undergo season-ending surgery. Ja Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies' star player, will have surgery ending his season due to a shoulder injury; he's projected to fully recover for the 2024-25 season. The team's record significantly improved with Morant playing, but injuries to other key players have plagued the Grizzlies this season. Memphis is considering filing for a disabled player exception for Morant's injury, valued at $12.4 million, while they continue to face a tough season ranked 13th in the Western Conference.

😬 Haliburton carried off court with hamstring injury. Tyrese Haliburton sustained a hamstring strain during the Indiana Pacers' narrow victory against the Boston Celtics, leaving the game after an awkward landing in the second quarter. Teammates carried Haliburton off the court with just over three minutes left in the half, and an MRI is scheduled for Tuesday. The 23-year-old, a crucial part of the Pacers' offense averaging 24.7 points and a league-leading 12.7 assists per game.

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- Ja Morant and what other current NBA player played their college basketball at Murray State?

Question #2- What team began the 2023 NFL season with a 9-3 record but failed to make the postseason?

Question #3- Who is the franchise leader in hits for the Kansas City Royals?

Anyone know what has happened on January 9th throughout history? We didn’t have a clue either, but it appears that it has been a busy day.

On January 9th…

1991- Michael Jordan scores a game-high 40 points in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Jordan’s performance gave the Bulls a 107-99 victory, and enabled him to reach 15,000 points for his career. He would end his Hall of Fame career with the fifth-most points in NBA history.

2000- Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino wins his final NFL game. Marino led the Dolphins to a 20-17 win over the Seattle Seahawks, completing 56.7% of his pass attempts for 196 yards and one touchdown. Marino played his entire NFL career with the Dolphins, which began in 1983, and now is a special assistant for the team.

2023- The Georgia Bulldogs beat the TCU Horned Frogs to win the College Football National Championship. The Bulldogs took the lead early and never looked, back winning by a final score of 65-7. The 58-point win was the most lopsided victory in a College Football Championship game.

1. Cameron Payne

2. Jacksonville Jaguars

3. George Brett