In today’s SportSense Entertainment Newsletter presented by Kings Coffee Shop…

Additional Model Predictions ⬇️

NHL Model Predictions- Click Here

MLB Model Predictions- Click Here

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

Money Line Predictions: 10-4

Over/Under Predictions: 8-3-3

Run Line Predictions: 5-9

Featured Matchup: 0-1

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

Houston Rockets @ Minnesota Timberwolves

Model Predicts- Timberwolves ML, OVER 215.5, Rockets +8

The Houston Rockets will hit the road for just one game on Tuesday, making the journey north to Minneapolis, Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves.

Houston enters tonight’s matchup off a loss to the Dallas Mavericks, ending an 11-game win streak for the Rockets. Similarly, Minnesota is fresh off a loss against the Chicago Bulls, ending a four-game win streak for the team.

Two rather large winning streaks were ended over the weekend, but our model expects the Timberwolves to get back in the win column here in a close game. Let’s dive into why that is.

Houston Rockets

• Fresh off loss to Dallas Mavericks

  • Lost game 125-107. Allowed Dallas to shoot 52% overall and 51% from three

• Were hottest team in NBA last month

  • Posted 13-2 record in 15 games. +8.4 Net Rating was fourth in NBA

  • Offense saw big improvements- 118.8 Offensive Rating. Up from 113.6 season rating

  • Shot 47.5% overall and 37.2% from three

• Injuries- Alperen Sengun and Tari Eason are OUT

Minnesota Timberwolves

• Enter tonight off loss to Bulls

  • Lost game 109-101. Allowed Chicago to shoot 52% overall and 59% from three

• Have still won four of last five games

  • Defense is leading way- 105.5 Defensive Rating is 4th in NBA in that time

  • Still own +37 point differential despite loss to Chicago

• Injuries- Karl-Anthony Towns in OUT

What’s the Play?

Both Houston and Minnesota are still re hot despite each coming off a loss, but we agree with our model that this is a good spot to back the Rockets as a home underdog.

Even with Sengun sidelined, Houston has been getting incredible levels of production from other places. Per NBA.com, Jalen green is leading the charge with 29.8 points per game in 10 games without Sengun, and six additional players are averaging 10.0 points per game or more in that same span.

Minnesota is still a great defensive team with KAT in the lineup, but Houston’s plethora of young talent makes us believe that eight points is too many to give to a hot Rockets team. We’ll back Houston here.

The Play: Rockets +8 (-110)

Money Line Trends 💰

• Oklahoma City Thunder- 52-22 overall this season, 23-14 as the away team

• Golden State Warriors- 40-34 overall this season, 4-0 in last four games

Over/Under Trends ⬆️⬇️

• Oklahoma City Thunder- Over is 40-31-3 this season, highest win % in NBA

• Los Angeles Lakers- Over is 41-34-1 this season, 22-14 as the away team

Spread Trends ➕➖

• Houston Rockets- 41-31-2 against the spread (ATS) this season, 23-22-1 ATS as an underdog

💪 Embiid to return to lineup in coming days. Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid is poised to make a comeback from a meniscus injury that has kept him out since January 30, possibly returning as soon as Tuesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Sixers' head coach Nick Nurse had previously indicated in March that Embiid was expected to return before the playoffs. Embiid sustained the injury when Golden State Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga landed on his leg, causing him to miss the last 29 games, during which the Sixers went 11-18, slipping to eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

💰 Kobe Bryant’s 2000 championship ring sells for record price. Kobe Bryant's 2000 NBA Finals championship ring, previously gifted to his father Joe, set a new auction record over the weekend, selling for $927,200 through Goldin, a New Jersey-based auction house. This sale surpassed the previous record set by Bill Russell's 1957 championship ring, which sold for $705,000 in 2021. The 14-karat gold ring, originally obtained from the Bryant family in 2013, features 40 diamonds, the Lakers logo, "World Champions," Bryant's name, the Lakers' regular-season and postseason records, and the words "Bling Bling" and the year.

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 quarterbacks were selected inside the top-six of the 2019 NFL Draft. Who were those players?

Question #2- Four active NBA players have won the MVP award at least twice in their career. Who are those players?

Question #3- MLB pitcher Tyler Glasnow has played for three franchises in his career- the Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, and what other team?

Anyone know what has happened on April 2nd throughout history? We didn’t have a clue either, but it appears that it has been a busy day.

On April 2nd…

2018- The 80th Men’s NCAA Basketball National Championship is contested between Villanova and Michigan. The Wildcats dominated the Wolverines to pick up the win, winning by a final score of 79-62. Donte DiVincenzo led the way for Villanova with 31 points, and it was Villanova’s second national title in three years.

2019- Former Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, records 20 points, 20 rebounds, and 21 assists in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The performance was an historic one for Westbrook, as he became just the second player in NBA history t record 20+ points, rebounds, and assists in a single game. OKC went on to beat Los Angeles 119-103.

2023- The 41st Women’s NCAA Basketball Championship is contested between LSU and Iowa. The Tigers took home the title in dominant fashion, defeating the Hawkeyes 102-85. It was the first women’s basketball national title for LSU, and Angel Reese was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

1. Kyler Murray, Daniel Jones

2. LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic

3. Pittsburgh Pirates