In today’s SportSense Entertainment Newsletter…

Additional Model Predictions ⬇️

NBA 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 performed below.

Money Line Predictions: 6-2

Over/Under Predictions: 5-3

Spread Predictions: 4-4

Featured Matchup: 1-0

12 NHL games are scheduled to take place today. Our model’s predictions for all 12 matchups can be found below.

Edmonton Oilers @ Columbus Blue Jackets

Model Predicts- Oilers ML, OVER 6.5, Oilers -1.5

The Edmonton Oilers will continue their five-game road trip on Thursday, with the next stop coming in Columbus, Ohio to take on the Blue Jackets.

Edmonton began its road trip with a 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins, giving the Oilers their fifth consecutive victory. Meanwhile, Columbus is fresh off a 5-3 loss at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins, but is still 2-1 in the month March.

The talent gap between these two squads is rather wide, but our model expects both teams to find the back of the net tonight in what is predicted to be a high-scoring contest. Let’s take a look at why that is.

Edmonton Oilers

• Enter tonight on five-game win streak

  • Wins over Kings, Blues, Kraken, Penguins, and Bruins

  • +10 goal differential in that time

• Own best scoring attack in NHL this season

  • Rank 1st in xGF/60 in 5-on-5 situations with 3.22- 0.31 goals higher than next closest team

  • Great at generating pressure- rank 3rd in shots on goal per game, 1st in high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes (HDCF/60) in 5-on-5

• Expected goalie- Stuart Skinner

  • .915 Save % in 5-on-5. Ranks 41st in Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx) with +0.9

Columbus Blue Jackets

• Come into this game off loss against Penguins

  • Lost 5-3. Still out-shot Pittsburgh 35-31

• Offense has come alive over last three games

  • Rank 2nd in GF/60 in 5-on-5 since March 1st (4.24)

  • Averaging 33 shots on goal per game- up from 30.2 for entire season

• Expected goalie- Daniil Tarasov

  • .907 Save % in 5-on-5. Ranks 89th in GSAx (-10.0)

What’s the Play?

Edmonton should have no problems winning this game, but we agree with our model that the over is the better angle to take here.

Edmonton is arguably the best offense in the league this season, and it is largely due to the Oiler generating so many high-danger scoring chances. We should see that same pressure put on Tarasov tonight, as Columbus ranks in the bottom six in high-danger scoring chances against per 60 minutes (HDCA/60) in 5-on-5 situations this season, which has led to Tarasov surrendering at least three goals in four of his last six appearances.

Columbus is a bit of a wild card offensively, but its recent offensive output gives us confidence they can produce two or three goals here to push this total above 6.5. Back the over.

The Play: Over 6.5 (-130)

Money Line Trends 💰

• Boston Bruins- 36-13-15 overall this season, 19-7-6 as the home team

• Tampa Bay Lightning- 33-24-6 overall this season, 18-8-4 as the home team

Over/Under Trends ⬆️⬇️

• New Jersey Devils- Over is 36-25-1 this season with average total of 6.84

• Vancouver Canucks- Over is 35-25-4 this season with average total of 6.30

Puck Line Trends ➕➖

• Montreal Canadiens- Puck line is 40-22 this season

• Philadelphia Flyers- Puck line is 38-25 this season

🔥 Flames trade Hanifin to Golden Knights. The Vegas Golden Knights acquired defenseman Noah Hanifin from the Calgary Flames, with Calgary retaining 50% of his salary. In exchange, Vegas sent a conditional 2025 first-round pick, a conditional 2024 third-round pick, and defenseman Daniil Miromanov to the Flames. Hanifin, a pending unrestricted free agent, and the Golden Knights have not yet agreed on a contract extension.

🤝 Senators trade Tarasenko to Panthers. The Ottawa Senators traded Vladimir Tarasenko to the Florida Panthers for a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft and a third-round selection in 2025. Ottawa will retain 50% of Tarasenko's $5-million cap hit, and the conditional pick will turn into a 2026 third-rounder if the Panthers win the Stanley Cup. Tarasenko, a pending unrestricted free agent, had a no-trade clause that he would have had to waive to approve the trade.

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- Where university did Vince Young, Kevin Durant, and Scottie Scheffler all attend before their pro careers in their respective sports?

Question #2- The Memphis Grizzlies selected a point guard from Ohio State with the No.4 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. Who was that player?

Question #3- Two players from the 2003 NBA Draft rank inside the top-10 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Who are those players?

Anyone know what has happened on March 7th throughout history? We didn’t have a clue either, but it appears that it has been a busy day.

On March 7th…

1996- Magic Johnson becomes the second player in NBA history to record 10,000 career assists. Johnson reached the milestone in a 102-89 win over the Sacramento Kings, recording 15 points and seven assists in the game. Johnson would end his career with 10,141 assists, which is currently the seventh most in NBA history.

2016- NFL quarterback Peyton Manning announces his retirement from the Denver Broncos and the NFL. Manning began his NFL career in 1998 with the Indianapolis Colts, the team he would play for until 2011 before signing with the Denver Broncos. Manning won two Super Bowls in his career, as well as five MVP awards.

2021- The NBA All-Star game is held at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Team LeBron defeated Team Durant in the game, scoring 170 points to team Durant’s 150. Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 35 points, was named MVP.

1. University of Texas

2. Mike Conley

3. LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony