In today’s SportSense Entertainment Newsletter…

There were plenty of predictions to go around yesterday across the MLB, with our model focusing in on one of those predictions and making it a 3-star play. That prediction went 0-1 overall, and you can see how the rest of the model performed below.

Money Line Predictions: 2-5

Over/Under Predictions: 6-1

Run Line Predictions: 5-2

3-star Predictions: 0-1

✍️ Raiders sign Marcus Peters to one-year deal. The Las Vegas Raiders announced that they have signed All-Pro cornerback Marcus Peters to a one-year deal, per the team’s Twitter account. Peters’ contract is worth $3 million, and gives the 30-year-old an opportunity to earn an additional $2 million from incentives. The former Defensive Rookie of the Year and All-Pro corner has bounced around the league in recent years, suiting up for the Chiefs, Rams, and Ravens in his career, and is coming off a season in which he recorded one interception, six passes defended, and two forced fumbles in 13 games with Baltimore.

💰 C.J. Stroud signs rookie deal with Houston. The No .2 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and former Ohio State Buckeye C.J. Stroud has signed his rookie deal with the Houston Texans, per Adam Schefter. Stroud and the Texans have reportedly come to terms on a four-year, $36.3 million deal, which includes an additional $23.38 million up front as a signing bonus. The 21-year-old gained the attention of NFL scouts after throwing for 8,123 yards, 85 touchdowns, and just 12 interceptions in his two years as a Buckeye, and is already taking first-team reps with his new team.

🎰 Another NFL player goes down for gambling. The NFL continued its crackdown on sports betting throughout the league, with the latest victim being Denver Broncos defensive tackle Eyioma Uwazurike. The 2022 fourth-round pick was reportedly betting on NFL games during the 2022 season, resulting in his suspension for the entire 2023 season. Uwazurike can’t apply for reinstatement until July 2024 at the earliest, and joins a long list of players that will miss time for violating the NFL’s gambling rules.

There are 15 MLB games scheduled to take place today. However, due to lines being unavailable at the time of writing, our model has predictions for 12 of today’s matchups.

Chicago Cubs @ Chicago White Sox

Model Predicts- Cubs ML, Under 9, White Sox +1.5

The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox will begin a short two-game battle for the Windy City on Tuesday night.

The Cubs enter tonight’s matchup having won three straight games and five of their last six. As a result, the Cubs now own a 48-51 record and sit 5.0 games back of a wild card spot.

On the other hand, the White Sox have not had nearly as much luck as of late, most recently being swept by Minnesota and losing seven of their last ten.

Today’s lines tell us that many believe this game is a coin flip, but our model gives the Cubs a significant advantage over their city rival. Will we see that prediction come to fruition, or will the White Sox snap the cold spell and get back in the win column?

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs still have plenty of ground to make up if they want to secure a spot in the postseason, but Chicago’s play as of late has suddenly made that a realistic possibility.

No one can seem to stop the Cubs at the plate right now, perhaps the biggest reason why the Cubs are 6-4 overall since play resumed after the All-Star break. In that time we have seen Chicago post a 133 wRC+ and .366 BABIP, two marks that rank the Cubs in the top-two of the major leagues.

The vast majority of that damage has come against right-handed pitching, which Chicago has the good fortune of going up against once again tonight with Michael Kopech starting for the Sox. FanGraph’s lists the Cubs with a 160 wRC+ and .406 BABIP against righties since the All-Star break, ranking the team first in both categories.

Cody Bellinger is leading the charge with five homers, 15 RBIs, and a ridiculous 239 wRC+ since the All-Star break, but an additional ten Cubs have posted a .300 BABIP or better in that same span. This is arguably the hottest offense in the MLB at the moment, and Chicago’s hitting depth has given opposing pitchers nightmares.

Kyle Hendricks (3-4 record, 3.38 ERA) will get the start on the mound this evening for the Cubs. The 33-year-old isn’t going to overwhelm his opponent often, as evidenced by his 87.6 mph fastball and 16.1% strikeout rate, but opposing hitters have a hard time doing much damage against him. Hendricks ranks in the top 11% of the majors in Hard Hit rate (31.6%), average exit velocity allowed (85.7 mph), and walk rate (3.8%), allowing him to keep baseball’s in the park.

Chicago White Sox

As previously mentioned, Michael Kopech (4-8 record, 4.29 ERA) will get the start tonight for the White Sox, putting an already struggling team in a tough spot.

One thing that leans in Kopech’s favor is that he has regrouped from an abysmal start to the 2023 season. The 27-year-old posted a poor 7.01 ERA in April, but has posted a 3.24 ERA since May 1st.

However, there are still some glaring problems entering today’s start that could make Kopech susceptible to allowing runs against one of the hottest hitting attacks in baseball.

First, the right-hander struggles mightily with his control, posting a 14.1% walk rate in 2023, per Baseball Savant. That ranks in the bottom 3% of the majors and has played a large role in his 5.42 xERA being more than a full run higher than his season ERA.

Additionally, Kopech owns a stunning 14.0% Barrel rate, well above the MLB average of 6.8%. He ranks in the bottom 1% of the majors in that category, so it should come as no surprise that he has surrendered 11 home runs in his last 33.1 innings. Opposing hitters have no trouble sizing him up, often leading to hard contact.

What’s the Play?

It appears that several sportsbooks believe this game is going to be a close one. However, we can’t ignore the edge that our model is giving the Cubs here, so we are comfortable with the Cubs money line a 3-star play.

The combination of the Cubs’ consistency against right-handed pitching in recent weeks and Kopech’s inability to keep balls off the barrel is going to make a huge difference in today’s matchup. Kopech’s lack of control will also likely be a large factor, as the Cubs have generated the tenth highest walk rate (9.7%) since the All-Star break.

We think Hendricks will be able to keep a White Sox offense that ranks 27th in wRC+ against righties in check this evening, while the Cubs stay hot at the plate. Our model thinks the Cubs should be closer to -140 favorites, so we’ll back them at -115.

3-star play: Cubs ML (-115)

Money Line Trends 💰

• New York Yankees- 53-47 overall this season, 31-23 as the home team, 3-0 in last three games

• Minnesota Twins- 54-48 overall this season, 30-22 as the home team, 8-2 in last ten games

• Chicago Cubs- 48-51 overall this season, 3-0 in last three games, 6-4 since All-Star break

Over/Under Trends ⬆️⬇️

• Tampa Bay Rays- Over is 53-46-4 this season, 32-21-1 as the home team

• Milwaukee Brewers- Under is 55-42-4 this season, 5-2 in last seven games against Cincinnati with average total of 5.71

• St. Louis Cardinals- Over is 50-46-5 this season, 8-3 in last 11 games

Run Line Trends ➕➖

• Baltimore Orioles- Run line is 60-40 overall this season, 26-8 as a road underdog

• Cincinnati Reds- Run line is 66-36 overall this season, 29-11 as a road underdog

Various injuries around the league. See full injury report at MLB.com.

☎️ Orioles, Diamondbacks inquire about Shohei Ohtani. According to the MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, the Baltimore Orioles and Arizona Diamondbacks are among the teams that have inquired about the availability of Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani. Los Angeles has still yet to commit to trading the two-way star, and things have become more complicated now that the Angels have won four of their last five games and sit a handful of games back of a wild card spot. Baltimore, the No.1 team in the American League, and Arizona, the No.2 team in the NL West, have both enjoyed a solid 2023 season, and reportedly have the young talent necessary to get a deal done.

🔄 Cincinnati willing to trade Jonathan India. The Cincinnati Reds have let the world know that 2021 NL Rookie of the Year Jonathan India is available for trade prior to the August 1st trade deadline. The 26-year-old is in his third full season in the majors and is batting .251 with 14 home runs this season, but has suddenly become expendable due to the plethora of young talent that has suddenly found its way to Cincinnati’s infield. The Reds are looking for starting pitching in return for India, with the goal of improving a starting rotation that ranks 28th in ERA at 5.42.

🤕 Guardians move Shane Bieber to 60-day IL. The Cleveland Guardians transferred star pitcher Shane Bieber to the 60-day IL on Monday, meaning that he cannot be activated to September 10th at the earliest. According to Mandy Bell of MLB.com, the move was made in order to free up a roster spot for Daniel Norris, a left-handed pitcher who was called up from Triple-A. Bieber posted a 3.77 ERA and 95 strikeouts across 117.0 innings in 2023, but has not pitched since July 15th after being placed on the IL due to a right forearm injury.

⭐️ Stars keeping Jim Nill as general manager. The Dallas Stars have come to terms with general manager Jim Nill on a two-year contract extension that will keep the 65-year-old with the team through the 2025-26 season. Nill has been at the helm in Dallas for the last ten years, making him the longest-serving GM in Stars history, and was recently named General Manager of the Year at June’s NHL Draft. Dallas has had loads of success under Nill’s direction, making the postseason six times, the conference finals twice (2020, 2023), and the Stanley Cup Final in 2020.

🌍 Nikola Jokic expected to skip FIBA World Cup. Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic was left off of Serbia’s FIBA World Cup training camp roster on Monday, a sign that the two-time MVP will not play in the tournament. Jokic suited up for Serbia last summer in FIBA World Cup qualifiers and EuroBasket, but the short timeline between the NBA Finals and the start of training camp likely played a role in his absence. The 28-year-old led the Nuggets to their first NBA title in franchise history in June, averaging 30 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game during Denver’s postseason run.

⚽️ Is Kylian Mbappé the next star going to Saudi Arabia? Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal made an attempt at securing Lionel Messi prior to his decision to join the MLS, and as a result has shifted its focus to another international star. Al Hilal has reportedly made a $332 million bid for Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappé, opening up the door for Al Hilal and Mbappé to negotiate a contract. The 24-year-old phenom is currently in a contract standoff with PSG after informing the club that he will not take up the option of a 12-month extension, but is reportedly not interested in joining the Saudi club although it could net him $776 million for just one 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- The New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams played in the lowest-scoring NFL championship game ever in Super Bowl LIII. How many points did the Patriots and Rams combine to score in the game?

Question #2- Four Eastern Conference teams have never won an NBA title. Three of those teams are the Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, and Orlando Magic, but what team is the fourth?

Question #3- The Toronto Blue Jays have had several sluggers over the years, but only one player in franchise history has hit at least 50 home runs in a season. Who is that player?

Anyone know what has happened on July 25th throughout history? We didn’t have a clue either, but it appears that it has been a busy day.

On July 25th…

1941- Boston Red Sox pitcher Lefty Grove records his 300th career victory in a 10-6 win over the Cleveland Indians, becoming the 12th pitcher in MLB history to reach the milestone. Reaching the 300 win mark was no easy task for Grove, as he lost his previous two outings, both complete game efforts, before picking the win on his third attempt. Lefty allowed six runs and 12 hits while striking out six batters in what would be the final win of his 17-year MLB career.

1956- Pittsburgh Pirates star Roberto Clemente hits a walk-off inside-the-park grand slam to defeat the Chicago Cubs 9-8, the only recorded walk-off inside the park grand slam in MLB history. Cubs pitcher Turk Lown loaded the bases before Jim Brosnan relieved him of his duties, with Brosnan now in charge of keeping Clemente off the bases. Brosnan would throw one pitch, which Clemente scorched into left field to clear the bases before scoring himself. The homer may have given Pittsburgh the win that day, but the Pirates ended the season in seventh place, out of eight, in the National League.

2021- U.S. men’s basketball team falls to France 83-76 in the first round of the Tokyo Olympics, ending a 25-game Olympic winning streak. France closed the game on a spectacular 16-2 run, and NBA players Evan Fournier and Rudy Gobert combined for 42 points as the top scorers for France. The loss dropped the United States’ all-time Olympic basketball record to 138-6, but the U.S. would redeem themselves against the same France team in the gold medal match, this time winning 87-82.

1. 16

2. Indiana Pacers

3. José Bautista