In today’s SportSense Entertainment Newsletter…

There were plenty of predictions to go around yesterday across the NBA and NHL, with our model focusing in on two of those predictions in our Featured Matchups. Those predictions went 0-2 overall, and you can see how each of the models performed below.

Money Line Predictions: 4-3

Over/Under Predictions: 3-4

Spread Predictions: 4-3

Featured Matchup: 0-1

Money Line Predictions: 0-2

Over/Under Predictions: 0-2

Puck Line Predictions: 2-0

Featured Matchup: 0-1

We officially have a website!

SportSense Entertainment officially has its own webpage, which is loaded with everything you need to win your bets. What’s on this website?

• Past newsletters

• Past and current model predictions for all NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAAB, NCAAF, and MLB games

• In-depth articles on our Best Bets/Featured Matchups, as well as any other games where value may lie

• SportSense Premium- Gain access to our player prop model predictions and analysis, power ratings/rankings, and Model Track.

• Coming soon- Sportsbook bonuses and rewards

SportSense Entertainment is your new one-stop shop for all things sports betting. Check it out 👇️ 

There are plenty of NCAA football games scheduled to take place today, and our model has predictions for every matchup that features a ranked opponent. You can find those predictions below.

California Golden Bears @ Oregon Ducks

Model Predicts- Oregon ML, OVER 60, California +24.5

The California Golden Bears will hit the road for the fourth time this season, making the journey to Eugene, Oregon to take on the Ducks.

Cal enters this week’s matchup with a 3-5 record, but still has plenty of momentum on its side after nearly taking down USC last week. Meanwhile, Oregon sits at 7-1, with the Ducks’ only loss coming at the hands of the Washington Huskies last month.

Our model likes the Golden Bears to cover the spread on the road this afternoon, but it has spotted a ton of value on the over in this spot. Let’s take a look at why that is.

California Golden Bears

• Put up tremendous fight against USC last week

  • Lost 50-49, but led 31-17 at the half

  • Recorded 527 yards of offense- 235 on ground, 292 through air

• Running the ball has been this team’s best weapon

  • Rank 20th in FBS in rush yards per game (200.5), 27th in yards per rush attempt (5.00)

  • Nine rush plays of 40+ yards this season

• Defense is almost non-existent

  • Rank 104th in FBS in opponent yards per game (405.0)

  • Vulnerable to explosive plays- Have surrendered 22 plays of 40+ yards (cfbstats)

  • Create zero pressure- Create havoc play on 14.4% of snaps, rank in bottom 15 in sacks and tackles for loss

Oregon Ducks

• Offense can carve up any opposing defense

  • Average 45.5 points per game- 3rd in NCAA

  • Rank inside top-10 in pass and rush yards per game

• Have deep-threats everywhere

  • Five pass catchers average at least 10.0 yards per reception

  • 13 pass plays of 40+ yards

• Defense is solid all around, but is vulnerable to explosive plays

  • Have surrendered six points or less in three of last five games

  • Opponents have recorded 20 plays of 40+ yards, seven plays of 50+ yards

What’s the Play?

There is no question that Oregon is going to pile on the points here. Cal remains a wild card, but we have faith the Golden Bears can generate some offense and help get this total over 60.

What’s the key to a high-scoring game? Explosive plays. Both Cal and Oregon are more than capable of of ripping off large chunks of yardage on the ground and through the air, but neither defense has proven they can consistently stop their opponent from doing the same. That should allow for short drives that end in touchdowns.

Should we expect another 49-point performance from Cal? We shouldn’t get our hopes up. However, the Golden bears average 32.3 points per game this season, proving they have enough fire power to fly with the Ducks in a shootout.

The Play: Over 60 (-110)

Money Line Trends 💰

• Alabama- 7-1 overall this season, 4-1 as the home team

• UCLA- 6-2 overall this season, 2-2 as the away team

Over/Under Trends ⬆️⬇️

• UCONN- Under is 5-3 this season, 2-1 as a road underdog

• California- Over is 5-3 this season with average total of 65.75 points

• Iowa State- Under is 5-3 this season, 3-1 as the home team

Spread Trends ➕➖

• Oklahoma- 6-2 against the spread (ATS) this season, 2-1 ATS as the away team

• Missouri- 5-3 ATS this season, 2-1 ATS as an underdog

😬 Connor Stalions officially resigns amid NCAA investigation. Michigan analyst Connor Stalions has resigned amidst the ongoing NCAA investigation into alleged sign-stealing efforts by the Wolverines, a move announced by the university. Stalions, a retired US Marine Corps captain, refused to cooperate with investigations and did not attend a meeting with university officials. His attorney stated that he resigned to minimize distractions for the team and stressed that, to his knowledge, neither Coach Jim Harbaugh nor any other staff members were involved in any rule-breaking.

🤕 Riley Leonard sidelined for extended period of time. Duke quarterback Riley Leonard will be sidelined for an "extended period" due to a left toe injury sustained in the game against Louisville. Leonard's return timeline is uncertain, and it's not guaranteed he'll be back this season, though any potential return would be later in the year. Leonard had been a breakout star for Duke, leading them to their highest AP poll ranking since 1994 before getting injured.

Day 1 of the NBA In-Season tournament has come to a close, leaving us with eight non-tournament games throughout this afternoon and evening. Our model’s predictions for all eight matchups can be found below.

Los Angeles Lakers @ Orlando Magic

Model Predicts- Lakers ML, OVER 218.5, Magic +3.5

The Los Angeles Lakers will make the cross-country journey to Orlando, Florida on Saturday, the first game of a four-game road trip for the Lake Show.

L.A. enters tonight’s matchup with a 3-2 record, picking up wins against the Suns, Magic, and Clippers. Similarly, the Magic own a 3-2 record, managing wins against the Rockets, Trail Blazers, and Jazz.

The first meeting between these two teams was tightly contested and saw the Lakers escape with a three-point victory. Our model thinks L.A. will win tonight as well, but expects the Magic to keep things closer. Let’s take a look at why that is.

Los Angeles Lakers

• Have been an average offense through five games

  • Rank 16th in Offensive Rating (109.2)

  • Efficiency has been a problem- shooting 47.2% overall and 30.2% from three

• Not getting production outside of starting five

  • Rank last in bench points per game (23.0)

  • Bench is shooting 22.9% from three

• Depth will continue to be issue tonight

  • Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Rui Hachimura all listed as OUT. Taurean Prince is questionable

Orlando Magic

• Defense has been the shining star early on

  • Rank 2nd in Defensive Rating (103.6)

  • Holding opponents to 46.0 points per game in paint. Drops to 32.0 when Magic play at home (TeamRankings)

  • Opponents shooting 35% from three

• Offense has had its struggles early, but has great depth

  • 107.4 Defensive Rating. Down from 111.3 a season ago

  • Rank 2nd in bench points per game (44.6). Have seven players averaging at least 9.4 points per game

• Also dealing with key injuries

  • Wendell Carter Jr. (OUT), Markelle Fultz, Gary Harris, and Kevon Harris all Game Time Decisions

What’s the Play?

Both L.A. and Orlando will be shorthanded for today’s matchup, but we agree with our model that this is a good spot to back the Magic.

The Lakers’ lack of depth and inability to shoot the three are the biggest factors today. As a result, we expect L.A. to attack the paint, especially with a three-pointer shooter like Gabe Vincent sidelined, but unfortunately for the Lakers’ that plays right into Orlando’s defensive strength.

This spread was 2.5-points in Los Angeles a few nights ago when both squads were healthy. Now, it sits at 3.5-points with the Lakers on the road and injuries hindering their depth. That doesn’t make much sense to us, so we’ll back the Magic on the spread today.

The Play: Magic +3.5 (-110)

Money Line Trends 💰

• Orlando Magic- 3-2 overall this season, 1-0 as the home team

• Boston Celtics- 4-0 overall this season, 2-0 as the home team

Over/Under Trends ⬆️⬇️

• Philadelphia 76ers- Over is 3-1 this season, 1-1 as the home team

• Utah Jazz- Over is 5-1 this season with average total of 232.33

Spread Trends ➕➖

• Brooklyn Nets- 5-0 against the spread (ATS) this season, 4-0 ATS as an underdog

💪 Warriors score 131 points, beat Thunder in final seconds. The Golden State Warriors emerged victorious with a 141-139 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, highlighted by Stephen Curry’s 30 points and last-second buzzer beater. The contest was marked by a high-scoring affair, and the Warriors' bench players, led by Dario Šarić and Chris Paul, made significant contributions. Despite a challenging battle, the Warriors secured their fifth win of the season and now hold the second spot in the Western Conference.

🦌 Lillard, Bucks take care of Knicks. The Milwaukee Bucks secured their first victory in the In-Season Tournament, defeating the New York Knicks 110-105 at the Fiserv Forum. Damian Lillard led the Bucks with 30 points, including eight crucial points in the final 63 seconds. Giannis Antetokounmpo contributed 22 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, while Brook Lopez had 13 points and an impressive seven blocks to help combat Jalen Brunson’s 43-point performance.

We have a loaded NHL slate at our disposal today, which includes 15 games. Our model predictions for all 15 matchups can be found below.

Winnipeg Jets @ Arizona Coyotes

Model Predicts- Jets ML, UNDER 6.5, Coyotes +1.5

The Winnipeg Jets will hit the road to take on the Arizona Coyotes in a Central Division matchup on Saturday afternoon.

Winnipeg enters today’s matchup with a 4-4-2 record, one that is stained by the Jets’ current three-game losing streak. Meanwhile, after being arguably the worst team last season, Arizona sits at 5-4-1 and in 3rd place in the Central.

Arizona has played some good hockey so far, but our model is giving the Jets an edge here. Let’s take a look at why that is.

Winnipeg Jets

• Defense has slipped over last three games, but has been solid otherwise

  • Surrendered 12 goals across last three games

  • Rank 11th in GA/60 (2.05) and 5th in High-Danger Chances Against per 60 minutes (HDCA/60) in 5-on-5 situations (Natural Stat Trick)

• Offense has been slow, but due for improvement

  • GF/60 in 5-on-5 is 2.44, but xGF/60 is 2.70

  • Rank 9th in shots on goal per game (32.9), so scoring chances are there

• Expected goalie- Connor Hellebuyck

  • .927 Save % and .814 High-Danger Save % in 5-on-5

  • Ranks 40th in Goals Saved Above expected (GSAx) with -0.1

Arizona Coyotes

• Defense has been good, but has its flaws

  • 1.87 GA/60 in 5-on-5. 2.44 xGA/60 in similar situations shows regression is coming

  • Lead league in penalty minutes per game (17.2). Allow goal on 27.8% of power plays (6th worst mark in NHL)

• Middle-of-the-road offense when it comes to generating pressure

  • 22nd in shots on goal per game (29.7)

  • 16th in High-Danger Chances per 60 minutes (11.50) in 5-on-5 situations

• Expected goalie- Karel Vejmelka

  • .947 Save % in 5-on-5

  • Ranks 37th in GSAx (+0.1)

What’s the Play?

Hellebuyck and Vejmelka have been equally good between the pipes this season, which should give us a tight contest. However, we agree with our model that Winnipeg will win this afternoon.

Arizona has all the makings of a great defense, but the Coyotes have yet to put the pieces together. Their vulnerability to penalties is a huge concern, and an aggressive Jets offense will likely have the man advantage at several times during this game against a bad penalty kill.

Winnipeg’s losing streak can only go on for so long, and we think it ends today.

The Play: Jets ML (-125)

Money Line Trends 💰

• Boston Bruins- 9-0-1 this season, 4-0-0 as the away team

• Dallas Stars- 7-1-1 overall this season, 4-0-1 as the away team

Over/Under Trends ⬆️⬇️

• Detroit Red Wings- Over is 7-4 this season with average total of 6.64 goals

• Minnesota Wild- Over is 8-2 this season with average total of 7.8 goals

Puck Line Trends ➕➖

• Philadelphia Flyers- Puck line is 8-3 this season

🤕 Jack Hughes suffers upper body injury against Blues. Devils star Jack Hughes sustained an upper-body injury in the first period of the New Jersey Devils' 4-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Friday. Coach Lindy Ruff didn't have any immediate updates on Hughes' condition, but mentioned that he would be evaluated the following day. Hughes, who had been leading the NHL in points with 20, left the game after crashing shoulder-first into the boards following a shot attempt, adding one more injured player to the Devils’ list.

💪 Flyers snap three-game skid with win over Sabres. Bobby Brink recorded a goal and an assist to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 5-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday. The win ended Philly’s three-game losing streak, which consisted of a loss to the Sabres on Wednesday night. Samuel Ersson, filling in for the injured Carter Hart, made 22 saves, and other Flyers contributors included Scott Laughton, Louie Belpedio, and Travis Konecny.