In today’s SportSense Entertainment Newsletter…

There were plenty of model 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 1-1 overall, and you can see how the rest of the model’s performed below.

Money Line Predictions: 0-2

Over/Under Predictions: 2-0

Spread Predictions: 0-2

Featured Matchup: 0-1

Money Line Predictions: 5-3

Over/Under Predictions: 4-4

Puck Line Predictions: 4-4

Featured Matchup: 1-0

Don’t Miss Out on Being a Premium Subscriber…

SportSense Premium Subscribers have access to more betting tools, and it costs just $0.50 per day to access.

• Player prop models and in-depth prop analysis for NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB players, such as the example below 👇️ 

• Model-backed power rankings that show which teams have an edge over their competition

• Model Track- Where every money line, over/under, and spread prediction is tracked, so bettors can see which models and type of predictions are the most profitable.

Our Premium tools and analysis make our subscribers smarter sports bettors, and provide an edge that you won’t receive elsewhere. Today’s player props are already posted on our website! Click the button below to join Premium today! ⬇️ 

The NBA is finally back in full swing today, with 22 teams scheduled to hit the hardwood. Our model’s predictions for all of tonight’s games are below.

Memphis Grizzlies @ Detroit Pistons

Model Predicts- Pistons ML, OVER 219, Pistons +1.5

To see our full-game write-up, click here

The Memphis Grizzlies will make the trip north to Detroit, Michigan to take on the Pistons on Wednesday.

Memphis’ season has not gone as planned, posting a 5-14 record through 19 games, a much different result than we are used to seeing from the Western Conference’s No.2 seed last season. Luckily for the Grizzlies, their opponent tonight, the Detroit Pistons, isn’t any better, entering tonight on a 17-game losing streak.

This is the ugliest matchup on the board by far, but our model has spotted some value on the Pistons here. Let’s take a look at why that is.

Memphis Grizzlies

• Have gone 2-5 in last seven games

  • Wins are against Jazz and short-handed Mavericks

  • Own 103.4 Offensive Rating in that time (30th in NBA)

• Horribly inefficient team on offensive end

  • Shooting 43.1% overall and 32.6% as a team- rank last in NBA in both

  • Averages have dropped to 42.9% and 30.4% over last seven games

• Still dealing with multitude of injuries

  • Ja Morant (suspended), Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard

Detroit Pistons

• Currently in midst of historic losing streak

  • 0-17 in last 17 games. Have not won since October 28th

  • Second-worst Net Rating in that time (-11.8)

• Have still been competitive despite not finding win column

  • 11 of 17 losses have been decided by 11 points or fewer

  • Have lost by single digits in last two games

• Starting to get healthier- helps already thriving depth

  • Bojan Bogdanovic back in lineup

  • Nine players averaging 9.5 points per game or more. Rank 7th in bench points per game (40.5)

What’s the Play?

This certainly isn’t a pretty bet, but we are going to rock with the Pistons on the spread tonight.

Memphis is horribly inefficient on the offensive end this season, and that isn’t going to change just because the Grizzlies are playing a team on a 17-game losing streak. Memphis has no perimeter shooting, ranks in the bottom eight in points per game in the paint, and ranks in the bottom half of the NBA in bench point per game, further illustrating this team’s offensive struggles.

Meanwhile, Detroit is starting to get healthier, bringing another 20.0 points per game scorer in Bogdanovic back into the lineup next to Cade Cunningham, and the Pistons are one of the deepest scoring teams in the NBA. This is a prime matchup for Detroit to snap the losing streak, but since they’ve been so bad we’ll just take them on the short spread.

The Play: Pistons +1.5 (-110)

Money Line Trends 💰

• Orlando Magic- 14-6 overall this season, 5-4 as the away team

• Toronto Raptors- 9-11 overall this season, 6-5 as the home team

• Oklahoma City Thunder- 13-6 overall this season, 7-2 as the away team

Over/Under Trends ⬆️⬇️

• Dallas Mavericks- Over is 13-6 this season, 6-3 as the home team

• Los Angeles Clippers- Under is 12-6-1 this season, 7-1-1 as the home team

Spread Trends ➕➖

• Philadelphia 76ers- 13-6 against the spread (ATS) this season, 4-1 ATS as a road favorite

• Oklahoma City Thunder- 14-4-1 ATS this season, 7-1-1 ATS as the away team

💪 Lakers best Suns to advance in IST. LeBron James' dominant fourth-quarter display, contributing 15 of his 31 points, propelled the Los Angeles Lakers to clinch the last semifinal spot in the NBA In-Season Tournament with a 106-103 win against the Phoenix Suns. Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves supported with 27 points/15 rebounds and 20 points, respectively, in what was a balanced display. Despite controversy over a late timeout call benefiting the Lakers, Kevin Durant's 31 points for the Suns couldn't overturn the Lakers' victory, securing their place in the East semifinal against New Orleans.

🦌 Bucks beat Knicks despite big night from Randle. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the charge with 35 points and 10 assists, propelling the Milwaukee Bucks to a decisive 146-122 victory over the New York Knicks. Damian Lillard contributed 28 points as well, securing Milwaukee’s place in the NBA In-Season Tournament's semifinals. Coach Adrian Griffin praised the team's performance, setting sights on Vegas while anticipating a challenging matchup against the Indiana Pacers, emphasizing the Bucks' quest for a championship statement.

A slow day of NHL hockey will take place today, with just eight teams set to hit the ice. Our model’s predictions for today’s matchups can be found below.

Carolina Hurricanes @ Edmonton Oilers

Model Predicts- Hurricanes ML, OVER 6.5, Hurricanes +1.5

The Carolina Hurricanes will continue their Canadian road trip on Wednesday, with the next stop on their journey coming in Edmonton to take on the Oilers.

Carolina came out flat in the first game of its road trip, a 2-1 loss at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets, but still enters tonight’s battle with a 14-9-1 record and in second in the Metropolitan division. Meanwhile, Edmonton owns a 9-12-1 record, but is starting to turn things around after a disastrous start to the 2023-24 season.

Our model gives Carolina the edge as a road underdog here, but we are focused on the total in this one. Let’s take a look at why that is.

Carolina Hurricanes

• Scored one goal in last game against Jets, but had plenty of chances to score more

  • 43 shots on goal compared to 22 for Winnipeg

  • xGF in 5-on-5 was 3.39

• Performance reflects how strong offense is

  • Rank 4th in xGF/60 in 5-on-5 (3.01)

  • Put 34.5 shots on goal per game (1st in NHL)

• Expected goalie- Antti Raanta

  • .908 Save % in 5-on-5. Ranks 75th in Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx) with -7.0

Edmonton Oilers

• Enter this matchup as hottest team in NHL

  • 4-0 in last four games

  • Outscoring opponents 21-7 in that span

• Arguably the best offense in NHL

  • Rank 1st in xGF/60 and high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes (HDCF/60) in 5-on-5 situations

  • Rank in top-six in shots on goal and power play success

• Expected goalie- Stuart Skinner

  • .898 Save % in 5-on-5. Ranks 76th in GSAx (-9.2)

What’s the Play?

We wouldn’t mind backing the Hurricanes on the money line at plus money, but the over is the far more attractive bet here.

Both Carolina and Edmonton possess a lethal scoring attack, both of which can light up the scoreboard in the blink of an eye. The Canes and Oilers put a tremendous amount of pressure on goaltenders from every angle on the ice, and each team’s ability to generate high-danger scoring chances puts them in position to find the back of the net several times per game.

Additionally, Raanta and Skinner have been the two worst goalies in the NHL this season based on GSAx, leaving both squads vulnerable on the defensive end. This game should see well north of seven goals.

The Play: Over 6.5 (-125)

Money Line Trends 💰

• Dallas Stars- 14-6-3 overall this season, 8-2-2 as the away team

• Tampa Bay Lightning- 11-10-5 overall this season, 7-3-3 as the home team

Over/Under Trends ⬆️⬇️

• Pittsburgh Penguins- Under is 15-7-2 this season with average total of 5.67

• Edmonton Oilers- Over is 12-8-2 this season with average total of 6.95

Spread Trends ➕➖

• Pittsburgh Penguins- Puck line is 13-11 this season

🔮 Las Vegas Sphere to host 2024 NHL Draft. The 2024 NHL Draft is set to take place at the innovative Sphere in Las Vegas on June 28-29, as confirmed by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. While finalizing contracts remains pending, Bettman expressed confidence in the process, anticipating the event to be notably impactful and immersive due to Sphere's advanced technology. This draft is expected to mark the final occasion where representatives from all 32 teams convene on the draft floor, with future drafts set to adopt a decentralized approach to facilitate real-time access to team personnel and fan engagement within their respective markets.

🤕 Markstrom out with broken finger. Calgary Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom has suffered a fractured finger, rendering him week-to-week. The 33-year-old Markstrom, with a season record of 6-8-2, faces absence due to the injury as the Flames engage in their six-game homestand, with Dan Vladar stepping in against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday. Captain Mikael Backlund expressed the team's disappointment over Markstrom's injury, highlighting the need for Vladar to rise to the occasion.

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- Which NBA franchise owns the lowest regular-season win percentage all-time?

Question #2- The 2016 NFL Draft saw three players drafted in the fifth round become Pro Bowlers. Two of those players are Matthew Judon and Jordan Howard, but who is the third?

Question #3- What NFL team has won the most Super Bowls since 2000?

Anyone know what has happened on December 6th throughout history? We didn’t have a clue either, but it appears that it has been a busy day.

On December 6th…

1986- University of Miami quarterback Vinny Testaverde wins the 52nd Heisman Trophy. Testaverde won the award over Temple’s Paul Palmer, a result of throwing for 2,557 yards, 26 touchdowns, and leading the Hurricanes to an 11-0 record. Testaverde would later be selected with the first overall pick of the 1987 NFL Draft, and ranked in the top-eight in NFL history in passing yards and touchdowns at the time of his retirement.

1992- San Francisco 49ers legend Jerry Rice catches his 101st career touchdown. The touchdown catch came in a 27-3 victory over the Miami Dolphins, and would he would pass Steve Largent on the all-time list to set a new NFL record. Rice ended his career with 197 receiving touchdowns, the most in NFL history.

2018- Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry has record-breaking game in a 30-9 win over the Jaguars. Henry would tally 238 rushing yards and four touchdowns in the winning effort, with his yardage total setting a new Titans franchise record. He also matched the longest run in NFL history that day, scoring a 99-yard rushing touchdown.

1. Minnesota Timberwolves

2. Tyreek Hill

3. New England Patriots