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 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: 8-3

Over/Under Predictions: 4-6-1

Run Line Predictions: 8-3

Featured Matchup Prediction: 0-1

🐻 Justin Fields has flawless performance on Saturday. The Bears' offseason efforts to provide Justin Fields with better offensive options paid off in their initial preseason game against the Tennessee Titans. Fields connected with DJ Moore on a 62-yard touchdown pass from a short wide receiver screen, followed by a 56-yard TD pass to Khalil Herbert on third-and-8 to propel the Bears to a 23-17 victory. Fields, after completing a flawless 3-for-3 for 129 yards, two TDs, and a perfect passer rating of 158.3, expressed his satisfaction with the efficient performance, giving Bears fans some hope that their team can make the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

💪 Ravens beat Eagles, win 24th straight preseason game. The Baltimore Ravens have extended their unprecedented NFL preseason winning streak by defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 20-19, giving the Ravens' their 24th consecutive preseason win. Quarterbacks Tyler Huntley and Josh Johnson contributed with touchdown passes, complemented by two successful field goals from Justin Tucker, including an impressive 60-yard kick. This achievement surpasses the previous tie with Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers, who held a 23-game preseason winning streak against NFL opponents.

🙁 Bryce Young falls flat in preseason debut. Bryce Young's debut in the preseason didn't go according to plan. As the first pick in the NFL draft, he completed 4 of 6 passes for 21 yards, but the Carolina Panthers suffered a 27-0 loss to the New York Jets. Young played three series and the Panthers struggled to make headway, securing only one first down with the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner at the helm, despite facing a Jets defense that rested its starters. Young faced challenges from the offensive line, getting hit on three occasions, including a notable hit from defensive tackle Solomon Thomas.

There are 15 MLB games scheduled to take place throughout this afternoon and evening. However, due to lines being unavailable at the time the model was run, our model has predictions for 13 of today’s matchups.

Los Angeles Angels @ Houston Astros

Model Predicts- Angels ML, OVER 9, Angels +1.5

The Los Angeles Angels and Houston Astros will close out a three-game series on Sunday afternoon in the Astrodome.

Houston has had a firm grip over their AL West rival from the very first pitch in the series, winning Games 1 and 2 by a score of 11-3. The back-to-back wins pushed Houston to 68-50 overall this season and 9-3 in the season series with the Angels.

These teams and trending in opposite directions in the standings, yet our model believes the Angels can sneak away with a victory as a road underdog. Will we see that prediction come to fruition, or will the Astros assert their dominance once again and sweep their division rival?

Los Angeles Angels

The Los Angeles Angels made a very bold move in keeping Shohei Ohtani on the roster as the trade deadline approached. The move looked to be the right one though, as L.A. entered August with a 56-51 record and only a handful of games back of a wild card spot.

However, things have fallen apart rather quickly in the last two weeks, with the Angels’ playoff hopes dwindling every day.

A 2-9 start to August has cratered L.A.’s record to 58-60, placing the Angels 12.5 games back of first in the AL West and 6.5 games back of the Wild Card. The biggest reason for the collapse has been the bats, with the Angels ranking 27th in wRC+ (65) and wOBA (.267) in what has been quite the drought at the plate.

The pitching staff hasn’t done the team any favors either, posting an abysmal 6.66 ERA and 4.92 xFIP since August 1st. It is tough to place blame on just one or two guys on the staff too, as the Angels’ starters own a 6.79 ERA compared to the bullpen’s 6.48 ERA.

This team is getting crushed on the mound and can’t seem to counteract that at the plate. That is often a recipe for a blowout.

Chase Silseth (3-1 record, 3.72 ERA) will look to settle things down on the mound as today’s starter. Silseth has been a strikeout machine since joining the starting rotation after the All-Star beak, posting 10 or more K’s in two of three starts. However, he owns a concerning 10.6% Walk rate and 10.6% Barrel rate, two massive concerns against a strong Astros offense.

Houston Astros

The Astros’ dominance over the Angels this season has been something to behold, but the Angels haven’t been the only victim in recent weeks.

FanGraphs ranks the Astros sixth in wRC+ this month at 126, a sign of an offense that is firing on all cylinders. That number has come about because of Houston’s 17 homers, but the Astros’ .323 BABIP and .351 wOBA show that this team is doing damage outside of the long ball as well.

We’ve seen exactly that so far in this series, with the Astros hitting just three home runs in two games yet scoring a total of 22 runs in that time. Houston’s high walk rate (14.7%) and low strikeout rate (15.9%) in this series have played a large role in that run total, further showing that this team can come around to score without the deep ball.

There is no question about this offense right now, but there are plenty of question marks surrounding starting pitcher José Urquidy (2-2 record, 6.10 ERA).

Urquidy came back from the IL last week against the New York Yankees, surrendering five earned runs in just 3.1 innings. Those numbers have been rather common for the 28-year-old in his shortened season, largely due to his high Walk rate (9.4%), low strikeout rate (17.3%), and 8.9% barrel rate.

What’s the Play?

Los Angeles hasn’t even come close to having the upper hand in this season series, posting a -28 run differential in 12 games. Our model still shows value on the Angels this afternoon despite that concerning trend, however, we feel the over is the better bet to make here.

Los Angeles and Houston have combined to score 137 runs across 12 games in the season series, coming out to an average of 11.42 runs per game. That average rises to 16.4 across the last five matchups, with Houston posting a +18 run differential in those five contests.

The Angels can’t seem to find their touch at the plate, but Urquidy gives them a great chance to reverse that trend this afternoon. Silseth, despite his strikeout ability, has shown some flaws as well, ranking in the bottom 20% of the majors in walk rate, hard hit rate, and barrel rate.

Offense has been the name of the game from Game 1 of this season series. Let’s keep riding that trend.

3-star play: Over 9 runs (-105)

Money Line Trends 💰

• Philadelphia Phillies- 65-53 overall this season, 34-23 as the home team, 7-3 in last ten games

• Chicago Cubs- 61-56 overall this season, 19-9 since the All-Star break

• Texas Rangers- 70-47 overall this season, 9-1 in last ten games

Over/Under Trends ⬆️⬇️

• Tampa Bay Rays- Over is 61-54-4 this season, 36-24-1 as the home team

• Toronto Blue Jays- Under is 66-47-6 this season, highest win percentage in MLB

• Los Angeles Angels- Over is 56-54-8 this season, 8-4 in season series with Astros

Run Line Trends ➕➖

• Los Angeles Dodgers- Run line is 64-52 this season, 20-14 against division opponents (Play NL West rival Colorado this afternoon)

• Atlanta Braves- Run line is 60-56 overall this season, 24-25 as a road favorite

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

💥 Braves blowout Mets in Game 1 of doubleheader. A home run derby broke out in Queens yesterday afternoon as the Atlanta Braves dominated the New York Mets with a score of 21-3. Matt Olson hit two home runs, Ozzie Albies contributed a home run and six RBIs, and Sean Murphy, Austin Riley, and Nicky Lopez also added home runs for the NL East leaders. Atlanta’s season total of 225 homers leads the major leagues, and their 75 wins are the most in baseball this season.

🤕 Shane McClanahan to miss rest of season. Tampa Bay Rays star Shane McClanahan will miss the remainder of the regular season due to a left arm injury. The left-handed ace was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL ahead of a game against the Cleveland Guardians, and may need Tommy John surgery to fix the issue. McClanahan, who was 11-2 with a 3.29 ERA prior to injury, is just the latest injury victim in the Rays’ rotation, a big reason why Tampa Bay has started to descend in the AL East standings over the last several weeks.

💪 Chicago secures series victory over Blue Jays. Christopher Morel's ninth-inning double propelled the Chicago Cubs to a 5-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon. The Cubs secured their second consecutive win in the three-game series, with Dansby Swanson's three-run homer contributing to their lead. Toronto's Chris Bassitt and Chicago's Justin Steele had solid performances on the mound, while Julian Merryweather earned the win for the Cubs and Adbert Alzolay secured his 16th save. The loss was the third straight for Toronto, who now owns a 0.5-game cushion for the last American League Wild Card spot.

🏀 James Harden staying put in Philadelphia, for now. The Philadelphia 76ers have concluded discussions regarding a trade involving James Harden, a 10-time All-Star guard, and intend to reintegrate him into their training camp before the season begins. The Sixers engaged in periodic talks with the LA Clippers throughout the offseason, which was Harden's preferred destination, however, no progress was made toward a deal. Following Harden's request and his decision to exercise his $35.6 million player option in June, the Sixers were open to exploring a trade. Nonetheless, their demands were high, and no team, including the Clippers, demonstrated a willingness or ability to meet them.

⛳️ Lucas Glover sits atop the leaderboard at St. Jude Championship. Lucas Glover surged ahead with a solid four-under par 66 in the third round of the St. Jude Championship, the opening event of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup playoffs. The 43-year-old American, aiming for back-to-back wins, made four birdies within the first six holes, completing 54 holes at 14-under 196 at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. This placed Glover, the 2009 US Open champion, one stroke ahead of fellow American Taylor Moore, who carded a 65, with England's Tommy Fleetwood trailing in third at 198 after his third consecutive 66.

🐯 LSU lands five-star receiver. LSU's reputation for talent in various skill positions was bolstered by Brian Kelly's recent recruiting victory, as five-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore committed for the 2025 season. Moore, ranked 10th overall in the 2025 ESPN 300 and the cycle's second-ranked wide receiver, marks a significant addition, as he would be the first five-star receiver to join LSU since Terrace Marshall Jr. in 2018. LSU is continuing to enhance its roster under Kelly’s leadership, recently securing commitments from highly regarded talents like Jelani Watkins in addition to Moore.

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- On September 14, 1990, Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. became the first father-son duo to hit back-to-back home runs in a Major League Baseball game. Which team were they playing for at the time?

Question #2- Who holds the record for the highest single-season free throw percentage in NBA history, and what was their percentage?

Question #3- Who was the first, and only, defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy, and what school did he attend?

Anyone know what has happened on August 13th throughout history? We didn’t have a clue either, but it appears that it has been a busy day.

On August 13th…

1979- Lou Brock, the legendary outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, achieved a historic milestone by recording his 3,000th career hit. The momentous hit came during a game against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium. Brock's base hit, a single to left field, not only secured his place in baseball history but also highlighted his remarkable consistency and longevity as a player. His accomplishment was celebrated by fans, teammates, and the baseball community, solidifying his status as one of the game's all-time greats and a key figure in the Cardinals' success during his illustrious career.

2016- Michael Phelps swims in his last career race at the 2016 Rio Olympics, competing in the 4x100m medley relay for the United States team. The race saw Phelps showcase his signature butterfly stroke during his leg of the relay, helping his team secure victory and earning his 23rd Olympic gold medal. This final race marked a triumphant end to Phelps' remarkable Olympic journey, solidifying his status as one of the greatest swimmers and athletes in history.

2017- The 2017 PGA Championship is held at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. Justin Thomas emerged as the victor, securing his first major championship, clinching the title with a final score of 8-under-par 276, winning by two strokes. Three golfers finished in a tie for second, Francesco Molinari, Louis Oosthuizen, and Patrick Reed, all of which finished at 6-under-par 278.

1. Seattle Mariners

2. José Calderón (98.05%)

3. Charles Woodson (Michigan)