In today’s SportSense Entertainment Newsletter…

Additional Model Predictions ⬇️

MLB Model Predictions- Click Here

NHL Model Predictions- Click Here

NCAAB Model Predictions- Click Here

There were plenty of model 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: 8-5

Over/Under Predictions: 4-9

Run Line Predictions: 8-5

Featured Matchup: 0-1

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

Philadelphia 76ers @ Memphis Grizzlies

Model Predicts- 76ers ML, OVER 209.5, 76ers -12.5

The Philadelphia 76ers will play the second game of a three-game road trip on Saturday night, making a stop in Memphis, Tennessee tot take on the Grizzlies.

Philadelphia enters tonight’s matchup with a 42-35 record, placing the 76ers in the play-in tournament but just 1.5 games back of the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, Memphis is well out of playoff contention, owning a 27-50 record after a win against the Detroit Pistons last night.

This is the second game of a back-to-back for Memphis, and our model believes a healthier 76ers squad will take advantage of that. Let’s dive into why that is.

Philadelphia 76ers

• Enter tonight on three-game win streak

  • Wins over Raptors, Thunder, and Heat

  • +23 point differential in that span

• Joel Embiid is back in lineup

  • Team posted 11-18 record with Embiid sidelined. 2-0 since he re-entered lineup

  • -4.9 Net Rating during Embiid’s absence. +4.1 Net Rating since his return

• Injuries- De’Anthony Melton and Robert Covington are OUT. Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, and Mo Bamba are questionable

Memphis Grizzlies

• Beat Pistons on Friday night

  • Won game 108-90. Held Detroit to shooting 40% overall and 27% from three

  • Was third-straight win for team

• Still playing bad basketball despite recent win streak

  • Beat Pistons twice during win streak- easy schedule

  • Own -7.7 Net Rating across last 11 games (4-7 record in that time)

• Injuries- Entire team. 12 players listed on injury report, all 12 listed as OUT

What’s the Play?

Memphis has found a way into the win column over the last week, but we agree with our model that the 76ers can win and cover the sizable spread tonight.

As previously mentioned, two of Memphis’ last three wins have come against the Detroit Pistons, a team we all know is fighting for the No.1 pick in June’s NBA Draft. Tonight’s matchup will be a much more difficult one, as the 76ers once again look like the contender many thought they could be with Joel Embiid back in the lineup.

Additionally, Memphis is just 5-7 against the spread this season in the second game of a back-to-back, losing three of the last four games in those scenarios by an average of 13 points. We’d wait to hear the status of Embiid and Maxey before laying this number, but if those guys suit up then this is a good spot for Philly.

The Play: 76ers -12.5 (-110)

Money Line Trends 💰

• Cleveland Cavaliers- 46-31 overall this season, 22-17 as the away team

• Philadelphia 76ers- 42-35 overall this season, 3-0 in last three games

Over/Under Trends ⬆️⬇️

• Los Angeles Lakers- Over is 43-34-1 this season, 19-18-1 as the home team

• Philadelphia 76ers- Over is 40-37 this season, 21-18 as the away team

Spread Trends ➕➖

• Philadelphia 76ers- 43-34 against the spread (ATS) this season, 10-7 ATS as a road favorite

🦵 Josh Hart ejected after kick to head. During a game against the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks player Josh Hart was ejected after receiving a flagrant-2 foul for kicking Javonte Green in the first quarter. Hart lost control of the ball while driving to the basket, leading to the contact with Green. Despite the incident, Green remained in the game, and referee Scott Foster deemed Hart's actions as "excessive," leading to his ejection.

👀 Bronny James enters NBA Draft, transfer portal. Bronny James, a guard for USC and son of LeBron James, has declared for the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining his eligibility to play college basketball. The 19-year-old will also enter the transfer portal, indicating his intention to potentially switch to another college team. Before making his final decision, James will participate in the pre-draft evaluation process, although his participation in team workouts and the NBA Draft Combine depends on clearance from the NBA's Fitness to Play Panel following a heart procedure he underwent after going into cardiac arrest last summer.

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- Two freshman from the University of Kentucky were selected first and second overall in the 2012 NBA Draft. Who were those players?

Question #2- Current Nebraska men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg coached what Big 12 university from 2010-15 prior to his stint with the Chicago Bulls and Cornhuskers?

Question #3- Only seven pitchers in MLB history have won the Cy Young award in both the National and American League. Who was the most recent to do it?

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

On April 6th…

1988- The New Jersey Devils go against the New York Islanders in the franchise’s first playoff game. New Jersey would go on to lose the game 4-3 in overtime, but would comeback to win the series. The Devils made it all the way to the Wales Conference Finals, but lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games.

2009- The 71st NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship is contested between North Carolina and Michigan State. The Tar Heels took home the win in dominant fashion, taking down the Spartans 89-72 thanks to 21 points form Ty Lawson. It was the fifth time that North Carolina was crowned the national champion.

2019- The Tampa Bay Lightning defeat the Boston Bruins 6-3 in their regular season finale. The was the 62nd of the season for Tampa Bay, tying the NHL record held by the 1995-96 Red Wings. The Lightning would also end the season with 128 points, the fourth-most in NHL history at the time.

1. Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

2. Iowa State

3. Blake Snell