Happy Tuesday, sports fan!

Lots to get into today, including:

• Is Joel Embiid injured?... or was he scared to compete? 🤔

• Tonight’s can’t-miss matchup 🏀

• Meme of the day 🌈

• Devin Booker gives us all the feels 🥲

• That time the pitch clock killed our vibe ⏰

😬 Embiid sat out Monday’s battle of the MVPs 😬

NBA fans everywhere were spilling over with excitement ahead of Monday’s Sixers-Nuggets game, giddy over the opportunity to watch the league’s two favorites to win MVP face each other.

Joel Embiid had other plans. Or at least, his calf did. He was declared out ahead of the matchup to manage calf soreness and fatigue, depriving basketball heads everywhere of a chance to watch two greats.

There’s certainly some merit to Embiid’s calf injury, which was noted to be bothering him as early as last Monday (at home, against the Bulls). He fouled out of that game, but not before playing 44 minutes in a game they lost in double overtime. So, yeah, there’s probably some truth to that!

Still, some were skeptical that his absence wasn’t at least in part due to a fear of returning to play at the Nuggets in Denver for the first time since 2019.

After all, his last appearance in Denver didn’t end particularly well, did it?

A Nikola Jokić fan reminded us of what happened during Embiid’s last trip to Denver… 🥶

There’s also the idea that Embiid kind of totally and completely dominated during their first meeting back in January. It was a statement game for Embiid at home, scoring 37 points with 18 boards and five assists, shooting 57.1% from three. In the same game, Jokić posted 24 points, 8 boards and 9 rebounds — one of his more humble stat lines on the season.

Could Embiid repeat that dominance in Denver? If Jokić outshines him, does recency bias kick in and hurt his chances to win MVP?

So what is it??? Is he injured, or did he duck out??? The people have thoughts. ⬇️

The youth have jokes???📱 

This kid printed a missing person’s poster for Joel Embiid. Bless his heart.

The memes were poppin’ too 😂

Even Gaming Society co-founder KG jumped in to stir the pot 🥄

Here’s what I think: My totally unbiased and uninformed brain says that Embiid’s absence was probably totally due to injury, even if it is fun to speculate that he’s scared he’ll lose MVP stock playing against Jokić.

So who will win MVP?

It’s a really, really close race. So close, in fact, that it's basically a coin flip. Nikola Jokić is currently the favorite at +110, with Joel Embiid just barely a hair behind him at +125. It's worth noting — Embiid had been ahead of Jokić in the race, prior to Monday's missed game.

In terms of figuring out just how injured Embiid really is, time will tell. Our next opportunity to check in, however, is TONIGHT!

🏀 Mavs vs. Sixers = Game of the day 🏀

Who: Dallas Mavericks @ Philadelphia 76ers
When: Wednesday, March 29
How to watch: ESPN or live stream here

 💸 Betting tips for Mavs vs. Sixers 💸 

Kyrie Irving has averaged 31 points, 2.7 rebounds and 6 assists per game against the Sixers this season. That includes two games with the Brooklyn Nets and one game with the Mavs, back in early March, where he scored a whopping 40 points.

If Joel Embiid is out, consider a bet on Tyrese Maxey! Since the All-Star break, Maxey’s played six games without Harden in the lineup. In those games, he’s averaged 27.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists!

Given the questionable status of Joel Embiid and James Harden, there are fewer player props available to bet. More bets for other players (like for Tyrese Maxey) will usually show up closer to game time. Be patient!

 🌈 Betting Academy Meme of the Day 🌈

Did you know? 💡 The bet on the over/under (also known as point total) is a bet on the combined score of two teams.

The over/under for tonight’s Mavs-Sixers game is 230.5 points — meaning a bet on the under would cash if the Mavs and Sixers combine for 230 or fewer points, and a bet on the over would hit if the Mavs and Sixers combine for 231 or more points.

Learn more about the basics of sports betting, including key terms to know, over at The Betting Academy!

 📲 Social moments that altered my brain chemistry this week 🧠

Devin Booker made a fan’s day 🥲

Am I the only one that is a total sucker for these moments?

The pitch clock’s latest victim: Humanity 😭

Beloved San Francisco Giants pitcher Sergio Romo returned to the mound Monday night to throw the final pitch of his MLB career as a San Francisco Giant. It was a moving moment — a storybook moment… until the pitch clock totally killed the vibes.

As Romo took the mound to an ovation from the crowd, soaking in his final moments as a professional baseball player… the pitch clock expired. Boom, a ball is added to the count, signaling Romo to get on with it.

Could the league really not have chilled for a minute on the pitch clock to let Romo have his moment? C’mon, ump, have a heart!

Read more about 2023 MLB rule changes (and whether or not we like them) here 👇

🏀 The women’s NCAA basketball tournament is thriving 💪

The lowest available ticket price for the women’s Final Four is more than 3x that of the men’s tournament.

A big reason for that? IOWA SUPERSTAR CAITLIN CLARK — the most captivating player in college basketball — men’s or women’s.

Read more about her record-breaking postseason run ahead of the Hawkeyes’ matchup with the 36-0 South Carolina Gamecocks. Watch the game Friday at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN and enjoy the competition this game has to offer.

Before you go, check out some other things our team has been working on! 😤