NBA Shockwaves, Why the Chiefs Still Rank No.1, and the Power of Data
Episode Description
ABOUT THE EPISODE Wharton Moneyball co-hosts discuss analytics rewrites everything we think we know about sports, from OKC’s unreal NBA start to why the Chiefs might be better than their record. Eric Bradlow and Adi Wyner break down the hidden math behind winning, why point differential can expose historic seasons before the standings do, and what teams misunderstand about luck versus talent. They also discuss modern Hall of Fame debates and reveal how data can flip old narratives about baseball legends.
ABOUT THE PODCAST Sports is a game of numbers. Wharton experts Eric Bradlow, Shane Jensen, Cade Massey, and Adi Wyner team up to tackle the world of sports, from current events to longstanding issues such as: What sports streaks are the most impressive? How do you rank the best players? Can athletes be compared across sports? The Moneyball podcast explains how decision-makers in the game can avoid the common mistakes and embrace the data. Episodes are recorded at the Wharton School.
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Brief Summary
Eric Bradlo and Audi Winer discuss the Thunder's NBA season and student sports analytics research projects, including XG+ and adjusted RBIs.
Key points
- Welcome to Wharton Moneyball. Hosts Eric and Audi introduce the show and its topics, including sports analytics.
- Extraordinary NBA Season Start. Discussion on the Oklahoma City Thunder's impressive start to the NBA season.
- OKC Thunder's Historic Potential. Speculation about the Thunder's potential to be one of the greatest teams if they continue their performance.
- Surprising Rankings. Most people would find it shocking that the Chiefs are ranked at the top.
- Thanksgiving Day Matchups. Three interesting games are lined up for Thanksgiving Day, including Bengals at Ravens.
- Hall of Fame Predictions. Discussion on potential Hall of Fame inductees, including Carlos Beltran and Andrew Jones.
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Episode highlights
- Welcome to Wharton MoneyballHosts Eric and Audi introduce the show and its topics, including sports analytics.“This week it’s Eric and Audi here on the Wharton Podcast Network.”0:23Dec 1, 2025
- Extraordinary NBA Season StartDiscussion on the Oklahoma City Thunder's impressive start to the NBA season.“It’s maybe the most extraordinary start to a season that I’ve ever seen.”2:20Dec 1, 2025
- OKC Thunder's Historic PotentialSpeculation about the Thunder's potential to be one of the greatest teams if they continue their performance.“We’re going to have to start talking about this OKC team as being one of the greater teams.”12:36Dec 1, 2025
- Surprising RankingsMost people would find it shocking that the Chiefs are ranked at the top.“I think most people would find it shocking that the Chiefs are the top.”19:22Dec 1, 2025
- Thanksgiving Day MatchupsThree interesting games are lined up for Thanksgiving Day, including Bengals at Ravens.“We actually have three sort of interesting games on Thanksgiving Day.”20:43Dec 1, 2025
- Hall of Fame PredictionsDiscussion on potential Hall of Fame inductees, including Carlos Beltran and Andrew Jones.“You’re telling me I’m going to see Carlos Beltran?”30:40Dec 1, 2025
- Introducing XG PlusXG Plus builds on expected goals by integrating the probability of shots being taken.“What is XG+?”39:08Dec 1, 2025
- Rugby Analytics BreakthroughA team of students develops an expected points model for rugby, revealing teams kick too many field goals.“They are kicking too many field goals.”47:19Dec 1, 2025





