Wednesday 10/28/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

French League Cup TODAY 17:30

GFC Ajaccio

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Guingamp

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		2	21/10	29/20	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT GFC AJACCIO	RECENT FORM
ALHDALHDALHW​ Most recent​	0 - 1	HWALHDAWHDAD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Guingamp's only defeat in their last eight league games came at champions PSG

EXPERT VERDICT: Gazelec Ajaccio earned their first league win of the season last weekend, beating free-scoring Nice 3-1 at home, but they may struggle to follow up in the League Cup against a dogged Guingamp side. The visitors have kept three clean sheets in their last four away games in Ligue 1 and a draw in 90 minutes looks the best bet.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
1

 

[superbeets]

German Cup TODAY 18:00

B Dortmund

v

SC Paderborn

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		1/10	9	16	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT B DORTMUND	RECENT FORM
HDADALAWAWHW​ Most recent​	3 - 0	HWALHDALHWAW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored 17 goals in 13 matches this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Stefan Effenberg has made a strong start to life as a manager after leading Paderborn to 2-0 wins over Braunschweig and Union Berlin but the Bundesliga 2 outfit face a near-on impossible task at Borussia Dortmund. The hosts hammered Augsburg 5-1 on Sunday and can make easy progress through to the next round.

RECOMMENDATION: Dortmund to win 4-0
1

 

[superbeets]

German Cup TODAY 19:30

Schalke

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Mgladbach

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT1		5/4	12/5	21/10	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SCHALKE	RECENT FORM
AWHWHLHWHDAL​ Most recent​	1 - 0 0 - 1 1 - 1 1 - 0	AWHLHWAWADHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Schalke have won three of their last 12 games against Gladbach

EXPERT VERDICT: Borussia Monchengladbach comfortably beat Schalke 3-1 at home on Sunday and they can repeat the trick in Gelsenkirchen. Gladbach have been on a magnificent run which has seen them win five straight Bundesliga matches, while the Foals also held Juventus to a 0-0 draw away and lost in the last minute to Manchester City.

RECOMMENDATION: Monchengladbach
2

 

[superbeets]

Italian Serie A TODAY 19:45

Roma

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Udinese

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		2/5	15/4	7	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ROMA	RECENT FORM
HWALAWHWADAW​ Most recent​	2 - 1 3 - 2 2 - 3 3 - 1	HLHLAWHDADHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Both teams have scored in each of Roma's last nine matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Four successive wins have sent Roma to the Serie A summit and they can stay there by beating Udinese at the Stadio Olimpico. Roma have room for improvement at the back but are the highest scorers in the division and should have too much firepower for their mid-table opponents.

RECOMMENDATION: Roma to win 3-1
1

 

[superbeets]

Capital One Cup TODAY 19:45

Liverpool

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Bournemouth

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		9/20	15/4	7	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LIVERPOOL	RECENT FORM
HWHDADADHDHD​ Most recent​	1 - 0 4 - 1 4 - 1	HWAD*ALHDALHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Bournemouth have won just one of their last eight games in all competitions

EXPERT VERDICT: Bournemouth have never beaten Liverpool in their seven meetings in all competitions and they are unlikely to get off the mark in this League Cup clash. The Cherries ran the Reds close in their August league meeting, losing 1-0 to an offside Christian Benteke strike, but are now ravaged by injuries.

RECOMMENDATION: Liverpool-Liverpool double result
2

 

[superbeets]

Italian Serie A Th 29Oct 19:45

Sampdoria

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Empoli

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		13/10	9/4	23/10	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT SAMPDORIA	RECENT FORM
ALHWALHDALHW​ Most recent​	1 - 0 2 - 1 3 - 0 1 - 2	AWHLALHWALHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Sampdoria have lost two of their last 24 Serie A home games

EXPERT VERDICT: Sampdoria have the second-best home record in Serie A and and should soon be in the ascendency when they take on struggling Empoli at the Luigi Ferraris stadium. Walter Zenga's side are averaging just under three goals per home game and should not fear Empoli, who have lost three of their four road fixtures.

RECOMMENDATION: Sampdoria-Sampdoria double result
1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flames (2-7) at Senators (2-3)

Date: October 28, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

With the Ottawa Senators growing frustrated with their poor play at home, perhaps a visit from the struggling Calgary Flames could help.

As the Senators look to avoid opening with five straight home losses for the first time, the Flames try to avoid being swept on their three-game trip Wednesday night.

Having matched a club record by losing its first four home contests, Ottawa (3-3-2) isn't offering any excuses for its 0-2-2 start at Canadian Tire Centre.

"It wears on you. Fans come and they pay their money and they want to see wins," forward Bobby Ryan said after Saturday's 4-1 defeat to Arizona. "You can't stay in the hunt losing points at home."

The Senators have scored nine of their 23 non-shootout goals and gone 1 for 14 on the power play at home. They've also allowed at least three regulation goals in each game.

It's all left coach Dave Cameron at a loss to explain why.

"As a coach you look for indicators," he said. "You look for the practice, you look for how they're carrying themselves, you look for how they are at the meetings when you're preparing them, for signs that they're not into it. I didn't see any of that."

Veteran goaltender Craig Anderson is 3-1-0 with a 2.47 goals-against average on the road but is 0-1-1 with a 2.89 GAA at home. Andrew Hammond, however, could be back in net and looking to improve after yielding four goals during a 5-4 shootout home loss to New Jersey on Thursday in his season debut.

Ottawa has won three straight at home over Calgary despite yielding 10 goals.

The Flames (2-7-0), though, have not registered more than three goals in any contest this season and were outscored 8-1 while dropping the first two of this trip.

"We need to be consistent," coach Bob Hartley told the team's official website. "That's one thing ... this league is too good to pick and choose when you're going to be good."

The Flames recorded 21 shots in the second and third periods but had nothing to show for it in Monday's 4-0 loss to the New York Islanders.

"We've got to turn this around," defenseman Mark Giordano said. "We can't have too many more of these or it will get away from us pretty quickly. We have to keep grinding and not let games slip away."

Though Johnny Gaudreau leads the team with 10 points, he hasn't scored in the last seven contests and has only one goal this season.

Ottawa's Mark Stone, who tied Gaudreau with a rookie-high 64 points last season, has recorded all three of his points at home in the last three games.

After Joni Ortio made 31 saves in his first start of the season Monday, Jonas Hiller could be back in Calgary's net. Hiller is 2-3-0 with a 3.52 GAA and was pulled for yielding four goals on 21 shots in Sunday's 4-1 loss to the New York Rangers.

Hiller is 4-0-0 with a 1.47 GAA against the Senators as a starter, but hasn't faced them in that role since October 2013.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Penguins (4-4) at Capitals (6-1)

Date: October 28, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

Evgeny Kuznetsov has embraced his role as facilitator for Alex Ovechkin and T.J. Oshie on Washington's top line, but every so often he'll show off his scoring ability, too.

The 23-year-old had the best performance of his career as the Capitals completed a perfect trip, and they'll return home seeking a sixth straight victory Wednesday night against a Pittsburgh Penguins team seeking its fifth win in six contests.

Kuznetsov finished with 11 goals and 26 assists in his first full season in 2014-15 before netting five goals in 14 postseason contests. He hadn't scored in Washington's first six this season before busting out with his first career hat trick while adding two assists in Friday's 7-4 win over Edmonton.

Ovechkin scored in the first five games he played before posting two assists against the Oilers, including one to Kuznetsov, who was named the NHL's first star of the week after finishing with nine points to help the Capitals (6-1-0) sweep a three-game trip.

"He's come out and has tons of confidence from last year," coach Barry Trotz said of Kuznetsov, whose 11 points lead the club. "I think he's comfortable with what we're doing as a team, he's comfortable with his linemates."

That line has combined for 27 points and hasn't had trouble meshing after Oshie was acquired from St. Louis in an offseason trade. Washington is on the verge of winning seven of its first eight for the first time since 2011.

Trotz doesn't believe the Capitals have played their best, though. He expressed disappointment with the four goals allowed against the Oilers and concern for the amount of high-quality chances opponents had during the trip.

"(Points) are worth just as much now as they are at the end of the season," Trotz said. "The key is to stay ahead of everybody. We have to make sure that any good work we did, that goes in the bank and now we've got to earn some more points.

"There's no patting on the back."

The Penguins (4-4-0) are still having trouble finding the back of the net but have rebounded from an opening three-game regulation skid with wins in four of their last five - three of them coming by one goal.

Phil Kessel scored in overtime to give Pittsburgh a 2-1 win at Nashville on Saturday, but it marked the seventh time they've scored fewer than three goals.

Sidney Crosby has a goal and two assists, each coming in a win over Florida on Oct. 20. He never had fewer than seven points through eight games in his previous 10 seasons.

Marc-Andre Fleury has helped make up for the scoring woes with a 1.60 goals-against average over the last five. He made 38 saves Saturday - 33 in the final two periods.

"He looks big in the net. He's square to pucks, he's keeping pucks tight to him," coach Mike Johnston said. "We have a lot of confidence in him back there."

Fleury has a 3.04 GAA in his last four against the Capitals after making 21 saves in a 4-3 win Feb. 25 that snapped Washington's three-game winning streak in the series.

Crosby scored in that contest, but that's his only point in the last four against the Capitals. Ovechkin's goal gave him four with an assist in his last three in the series.

Braden Holtby has won his last four starts with a 1.50 GAA and could be in net for Washington.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Predators (4-1) at Sharks (4-3)

Date: October 28, 2015 10:30 PM EDT

The Nashville Predators aren't getting too excited about their strong start, considering a similar beginning last season didn't amount to much.

After they were finally slowed offensively their last time out, they'll look to get back on track Wednesday night at San Jose, where they didn't score in two games last season.

Nashville (6-1-1) also leaped out of the gate last season, opening 5-0-2, but the Predators went on to get knocked out in the first round of the playoffs.

"We've just been talking about getting better every game and we've done that so far," defenseman Shea Weber told the team's official website. "We just continue to improve and as long as we keep getting better throughout the year here, we're going to be successful."

The Predators' stop-and-start four-game trip against Western Conference opponents is spread over nine days, with two between the first two games and three between the final two. Nashville plays the middle two games, against Los Angeles and Minnesota, on back-to-back nights.

James Neal forced overtime with a third-period goal Saturday, but Nashville fell 2-1 in OT to Pittsburgh. The Predators had totaled 14 goals in the previous three games.

"We are starting to play well, and we will just try to keep building on it," forward Austin Watson said. "We would've liked two points (against the Penguins), but at the end of the day it was nice to get the one before we hit the road."

Nashville, 2-0-1 in its first three away games, lost twice by a 2-0 score at the SAP Center last season. The Predators have never been blanked by the same opponent in three straight road contests, but they won't be thinking about that Wednesday.

"We feel comfortable and confident going away and playing some road games," said Pekka Rinne, 5-1-1 with a 1.84 goals-against average.

Despite losing three straight and four of his last five starts at San Jose, Rinne has a 1.17 GAA in those contests.

The Sharks (5-3-0), who have never shut out the same opponent in three consecutive home games, snapped a three-game skid with Saturday's 5-2 home win over Carolina. Ex-Predator Joel Ward recorded his second career hat trick as San Jose scored one more goal than it did in the previous three contests.

Ward, who signed a three-year deal with San Jose after spending the previous four seasons with Washington, leads his new club with five goals and eight points.

"I've always believed in myself," he told the NHL's official website. "I know I'm not the prettiest hockey player, but I've always believed in my abilities.

"It's just once you gain that trust and earn that respect from the guys, I think that confidence keeps building."

Teammate Tommy Wingels, who scored his first of the season Saturday, is glad to have Ward in the mix.

'He's a guy that goes to the net,' Wingels said. 'Guys in this locker room can learn from him."

Though Ward's presence is paying off, he hasn't helped a power play that's scored three times on 25 chances and is 0 for 11 in the last five games. Wingels had one of the Sharks' two power-play goals in a March 12 home win Nashville.

The Predators have killed off 21 of 24 penalties this season.

Neal does not have a point in his last three at San Jose, but has recorded six goals and three assists in the past five games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Caps won last five games, scoring 24 goals. Pittsburgh won four of its last five games.
-- Predators won three of their last four games.

Cold teams
-- Flames lost six of their last seven games. Ottawa lost last two games, with two in SOs.
-- San Jose lost three of its last four games.

Series records
-- Senators won four of last six games with Calgary; home side won last five.
-- Penguins lost three of last four games with Washington.
-- Nashville won six of last nine games with San Jose.

Totals
-- Four of last five Calgary-Ottawa games went over total.
-- Seven of last nine Pittsburgh-Washington games stayed under.
-- Under is 8-1-1 in last ten Nashville-San Jose games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Wednesday's Top Action

SAN ANTONIO SPURS (0-0) at OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (0-0)

Tip-off: Wednesday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Line and Total: Oklahoma City -5, Total: 208.5

Two of the elite teams in the powerful NBA Western Conference will begin their 2015-16 campaigns on Wednesday when the Spurs visit the Thunder.

San Antonio (55-27 SU) was able to win 50 games for a 16th straight season in 2014-15, but failed to advance in the playoffs with a heart-breaking, first-round loss to the Clippers in seven games on a Chris Paul buzzer-beater. But the team expects to far exceed that result this season after bringing in high-priced All-Star PF LaMarcus Aldridge from Portland.

Oklahoma City will be playing its first game under new head coach Billy Donovan, who won two national titles at Florida. He takes over a team with two superstars in SF Kevin Durant and NBA scoring leader SG Russell Westbrook, and is looking to lead the club back to the postseason after the team fell short with a 45-37 record, ending a run of five straight playoff berths.

These teams met three times last season with the Thunder winning 114-106 at home on Christmas Day before the Spurs recorded a pair of blowouts in March (130-91) and April (113-88). San Antonio wasn't a great road wager last season at 23-22 ATS and was a dreadful 5-15-1 ATS with at least two days' rest.

Last season, Oklahoma City was a profitable bet at home (23-18 ATS) and loved the home underdog role too at 6-2 ATS. But this club also struggled when well-rested at 3-13 ATS with at least two off days.

Durant is still not fully recovered from foot surgery, but is expected to play on Wednesday night. Teammate C Mitch McGary (concussion) is also probable, but PF Enes Kanter is questionable with a sprained right ankle. The Spurs begin the season with no significant injuries.

San Antonio didn't have a whole lot of flaws last season with an offense that scored 103.2 PPG (7th in NBA) on 46.8% FG (3rd in league), 36.7% threes (6th in NBA) and 78.0% FT (4th in league). The club also dished out 24.4 APG (5th in NBA), but was weak on the offensive glass with only 9.8 offensive RPG (27th in league).

The defense was tough in holding teams to 97.0 PPG (3rd in NBA) on 44.4% FG (13th in league) with 5.4 BPG (8th in NBA) and 8.0 SPG (11th in league). The one negative is that the Spurs didn't defend the three-point arc very well and allowed teams to shoot 36.0% from downtown (24th in NBA).

An addition that will give a boost to the team's offensive numbers is PF LaMarcus Aldridge, who averaged 23.4 PPG and 10.2 RPG for the Blazers last season. In three games versus the Thunder, Aldridge scored 27.0 PPG on a subpar 41% FG, but added 9.3 RPG, 2.7 APG and 1.3 BPG.

Five players averaged double-figures for the Spurs last season, led by SF Kawhi Leonard (16.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG), who also won the Defensive Player of the Year Award with a league-high 2.3 SPG. Leonard averaged a team-high 20.0 PPG on 63% FG in two games versus the Thunder last season, while future Hall of Fame PF Tim Duncan (15.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.0 BPG) added 14.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG and 2.3 BPG over three meetings.

Another long-time star, PG Tony Parker (14.4 PPG, 4.9 APG), is feeling great entering his 15th season, saying he wants to play another five seasons until he's 38 years old. Parker averaged 11.0 PPG on 55% FG with 4.3 APG and 1.3 SPG in three meetings with Oklahoma City last season.

SGs Danny Green (11.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 42% threes) and Manu Ginobili (10.5 PPG, 4.2 APG, 1.0 SPG) were the other double-digit scorers for the Spurs last season and the duo combined for 19.3 PPG in last season's series with the Thunder, with Ginobili draining 50% FG (40% threes) and Green making 46% FG and 43% threes.

Oklahoma City's new head coach Billy Donovan inherits an offense that averaged a strong 105.0 PPG (5th in NBA), but made only 44.7% FG (18th in league), 33.9% threes (23rd in NBA) and 75.4% FT (14th in league). The Thunder were also too careless with the basketball (14.7 TOPG, 19th in NBA) and dished out only 20.5 APG (25th in league).

Defensively, they surrendered 101.8 PPG (24th in NBA) despite holding teams to 44.0% FG (9th in league) and 34.3% threes (10th in NBA). These shooting percentages benefited from 5.5 BPG (6th in league) and Oklahoma City didn't give up easy shots by dominating the glass with 47.5 RPG and 12.8 offensive RPG, both of which led the NBA.

SF Kevin Durant played only 27 games last season, but still averaged 25.4 PPG (51% FG, 40% threes), 6.6 RPG and 4.1 APG. He didn't face the Spurs once last season, but in the 2013-14 campaign, Durant dropped 26.3 PPG and 8.0 RPG in four meetings.

With Durant missing so much time, SG Russell Westbrook took it upon himself to shoot more and he wound up leading the NBA with 28.1 PPG on 43% FG and 30% threes while adding 8.6 APG, 7.3 RPG and a league-high 11 triple doubles. Westbrook also had great success against the Spurs last season with 22.3 PPG, 6.7 APG and a hefty 4.3 SPG.

PF Serge Ibaka also gave San Antonio fits last season with 21.0 PPG (53% FG) and 9.0 RPG, which were considerably higher than his season averages of 14.3 PPG (48% FG) and 7.8 RPG. One player the team is hoping has a big season is SG Andre Roberson, who averaged only 3.4 PPG in 19.1 MPG last season, but is the projected starter for the 2015-16 campaign.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wizards (0-0) at Magic (0-0)

Date: October 28, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Scott Skiles' track record speaks for itself.

The hard-nosed former point guard turned coach has instilled his defense-first philosophy on three other teams and led them into the playoffs. That approach, however, eventually wore thin on his players and left him searching for another opportunity.

Skiles played the majority of his career with Orlando, and his rebuilding project with the Magic begins Wednesday night against a visiting Washington Wizards club expected to be an Eastern Conference contender with one of the best backcourts in the game.

Before Steve Nash won MVPs in Phoenix's run-and-gun offense, Skiles won 51 games with the Suns focusing on defense, which Chicago mastered while going to the postseason three times under Skiles.

He took Milwaukee to the playoffs in 2009-10 before parting ways near the middle of the 2012-13 campaign. The Magic haven't been to the playoffs since 2011-12 and haven't won more than the 25 games last season in the three since.

Orlando finished 28th in opponents' field-goal percentage at 46.3.

"If you are going to be a really good defensive team, it takes a major commitment from the players in time, effort and staying with your schemes," Skiles told the Magic's official website. "We have a bunch of willing guys who want to do the things we're teaching them. They have athleticism and youth and I don't see any reason why we can't be pretty good on that end."

Second-year point guard Elfrid Payton started every game last season and is part of a core group featuring Victor Oladipo, Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Tobias Harris, who re-upped with a four-year, $64 million deal in the offseason.

Orlando also is counting on Mario Hezonja, the fifth overall pick in the draft, to blossom into a star.

Although defense will be Skiles' focus with this group, it's not as if the Magic were much better offensively last season. They ranked 25th with 95.7 points per game, and Channing Frye was a major disappointment in his first season after signing a four-year, $32 million contract.

Frye shot a career-worst 39.2 percent from the floor and averaged just 7.3 points.

'You're going to see a better version of me,' Frye said. 'Last year, for lack of a better term, was a little embarrassing - just on all fronts. I have a lot to prove and I'm out here to put the work in to do it.'

John Wall and Bradley Beal are confident they will come back stronger after they helped guide Washington to 46 wins - its most since 1978-79 - and a second straight trip to the East semifinals.

Beal, though, missed 19 games battling toe and ankle injuries and Wall sat out three of the six against Atlanta in the second round with a wrist injury.

'It starts with us two,' Beal said. 'We both have to be leaders of this team now. We have to be vocal and lead by example. We're definitely looking forward to it.'

Paul Pierce took on most of that role last season, but he left to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers. The Wizards brought in Gary Neal, Jared Dudley and Alan Anderson to add depth.

Anderson won't be available immediately, though, as he recovers from left ankle surgery.

'One of the things I wanted to try and do this summer was improve our bench,' coach Randy Wittman said. 'I thought our bench had to get a little bit stronger.'

Washington has won the last eight meetings with the Magic.

"I don't go in looking at how you've done against a team in previous years," Wittman said. "They've got new players, a new coach, new system. We've got to re-establish ourselves and that's got to be our focus to start the year."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: 76ers (0-0) at Celtics (0-0)

Date: October 28, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Last season's playoff appearance was clear proof the Boston Celtics' rebuilding effort is moving ahead of schedule.

The Philadelphia 76ers' plans appear to remain stuck in neutral, though they'll at least have one of their cornerstones begin his rookie season on the court this time.

Jahlil Okafor's debut will take center stage when the youthful 76ers visit a promising Celtics team entering its opener intent on building off of last season's strong second half.

Boston (40-42) went 25-57 in Brad Stevens' first season and seemed headed again toward also-ran status before a 24-12 finish earned the Celtics the Eastern Conference's seventh seed. The surge was triggered by a host of in-season moves, most notably the trade-deadline pickup of spark-plug guard Isaiah Thomas and December's Rajon Rondo deal that netted defensive stopper Jae Crowder.

Though the Celtics were swept by battle-tested Cleveland in the first round, the additions of veteran forwards David Lee and Amir Johnson to their young core of Thomas, Avery Bradley, Jared Sullinger, Marcus Smart and Crowder offer the prospect of continued progress this season.

"I've been around a few teams and I think our rhythm, how we're playing, and the chemistry and our intensity in practice, it shows well for the future," forward and former Sixer Evan Turner told the Celtics' official website.

Philadelphia (18-64) has run into a few more snags during its restoration attempt, with Joel Embiid's ongoing foot problems that will sideline the 2014 third overall pick for a second straight season the most troubling hurdle. A knee injury that caused 2013 first-rounder Nerlens Noel to miss his entire rookie year also slowed the development process.

Noel did bounce back with a solid follow-up campaign, and the selection of Okafor, an NBA-ready center also chosen third overall, offers further hope for a franchise that's won a league-low 37 games over the past two seasons. The former Duke All-American averaged 10.4 points in five preseason games.

Okafor's presence should help the Sixers improve upon their league-low 40.8 field goal percentage in 2014-15. They'll likely be relying on the rookie with Tony Wroten and Robert Covington, the team's two leading returning scorers, also out for the opener.

Wroten is still rehabbing a torn ACL suffered in January and Covington sprained his right knee in a preseason loss to Boston on Friday.

Okafor is one of four rookies on an opening-night roster that contains 12 players with under two years of experience. Carl Landry, the only one with more than three, will also miss the opener recovering from wrist surgery.

'This group will play hard. I have no doubts about that,' general manager Sam Hinkie said. 'There's a character about most guys here and they're hungry. A lot of them are in the league for the first time and they want to show what they have and they truly belong.'

A similarly inexperienced Philadelphia team went a league-worst 6-35 on the road last season and lost all four meetings with Boston, which won 12 of its final 17 at TD Garden. The Sixers won in both visits to Boston while taking three of four matchups in 2013-14.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pacers (0-0) at Raptors (0-0)

Date: October 28, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

The Indiana Pacers are hoping a change in philosophy and better health will result in a return to prominence in the Eastern Conference. The Toronto Raptors are counting on an improved defense finally translating into playoff success.

Both teams will have decidedly different looks for Wednesday night's season opener, with the host Raptors officially unveiling a new logo and uniforms in addition to their revamped roster.

The Pacers' drop from an East-leading 56 wins in 2013-14 to last season's 38 can be traced to a lethargic offense and several key injuries, most notably Paul George's broken leg during a Team USA scrimmage that sidelined the star forward for all but six games.

Now fully recovered, George has moved to power forward in a more up-tempo system designed to improve Indiana's No. 24 ranking in scoring during last season's unexpected playoff absence.

With the switch came several other major changes. Gone are veteran forward David West and center Roy Hibbert, both valued contributors to Indiana's back-to-back East finals runs in 2013 and '14, while high-scoring guard Monta Ellis was signed to a four-year, $44 million contract. The team used the 11th pick in June's draft on athletic and versatile center/forward Myles Turner.

"With the talent we have, this should be the most prolific offense we've had here," said coach Frank Vogel.

While Indiana (38-44) seeks to re-establish its status as a championship contender, Toronto (49-33) aims to take the next step forward after Atlantic Division titles were followed by early playoff exits in each of the past two seasons. The Raptors were swept by Washington in the opening round after setting a franchise wins record for a second straight year.

With the latest quick departure emphasizing the need for defensive upgrades, Toronto made forward DeMarre Carroll its top offseason priority and landed the proven stopper with a four-year, $60 million deal.

'He gives us one guy we can put on one player and say 'Hey, go stop him,'' coach Dwane Casey said. 'We don't have to double-team, we don't have to blitz. You've got that guy, one-on-one. He kind of sets the tone for us defensively."

Carroll also shot 39.5 percent from 3-point range while helping Atlanta to the East's No. 1 seed, and his perimeter presence should help offset the offseason departures of 2015 Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams and fellow shooter Greivis Vasquez.

Shot-blocking specialist Bismack Biyombo was brought in as well during the defensive-themed makeover, with Canadians Cory Joseph and Anthony Bennett and seasoned forward Luis Scola also among the newcomers.

Scola spent the previous two seasons as a Pacers' key reserve. Bennett will be on his third team since the disappointing forward was chosen by Cleveland with the 2013 No. 1 overall pick.

Toronto has less issues putting up points, with the strong backcourt tandem of DeMar DeRozan (20.1 ppg) and Kyle Lowry (17.8) back to lead an offense that finished fourth in the league in scoring.

DeRozan averaged 23.0 points in two 2013-14 victories over Indiana while Lowry was 9 of 18 on 3-pointers during Toronto's three-game season sweep.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bulls (1-0) at Nets (0-0)

Date: October 28, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

The Chicago Bulls weren't exactly firing on all cylinders on their first night under a new coach, but a balanced offensive attack paid off.

They'll try to start 2-0 for just the second time in 13 years Wednesday night when they visit what appears to be a rebuilding Brooklyn Nets team.

Chicago squeaked out a 97-95 home win over Cleveland on Tuesday in Fred Hoiberg's debut. The Bulls held strong on the Cavaliers' final possession, with Pau Gasol blocking LeBron James' potential tying layup attempt before Jimmy Butler broke up the ensuing inbounds pass, letting time expire.

They were stout defensively, holding Cleveland to 40.4 percent shooting. Dominant defense was one of the franchise's core tenets under former coach Tom Thibodeau, but offensively is where the Bulls are hoping to take a leap under Hoiberg.

Chicago wasn't a juggernaut Tuesday, shooting 42.5 percent, though its 102 possessions were a contrast from the old style of play under Thibodeau. The Bulls averaged 95.4 possessions per 48 minutes last season to rank 21st - their highest finish in Thibodeau's five years.

Nikola Mirotic, who averaged 10.2 points as a rookie, scored a team-high 19 while starting over Joakim Noah, while Derrick Rose had 18 on 8-of-22 shooting and Jimmy Butler added 17. Tony Snell and E'Twaun Moore also scored 11 apiece.

"That is how we are going to win every game," Rose said. "It kind of feels good going into every game knowing you have the possibility of winning. You have a chance of winning every game because we are so good and deep."

Noah was scoreless in 17 minutes but did have nine rebounds and was held out later in the game because of what Hoiberg called a knee bruise, and his status is unclear for Wednesday.

"I tried to put him in, but the trainer would not let me," Hoiberg said.

Brooklyn went 38-44 a season ago and was eliminated in the first round in six games by top-seeded Atlanta. The Nets may again be a fringe playoff team, except this time they're much younger and appear to have an eye on the future. Deron Williams and Kevin Garnett are gone, and Joe Johnson could follow suit in the final season of a six-year, $123 million deal.

"We want to build and keep developing our young guys so we put ourselves in a position at the end of the season to be able to have some cap flexibility and then build from there," general manager Billy King said.

A new-look bench contains scores of new reserves, including Shane Larkin, Wayne Ellington and first-round pick Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. The offense figures to be run through Brook Lopez, who averaged 23.7 points on 57.7 percent shooting with 9.4 rebounds over his final 16 games last season.

The Nets will also look to ramp up the tempo after playing at the league's seventh-slowest pace last season.

"It's just a matter of taking advantage of what strengths we have," Lopez said, "And we have a young, athletic and a high-energy group and so we've got to learn to play that way. I've got to get adjusted to it and we can definitely go both ways."

Chicago last started 2-0 in 2012-13 and has won 12 of the last 16 regular-season meetings, though the Nets have won their last three home openers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hornets (0-0) at Heat (0-0)

Date: October 28, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

The Miami Heat missed the playoffs for just the second time in 12 years after losing LeBron James.

But with what appears to be one of the NBA's deepest rosters, they're a trendy pick to usurp James' Cleveland Cavaliers and emerge from the Eastern Conference.

Miami opens its season Wednesday night against the visiting Charlotte Hornets.

James bolted back to Cleveland, Dwyane Wade sat 20 games due to numerous injuries and Chris Bosh missed nearly half the season due to a career-threatening condition. The Heat finished 37-45 - their first sub-.500 record since 2007-08 - though they were only one game behind the East's eighth-place finisher.

Wade and Bosh are healthy again, however, and new additions have Miami feeling optimistic.

"Coming together and trying to put together a team that can compete for a title, that's far more motivating and powerful than the pain of last year," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "That lasted a couple weeks. Then every ounce of energy and focus was about trying to do whatever we had to do to build this team up and have an opportunity to do something special."

Wade was more effective than he has been in years when healthy last season. His 21.5 points per game marked his highest average since 2011-12. He flashed his ability to still be one of the league's most impactful players for multiple stretches, including a seven-game run in March when he averaged 29.1 points on 53.6 percent shooting.

Bosh's 21.1 points per game were his most since he joined Miami in 2010-11, and he's back to 100 percent after his career was in jeopardy. Blood clots discovered in one of his lungs sent him to the hospital and ended his season, but he's OK again after an initially unclear prognosis.

"He's the same old Chris," Wade said. "Defensively, he's one of the best bigs in the league. And offensively, he's one of the most dangerous bigs in the league with his ability to knock down shots, the way he moves the ball on the perimeter, to get guys coming off pick and rolls, etc."

Bosh will be complemented by Hassan Whiteside to form what could be a formidable frontcourt. Whiteside was one of the league's most surprising players in 2014-15, a virtual unknown before averaging 11.8 points and 10.0 rebounds while shooting 62.8 percent in 48 games.

The Heat will enjoy a full season of Goran Dragic after he averaged 16.6 points and 5.4 assists in 26 games following his acquisition from Phoenix. They also added rookie forward Justise Winslow, who many pundits pegged as the steal of the first round with the 10th overall pick.

Miami's opening slate should prove to be a good litmus test. The Heat visit Cleveland on Friday before hosting Houston and Atlanta, who combined to go 116-48 a season ago.

The Hornets (33-49) figure to be more of an unknown, though they're hoping they'll be improved offensively with the additions of Nicolas Batum, Jeremy Lin, Jeremy Lamb and ninth overall pick Frank Kaminsky.

Charlotte ranked 28th in the NBA in 2014-15 with 96.7 points per 100 offensive possessions but impressed in the preseason, going 7-1 and averaging 100.4 points compared to 94.2 a season ago.

Coach Steve Clifford is still preaching defense, though. The Hornets were already solid there last season, allowing 101.0 points per 100 possessions to rank ninth.

"Potentially we could be a very good offensive team, but if we want to go where we want to go we are going to need to be a good defensive team also," Clifford said.

Miami won 16 straight meetings before splitting four last season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jazz (0-0) at Pistons (1-0)

Date: October 28, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

(AP) - The buzz around the Utah Jazz is that of an up-and-coming team ready to make a push into the playoffs after a strong finish to the 2014-15 season. The Jazz, however, are the fourth-youngest team in the league and coach Quin Snyder warns against penciling them into the postseason.

The Jazz, who kick off the season against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, had the sixth-best winning percentage (65.5) in the NBA after the All-Star break, setting up some of those expectations.

Expectations and real life met in the second to last preseason game when Oklahoma City ran the Jazz out of the gym in a 113-102 game that wasn't as close as the score indicated. Snyder didn't mince his words.

'We've got an opportunity to be a good team, but it's not like anybody or our team has done anything,' Snyder said. '... We were a good team for about two months. And we were a good team when other teams sometimes were resting a player ... we weren't playing teams that were competing for the playoffs very often.

'I'm not dampening any enthusiasm, but I'm being realistic about who our group is. And that's what our group needs. We need to be realistic about the level that's out there and if we want to reach it, it's a hard road.'

The average age on the Jazz roster is 24 years and 206 days. Only the Trail Blazers, Bucks and 76ers are younger - and only the Bucks are considered playoff contenders.

Snyder used the Thunder as an example of everything they haven't experienced. The Thunder lost to the Heat in the 2012 Finals. Kevin Durant is a former MVP coming off an injury and hungry for a title. Russell Westbrook is a four-time All-Star scheduled to become a free agent, with a big decision to make, in 2017.

'That's a team with an appreciation for how difficult it is to win in this league,' Snyder said. 'They know you have to do everything and sometimes that's still not enough on a given night unless you get lucky. We don't understand that. Why would we? We haven't been in that situation.'

The Jazz, who finished 38-44 last season, are basically NBA babies. Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors are the elder statesmen and they're both just entering their sixth seasons.

Still, both Hayward and Favors are expected to have career-type years. So is third-year center Rudy Gobert, who averaged 11.1 points, 13.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks after the All-Star break. So is point guard Trey Burke, who seemed to get the starting job back when Dante Exum suffered a season-ending knee injury during the summer. General manager Dennis Lindsey considers fifth-year guard Alec Burks' return from injury their star free-agent signing.

Players are taking the expectations in stride.

'It's a learning experience, learning process for us as a team. I think we've realized we really haven't accomplished anything,' said Hayward, who averaged 19.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists last season. '(The media) are really hyping us up and hyped us up all offseason, and we really didn't deserve any of that."

Snyder is just in his second year himself. He had this conversation many times with the roster before opening up after the Thunder game. Snyder preached a balance between 'enthusiasm and realism.' They want to dream big, but also understand where they are in the process.

The Jazz have won 17 of 19 meetings with the Pistons since 2005-06, including eight of nine in Detroit.

The Pistons, however, are looking to start a season 2-0 for the first time since winning their first four games in 2008-09, the last season they made the playoffs.

They beat Atlanta 106-94 on Tuesday, dominating the boards 59-40 while all five starters scored in double digits.

"We had a hard training camp, you know what I'm saying?" said forward Marcus Morris, who had 18 points and 10 rebounds. "We didn't put in as much hard work as we did to just come out here and lay an egg."

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is looking to build on his 21 points from Tuesday, while Andre Drummond had 18 with 19 boards.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Spurs (0-0) at Thunder (0-0)

Date: October 28, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

(AP) - Gregg Popovich 1,022, Billy Donovan 0.

That's the difference in the number of NBA regular-season coaching victories for Popovich, a five-time NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs, and Donovan, who will make his NBA coaching debut for the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.

Welcome to the league, rookie.

Donovan said he's excited about the game and respects Popovich, but he is focused on the process more than anything. He said he won't have any trouble sleeping the night before the opener.

'Eighty-two games is a lot of games,' Donovan said Tuesday. 'Every game, at that moment in time, is going to be big. Right now, we're in October, it's the first game of the year.'

He'll start that process against the Spurs, who have added LaMarcus Aldridge and David West to star mainstays Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard.

No NBA team has more victories over the last 20 years than the Spurs. Regular season, postseason, doesn't matter, they're atop the list.

And now they're even winning in the offseason.

Getting Aldridge to sign over the summer was a coup for the Spurs, who for whatever reason typically aren't the team landing the biggest prize on the free-agent market.

So a team that went to the NBA Finals in 2013, won the title in 2014 and posted 55 wins a season ago now looks even better, maybe better than ever.

'Over the years we've missed out on a bunch of people,' Duncan said. 'It's kind of the first time that we've gotten a guy of this caliber. I was floored by it.'

The Thunder have their own addition - sort of - with Kevin Durant back after breaking his right foot last season and playing just 27 games. Donovan said Durant has no minutes restrictions, but the bigger concern is long-term fatigue, and that might lead to fewer minutes for Durant, who has ranked among the league leaders in minutes for most of his career.

'I think the biggest thing for all the guys is helping all those guys be efficient,' Donovan said. 'Clearly, I think when you absorb so many minutes, fatigue can become a real factor and become a real issue.'

Durant can become a free agent after next season, leaving precious little time to build a relationship with Donovan. It's off to a good start.

'It's been fun,' Durant said. 'I enjoy him. Great basketball mind, but more so, a better person. We've hit it off since the beginning. Just excited to play for him.'

If the preseason is an indicator, Donovan will be fine. The Thunder went 5-1 and were unbeaten in games Durant and Russell Westbrook played in.

Westbrook, the 2014-15 scoring champion, said Donovan's no-nonsense style works.

'He keeps it real,' he said. 'I think he lets you know exactly what's going on. He doesn't let nothing slip between the cracks. He makes sure everybody's aware of what's going on, whether it's good things or bad things. Everybody knows, and everybody's on the same page.'

The Western Conference is loaded again, starting with the reigning NBA champion in Golden State. The Thunder missed the playoffs in coach Scott Brooks' final season despite winning 45 games - the No. 8 seed in the East, Brooklyn, had 38 victories.

But expectations around the Spurs - who lured West away from Indiana while also keeping 2014 Finals MVP Leonard and Ginobili around as part of their big summer - couldn't be higher, and Aldridge is already buying into San Antonio's simple but proven way of thinking.

'Guys come in, they work hard, they go home,' said Aldridge, an All-Star in each of the last four seasons. 'Guys here are focused.'

Aldridge also got some preseason exposure to another Spurs tradition - resting players when they need it, with hopes of having them freshest when things matter most. When Aldridge had some tightness in his thigh during camp, Popovich insisted he take the day off.

'He didn't want to do it,' Popovich said. 'Well, welcome to the Spurs. Go sit.'

San Antonio took two of three meetings last season after beating the Thunder in six games in the 2014 conference finals.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Knicks (0-0) at Bucks (0-0)

Date: October 28, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

The Milwaukee Bucks would like to build on last season's playoff appearance in the early going of 2015-16, but they won't have their talented 20-year-old forwards for the opener.

The New York Knicks hope the arrival of their own 20-year-old can spark a turnaround.

Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo will be out for Jason Kidd's Bucks on Wednesday night when Kristaps Porzingis makes his Knicks debut.

Milwaukee was 13-12 last season when Parker, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 draft, went down with a torn ACL in his left knee. Parker, who was averaging 12.3 points and 5.5 rebounds, is expected to return in early November.

'He's going to come back and change the dynamic (once he returns),' forward John Henson said.

The Bucks (41-41) managed to hold their own without Parker, reaching the playoffs in Kidd's first season thanks in part to the emergence of Khris Middleton and Antetokounmpo, along with the acquisition of 2013-14 Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams.

Middleton, re-signed to a five-year, $70 million deal in the offseason, averaged a career-high 13.4 points in 79 regular-season games before putting up 15.8 in a six-game first-round loss to Chicago. He's scored 16.5 while hitting 12 of 19 from 3-point range in four home meetings with New York.

The 6-foot-7 guard may have to step up with Antetokounmpo, who averaged career highs of 12.7 points and 6.7 rebounds last season, suspended for the opener after running over the Bulls' Mike Dunleavy in Game 6 of the playoff series.

'We've got to make it work,' Carter-Williams said of Antetokounmpo's absence. 'We'll be ready with whoever replaces Giannis, whether it's (Chris Copeland) or whoever.'

After ranking 19th in the NBA with a minus-0.8 rebounding margin, the Bucks added some muscle up front by bringing in Greg Monroe via free agency from Detroit. Monroe, who turned down an offer from the Knicks, averaged 15.9 points and 10.2 rebounds last season.

'They got a great big guy to add to what's a really solid young perimeter core," Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said. "Things look like they are on the way up (in Milwaukee).'

Things aren't as cheery for New York (15-67), which plummeted to the worst record in franchise history just two years after winning the Atlantic Division title and a playoff series.

Team President Phil Jackson made pitches to free agents LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre Jordan and Monroe in an effort to turn things around quickly. He had to settle for Robin Lopez, Arron Afflalo, Derrick Williams, Kyle O'Quinn, Kevin Seraphin and Sasha Vujacic.

Afflalo was projected to start in the backcourt after averaging 13.3 points with Denver and Portland. However, he could be out for up to two weeks because of a strained left hamstring.

Jackson and coach Derek Fisher still have Carmelo Anthony, whose 29.6 scoring average in 16 career games at the Bradley Center is his highest at any venue. The star forward insists he's finally healthy after being limited to a career-low 40 games before undergoing left knee surgery.

'If rebuilding for us is based on the fact that we don't have a certain caliber of player on our roster, quote-unquote, other than Carmelo, so people assume that we're rebuilding,' Fisher said. 'But was Atlanta rebuilding last year when they didn't have that quote-unquote player on their roster?'

Porzingis might be one of those players if he can live up to the potential that made him the No. 4 pick in the draft. The 7-foot-3 Latvian, who has range well beyond the 3-point line, is expected to start at forward after overcoming a mild quad strain during a promising preseason.

The Knicks dropped all four meetings in last year's season series.