When most modern-day hockey fans think of Bill Guerin, they think of the General Manager of the Minnesota Wild, who also put together a USA Hockey team that brought home a Gold Medal in 2026 for the first time since 1980.
What some people might not know, is that Guerin was actually a great player in the National Hockey League before becoming an executive.
The New Jersey Devils made Guerin the 5th overall pick in the 1989 NHL Draft out of Boston College. It turned out to be a great selection for them, as he played in parts of seven seasons for New Jersey, including 1995, when they won the Stanley Cup.
Guerin, in 380 games with New Jersey, scored 108 goals, 106 assists, and 214 points. He played a role on a team that was elite defensively, knew how to find the back of the net as a collective, and won a lot of games as a result.
On January 4th, 1998, New Jersey traded Guerin to the Edmonton Oilers in a deal that brought in Jason Arnott and Bryan Muir. Of course, Arnott would go on to score an overtime Stanley Cup-winning goal in 2000.
After his four-year run in Edmonton ended in 2001, he spent time with the Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, New York Islanders, and Pittsburgh Penguins.
In 2009, the Penguins acquired Guerin ahead of the trade deadline and won the Stanley Cup later that spring. Guerin's career ended one year later with two Stanley Cup rings, 429 goals, 427 assists, and 856 points in 1,263 games.
Guerin's points-per-game totals increased after leaving New Jersey, which makes sense, given that they were the defense-minded "trap" team during his tenure. When he left, he went to a handful of systems that favored his offensive abilities a bit more.
Here in 2026, Guerin is in the minds of New Jersey Devils fans again because he has a decision to make about his star defenseman in Minnesota, Quinn Hughes. Of course, Quinn's two younger brothers are part of the modern-day Devils' core, and the speculation is that he'd like to join forces with them one day.
Earlier in the summer, it seemed like a lock that Quinn would stay with Guerin in Minnesota, but every day that passes makes that feel less and less likely. Will Quinn Hughes and Bill Guerin have been Devils players in common when it's all said and done? Only time will tell, but there is no denying the impact that Guerin has already made on New Jersey's hockey team.
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 08: Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees reacts during the game against the Atlanta Braves at Yankee Stadium on August 08, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There have been many legendary pitchers to don the pinstripes. From Mariano Rivera to Whitey Ford, Andy Pettitte to Ron Guidry, the franchise history is rich with Hall of Famers, Cy Young winners, and record holders. Gerrit Cole can certainly count himself among their ranks, and tallied a special milestone last Saturday against the Braves. He became the fastest player to tally 1,000 strikeouts in pinstripes, achieving the mark in 139 games and 837.2 innings to surpass CC Sabathia (162 games) and Roger Clemens (1,087.1 innings). Of course, that 1,000th strikeout had to be showcased on Sequence of the Week, but that wasn’t the only sequence worthy of mention from that game.
We join Cole with in the top of the fifth. He cruised through the first four innings unscathed but hit a brick wall to open the fifth, giving up a pair of doubles followed by a pair of singles to start the frame. Just like that, the Yankees’ 1-0 lead had turned into a 2-1 deficit, and given the impotence of the Yankees offense over the previous week-plus, it became essential that Cole stop the bleeding there. That was no easy task with the top of the Braves order coming to bat for the third time and even less so with runners on first and second with no outs.
There’s no messing about here, Cole going right at Drake Baldwin with a first pitch four-seamer at 97 mph.
This is what’s called in the industry an “F* you” fastball, Cole hoofing a heater right down Broadway and daring the batter to catch up with it. In all seriousness, you’d like to be a little more precise against a hitter as capable as Baldwin, and Cole’s a bit fortunate that Baldwin take a pitch right down the middle for strike one.
Given that Baldwin just took that center-cut pitch for a called strike, you have to figure that he is hunting something breaking or off-speed. Therefore, there’s an opportunity to steal another called strike with an inside fastball.
Cole does just that, executing this four-seamer perfectly to the inside edge of the zone. The pitch starts in off the plate before tailing back for a front door called strike, Baldwin once again leaving the bat on his shoulder.
It’s clear at this point that Baldwin is hunting something soft out over the plate. As a pitcher, once you identify what the hitter is looking for, you can beat him by either throwing to that spot and letting the stuff beat the hitter or making a pitch look like it’s heading for that area before movement moves it elsewhere to fool the hitter. Cole goes with the former approach attempting to gas a heater by Baldwin.
He almost throws this 98 mph four-seamer past Baldwin, who is just barely able to fight it off foul the other way with a super late emergency hack.
After three straight heaters, perhaps Cole feels that Baldwin will switch to sitting dead red, because he climbs the ladder with another four-seamer hoping that the hitter will get himself out by chasing up out of the zone.
Baldwin almost offers at this high heater as Cole again nails his spot, but is able to halt his swing in time for ball one.
Despite not getting the chase, that fastball was the perfect setup pitch. It reset Baldwin’s eye level for an elevated heater, which primes the situation for a back foot slider.
Cole isn’t quite able to bury this slider down and in and catches more of the zone than I reckon he was intending. He gets a bit lucky that Baldwin swings underneath it — unusual for a low slider — almost as if the hitter is ready for the slider and swings in the spot he’s anticipating a nastier pitch to brake, only for this one to essentially cement mix above his bat. You can see the look of bemusement from Baldwin after the whiff — he feels he did everything right with that swing but got beat by what ended up being a not-so-great backup slider from Cole.
Here’s the full sequence:
After a line out by Ronald Acuña Jr., the Braves are still threatening with their most dangerous hitter Matt Olson stepping to the plate with two outs. He’s the NL leader in home runs with 33 at that point, so despite a strikeout looking and fly out to that point in the game, Cole still has to be at his sharpest to escape the frame without further damage.
Cole starts things off here with a knuckle curve that nips the top of the zone for called strike one.
You don’t always want to leave your curveball elevated in a spot like this, but I think this was a totally intentional decision from Cole. He had thrown first pitch heaters to Olson in the first two at-bats, setting up this AB to steal the first pitch called strike by landing the knuckle curve on the top shelf of the zone. Indeed, you can see the way Olson is frozen by the pitch having given up on it early as it looks like a high fastball out of the hand.
Earning a first pitch called strike with the breaking ball opens a variety of options for Cole. He can try to bury another knuckle curve below the zone looking for a chase or attack the top of the zone with the heater, the elevated aiming point fooling the hitter into diagnosing another breaker and thus resulting in a late swing.
Cole chooses the latter approach, but Olson is right on time against this 97 mph four-seamer. Rather than the velocity, it’s the location that beats Olson, who fouls the high heater straight back to the backstop.
With Olson’s timing matched to the heater, you might expect Cole to throw something off-speed here to get Olson whiffing out in front.
Instead, he opts for precision over deception, dotting this 99 mph four-seamer right on the corner low and away. It’s a perfect pitch in a hard to barrel location, aided by Olson hunting a secondary pitch. He can only leave the bat on his shoulder as he watches the home plate ump punch him out for the 1,000th strikeout of Cole’s Yankees career. It’s fitting in a lot of ways that Cole achieve the feat on this pitch — a fiery fastball against a feared slugger to neutralize a threat and keep his team in a position to win the game.
Here’s the full sequence:
Despite some stumbles in his first handful of starts, Cole has been everything you could have asked for from a 35-year-old starter making just his 14th start since the end of the 2024 season after a long and arduous road back from Tommy John surgery. He has pitched to a 3.35 ERA and 3.37 FIP with 87 strikeouts in 80.2 innings, his fastball impressively sitting a tick above its average velocity in 2024. He’s going about things a little bit differently, leaning heavily on the four-seamer to post the highest called strike rate but also lowest swinging strike rate since his days in Pittsburgh. But that is the kind of evolution I expect from a pitching professor of Cole’s ilk, understanding that because his slider command isn’t all the way back, he can still record those outs with improved precision with the fastball instead. His ability to execute to the corners and edges of the zone seems to be getting better with age, which along with the intact velocity is a reminder that Cole is still absolutely capable of ace-caliber performance on any given day.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - AUGUST 10: Alec Burleson #41 of the St. Louis Cardinals turns a double play after tagging out Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies in the first inning at Busch Stadium on August 10, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After losing two of three in St. Louis, the Phillies are on the outside looking in at the postseason for the first day since June 4th. They’re on a 85-win pace currently. The Fangraphs Playoffs Odds are slightly more bullish on Philadelphia at 86.1 wins. Right now, the odds give them a 68.7% chance at fun games in October.
I guess 68.7 percent seems about right. They recovered from their April swoon to take the second wild card spot in June and have been there for nine weeks. Cooked would be over the top. So would singed be better? They’re right above the drop currently. On our masthead chat, we had a conversation about what is tilting these playoff odds numbers toward the Phillies. The main driver seems to be that the roster as constructed looked much better in April. But currently, they’re 27th in position player WAR despite being 2nd in pitching WAR. We assumed the Phillies would pitch well. The hitting has been disappointing for them.
The Braves might be able to keep them out. The pair have seven dates in September. Winning five of those would put enormous pressure on the Phillies. But the bigger news is that the Padres are surging. They have won five in a row and seven of their last ten. They were active at the trade deadline, grabbing Casey Mize, Robbie Ray (lol we don’t need divisions anymore) and also grabbed old friend Hunter Stratton for Triple-A depth. Mize was great in his second start after a very shaky first one. Robbie Ray has been, well, Robbie Ray which ain’t nothing. But the Padres are 7th in position player WAR and wRC+ this month and 11th in pitching WAR this month. So they’re gonna keep pushing. Meanwhile Arizona is 6th in position player WAR and 10th in pitching WAR this month as well.
Outside of a 2014-Braves-season-style collapse, it’s difficult to see the Braves blowing this. They certainly could, but a 3.7% chance of that seems about right. But at 9.5 games up, it’s getting late early. I’m not giggling, you’re giggling. OK, we’re both giggling, but you started it. So are the Phillies in the process of being cooked? I don’t know, but they have 40 games to figure it out.
Several superstars left cities where they won championships, while other notable players got a change of scenery this summer.
With those moves will come some highly anticipated homecoming games. Those players will return to their old stomping grounds as a visitor, with many expecting a warm welcome from their former fans.
Here’s a look at some of the must-watch homecoming games for the upcoming NBA season.
LeBron James: 76ers vs. Lakers, Dec. 25
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer spent eight years in Los Angeles, marking his longest continuous stint with a team. Now 41 years old, LeBron James made his “last decision” to leave LA and go to Philadelphia in his pursuit of a fifth NBA championship.
James and the Sixers will head to Crypto.com Arena on Christmas Day to battle Luka Doncic and the Lakers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: Heat vs. Bucks, Jan. 28
After 13 seasons, two MVPs and a 2021 championship in Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo is taking his talents to South Beach after a blockbuster trade between the Bucks and Heat.
Antetokounmpo will return to Milwaukee as a visitor for the time on Jan. 28 (and again on March 12). Conversely, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware and Kasparas Jakučionis will make their Miami homecoming on Nov. 18.
Jaylen Brown: 76ers vs. Celtics, Jan. 21
The Boston Celtics dealt 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to the rival Sixers in an offseason stunner, bringing back Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks.
Brown spent 10 seasons in Boston, and he will make several trips back in 2026-27. The Sixers will visit the Celtics on Jan. 21 and March 7, along with a preseason game on Oct. 10.
On the other side, George and the Celtics will head to Philadelphia for matchups on Nov. 10 and Feb. 7, as well as a preseason contest on Oct. 16.
LaMelo Ball: Timberwolves vs. Hornets, Feb. 15
LaMelo Ball was also on the move this summer, as the Charlotte Hornets traded the former No. 3 draft pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He had spent his first six NBA seasons in Charlotte after entering the league at just 19 years old.
The Ja Morant era in Memphis came to an unceremonious close in June when he was shipped to the Portland Trail Blazers for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray.
The former NBA Rookie of the Year, who spent his first seven professional seasons with the Grizzlies, will return to Memphis on Feb. 6 and again two days later on Feb. 8.
Kawhi Leonard: Raptors vs. Clippers, Nov. 2
There are two potential homecoming options for Kawhi Leonard.
The two-time Finals MVP is in limbo as the NBA keeps the Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors’ trade on hold amid an investigation into whether he received a multi-million endorsement deal with sustainability services company Aspiration in an alleged effort to circumvent league salary cap rules.
Should the trade go through, Leonard would visit the Clippers as a member of the Raptors on Nov. 2. If for any reason the trade is not permitted and Leonard stays in LA, he would visit his former home of Toronto with the Clippers on Jan. 1.
Several superstars left cities where they won championships, while other notable players got a change of scenery this summer.
With those moves will come some highly anticipated homecoming games. Those players will return to their old stomping grounds as a visitor, with many expecting a warm welcome from their former fans.
Here’s a look at some of the must-watch homecoming games for the upcoming NBA season.
LeBron James: 76ers vs. Lakers, Dec. 25
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer spent eight years in Los Angeles, marking his longest continuous stint with a team. Now 41 years old, LeBron James made his “last decision” to leave LA and go to Philadelphia in his pursuit of a fifth NBA championship.
James and the Sixers will head to Crypto.com Arena on Christmas Day to battle Luka Doncic and the Lakers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: Heat vs. Bucks, Jan. 28
After 13 seasons, two MVPs and a 2021 championship in Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo is taking his talents to South Beach after a blockbuster trade between the Bucks and Heat.
Antetokounmpo will return to Milwaukee as a visitor for the time on Jan. 28 (and again on March 12). Conversely, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware and Kasparas Jakučionis will make their Miami homecoming on Nov. 18.
Jaylen Brown: 76ers vs. Celtics, Jan. 21
The Boston Celtics dealt 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to the rival Sixers in an offseason stunner, bringing back Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks.
Brown spent 10 seasons in Boston, and he will make several trips back in 2026-27. The Sixers will visit the Celtics on Jan. 21 and March 7, along with a preseason game on Oct. 10.
On the other side, George and the Celtics will head to Philadelphia for matchups on Nov. 10 and Feb. 7, as well as a preseason contest on Oct. 16.
LaMelo Ball: Timberwolves vs. Hornets, Feb. 15
LaMelo Ball was also on the move this summer, as the Charlotte Hornets traded the former No. 3 draft pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He had spent his first six NBA seasons in Charlotte after entering the league at just 19 years old.
The Ja Morant era in Memphis came to an unceremonious close in June when he was shipped to the Portland Trail Blazers for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray.
The former NBA Rookie of the Year, who spent his first seven professional seasons with the Grizzlies, will return to Memphis on Feb. 6 and again two days later on Feb. 8.
Kawhi Leonard: Raptors vs. Clippers, Nov. 2
There are two potential homecoming options for Kawhi Leonard.
The two-time Finals MVP is in limbo as the NBA keeps the Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors’ trade on hold amid an investigation into whether he received a multi-million endorsement deal with sustainability services company Aspiration in an alleged effort to circumvent league salary cap rules.
Should the trade go through, Leonard would visit the Clippers as a member of the Raptors on Nov. 2. If for any reason the trade is not permitted and Leonard stays in LA, he would visit his former home of Toronto with the Clippers on Jan. 1.
Montreal Gazette writer Stu Cowan sent shockwaves in Montreal Canadiens land earlier this week when he penned an article in which he mentioned that the fact that Arber Xhekaj and Zachary Bolduc weren’t signed led him to believe they could be part of sign-and-trade deals before September 16.
Cowan caught some flak on social media for writing that, because it’s not something fans want to hear, especially not about Xhekaj, whose gritty style and underdog story have elevated him to the level of fan favourite. Unfortunately for both Xhekaj and the fans, he may have more value to the Canadiens as a trade chip. Not because he couldn’t be useful to them on the ice- they need some toughness- but as things stand, they do not play him regularly, and he hardly played in the playoffs. The gritty blueliner is more useful to the team as a trade chip than he is as a seventh defenseman who doesn’t get to see the ice much.
Cowan writing that he could be part of a sign-and-trade deal makes perfect sense. Even though Xhekaj loves Montreal and everything about it and the team, at 25 years old, he needs to do what’s right for him as a player and not as a teammate. Brendan Gallagher didn’t say anything during the season about seeing his ice time melt like snow in the sun, and when he was a healthy scratch in the playoffs, but when the season ended, he said it was pretty obvious he would be moving on. Hockey players want to play, and it’s just normal. Xhekaj is a hockey player, and he wants to play too. Obviously, he’s not in Gallagher’s situation, but it’s a good parallel to understand why he hasn’t signed yet.
Of course, it’s easier to trade a player once he’s signed to a contract and the buyer knows they have the player under control for a set number of years. If the Canadiens do go out and get a right-shot defenseman to play with Lane Hutson, Xhekaj’s odds of having a spot in the lineup would get even slimmer and even if they don’t, as things stand, there isn’t much room for him. Especially not with Adam Engstrom and David Reinbacher looking to make the jump to the NHL. Ideally, though, if Montreal were to trade Xhekaj, it would be outside of the Eastern Conference; that’s not a player you’d want to face too often, especially if he becomes an NHL regular once given a proper opportunity.
As for Bolduc, it’s easy to see what Cowan means when he says he too could be a candidate for a sign-and-trade deal. As I wrote earlier this off-season, I don’t see Kent Hughes gambling on Bolduc and giving him an eight-year contract without having had a chance to thoroughly evaluate him. However, another team may have a different approach and be willing to do that. If Montreal wants to land a top-six player, the Habs will likely have to part with players who have proven they could be an asset in the NHL. I believed Oliver Kapanen could be a candidate to be sacrificed in that way, but if the Canadiens were to deal for a power-forward type of player, it could make sense for their trading partner to be looking for a forward who has some grit.
To maximize Bolduc’s value, it would only be logical to allow the trading partner to negotiate a deal with him, much like the New York islanders allowed the Canadiens to negotiate with Noah Dobson last season before the trade was made. Given the fact that they gave Logan Mailloux to acquire Bolduc, though, the Habs are unlikely to move on from him that soon unless they are getting someone really good in return.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 12: Bob Iger (R) and Steve Ballmer attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Sacramento Kings at Crypto.com Arena on December 12, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In an ideal world, your favorite team would be owned by a lifelong fan who can keep the team competitive.
But those types of fairytales don’t exist in reality. The best you can hope for is that your owner hasn’t gone on a podcast to talk about how he couldn’t root for your team because of past rivalries and instead chose to root for your inter-city foes.
If that feels oddly specific, it’s by design. Back in 2021, then-podcaster JJ Redick hosted then-Executive Chairman of The Walt Disney Company Bob Iger, who reportedly agreed to buy the Lakers alongside Josh Kushner on Wednesday, on his “The Old Man & the Three” podcast where they discussed the origin of him becoming a Clippers fan.
“I’m a Clippers fan. Having moved from New York to Los Angles back in 2000 and being a big NBA fan, I needed a team to root for… Lakers were a big rival of the Knicks, the team I grew up rooting for. So I couldn’t root for the Lakers very easily; just was not in my DNA" 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/oIavYIwQkc
Does this actually matter? Not really. There are probably not many, if any, owners who were actually a fan of the team. It’s just that Iger publicly came out as a fan of another team.
That being said, if you want to spin it into a positive, it’s clear that Iger is a fan of the game. If he was rooting for the Knicks when the Lakers were a legitimate rival, then he’s been a fan for decades. Similarly, if you’re buying season tickets to the Clippers when they have Corey Maggette and Cuttino Mobley, then you have to really like the sport.
Further to that point, in the statement released by Iger and Kushner, they acknowledged the importance of the Lakers to Los Angeles.
“As lifelong NBA fans, we are deeply honored for the opportunity to become stewards of the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most iconic sports franchises in the world. We have immense respect for the leadership and vision of Jerry and Jeanie Buss. Our long-term commitment is to build on that foundation, compete at the highest level, and serve this extraordinary team, its fans, and the city of Los Angeles.”
Again, none of this really matters. If you actually care about this, you need to re-evaluate some things.
What matters now is investing in the Lakers moving forward to ensure they remain ahead of the Clippers and everyone else in the league.
The Boston Celtics’ schedule for the 2026-27 NBA season was officially released Thursday.
The 82-game slate begins Tuesday, Oct. 20 when the Celtics play the Detroit Pistons at 3 p.m. ET. Three days later, the Celtics host the defending champion New York Knicks in their home opener at TD Garden.
Other notable dates include Jaylen Brown’s return to Boston with the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 21, and the Los Angeles Lakers’ only trip to TD Garden on Feb. 2.
Click the link below or scan the QR code for a printable version of the Celtics’ 2026-27 schedule:
The Sixers will begin their season by visiting the defending champion Knicks on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. ET. Other dates to circle include the home opener vs. the Cavaliers on Oct. 22 and a Christmas visit to the Lakers. The team’s schedule is below:
It’s safe to assume Xfinity Mobile Arena will be full and very loud in support of a Sixers team with championship ambitions. After being swept by the Knicks last postseason, the Sixers are aiming to advance past the second round of the playoffs for the first time since the 2000-01 season.
“As someone that’s competed against Philadelphia for a large amount of time, one thing I can say is the fan base here is incredible,” Brown said last week at his introductory press conference. “They really get behind the guys. It’s one of the harder-playing arenas to be in with the intensity level, the engagement. The fans, you can tell that they love the city and the team here.”
With our annual apology to Larry Bird, who famously dismissed the annual schedule hype by noting, “41 home, 41 road; looks good to me,” let’s break out our highlighters and identify some marquee matchups, some trends, and anything else that jumps out about this year’s slate.
Long wait for Jaylen Brown’s return
More than half of Boston’s 2026-27 season will be in the rearview mirror before Jaylen Brown makes his much-anticipated regular-season return to TD Garden.
The Sixers don’t make their first regular-season visit to Boston until Jan. 21, the 44th game of the season for the Celtics. Philadelphia will be in town for a preseason game in October, but we’d be surprised if Brown plays that night, maybe dragging out the drama for his first real game here.
You won’t have to wait as long for the first Celtics-Sixers regular-season showdown. That is set for Nov. 10, Boston’s 11th game of the season.
Philadelphia returns to TD Garden on Sunday, March 7 for a national TV matinee.
The NBA is shaking up its opening day schedule with the Celtics and Pistons — the two top teams in the Eastern Conference standings last season —kicking off the entire 2026-27 season with a Tuesday matinee (3 p.m. on NBC).
While it’s unique for the NBA, it gives us baseball opening day vibes. The Celtics and Pistons start a slate that will also feature 1) The Knicks getting their championship rings before jousting with Brown and the new-look Sixers and 2) A rematch of the Western Conference finals between the Thunder and Spurs.
The Celtics play their home opener on Friday night with a visit from the defending champion Knicks, which will also serve as Mitchell Robinson’s first game against his former team.
Uptick in back-to-backs, and a brutal November
Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
Jayson Tatum is poised for a fantastic 2026-27 season.
The Celtics are scheduled to play 16 back-to-backs this season, the team’s highest number in the past decade. There are six sets of back-to-back games before the end of November alone, increasing the degree of difficulty as Boston launches into the new campaign.
November is daunting for both travel and rest. Boston plays 16 games in 30 days. Twelve of those games are on the road, with five back-to-backs in that span.
The second night of back-to-back games in that run: at Houston (after playing in Orlando), at Toronto (after playing in Philadelphia), vs. Orlando (after hosting Maine native Cooper Flagg and Dallas), at Golden State (after playing in Sacramento), and at Dallas (after playing in San Antonio).
From a challenging opening week to the November travel blitz, it’s a daunting 21-game stretch to start the new season (though the degree of difficulty levels off a bit after opening week when Boston plays a series of home games).
The Celtics have never used the absence of rest days as an excuse during the Joe Mazzulla era, and a young, deep bench has helped them on those nights in the past. But those games will challenge Boston given the high profile nature of many Night 1s, and the travel for Night 2s.
Boston played 13 back-to-back games last season and has averaged just north of that number over the past four seasons. This is the most back-to-back games in a season since playing 17 in 2016-17.
Extra motivation for the Cup?
Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
NBA Cup games feature cool court designs.
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has repeatedly noted that Boston’s North Star is adding championship banners. But his team might have a little extra motivation for this year’s in-season NBA Cup.
The 2026 Cup championship game will be held at Butler University’s Hinkle Fieldhouse on December 11. Stevens compiled a 166-49 record as head coach of Butler from 2007-2013, leading the Bulldogs to back-to-back national title games in 2010 and 2011.
While Stevens would likely downplay the overall significance of the Cup, we can’t help but imagine he’d feel a bit nostalgic watching his current team play inside a gym he holds in such high regard. And Boston could certainly make a bold early statement by being competitive in those games.
The Celtics are slotted in Eastern Conference Group C of Cup play and will compete in four group-play games:
Friday, Oct. 30 vs. Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 6 at Hornets, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 24 at Wizards, 8 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 27 vs. Hawks, 8 p.m.
Back on Christmas Day, home for the holiday season
After a one-year absence from the NBA’s marquee Christmas Day calendar, Boston is back on the holiday stage. The Celtics will host Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Miami Heat at 2:30 p.m. as part of the league’s five-game slate.
Boston, of course, had a very public flirtation with acquiring Antetokounmpo this offseason. The two teams will play three times, with the other two meetings slated for the tail end of the season.
The Celtics enjoy their longest homestand of the season with seven consecutive games at TD Garden spanning from December 14-28. A season-long six-game road trip follows immediately after with stops in Chicago, Utah, Portland, Phoenix, and Los Angeles (two games, vs. Lakers and Clippers) over an 11-day span into the new calendar year.
Super Bowl appetizer is back
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Patriots lost Super Bowl 60 to the Seahawks.
The Celtics hosted a home game on Super Bowl Sunday every season from 2009 until 2020, posting a sizzling 9-2 mark during that stretch. It basically coincided with the prime of Tom Brady’s tenure in New England, including five Super Bowl appearances for the Patriots.
Maybe a new streak is starting for the Drake Maye era.
The Celtics, after being off on the NFL’s big day in 2020 and 2025, and traveling for road games in 2021 and 2024, hosted the Knicks last season as an appetizer for the Patriots’ most recent Super Bowl appearance.
The Celtics host the Raptors at 1 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday (February 14) this year.
This will be the 44th game that Boston has played on a Super Bowl Sunday, posting a 29-14 (.674) record in that span. The Celtics are 7-2 on days when the Patriots also play in the Super Bowl (while the Patriots are 5-4 in those games).
Another grueling February, road heavy at finish line
If the Celtics survive the early gauntlet, its next-biggest challenge might come in the run up to the All-Star break.
From Feb. 2-18, the Celtics play: at Lakers, at Charlotte, at Atlanta, at Philadelphia, vs. Denver, vs. Golden State (on the second night of a back-to-back), vs. Minnesota, vs. Toronto, at Oklahoma City, and at Memphis (on the second night of a back-to-back).
Boston also plays seven of its final nine games of the regular season away from home, which might matter if there’s some jockeying for position in a beefed-up Eastern Conference.
Max Scherzer gets the nod today, and I'm riding with him in my Red Sox vs. Blue Jays predictions.
The Toronto Blue Jays have narrowed the gap to just 1.5 games for the final Wild Card spot and are coming into this one as +135 underdogs against the Boston Red Sox at BET99. It's time to ride the wave and back the Blue Jays to finish the four-game sweep at the Rogers Centre.
Let’s dive into my MLB picks for Thursday, Aug. 13, and cash a same-game parlay, shall we?
Red Sox vs Blue Jays predictions
Red Sox vs Blue Jays best bet: Blue Jays +1.5 (-130)
Max Scherzer has a history of showing up in big games (look no further than last year's Game 7 of the World Series), and has actually been pretty serviceable for the Toronto Blue Jays of late after struggling out of the gate.
The veteran has allowed just three earned runs across his last 11 1/3 innings, and the stage might be the brightest of the season tonight as Toronto looks to sweep Boston and continue its ascent in the Wild Card standings.
He's looked good in this specific matchup, too, limiting Willson Contreras, Adley Rutschman, and Jaren Duran to a .165 xBA or worse across 25 combined at-bats. The Jays have won 10 of their last 14 games, and the offense has scored five or more runs in five of their last six. Sign me up.
I'd price this closer to -145, so I'm taking this type of value and running with it.
COVERS INTEL: Looking for damage against the Red Sox? Andres Gimenez has had Payton Tolle's number so far in the pitcher's young career. The shortstop is 3-for-4 with a double and a homer against him, sporting a .458 xBA and 1.070 xSLG. He could be your unsung hero tonight.
Red Sox vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)
The Blue Jays will make this one close, and Scherzer has a good history against these Red Sox, limiting them to a .268 xwOBA across 45 plate appearances — that'll play.
George Springer gets the tap on the shoulder offensively: his splits are slightly better against lefties, he's cashed this play in two straight games he's started in, and he's rocking an .820 OPS following the All-Star break. After a day off last night, let's see him locked in today.
Red Sox vs Blue Jays SGP
Blue Jays +1.5
Max Scherzer Under 2.5 earned runs
George Springer Over 1.5 hits+runs+RBI
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Red Sox vs Blue Jays home run pick: Andres Gimenez (+1100)
Why not take a shot at this price? As mentioned above, Gimenez has Tolle's number so far and could absolutely be the hero the Blue Jays need tonight. He has a higher OPS at home and post-All-Star break, and owns the team's highest xSLG in this specific matchup. Fire up a long-shot home run pick at no more than .2u, and let's see the defense-first shortstop hit his ninth homer of the year.
Dustin Saracini's 2026 Transparency Record
Best bets:2-1, +1.95 units
SGPs: 0-3, -0.6 units
HR picks: 0-3, -0.6 units
Red Sox vs Blue Jays odds
Moneyline: Boston (-155) | Toronto (+135)
Run line: Boston -1.5 (+110) | Toronto +1.5 (-130)
Over/Under: Over 8 (-110) | Under 8 (-110)
Red Sox vs Blue Jays trend
Looking for a total play? The Under is 6-0 in the Blue Jays' last six games during Game 4 of a series. With this pitching matchup, it might not hurt to buy up the defense. Find more MLB betting trends for Red Sox vs. Blue Jays.
How to watch Red Sox vs Blue Jays and game info
Location
Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON
Date
Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026
First pitch
3:07 p.m. ET
TV
NESN, SN
Red Sox starting pitcher
Payton Tolle (7-6, 3.20 ERA)
Blue Jays starting pitcher
Max Scherzer (1-4, 7.25 ERA)
Red Sox vs Blue Jays latest injuries
Red Sox vs Blue Jays weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
DYERSVILLE, IA - AUGUST 12: A general view of the Welcome to MLB at Field of Dreams sign during the media batting practice at Field of Dreams movie site on Wednesday, August 12, 2026 in Dyersville, Iowa. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After a four-year hiatus, MLB returns to “baseball heaven,” and they’re bringing the Phillies with them.
For the first time since 2022, a Major League baseball game will be played at the site where the hit 1988 movie “Field of Dreams” was filmed, Dyersville, Illinois.
This will be the third iteration of the Field of Dreams game. The first, in 2021, featured a dramatic walk-off win by the Chicago White Sox over the New York Yankees, 9-8.
The following season, the Chicago Cubs edged the Cincinnati Reds, 4-2. That year, Ken Griffey Jr. and his father, Ken Griffey Sr., re-enacted the iconic scene at the end of the movie in which Kevin Costner’s character ***SPOILER ALERT RIGHT HERE*** played catch with the ghost of his deceased father.
When Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. walked out of the cornfields together to have a catch at the MLB Field of Dreams Game… pic.twitter.com/2eg1craSNB
The Phils have been featured prominently in some of the sport’s biggest tentpole events of late, including the London Series against the Mets in 2024 and, of course, this year’s All Star Game festivities at Citizens Bank Park. Tonight’s game in Iowa is yet another, although it will test an exhausted team coming off a brutal series in miserably hot and humid St. Louis where the Phillies lost two of three and fell out of the NL’s third wild card spot.
Perhaps a little corn field magic is what the Phillies need right now.
The game returns after the owners of the land and facilities spent millions of dollars revamping the setup to accommodate staging a Major League Baseball game. Previously, pop-up stadiums had to be created on the fly, an unsustainable situation if the league planned to return on a yearly basis. Now, a complex of multiple stadiums has been created, while also maintaining the original field that made the location famous.
Tonight’s game will have a much different feel to it than normal. The current, more intimate setup, holds a maximum of 8,000 spectators. And there will be one additional quirk. The stadium is not set up to facilitate the new ABS challenge system, meaning teams will not be able to challenge balls and strikes, which is fine when you consider J.T. Realmuto is among the most infrequent challengers in the Majors and baseball has been played this way for about 150 years prior to this season.
The Phillies and Twins will emerge from the cornfields tonight wearing throwback uniforms from 1938.
The uniforms the Phillies will wear for the Field of Dreams Game on August 13 pic.twitter.com/vnnEie0izZ
First pitch is slated for 7:30pm ET and will be broadcast exclusively on Netflix, although there is a chance the game could be impacted by rain. The forecast calls for potential thunderstorms in the area this evening. MLB announced if the game is rained out, it will be played the following evening, on Friday night.
The Phils are scheduled to leave Iowa for the final two games of their series with the Twins in Minneapolis this weekend, but inclement weather could throw those plans into a tizzy.
The worst case scenario would be starting a game and burning pitchers only for it to be postponed and played the following evening, robbing the Phils of a much-needed day off and further stretching an already depleted bullpen.
Still, even in the rain, tonight’s Field of Dreams game should provide some breathtaking views and pangs of nostalgia for Phils fans watching.
On the latest Hittin’ Season podcast, I talked a bit about the Field of Dreams game as well as the Phillies’ miserable week in St. Louis, Bryce Harper’s knee, Zack Wheeler concerns and much more!
LOS ANGELES — Freddie Freeman apparently avoided serious injury when the Los Angeles Dodgers’ first baseman took a frightening tumble down the stairs and into the visitors’ dugout while trying to catch a foul popup in the eighth inning.
Freeman isn’t sure whether he’ll play when the Dodgers begin an important four-game series with the MLB-leading Milwaukee Brewers, but he’s grateful his freefall to the dugout floor wasn’t worse.
“I didn’t hit my head, so that was the key part there,” Freeman said. “I am sore. Kneecaps are sore. Shoulder is sore. Hand sore. Wrist sore. I mean, I fell. (But) I’m in good spirits.”
Freeman stayed in the game and finished the top of the eighth, but Tommy Edman pinch hit for him in the bottom of the inning before Los Angeles closed out a 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals, its fourth in five games.
The right side of Freeman’s body took the punishment, but the 2024 World Series MVP apparently didn’t break any bones. He’ll wait to see how he feels in the morning before he decides whether to play when the back-to-back World Series champion Dodgers welcome Milwaukee in a rematch of last year’s National League Championship Series.
Freeman said he simply miscalculated the location of the dugout railing while he tracked Isaac Collins’ foul pop.
“I went to lean, like I was going to lean against the rail to catch the ball — and obviously there was no rail,” Freeman said with a smile.
Freeman, who turns 37 in one month, said he was fortunate to fall all the way into the dugout, missing the top flight of stairs entirely. That’s because when he landed, his head stuck out into the open space above the second flight of stairs that goes down into the visitors’ clubhouse instead of banging on the ground.
“Luckily, I was tall, so I missed everything else,” the 6-foot-4 Freeman cracked.
This wasn’t Freeman’s first fielding misadventure: He said he fell into the seats in Arizona roughly a decade ago while he was with the Atlanta Braves.
The Orange County native and childhood Angels fan also said he still remembers the infamous 1999 opening-day dugout fall by Mo Vaughn, who got hurt on the first play of his first game with the Halos.
The Royals rushed to Freeman’s side after the fall, urging him to stay on the ground. Freeman decided to get up anyway, and the Dodgers’ training staff rushed across the field to check on him.
“I think that we really dodged a bullet,” Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said. “Very scary visually. For right now, he’s in good spirits, which I think is a good sign. Just kind of total body soreness.”
Philadelphia (64-58) and Minnesota (60-62) meet each other for the first time this season when the two gather for The Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa. The game is being threatened by rain, but shapes up for an interesting matchup to kick off a three-game series.
The Phillies have dropped two consecutive games to the Cardinals as Philadelphia only scored one combined run. Philadelphia is hitting .210 in the last six games (23rd) with 23 runs scored (T-15th). The Phillies have four homers in that span (T-25th), but is top five in stolen bases (7). The Phillies are tied with the Diamondbacks for the final NL Wild Card spot after the Padres passed both teams.
Minnesota is hot offensively over the past week. The Twins are hitting .282 (5th) in the last six games with the third-most runs (32), plus top 10 ranks in OBP, OPS, and SLG. However, in August, Minnesota's pitching ranks 20th in ERA (4.53), 24th in WHIP (1.43) and OBA (.258). Minnesota has allowed at least four runs in six-straight games entering this matchup.
Let’s dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Phillies at Twins
Date: Thursday, August 13, 2026
Time: 7:30 PM EST
Site: Field of Dreams
City: Dyersville, Iowa
Network/Streaming: Netflix
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Phillies at the Twins
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Philadelphia Phillies (-103), Minnesota Twins (-104)
Spread: Phillies -1.5 (+151), Twins +1.5 (-184)
Total: 8.5
Probable starting pitchers for Phillies at Twins
Thursday's pitching matchup (August 13): Aaron Nola vs Taj Bradley
Josh Bell is hitting .375 in August (15/40) with three home runs
Brooks Lee is hitting .282 in August (11/39)
Royce Lewis is hitting .413 in August (19/46) with nine RBI
Kyle Schwarber is hitting .225 in August (9/40) with two home runs
Bryce Harper is hitting .270 in August (10/37) with three home runs
Trae Turner is hitting .239 in August (11/46) with four RBI
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Phillies at Twins
Philadelphia is 47-75 ATS, ranking second-worst
Minnesota is 66-56 ATS, ranking seventh-best
Philadelphia is 61-53-8 to the Under, ranking eighth-best
Minnesota is 64-50-8 to the Over, ranking fourth-best
Philadelphia is 23-37 ATS on the road, ranking second-worst
Minnesota is 31-29 ATS at home
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Phillies and the Twins
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday's game between the Phillies and the Twins:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Phillies on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Phillies at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Over on the Game Total of 8.5
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WASHINGTON — Alex Bregman wasn’t worried even as he grinded through an unremarkable first half in his opening months with the Chicago Cubs. He validated that attitude.
Bregman hit three homers in a game or the first time in Chicago’s 12-6 rout of the Washington Nationals, continuing a torrid stretch in recent weeks.
The 32-year-old, who signed a five-year, $175 million deal in January, is hitting .388 (26 for 67) with six homers and 17 RBIs in 16 games since July 27, and he has the most hits in the majors in that span. He’s homered four times in the first two games of the series at Washington, and six of his 16 homers this season have come against the Nationals.
“Feel like the last month or so has been a step in the right direction, but really the last two days have been a real step in the right direction,” said Bregman, whose seven RBIs were also a career high.
The Cubs only scored in three innings, but Bregman was a significant part of each rally.
After walking in his first two plate appearances, Bregman lofted a sweeper from Jake Bird into the visitors’ bullpen in left for a three-run blast to cap a four-run fifth.
In his next trip, he pulled a two-run shot to left off Yovanny Cruz as the final blow in a five-run sixth that made it 9-4.
In the eighth, Bregman homered in his third consecutive at-bat, sending a fastball from Trevor Williams into the Cubs bullpen to drive in Seiya Suzuki.
“We watched it in spring, with what he’s capable of doing, and you’ve seen it his whole career,” said shortstop Dansby Swanson, who also homered in the eighth. “He’s a special player when he’s going right.”
It was Bregman’s ninth career multi-homer game and his second against Washington this season. He also is the second Cub to hit three homers in a game, joining Swanson’s effort against San Diego on July 1.
Bregman has nine homers in 26 games since July 11 after hitting seven in his first 92 games as a Cub.
“I think that’s why this is a good team,” manager Craig Counsell said. “We have a different guy who can do that any day, maybe. Dansby’s done it. Pete (Crow-Armstrong)’s certainly done it. Ian (Happ)’s done it. Seiya’s done it. It’s pretty cool and that’s a great game. He definitely drove the bus today.”
Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
COVERS INTEL: Looking for damage against the Red Sox? 