Here are the AP’s top sports stories that have moved or are planned to move today. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit AP Newsroom’s Coverage Plan. Sports content can be found at http://newsroom.ap.org/page/APSports.

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UPCOMING

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SPORTS BETTING ARRESTS

FORMATS: Text, Video, Photo

1. WITH: SPORTS BETTING ARRESTS-EXPLAINER

2. DESCRIPTION: An explainer on the role of the Mafia in the scandal and its status.

3. UPCOMING: By 10/24/2025 4:00 p.m. EDT

4. WITH: US-SPORTS BETTING-ARRESTS-MAFIA

5. DESCRIPTION: The Mafia got a starring role when authorities announced that an NBA coach and player were part of a betting scandal that resulted in nearly three dozen arrests, a reminder that the mob still exists despite decades of prosecutions that withered its ranks. But like anything that’s under attack, the mob has adjusted.

6. UPCOMING: By 10/24/2025 4:00 p.m. EDT

7. WITH: SPORTS-BETTING-ARRESTS-EXPLAINERS

8. DESCRIPTION: A short wrap of the various explainers

9. UPCOMING: By 10/24/2025 4:00 p.m. EDT

10. WITH: SPORTS BETTING ARRESTS

11. DESCRIPTION: AP will be at the Miami Heat and Portland Trail Blazers game for fan reaction

12. UPCOMING: By 10/24/2025 4:00 p.m. EDT

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BBO--WORLD SERIES

FORMATS: Text

13. WITH: BBO--WORLD SERIES-MATTINGLY

14. DESCRIPTION: TORONTO — Don Mattingly, known as Donnie Baseball, is set to be the bench coach for the Toronto Blue Jays as they face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. This marks his first World Series appearance in his 39th season in professional baseball. Mattingly, a former Yankees star, never won a title as a player. By Baseball Writer Ronald Blum.

15. SENT: By 10/24/2025 6:00 p.m. EDT

16. WITH: BBO--WORLD SERIES

17. DESCRIPTION: TORONTO — The Los Angeles Dodgers, hoping to become the first repeat World Series champion in 25 years, send Blake Snell to the mound against Toronto Blue Jays rookie Trey Yesavage in Game 1. By Baseball Writer Ronald Blum. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos, sidebars on merit. Game starts at about 8 p.m. EDT.

18. UPCOMING: By 10/24/2025 11:00 p.m. EDT

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BKN--CELTICS-KNICKS

DESCRIPTION: NEW YORK — The Boston Celtics visit the New York Knicks, who ended their latest title reign with a victory in last season’s Eastern Conference semifinals. By Brian Mahoney. UPCOMING: 300 words, photos. Game starts at 7:30 p.m. EDT.

UPCOMING: By 10/24/2025 10:00 p.m. EDT, Text, Photo

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BKN--TIMBERWOLVES-LAKERS

DESCRIPTION: LOS ANGELES — Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves visit Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers in an early season rematch of Minnesota’s first-round playoff victory last spring. By Greg Beacham. UPCOMING: 300 words, photos. Game starts at 10 p.m. EDT.

UPCOMING: By 10/24/2025 11:55 p.m. EDT, Text, Photo

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SOC--MLS-NASHVILLE-INTER MIAMI

DESCRIPTION: FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi and Inter Miami open their pursuit of an MLS title when they take on Nashville in Game 1 of a best-of-three first-round playoff series. By Tim Reynolds. UPCOMING: 500 words, photos. Game starts at 8 p.m. EDT.

UPCOMING: By 10/24/2025 11:00 p.m. EDT, Photo, Text

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BKN--TRAIL BLAZERS FALLOUT

DESCRIPTION: PORTLAND, Ore. — Stunned by the arrest of head coach Chauncey Billups in a sprawling poker scheme, the Portland Trail Blazers players took to the court under an interim coach as they navigate an unexpectedly tumultuous start to the new season. By Anne M. Peterson. UPCOMING: 500 words, photos. Developing from 10 p.m. EDT game against the Golden State Warriors.

UPCOMING: By 10/24/2025 11:55 p.m. EDT, Text

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NEW AND DEVELOPING

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SOC--CELTIC-CARTER-VICKERS

U.S. defender Carter-Vickers to miss up to 5 months with Achilles injury

SUMMARY: U.S. international Cameron Carter-Vickers will be sidelined for at least several months after the Celtic center back sustained an Achilles injury. Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers estimates Carter-Vickers will miss three to five months which could limit the defender’s chances of making the U.S. team for next summer’s World Cup. The 27-year-old Carter-Vickers felt pain during Celtic’s 2-1 victory over Sturm Graz in the Europa League on Thursday night. Rodgers tells Sky Sports that it’s an Achilles injury.

WORDS: 182 - MOVED: 10/24/2025 12:56 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:8d446003d9e5c2ef77990fb9bb14935c&mediaType=text

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BBO--WORLD SERIES ROSTERS

Bo Bichette activated for World Series by Blue Jays after missing 1 1/2 months with knee injury

SUMMARY: Bo Bichette has been added to the Toronto Blue Jays’ roster for the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He returns after recovering from a sprained left knee that kept him out for over a month. Bichette, a two-time AL hits leader, hasn’t played since a collision on Sept. 6. The Blue Jays also added infielder Ty France and dropped outfielder Joey Loperfido and right-hander Yariel Rodríguez. Bichette had a .311 batting average this season, with 18 homers and 94 RBIs. The 27-year-old Bichette is eligible for free agency after the World Series.

WORDS: 290 - MOVED: 10/24/2025 11:02 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:1cc5b96268cfa962ded6cf5995a6fe15&mediaType=text

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BKN--SPORTS-BETTING-ARRESTS-NBA

The NBA hoped to begin its season on a strong note. Now it faces a gambling scandal

SUMMARY: The NBA has strict rules against betting on its games, and the consequences are clear. Portland coach Chauncey Billups and Miami guard Terry Rozier are out of the league indefinitely. They were arrested Thursday for involvement in illicit gambling activities. Billups is accused of being part of a poker scheme that cheated victims out of millions. Rozier allegedly shared insider information affecting bets on his performance. Both have been placed on leave by the NBA. The league emphasizes the seriousness of these actions, with Commissioner Adam Silver warning that such behavior puts livelihoods at risk.

WORDS: 1103 - MOVED: 10/24/2025 10:15 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:6e39ab0b6b82c3c872e17c3b9cfbc604&mediaType=text

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US--SPORTS-BETTING-ARRESTS-SUPREME COURT

How a 2018 Supreme Court decision paved the way for meteoric growth in legal sports betting

SUMMARY: A 2018 Supreme Court decision opened the floodgates to the legalized sports-betting industry, now worth billions of dollars a year, even as it recognized that the decision was controversial. That high-court ruling is back in the spotlight after the arrests on Thursday of more than 30 people, including an NBA player and coach, in two cases alleging sprawling criminal schemes to rake in millions by rigging sports bets and poker games involving Mafia families. The court’s ruling struck down a 1992 federal law, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, that had barred betting on football, basketball, baseball and other sports in most states.

WORDS: 584 - MOVED: 10/24/2025 9:49 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:8e7c3a0725f7ebd20ce9d739c1d3084a&mediaType=text

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SOC--CHELSEA-OWNERS

Chelsea’s US private equity owners were once ridiculed. Now opinions are changing

SUMMARY: Against the geopolitical backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, a consortium led by American private equity titans took the opportunity to acquire one of soccer’s crown jewels. What followed was torrid and, at times, bewildering with unprecedented spending and a carousel of coaches. Dramatic on-field collapses and the deployment of financial mechanisms that looked more at home on Wall Street than in sport. Not to mention ridicule as the new U.S. owners seemed to make one calamitous misstep after another in the unforgiving world of elite soccer. Then, in July this year, Chelsea was crowned world champion.

WORDS: 1143 - MOVED: 10/24/2025 8:03 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:b93ca6e37b6d5d5734b0bd0a54293d75&mediaType=text

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SKI--WCUP-SEASON PREVIEW

Shiffrin, Odermatt are favorites as injury-marred Alpine skiing World Cup heads into Olympic season

SUMMARY: Two giant slaloms on a glacier in the Austrian Alps open the Alpine skiing World Cup season this weekend. Last year’s winners Federica Brignone and Aleksander Steen Olsen are out injured. They are not the only prominent skiers sitting out the women’s GS on Saturday or the men’s race the following day. Injuries and their prevention remain a major issue with the World Cup heading into its 60th season, highlighted by the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games in February. American star Mikaela Shiffrin and Swiss standout Marco Odermatt are regarded as favorites for the World Cup overall titles.

WORDS: 963 - MOVED: 10/24/2025 7:29 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:037da367c6e760a547de8bc3be3dcdf2&mediaType=text

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GLF--LPGA-INTERNATIONAL CROWN

Americans win fourth straight fourball match at the LPGA’s International Crown team event

SUMMARY: The United States stayed perfect at the LPGA’s International Crown tournament, winning its third and fourth fourball matches and ending No. 1-ranked Jeeno Thitikul’s unbeaten record in the team competition. Americans Yealimi Noh and Angel Yin beat Thitikul and Pajaree Anannarukarn 5 and 4 Friday, handing Thitikul her first loss after six consecutive wins in the event. Lilia Vu and Lauren Coughlin later won the second fourball match for the Americans, beating Chanettee Wannasaen and Jasmine Suwannapura 3 and 2.

WORDS: 443 - MOVED: 10/24/2025 5:24 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:295405a2c6020426b2113b16fa648ff6&mediaType=text

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SOC--PANATHINAIKOS-BENITEZ

Next stop, Athens: Rafa Benitez hired to coach Greek club Panathinaikos

SUMMARY: Former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has been hired to coach Panathinaikos on a deal that Greek media reported to be the country’s highest-ever salary for a coach. The struggling Athens club announced Friday that the well-traveled Spaniard signed a contract that reportedly extends to 2027. Local media reported the deal is worth close to 4 million euros per season and includes an option to extend for an additional season. The 65-year-old Benitez who has also coached Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Newcastle was fired by Celta Vigo in March 2024. Under Benitez, Liverpool won the Champions League in 2005 and the FA Cup in 2006.

WORDS: 269 - MOVED: 10/24/2025 5:18 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:c87feac53e1cfe21401251bd162216fa&mediaType=text

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BKN--CURRY VS GORDON

Stephen Curry’s heroics overshadow Aaron Gordon’s 50-point night in Warriors’ OT win

SUMMARY: Stephen Curry has once again stolen the spotlight in a thrilling game against the Denver Nuggets. On Thursday night, Curry hit a tying 3-pointer late in regulation and scored 16 straight points for the Golden State Warriors. He helped them overcome Aaron Gordon’s impressive 50-point night to win 137-131. Gordon made history with the seventh 50-point season opener in NBA history, tying a record with 10 3-pointers. Despite this, Curry’s performance down the stretch secured the win for the Warriors. The game went into overtime, where Curry led the way with seven points, improving Golden State to improve to 2-0.

WORDS: 547 - MOVED: 10/24/2025 2:04 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:7fa23f85529b37e88519a199a313abe3&mediaType=text

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MOVING TOMORROW

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BBO--WORLD SERIES. Game 2 starts at around 8 p.m. EDT.

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FBC--T25-POLL PREVIEW, plus Week 9 college football game coverage.