The NBA schedules are out and the Indiana Pacers open the season with five of their first six games on the road. Starting on Halloween, the Pacers play three blah games but games that the team should win.

The season opens on the road on Wednesday, October 31st against the Toronto Raptors. From there the Pacers visit the Charlotte Bobcats the following Friday, before their home opener at Bankers Life Fieldhouse the next night (yes, an early back-to-back), Saturday, November 3rd against the Sacramento Kings. The young Kings are a dangerous team lurking in the Western Conference that gave the Pacers fits last season by beating them in Sacramento.

The Pacers then hit the road for their next three games against San Antonio, Atlanta and Minnesota. Yikes! That's a nasty little roadie to test the team's mettle early on.

As for national TV games, the Pacers can't complain about any exposure issues this season. Funny what a little winning does. The Pacers will play 11 games on national television (ESPN, TNT, NBA TV) with seven of those games on either ESPN or TNT. Here's the list which includes some big home games.

• January 4th at Boston - ESPN
• January 10th vs. New York - TNT
• January 21st vs. Memphis - ESPN
• January 26th at Utah - NBA TV
• February 1st vs. Miami - ESPN
• March 3rd vs. Chicago - ESPN
• March 16th at Philadelphia - NBA TV
• March 25th vs. Atlanta - NBA TV
• March 30th at Phoenix - NBA TV
• April 1st @ L.A. Clippers - NBA TV
• April 5th vs. Oklahoma City - ESPN
• April 16th at Boston - TNT