CFL betting trends, odds and predictions for Week 9 from various handicappers and websites
CFL Betting Recap - Week 8
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com
League Betting Notes
Favorites/underdogs went 2-2 SU in Week 8
Favorites/underdogs went 2-2 ATS in Week 8
Home/road teams posted a 2-2 SU record in Week 8
Home/road teams posted a 2-2 ATS record in Week 8
The 'Under' went 4-0 in Week 8
Analysis
We weren't able to glean much from the CFL in Week 8, as it was an even split down the middle among favorites/underdogs, home/road teams, etc. However, it was a great weekend if you enjoy defense -- or betting 'under' results.
The weekend didn't start off terribly promising, as the game between Edmonton (7-0) and Ottawa (1-6-1) saw a total of 29 points in the first half with a total of 55.5. However, defense ended up winning the day with just 18 total points in the second half. On Friday, it was all defense all the time, as Toronto (3-5) scratched out a 21-9 victory against Montreal (3-4) in a slugfest.
The final two games of the weekend each went 'under' by at least 6 1/2 points. It was especially shocking to see the game between BC Lions (5-3) and Saskatchewan (3-4) go under, as the Lions were blanked in each of the first three quarters in Regina. In total, there were nine scoreless quarters by teams in Week 8, with 16 other team quarter with 10 or fewer points.
Team Betting Notes
The Lions had been rolling right along with 23 or more points in each of their first seven games. That included 30 points last week in a home win against the Roughriders. So that's what made Sunday's result all the more shocking, as the Riders won 41-8 in front of the home folks. The Riders had allowed an average of 28.0 points per game over their past three games before the amazing defensive performance.
Saskatchewan has managed an 'under' result in three of their past four outings, and they'll put that streak on the line against the Eskimos.
The Eskimos kept their perfect record intact, winning for the seventh straight time to open the season. After a 1-3 ATS start, they're 2-1 ATS over the past three outings. Despite a 6-0 record, they were a two-point underdog against the RedBlacks on the road. Their 'under' result was the first in four games dating back to July 14.
Hamilton (0-7) was tripped up again at home, and for the second time in threegames it wasn't even close. They dropped a 39-12 decision against Winnipeg (5-2) at Tim Horton's Stadium. It was the first 'under' result for the Ti-Cats since Week 1, and the first for the Bombers since their second game of the season on July 7.
The Alouettes moved into first place in the East with a dominating 21-9 win against the Argonauts. The two teams will do battle again in Toronto on Saturday night. Montreal is 3-1 ATS over the past four outings, and they have covered back-to-back games for the first time this season. The Argos are 1-3 SU/ATS over the past four regular season meetings against the Alouettes, and they're 1-7 SU/ATS in their past eight home games against Montreal dating back to Aug. 14, 2010.
The RedBlacks saw the 'under' cash for the fifth time over the past six outings. They're also in the middle of their second three-game losing streak of the season. They'll battle with the Ti-Cats to avoid the basement in the East next weekend.
The Bombers are ascending up the standings out West, putting pressure on the Stamps for second place behind the Esks. Winnipeg has won three straight, and they're 4-1 ATS over the past five outings. Next up is a showdown with Edmonton at home on Thursday evening.
EDMONTON (7 - 0) at WINNIPEG (5 - 2) - 8/17/2017, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 38-62 ATS (-30.2 Units) after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins since 1996.
WINNIPEG is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 2-2 against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 4-1 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
OTTAWA (1 - 6 - 1) at HAMILTON (0 - 7) - 8/18/2017, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
OTTAWA is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road lined games over the last 3 seasons.
OTTAWA is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) versus division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 4-1 against the spread versus HAMILTON over the last 3 seasons
OTTAWA is 4-1 straight up against HAMILTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY (5 - 1 - 1) at BRITISH COLUMBIA (5 - 3) - 8/18/2017, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 55-29 ATS (+23.1 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 92-65 ATS (+20.5 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) off a loss against a division rival over the last 3 seasons.
CALGARY is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 46-27 ATS (+16.3 Units) in August games since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 5-2 against the spread versus BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 6-1 straight up against BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL (3 - 4) at TORONTO (3 - 5) - 8/19/2017, 4:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 3-2 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 3-2 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON AT WINNIPEG
Edmonton is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
Edmonton is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Winnipeg is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Winnipeg is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
OTTAWA AT HAMILTON
Ottawa is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Ottawa's last 6 games when playing Hamilton
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Hamilton's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Hamilton's last 6 games when playing Ottawa
CALGARY AT BRITISH COLUMBIA
Calgary is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing British Columbia
Calgary is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of British Columbia's last 6 games when playing at home against Calgary
British Columbia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
MONTREAL AT TORONTO
Montreal is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Montreal is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing at home against Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Toronto's last 17 games when playing Montreal
EDMONTON vs. WINNIPEG
Edmonton is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Edmonton is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Winnipeg
Winnipeg is 2-6-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Edmonton
Winnipeg is 4-8-1 ATS in its last 13 games at home
OTTAWA vs. HAMILTON
Ottawa is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Ottawa's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Hamilton's last 6 games when playing Ottawa
Hamilton is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Ottawa
CALGARY vs. BRITISH COLUMBIA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Calgary's last 6 games when playing on the road against British Columbia
Calgary is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against British Columbia
The total has gone OVER in 6 of British Columbia's last 9 games at home
British Columbia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
MONTREAL vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Montreal's last 17 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Montreal's last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Montreal
Toronto is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Montreal
CFL Week 9
Edmonton (7-0) @ Winnipeg (5-2) — Eskimos won 8 of last 9 games with Winnipeg, winning last five visits here, by 8-23-1-4-14 points. Under is 5-2 in last seven series games. Edmonton is 7-0 but has only one win by more than 7 points; they’re 1-3-1 vs spread as a favorite this season- underdogs are 5-1-1 vs spread in their games. Three of last four Eskimo games went over. Blue Bombers won their last three games; they’ve scored 33+ points in each of their last five games. Bombers are 2-1 at home. Four of Winnipeg’s last five games went over.
Ottawa (1-6-1) @ Hamilton (0-7) — Takes onions to lay 4 points on road with Ottawa team that lost its last three games by total of 13 points, is 0-3 on road; they’re 1-4-1 this year in games decided by 5 or less points, 1-3 vs spread as a favorite. Under is 5-1 in last six RedBlack games. Hamilton is really bad, with five losses by 15+ points; they’re 1-5-1 vs spread this year, 0-2-1 at home, with home losses by 15-3-27 points. TiCats allowed 31+ points in every game; their only close games were 31-28/33-28 losses to unbeaten Edmonton.
Calgary (5-1-1) @ BC Lions (5-3) — Stampeders won three in row, 8 of last 9 games vs Lions, crushing BC 42-15 (-7.5) in last meeting in LY’s playoffs. Calgary won three of last four visits here, with wins by 17-21-28 points. Under is 4-2 in last six series games. Calgary had last week off; they’ve won last three games, are 2-1-1 on road, with only loss at Montreal. Lions got waxed 41-8 at Saskatchewan LW; BC is 2-1 at home, with only loss 30-27 to Edmonton. Lions allowed 37+ points in three of last four games. Under is 5-3 in Lion games, 5-2 in Calgary tilts.
Montreal (3-4) @ Toronto (3-5) — Alouettes (-9) beat Toronto 21-9 at home last week, game that was 18-3 at haftime; Argonauts had only 142 passing yards in the game. Toronto lost its last there games, by 11-17-12 points, allowing 33.3 pts/game; Argos split their four home games; under is 5-3 in their games. Montreal is 0-3 on road, losing by 4-1-5 points, including a 51-50 loss at Winnipeg when they led by 13 with 1:00 left. Under is 5-2 in Alouette games this season. Under is 7-1-1 in last nine series games.
Favorites vs spread for season: 15-17-1
Over/Under: 16-17
Armadillosports.com
CFL Betting Notes - Week 9
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
The West Division continued to dominate the East in the CFL with Edmonton kicking off Week 8 with a 27-20 victory against Ottawa as a two-point road underdog last Thursday night. In an East Division battle for first place, Montreal got past Toronto 21-9 on Friday night as an eight-point favorite at home.
Winnipeg kept things rolling for the West on Saturday with a 39-12 rout of winless Hamilton as a two-point road favorite and in a West Division tilt on Sunday, Saskatchewan stunned British Columbia 41-8 after closing as a three-point home underdog.
Thursday, Aug. 17
Edmonton Eskimos (7-0 SU, 3-4 ATS) vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (5-2 SU, 5-2 ATS)
Point-spread: Edmonton -2
Total: 58½
Game Overview
This could be the matchup of the week in the CFL given both of these team’s proven ability to put quite a few points on the board. Through the Eskimos’ first seven games they have averaged 29.1 points behind the play of quarterback Mike Reilly. He is third in the CFL in both passing yards (2,329) and touchdown throws (13). He threw for 384 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s win, but he was also intercepted twice.
Winnipeg is second only to Calgary when it comes to scoring and with 39 points in last week’s win against Hamilton its PPG average currently stands at 34.4. Led by another gunslinger under center in Matt Nichols, the Blue Bombers have put up at least 33 points in each of their last five games. He has thrown for 2,024 yards and 13 scores while completing 68.9 percent of his 264 attempts.
Betting Trends
Edmonton has won eight of the last nine meetings SU and it has a 6-2-1 edge ATS in those nine games. The total has gone OVER in four of the last six meetings in Winnipeg.
Friday, Aug. 18
Ottawa RedBlacks (1-6-1 SU, 5-3 ATS) vs. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-7 SU, 2-5 ATS)
Point-spread: Ottawa -2
Total: 55
Game Overview
Unless there is a tie, the good news in this matchup is that one of these beleaguered teams is going to get a SU win this week. Ottawa has been snake bit in its early slide with a tough schedule and a number of close calls. The RedBlacks have lost those six games this season by a combined 20 points and the total has stayed UNDER the closing betting lines in five of their last six matchups.
Hamilton did play Edmonton tough twice this season in a pair of losses by a combined eight points to cover ATS in each contest; however there have been some really bad losses as well including a 60-1 beatdown at the hands of Calgary in Week 6. The total stayed UNDER 58.5 points against Winnipeg last week after going OVER in the Tiger-Cats’ previous five games.
Betting Trends
Ottawa has a 4-1 edge in this matchup both SU and ATS over the last five meetings and it is 6-2 ATS in its last eight road games against the Tiger-Cats. The total has stayed UNDER in six of the last nine meetings in Hamilton.
Calgary Stampeders (5-1-1 SU, 4-3 ATS) vs. British Columbia Lions (5-3 SU, 4-4 ATS)
Point-spread: Calgary -3 ½
Total: 56
Game Overview
The Stampeders return to action following last week’s bye with a three-game winning streak both SU and ATS. The total has gone OVER in three of the last four games behind an offense that has put up an average of 36.3 PPG. On the other side of the ball, Calgary has held its opponents to 20.7 points a game. Bo Levi Mitchell is fifth in the league in passing yards (2,081) and Jerome Messam is ranked first in rushing with 490 yards.
BC has now dropped two of its last three games SU and it is just 1-3 ATS in its last four outings. The total has stayed UNDER in five of their first eight games. Quarterback Jonathon Jennings returned to action in last week’s backend of a home-and-home series against Saskatchewan and he came out flat with a completion rate of just 46.7 percent on 30 attempts while getting picked off four times.
Betting Trends
Calgary has owned this series in recent years with a SU 8-1 record in the last nine meetings and it has covered the spread in four of the last six games. The total has stayed UNDER the closing line in five of the Stampeders’ last six road games against BC.
Saturday, Aug. 19
Montreal Alouettes (3-4 SU, 4-3 ATS) vs. Toronto Argonauts (3-5 SU, 2-6 ATS)
Point-spread: OFF
Total: OFF
Game Overview
Montreal comes into the backend of this home-and-home series with a chance to cement its place at the top of the East Division standings despite the SU losing record. In last week’s win at home, Darian Durant did enough at quarterback to get his team that much needed victory by completing 18-of-27 passes for 237 yards and two scores. This was just the third time this season that the Alouettes scored more than 20 points.
The Argonauts have been outscored by a combined 40 points during this current SU three-game losing streak and they have failed to cover in their last five games. The loss of quarterback Ricky Ray for last week’s game did not help the cause with backups Cody Fajardo and Jeff Mathews combining for 142 yards through the air while connecting on 18 of their 28 passing attempts. Ray remains day-to-day heading into this week’s games.
Betting Trends
With last week’s victory, Montreal has won seven of the last eight meetings both SU and ATS. The total has stayed UNDER in five of the last six meetings in Toronto.
Thursday's CFL Betting Preview: Eskimos at Blue Bombers
Covers.com
Edmonton Eskimos at Winnipeg Blue Bombers (+1, 58.5)
The Edmonton Eskimos look to remain unbeaten when they battle the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in a West Division showdown Thursday. The Eskimos held off the Ottawa Redblacks 27-20 in Week 8 to improve to 7-0 for the first time in 56 years, and hope to keep their unblemished record intact by notching their fifth straight road win in the series.
"It's something special and I know it," Edmonton coach Jason Maas told reporters. "I just love it because they're a great, hardworking group and they do it the right way on a week-to-week basis so I'm happy we're able to continue the streak." Winnipeg rolled past the struggling Hamilton Tiger-Cats 39-12 to notch its third consecutive win. The Blue Bombers are currently firing on all cylinders, averaging 38.7 points over their last four contests and hope for more offensive fireworks to turn the tide in a one-sided rivalry, which has seen Edmonton win seven of the last eight meetings. "We know we have a tough team coming into our house and it's going to be a tough four-quarter game," Winnipeg quarterback Matt Nichols told reporters. "It's going to be a tough battle but I have all the faith in the world in our guys."
LINE HISTORY: The Eskimos opened as one-point road favorites and the total hit the betting boards at 58.5. Neither number has moved off their opening figure as of Wednesday evening.
ABOUT THE ESKIMOS (7-0 SU, 3-3-1 ATS, 3-4 O/U): Mike Reilly completed 27-of-38 passes for 384 yards and two touchdowns against Ottawa to extend his touchdown passing streak to a franchise-record 17 games. Edmonton continues to be bitten by the injury bug as all-star defensive tackle Almondo Sewell (upper body) and defensive end Marcus Howard (leg) were hurt in the second half and their status is up in the air for Thursday's clash. Wide receiver Bryant Mitchell has done an admirable job filling in for an injured Brandon Zylstra as he's caught 15 passes for 235 yards and a touchdown in his last two contests.
ABOUT THE BLUE BOMBERS (5-2 SU, 5-2 ATS, 5-2 O/U): Andrew Harris ran for 107 yards on 14 carries against Hamilton to move past George Dixon (5,615) for 32nd place on the CFL's all-time rushing list. Nichols finished 25-of-35 for 267 yards and two touchdowns against the Tiger-Cats to improve to 15-5 since replacing Drew Willy as the starting quarterback in July 2016. Defensive end Faith Ekakitie, who was selected first overall in the 2017 CFL Draft, was a healthy scratch in Week 8 as the former Iowa Hawkeye continues to struggle with his footwork and the nuances of the Canadian game.
TRENDS:
* Eskimos are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games in Week 9.
* Blue Bombers are 8-0 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Over is 11-5 in Eskimos last 16 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 12-3 in Blue Bombers last 15 games overall.
* Eskimos are 7-2 ATS in the last 9 meetings.
EXTRA POINTS:
* The Eskimos have won 12 of their last 13 regular-season games dating back to last year.
* Winnipeg hasn't beaten Edmonton at home since July 26, 2012.
* The Blue Bombers lead the CFL with 10 interceptions.
CONSENSUS: The home underdog Blue Bombers are getting 55 percent of the side action and the Under is picking up 51 percent of the totals wagers.
Friday’s CFL Betting Preview
Covers.com
Ottawa Redblacks at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (+3.5, 55.5)
The Ottawa Redblacks look to win their first game in nearly a month when they face the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on the road Friday. The Redblacks dropped a 27-20 decision to the unbeaten Edmonton Eskimos to suffer their third straight defeat, but are only three points out of first place in a weak East Division, which does not boast a team at or above .500, and hope to stay within striking distance of the division leaders by topping the Tiger-Cats for the fourth time in five meetings.
"We're going to hang together and we're going to keep working," Ottawa coach Rick Campbell told reporters. "If we can find a way to win a couple of games then all a sudden we're in the thick of it." Hamilton's season of misery continued with a 39-12 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Week 8. The Tiger-Cats had hoped new defensive coordinator Phillip Lolley would provide the struggling unit with a shot in the arm, but they surrendered 402 yards of offence en route to becoming the 16th team in CFL history to start a season 0-7, and face a stiff challenge shutting down Ottawa quarterback Trevor Harris, who leads the league in passing yards (2,468) and touchdowns (16). Hamilton's offence hasn't fared much better as they have averaged 13.7 points over their last three games and quarterback Zach Collaros hopes to end a ignominious streak of 11 straight losses as Hamilton's starting pivot.
LINE HISTORY: The Tiger-Cats opened as 3.5-point home dogs and that number has yet to move. The total hit the betting board at 56 and like the line has held at the opening number.
ABOUT THE REDBLACKS (1-6-1 SU, 5-3 ATS, 3-5 O/U): Ottawa released defensive backs C.J. Roberts and Imoan Claiborne, who registered four tackles and an interception against Edmonton. Wide receiver Kenny Shaw, who caught 77 passes for 1,004 yards and five touchdowns for the Toronto Argonauts in 2016, practiced this week and is ready to return after missing the last seven games with a leg injury. Running back William Powell, who leads the team with 272 rushing yards, returned to practice after sitting out a game with a lower-body injury and is likely to receive the majority of the carries Friday.
ABOUT THE TIGER-CATS (0-7 SU, 1-5-1 ATS, 5-2 O/U): All-star defensive end Ted Laurent, who leads the team with four sacks, suffered a hamstring injury on the opening series against Winnipeg and his status is unknown for Friday. Zach Collaros struggled once again as he was limited to 216 passing yards and turned the ball over three times, including his league high-equaling seventh interception, against the Blue Bombers. "The quarterback position is me so I need to do better obviously," Collaros admitted to reporters. "It's tough to win in this league if the quarterback isn't playing well."
TRENDS:
* RedBlacks are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 road games.
* Tiger-Cats are 0-7-2 ATS in their last 9 home games.
* Over is 4-0 in RedBlacks last 4 vs. a team with a losing record.
* Over is 5-1 in Tiger-Cats last 6 games overall.
* Over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.
EXTRA POINTS:
* Six of Ottawa's seven losses have been by a combined 20 points.
* Hamilton has surrendered more than 30 points in every game this season.
* The Tiger-Cats have been outscored 132-41 in their last three games.
CONSENSUS: The road favourite RedBlacks are getting 61 percent of the money line action and the Under is getting 60 percent of the totals wagers.
Calgary Stampeders at BC Lions (+4.5, 56.5)
The BC Lions look to bounce back from their most disappointing loss of the season when they host the Calgary Stampeders on Friday. The Lions were thumped 41-8 by the last-place Saskatchewan Roughriders to spoil quarterback Jonathon Jennings' return from a four-game absence and hope to rebound quickly with the surging Stampeders, who have won seven of the last eight meetings with BC including a 42-15 thrashing in the 2016 West Division Final, striding confidently into town.
"We have to get our minds right," BC linebacker Solomon Elimimian told reporters. "Everybody has to be accountable to knowing that's not good enough." Calgary hopes that a bye week doesn't rob it of the momentum gained from a three-game winning streak. The Stampeders had won five of their last six games, including a 41-24 victory against the Toronto Argonauts on Aug. 3, before having a week off, to stay within striking distance of the undefeated Edmonton Eskimos at the top of the division, and hope to continue their success in Vancouver where they have won three of the last four matchups. "Guys understand BC is a talented, high-powered football team," Calgary quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell wrote on Twitter. "They let a game slip on the road but we know who they are and the talent that they have."
LINE HISTORY: The Stampeders opened as 4.5-point road chalk and that number hasn’t moved. The total hit the betting board at 56.5 and still sits at the opening number.
ABOUT THE STAMPEDERS (5-1-1 SU, 4-3 ATS, 5-2 O/U): Calgary received a boost with the news that linebacker Deron Mayo, who led the team with 77 tackles before suffering a torn patellar tendon on Oct. 15, 2016, is ready to make his season debut as is Junior Turner, who is fully recovered from a knee operation in the offseason. The Stampeders parted ways with defensive lineman Ben D'Aguilar, who appeared in four games this season, defensive back Osagie Odiase and wide receiver Jarett Boykin. Wide receiver Lemar Durant was enjoying a career year before he suffered a knee injury that will require surgery in the win against Toronto.
ABOUT THE LIONS (5-3 SU, 4-3 ATS, 3-4 O/U): Jennings struggled in his first game since hurting his shoulder on the opening possession against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on July 15 as he was limited to 195 passing yards and threw four interceptions against Saskatchewan. "This was the toughest game of my career," Jennings told reporters. "I'm going to learn from this and get better." Bryan Burnham, who leads the team in receiving yards (546), missed the last game with a leg injury, but is expected to return in time for Friday's clash while fellow wide receiver Nick Moore suffered a hip injury against the Roughriders and is questionable going forward.y against the Lions and will be replaced by rookie kicker Hugh O'Neill.
TRENDS:
* Stampeders are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 vs. West.
* Lions are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 vs. West.
* Under is 5-1 in Stampeders last 6 games in August.
* Under is 5-0 in Lions last 5 games in August.
* Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in BC.
EXTRA POINTS:
* Calgary has won 11 straight regular-season games against West Division rivals.
* BC has given up 37 or more points in three of its last four contests.
* The Stampeders have outscored opponents 128-35 over the last three games.
CONSENSUS: The road chalk Stampeders are getting 59 percent of the action and the Over is picking up 61 percent of the totals wagers.
Saturday's CFL Betting Preview: Alouettes at Argonauts
Covers.com
Montreal Alouettes at Toronto Argonauts (-2.5, 52)
The Montreal Alouettes can take sole possession of first place in the East Division when they hit the road to face the Toronto Argonauts in the second game of a home-and-home set Saturday. The Alouettes held the Argonauts to 296 yards of total offence en route to a 21-9 victory in the first matchup and hope to claim the season series, which would hand them the all-important tiebreaker, by registering their third consecutive home victory.
"We wanted to make sure we play 60 minutes this week," Montreal defensive back Brandon Stewart told reporters. "Keep playing, don't relax and don't let up." Toronto hopes the likely return of Ricky Ray can provide the boost it needs to end a three-game skid. Ray took the majority of the first-team reps in practice after missing Friday's defeat because of a shoulder injury, and looks to breathe some life into a listless offence that was held without a touchdown for the first time this season in Week 8. "I'll be throwing a lot these next few days but I'm hoping I'll be ready to go," Ray told reporters. "Just having some rest last week and not doing anything other than rehab really helped it feel better this week."
LINE HISTORY: The Argos opened as 2.5-point chalk and that number appears fine with bettors and has yet to move. The total hit the betting board at 52 and hasn’t moved off the opening number.
ABOUT THE ALOUETTES (3-4 SU, 4-3 ATS, 2-5 O/U): Darian Durant completed 18-of-27 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns against Toronto to move past Sam Etcheverry (30,381) for 14th place on the CFL's all-time passing yardage list with 30,484. Montreal traded backup quarterback Vernon Adams Jr., who appeared in 22 games for the Alouettes, to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in exchange for defensive back Tevaughn Campbell and two third-round draft picks. Montreal's win against the Argonauts came at a cost as offensive lineman Philippe Gagnon, defensive tackle Keith Shologan and fullback J.C. Beaulieu all suffered knee injuries and will miss Saturday's clash.
ABOUT THE ARGONAUTS (3-5 SU, 2-6 ATS, 3-5 O/U): Toronto struggled mightily without Ray as Jeff Mathews was limited to 67 passing yards in the first half before he was pulled in favour of Cody Fajardo, who threw for 75 yards and added another 60 on the ground against the Alouettes. Toronto released wide receiver Khalil Paden, who caught nine passes for 107 yards during his brief stint with the team, after failing to make an impact on the field. Former Ohio State star DeVier Posey, who has caught two touchdown passes in 2017, is inching closer to a return as he practiced for the first time after missing the last five games because of a leg injury.
TRENDS:
Alouettes are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 road games.
Argonauts are 1-10 ATS vs. a team with a losing record.
Under is 5-1 in Alouettes last 6 games following a ATS win.
Under is 6-1-1 in Argonauts last 8 vs. a team with a losing record.
Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Toronto.
EXTRA POINTS:
Toronto leads the CFL in forced fumbles (nine) and sacks (27) .
Montreal WR Nik Lewis needs four receptions to move into second place on the CFL's all-time list.
Alouettes LB Kyries Hebert was fined an undisclosed amount for his late hit on Fajardo in the first meeting.
CONSENSUS: The road dog Alouettes are picking up 73% of the action and the Over is picking up 52 percent of the totals wagers.