Betting news, trends, odds and predictions from various handicappers and websites for Tuesday 7/3/18 .
CFL Betting Notes - Week 4
July 2, 2018
By David Schwab
For the third week in a row, the favorites went 3-1 straight-up in CFL play. They also went 3-1 against the spread starting with Calgary’s 24-14 victory against Ottawa on Thursday night as a 7 ½-point home favorite.
Friday’s doubleheader of CFL betting action got underway with Hamilton beating Winnipeg 31-17 as a 4 ½-point home favorite. Edmonton made short work of British Columbia at home as a 6 ½-point favorite in a 41-22 romp. Week 3 of the CFL regular season came to a close on Saturday night with Montreal stunning Saskatchewan 23-17 as a heavy 10 ½-point road underdog.
Thursday, July 5
Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2-1 SU, 2-1 ATS) at Saskatchewan Roughriders (1-2 SU, 1-2 ATS)
Point-spread: Hamilton -5 ½
Total: 49
Game Overview
Hamilton has won its last two games by a combined 31 points after a tough loss to Calgary in Week 1 that was much closer than the 28-14 final score as a 7 ½-point road underdog. The total has stayed UNDER in two of its first three games after closing at 55 points or higher in all three contests. The Tiger-Cats’ offense has been successfully led by Jeremiah Masoli at quarterback. He threw for 369 yards and a score in Friday’s win against Winnipeg.
Saskatchewan had a rough night against Montreal last week, especially when it came to throwing the ball. Brandon Bridge and David Watford combined for four interceptions filling in for an injured Zach Collaros. The Roughriders ended the game with just 279 yards of total offense. This was the second game in a row where they failed to score more than 17 points. Saskatchewan quarterbacks have now thrown a total of seven interceptions in those two loses.
Betting Trends
-- Saskatchewan has covered in five of its last six home games against Hamilton and the total has stayed UNDER in four of those six games.
Friday, July 6
Ottawa RedBlacks (1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS) at Montreal Alouettes (1-2 SU, 1-2 ATS)
Point-spread: Ottawa -5 ½
Total: 48 ½
Game Overview
The RedBlacks blasted Saskatchewan in their season opener in Week 2 with Trevor Harris completing 26-of-36 passes for 345 yards and two scores. Against the best team in the CFL last Thursday night, Harris came back down to earth with 135 passing yards and one interception. He completed a dismal 44.8 percent of his 29 passing attempts. The lone bright spot was William Powell’s 123 yards rushing the ball on 13 carries. He has gained 217 yards on 32 carries in his first two games.
Montreal’s defense came to life in that Week 2 upset over the Roughriders after allowing a combined 78 points in the first two games this season. Quarterback Drew Willy left that game in the third quarter due to injury and his status for this game remains unknown. In his place, Jeff Mathews completed 8-of-12 passes for 98 yards. The Alouettes’ ground game was not a factor in the stunning upset with 32 yards on 16 rushing attempts.
Betting Trends
-- Ottawa has a SU 8-1 edge in the last nine meetings and it has covered the spread in its last five road games against the Alouettes. The total has stayed UNDER in all five of those games.
Saturday, July 7
Edmonton Eskimos (2-1 SU, 1-2 ATS) at Toronto Argonauts (0-2 SU, 0-2 ATS)
Point-spread: Edmonton -4 ½
Total: 52 ½
Game Overview
Edmonton looked a bit shaky in its SU 1-1 start (0-2 ATS), but it quickly returned to form in Week 3 with that convincing victory against BC. The total has gone OVER in all three of its games with a scoring average of 31.7 points per game. Mike Reilly is once again one of the top quarterbacks in the CFL when it comes to passing yards with 1,020 in his first three starts. He is tied for the lead in passing touchdowns with six and he has completed 69.8 percent of his 106 attempts.
Toronto needed last week’s bye to try and regroup following losses to Saskatchewan on the road and Calgary at home in the first two weeks of the new season. The bigger loss could be veteran quarterback Ricky Ray, who appears to be out for the season with a neck injury. In his place against Calgary in that 41-7 loss was James Franklin. He completed eight of his 13 passing attempts for 65 yards. The Argonauts gained another 76 yards running the ball on 15 attempts.
Betting Trends
-- Edmonton has the 6-3 edge ATS in the last nine meetings in Toronto, but the Argonauts are 5-1 SU in their last six home games against the Eskimos. The total gone OVER in five of those six home games.
British Columbia Lions (1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS) at Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1-2 SU, 2-1 ATS)
Point-spread: Winnipeg -3 ½
Total: 53
Game Overview
The Lions got past Montreal at home in Week 1, but they are going to have to play much better than they did last week against Edmonton to compete in the West Division this season. Jonathon Jennings has completed 68.8 percent of his 48 passing attempts for 382 yards and two touchdowns against one interception. Emmanuel Arceneaux has been his top target with seven receptions for 106 yards in the first two games. The ground game has been led by Jeremiah Johnson with 116 yards and one score on 21 rushing attempts.
Winnipeg had its hands full against the Tiger-Cats’ defense last week after a promising start by rookie quarterback Chris Streveler. He continues to fill in for an injured Matt Nichols and last week he looked like he was making his third start in the CFL with 146 yards passing, while completing 17 of his 30 passing attempts. The Blue Bombers were able to move the ball on the ground behind Andrew Harris and Streveler with a combined 121 yards rushing.
Betting Trends
-- The Blue Bombers have covered ATS in seven of the last eight meetings overall and the total has gone OVER in four of the last six meetings in Winnipeg.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders Preview and Predictions 07-05-2018 in CFL
CFL Previews 2nd July 2018 by Gracenote
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats look to extend their lead at the top of the East Division standings when they hit the road to face the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Thursday. The Tiger-Cats have notched back-to-back victories against the Edmonton Eskimos (38-21) and Winnipeg Blue Bombers (31-17), and hope to win three straight games for the first time since August 2015, while opening up a two-point lead over Ottawa and Montreal in the process.
Hamilton quarterback Jeremiah Masoli leads the league in passing yards (1,045) and hopes to continue his hot start to the season by guiding the Tiger-Cats to their first win in Regina since July 26, 2015. The Roughriders are left to go back to the drawing board following a 23-17 loss to the Montreal Alouettes. Saskatchewan continues to be its own worst enemy as Brandon Bridge - starting in place of an injured Zach Collaros - threw two interceptions before being replaced in the second half by David Watford, who also tossed a pair of picks in the disappointing loss to a Montreal team which had dropped their previous 13 games. "We've taken a little downturn right now," Saskatchewan coach Chris Jones told reporters. "We've just got to believe in each other, keep working and keep chopping wood."
TV: 9 p.m. ET, TSN
ABOUT THE TIGER-CATS (2-1): Masoli completed 31-of-41 passes for 369 yards and a touchdown against Winnipeg to finish with more than 300 yards passing for the eighth straight game, which is one shy of matching the CFL record held by Sam Etcheverry (1956) and Kent Austin (1991). "He's just done a fabulous job," Hamilton coach June Jones told reporters. "He's doing the complete thing right now." Mercer Timmis continued his stellar start to the season as he rushed for two touchdowns to take his season total to four while Terrence Toliver caught his first touchdown pass since 2016 after missing the 2017 season with a knee injury.
ABOUT THE ROUGHRIDERS (1-2): Chris Jones confirmed that Bridge will get the starting nod Thursday despite the Canadian quarterback going 8-of-18 for 111 yards and two interceptions against Montreal. Naaman Roosevelt was one of the lone bright spots on offence as he caught six passes for 73 yards and a touchdown while Charleston Hughes, who was acquired in an off-season trade with Hamilton, recorded his league-leading fourth sack. Saskatchewan signed former University of Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner, who was the rookie of the year in Japan's X-League in 2016, to the practice squad.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Saskatchewan has won three of the last four meetings with Hamilton.
2. Tiger-Cats WR Brandon Banks leads the league with 21 receptions.
3. The Roughriders have committed a league-high nine turnovers.
PREDICTION: Tiger-Cats 28, Roughriders 24
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Ottawa RedBlacks vs. Montreal Alouettes Preview and Predictions 07-06-2018 in CFL
CFL Previews 3rd July 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 07/03/2018
The Montreal Alouettes look to post back-to-back victories for the first time since winning the final three games of 2016 when they host the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday. The Alouettes upended the Roughriders 23-17 on the road to halt a franchise-worst 13-game losing streak while handing coach Mike Sherman, who spent five successful seasons with the Green Bay Packers, his first CFL win, and hope to build off the victory by going over .500 for the first time in more than a year.
"We're excited we got a win and it's a stepping stone," Montreal running back Tyrell Sutton told reporters. "It's good to get the first win as it hadn't happened in a long time but we're not done." The Redblacks hope to bounce back from a 24-14 defeat to the Calgary Stampeders in Week 3. Ottawa looked like East Division contenders following a 40-17 rout of Saskatchewan, but came crashing down to earth after being held to one offensive touchdown against the Stampeders, and hope to keep pace with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at the top of the division by beating Montreal for the fifth consecutive time. "I don't know what else to say about it other than I watched the film and I'm going to get better," Ottawa quarterback Trevor Harris told reporters. "I still believe in this team, I believe in myself and I believe in this offence."
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TSN
ABOUT THE REDBLACKS (1-1): Harris was held without a touchdown pass as he finished 13-of-29 for 135 yards and an interception in the loss to the Stampeders. Linebacker Kyries Hebert was suspended one game for his high hit on Calgary wide receiver DaVaris Daniels while defensive end Jonathan Newsome will also miss out on Friday because of an undisclosed injury with Andrew Marshall taking his spot. Defensive end A.C. Leonard is questionable after leaving the game in the first quarter with a knee injury while offensive linemen Nolan MacMillan and Jason Lauzon-Seguin could return to practice this week and play Friday.
ABOUT THE ALOUETTES (1-2): Montreal's first victory in 315 days came at a cost as starting quarterback Drew Willy suffered a neck injury and Jeff Mathews will likely be handed the task of leading the Alouettes to their first home win since Aug. 11, 2017. Mathews completed 8-of-12 passes for 98 yards in relief of Willy, who left the game in the third quarter, while Chris Williams had his best game since being traded to the Alouettes in the offseason as he caught three passes for 130 yards and a touchdown against Saskatchewan. Offensive lineman Philip Blake injured his knee against the Roughriders and will be replaced by Xavier Fulton for Friday's clash.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Ottawa has won eight of the last nine meetings with Montreal.
2. Alouettes K Boris Bede was named one of the CFL's Top Performers of the Week after making all five of his field goal attempts.
3. Redblacks RB William Powell is averaging a league-high 108.5 rushing yards per game.
PREDICTION: Redblacks 27, Alouettes 23
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Edmonton Eskimos vs. Toronto Argonauts Preview and Predictions 07-07-2018 in CFL
CFL Previews 4th July 2018 by Gracenote
Eskimos vs. Argonauts Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 07/04/2018
The Toronto Argonauts begin life without Ricky Ray when they host the Edmonton Eskimos on Saturday. Ray suffered a serious neck injury in the 41-7 loss to Calgary in Week 2 and is expected to miss the remainder of the season, thrusting James Franklin - who spent the previous three seasons in Edmonton - into his first start for the Argonauts as the club hopes to avoid going 0-3 for the first time since 2001.
"It's definitely exciting, but it's also tough because I've had injuries before and I feel bad for Ricky having this taken away from him," Franklin told reporters. "It's difficult, but I'm excited to get out there and play and help our team get its first win." The Eskimos bounced back from a 38-21 setback against Hamilton by downing BC 41-22 in Week 3. Edmonton erased a 12-point deficit en route to its fourth consecutive win against the Lions and hopes to stay within striking distance of unbeaten Calgary by avenging a 34-26 loss to the Argonauts at BMO Field last season. "I think that speaks for the character in this room, just having pure believe in each other,' Edmonton linebacker J.T. Sherritt told reporters. "We don't panic as we know how the CFL works."
TV: 5:30 p.m. ET, TSN
ABOUT THE ESKIMOS (2-1): C.J. Gable was named one of the CFL's Top Performers of the Week after rushing for 165 yards and a touchdown in the win against BC. Mike Reilly threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns versus the Lions to move past Dave Dickenson (22,913) for 23rd place on the CFL's all-time passing list. D'haquille 'Duke' Williams, who was named one of the league's Top Performers of the Month for June, continued his scorching start to the season as he hauled in six passes for 129 yards and a touchdown to take his season total to a league-leading 308 receiving yards.
ABOUT THE ARGONAUTS (0-2): Toronto acquired edge rusher Eric Striker, who was named an AP Second-Team All American with the Oklahoma Sooners in 2015, from Saskatchewan in exchange for the rights to ex-Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson. The Argonauts released linebacker Khalil Bass, who appeared in two games after joining the club in November 2017, on Tuesday. Wide receiver Brian Tyms also was let go after Toronto signed Myles White, who spent four years bouncing around the NFL with various teams, to the practice squad.
EXTRA POINTS
1. The Eskimos have won four of their last five regular-season meetings with the Argonauts.
2. Toronto is averaging a league-low 13 points per game.
3. Reilly leads the league with 10 total touchdowns.
PREDICTION: Eskimos 27, Argonauts 21
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BC Lions vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers Preview and Predictions 07-07-2018 in CFL
CFL Previews 4th July 2018 by Gracenote
by Gracenote on 07/04/2018
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers look to avoid their second 1-3 start in three years when they host the BC Lions in the first game of a home-and-home series on Saturday. The Blue Bombers dropped a 31-17 decision to Hamilton in Week 3 to fall four points behind Calgary in the West Division standings and hope to stay in the race by beating the Lions for the fourth time in the last five home meetings.
Winnipeg quarterback Matt Nichols, who suffered a knee injury a month ago, was taken off the six-game injured list on Tuesday and shared first-team reps in the lead-up to what could be his first start of the season on Saturday. BC suffered its first defeat of the 2018 campaign as it squandered a double-digit lead late in the second quarter en route to a 41-22 setback against Edmonton last Friday. The Lions have lost 12 of their last 15 road games against West Division rivals and hope to avoid falling into the division cellar after missing the playoffs last season for the first time since 1996. "This is our first taste of adversity," BC coach Wally Buono told reporters. "Now we'll see what kind of team we are and we'll see what kind of veteran players we have."
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TSN
ABOUT THE LIONS (1-1): Jonathon Jennings was limited to 199 yards on 13-of-24 passing against Edmonton and finished without a touchdown toss for the first time since Nov. 4. Jeremiah Johnson rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown while short-yardage quarterback Cody Fajardo added a rushing TD, but it wasn't enough as the Lions surrendered 511 yards of offence. Either Hunter Steward or Chris Greaves will get the start at left tackle on Saturday while defensive back Marcell Young, who was picked on repeatedly by Edmonton quarterback Mike Reilly, could be replaced by Winston Rose.
ABOUT THE BLUE BOMBERS (1-2): Chris Streveler struggled in his third career start as he was held to 146 yards passing and finished without a touchdown pass in the loss to Hamilton after throwing six in his previous two outings. "There's not really a worse feeling in the world," Streveler told reporters. "The feeling of losing is what motivates me every week to get better and try to fix some of those mistakes." Special-teams standout Derek Jones suffered a lower-body injury against the Tiger-Cats and is expected to be placed on the six-game injured list while defensive back Brandon Alexander is likely to miss his second straight contest with an undisclosed ailment.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Winnipeg has lost four of its last five home games, including playoffs.
2. Streveler is tied for the league lead with six touchdown passes.
3. BC is ranked last in time of possession (26 minutes, 29 seconds).
PREDICTION: Blue Bombers 33, Lions 24
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