HAMILTON (12 - 8) at SASKATCHEWAN (13 - 7) - 11/24/2013, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SASKATCHEWAN is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) off a win over a division rival over the last 2 seasons.
HAMILTON is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points over the last 2 seasons.
HAMILTON is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 7 points over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
SASKATCHEWAN is 4-2 against the spread versus HAMILTON over the last 3 seasons
SASKATCHEWAN is 4-2 straight up against HAMILTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
HAMILTON vs. SASKATCHEWAN
Hamilton is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Saskatchewan
Hamilton is 1-12 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games when playing Hamilton
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Saskatchewan's last 6 games when playing Hamilton
Grey Cup Championship Betting
By Ronald Strickland
Sportsbettingstats.com
The Hamilton Tigers-Cats and the Saskatchewan Roughriders will lay it all on the line in one last CFL battle in this season's 101st Grey Cup Championship this upcoming Sunday. Kickoff from Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan is set for 6 p.m. (ET) and the game will be broadcast nationally in Canada on TSN.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders
Point Spread: Saskatcheawn -5
Game Total Line: 54
The Tiger-Cats took a page out of Toronto's stunning run to last season's Grey Cup title by beating their East Division rivals 36-24 as 4.5-point road underdogs. They are now just one more upset from matching the Argonauts with an improbable title run of their own. Hamilton finished second in the East this season with a record of 10-8 straight-up (9-9 against the spread). It went 4-5 SU on the road this season but it was a profitable 6-3 ATS away from home. The total went OVER the 55-point closing line against Toronto after staying UNDER in its previous seven games.
If the Tiger-Cats are going to pull off another upset on the road it will have to be on the arm of Henry Burris. He led the CFL in passing this season with 4,925 yards while completing 65.8 percent of 567 attempts. After throwing for 204 yards in their 19-16 victory over Montreal in the division semifinals, he lit up the Argonauts for 371 yards and three touchdowns in this past Sunday's win.
Saskatchewan burst out of the gates this season with eight SU victories in its first nine games before going 0-4 both SU and ATS in the month of September. It regained its form just in time with a 5-2 SU run in its last seven games that included a 29-25 victory over British Columbia as a 4.5-point home favorite in its first playoff game followed by last week's 35-13 upset over Calgary as a five-point underdog on the road. The Roughriders are 3-2-2 ATS during this run and the total has now stayed UNDER in seven of their last nine games.
Darian Durant has been a driving force in Saskatchewan's success this season with 4,154 passing yards and a league-high 31 touchdown throws. He threw for 270 yards and two scores against BC and for 280 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday's win over the Stampeders. The X Factor for the Roughriders this season has been the play of running back Kory Sheets. He piled-up 245 yards on the ground in the two playoff games after finishing second in the CFL in rushing during the regular season with 1,598 yards.
Tiger-Cats vs. Roughriders Game Betting Trends
The Tiger-Cats are 7-1 ATS in their last eight road games and 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against a team with a winning record. The total has stayed UNDER in four of their last five games on the road.
The Roughriders are 3-9-2 ATS in their last 14 games overall and 1-4-1 ATS in their last six games played at home. The total has stayed UNDER in 11 of their last 14 postseason games. Head-to-head in this showdown, Hamilton is 6-21-1 ATS in the last 28 meetings and the total has stayed UNDER in four of the last six games. These two met twice this season with Saskatchewan winning both games SU and ATS. The total stayed UNDER in both contests.
Against the Spread Pick
It is hard to see back-to-back upsets in the Grey Cup especially with Saskatchewan playing this game on its home field, but the Tiger-Cats bring a ton of momentum into this game. The best play could be the UNDER on the total line given the recent scoring trends for both of these teams, but I am going with Hamilton plus the five points as my free CFL pick for this championship game.
Take the Hamilton Tiger-Cats +5
2013 Grey Cup Championship
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
101st CFL Grey Cup Championship
Matchup: Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Saskatchewan Roughriders
Venue: Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field (field turf)
Location: Regina, Saskatchewan
Date: Sunday, Nov. 23
Time/TV: 6:00 p.m. ET, NBCSN
Line (Total): Saskatchewan -5 (54)
This Sunday at Mosaic Stadium in a 6:00 p.m. ET start, the East Division’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats will square-off against the West’s Saskatchewan Roughriders in this season’s CFL Grey Cup Championship. Both teams took the hard road to get into this title game by pulling off an improbable upset in this past Sunday’s Division Finals.
The Tiger-Cats made it in first with a 36-24 victory over the defending champion Toronto Argonauts as 4 ½ -point road underdogs. The Roughriders followed suit by knocking-off Calgary 35-13 as five-point underdogs on the road.
Hamilton started this season with just one straight up victory in its first five games and it was a costly 0-5 against the spread. Since that point it has gone 11-4 SU while covering the spread in 10 of the 15 games. The Tiger-Cats are just 3-7 ATS at home this season but a profitable 7-3 ATS on the road. The total has stayed UNDER in 13 of their 20 games.
The key to Hamilton pulling off the upset in this game will hinge on the play of quarterback Henry Burris. He led the CFL in passing yards during the regular season with 4,925 while completing 65.8 percent of his 567 attempts. He was tied for second in touchdown passes with 24, but he also led the league in interceptions with 19. After throwing for 204 yards in the team’s 19-16 victory over Montreal in the Division Semifinals, he torched the Argonauts for 371 yards and three touchdowns in this past Sunday’s win.
The Roughriders made life a little rough on themselves after following up an 8-1 SU start with four consecutive losses both SU and ATS in the month of September. They went 3-2 SU down the stretch to finish 11-7 SU on the year which was good enough for second place in the West. Saskatchewan went 8-9-1 ATS in 18 regular season games with the total staying UNDER in six of its final seven games. It started the playoffs with a 29-25 victory over British Columbia in a game that ended as a PUSH with the total going OVER the 51-point closing line.
This is another team that lives and dies with the play of its quarterback. Darian Durant was third in the league in passing with 4,154 yards with a completion rate of 61.2 percent on 531 attempts. He led the CFL in touchdown throws with 31 against just 12 interceptions. He carried this form into the playoffs with 550 passing yards and five touchdowns in the two games. The difference on Sunday could be a rushing attack led by running back Kory Sheets. After racking-up 1,598 yards in the regular season, which was the second-highest total in the league, he added another 245 yards on the ground in the playoffs.
CFL Grey Cup Betting Trends
Hamilton is 7-1 ATS in its last eight games on the road and 6-1 ATS in its last seven games against a team with a winning record. The total has stayed UNDER in four of its last five road games
Saskatchewan is 3-9-2 ATS in its last 14 contests which includes 1-4-1 record ATS in its last six games played at home. The total has stayed UNDER in 11 of its last 14 games in the postseason.
Head-to-head in this showdown, the Tiger-Cats are 6-21-1 ATS in the last 28 meetings and 3-12-1 ATS in their last 16 trips to Saskatchewan. The total has stayed UNDER in four of the last six meetings. These teams met two previous times this season with Saskatchewan winning both games SU and ATS. The total stayed UNDER in both contests.
CFL Grey Cup: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com
Hamilton Tiger-Cats vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders (-6.5, 52.5)
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Saskatchewan Roughriders took very different routes to Sunday’s 101st Grey Cup final. Hamilton began its season plagued by injuries and uncertainty but is 11-4 since the end of July as veteran quarterback Henry Burris tries for his third Grey Cup championship. The Roughriders jumped out to a franchise-best 8-1 start before losing control of the West Division with some late-season stumbles, but recovered for two hard-fought playoff victories as they try to become the third consecutive team to win a Grey Cup at home.
The Tiger-Cats are making their first Grey Cup appearance since 1999, when they beat Calgary 32-21 for their eighth championship. Saskatchewan is making its fourth Grey Cup final appearance in seven seasons after losing back-to-back finals in 2009 and 2010. The Roughriders last won the Cup in 2007, when they were coached by Kent Austin, who returned to the CFL this season to coach Hamilton and has led the Tiger-Cats to a decisive matchup against his old team.
LINE: The Riders opened -5 and are now -6.5. The total opened 54 and is down to 52.5.
WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the mid-30s.
ABOUT THE TIGER-CATS (12-8): Burris led the league in passing yards this season in part because of his deep and talented receiving corps, including Andy Fantuz, who had 114 yards on 11 catches against Toronto in the East final. Bakari Grant and Greg Ellingson have also been reliable targets for Burris, while rookie running back C.J. Gable has proven a capable receiver with 598 yards in the regular season. Linebackers Jamall Johnson, Brandon Isaac and Simoni Lawrence have gelled over the season to form the core of a versatile defense that appears ready for any challenge.
ABOUT THE ROUGHRIDERS (13-7): Durant and running back Kory Sheets have been in top form through the first two playoff games, with Durant completing 43-of-53 passes for 550 yards and five touchdowns (while also scrambling for 115 yards on 10 carries) and Sheets rushing for 245 yards and a touchdown. Chris Getzlaf caught a touchdown in the West final despite playing with a knee injury, while Weston Dressler had 116 yards and a touchdown on five catches and Taj Smith added 60 receiving yards. Defensive end Ricky Foley has Saskatchewan’s only sack of the playoffs, while defensive tackle Jermaine McElveen caught a rare interception in the West final.
TRENDS:
* Tiger-Cats are 6-21-1 ATS in their last 28 meetings.
* Under is 6-2 in Roughriders last eight games overall.
* Tiger-Cats are 7-1 ATS in their last eight road games.
* Roughriders are 2-0-2 ATS in their last four playoff games.
EXTRA POINTS:
1. Austin won Grey Cups with Saskatchewan as a player (in 1989) and a coach (2007).
2. Durant was on the sideline as a backup when the Roughriders won the 2007 Grey Cup.
3. Saskatchewan swept Hamilton in a home-and-home series early in the regular season.
Grey Cup
Hamilton played its home games in Guelph this year, so fitting they get to Grey Cup and have to play a road game; TigerCats lost twice to Saskatchewan this year, all the way back in Weeks 4-5; 37-0 (+7.5) (TY 195-501), then 32-20 (+4) (TY 469-414) at Guelph week later; Riders had an 298-90 edge in rushing yardage in the two games- Hamilton was outscored in second half of the two games, 27-3. TiCats won last four games, covered five of last seven as an underdog. Roughriders covered only twice in its last 11 games as a favorite but they won last four home games, by 5-21-6-4 points. Under is 7-1 in last eight Hamilton games, 6-2-1 in last eight Rider games.
Hamilton last played in this game 14 years ago when they beat Calgary; Roughriders played in three of last six Grey Cups, winning in '07, losing to Montreal in both '09-'10. This is the third time Regina hosted a Grey Cup; oddly enough, Baltimore Stallions won the first time, back in 1995. CFL is lucky; temps expected to be 36 with 0% chance of precipitation.
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