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Re: CFL Betting News Week 3
I built a simple list concerning teams in week 3 over at the mine. Everything in blue at the top of the lists are sortable. As lines come out future games will be displayed
week=3 and losses and wins and F, D, A, H, HF, HD and division and o:division
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Re: CFL Betting News Week 3
Chris Schultz was 2-2 in Week 2 and stands at 4-4
for the season in Schultz vs. The World. Now the CFL on TSN analyst is
back with his picks for Week 3, including predictions for a big
East-West battle between the Calgary Stampeders and Toronto Argonauts.
Winnipeg at Montreal
Can't see either team dominating but this will be the Bombers first
game on the road so I give Montreal an edge. After two weeks Troy Smith
has had a poor game followed by a better game. What Montreal needs is a
clearly dominant game to acquire confidence that he is the quarterback
of the present and the future. Lost in all the legitimate Smith talk is
that Brandon Whitaker has put together a couple of productive games.
After two years of injury-related absence he is one of the feel good
stories of the year so far. Also after two games, there's good video on
Gary Etchevarry's defence that give you one post snap look followed by
everyone going everywhere after the play begins. That's important
because the first two games both Calgary and BC operate four-man fronts
with three linebacker defences. Winnipeg is completely different and
being able to study the fronts, stunts and blitzes helps everyone on the
Montreal offence. Two good games for Drew Willy no doubt creates the
question of can he perform at a high level in a third? Probably so but
maybe just slightly below the first two games. Two excellent returners
in this one, Demond Washington for Winnipeg and Larry Taylor for
Montreal. In what could be a field goal game - I say Montreal by three
in a fourth-quarter win. Montreal.
Ottawa at Edmonton
Not yet I say. Not yet for the Redblacks first win of the new
organization. Both quarterbacks' most exceptional skill is the courage
to sit in the pocket, ignore pass rush pressure, and wait for the
receiver to separate from coverage. And having that ability is something
that must be exceptionally hard to develop. If Ottawa can establish
Chevon Walker to keep Henry Burris out of too many second-and-long
situations, Ottawa has a chance for that first win. If not the
outside-in pressure from Howard and Willis will change the game. Will
also be interested to see if Don Oramasionwu will play after what looked
like a serious knee injury. Eddie Steele has been a nice early season
surprise as a defensive tackle but if Oramasionwu can't play then ratio
adjustment is an issue. Bottom line, Mike Reilly is doing an exceptional
job of sliding at the right moment to stay healthy and the more he
plays the better he gets. Edmonton moves to 3-0.
Calgary at Toronto
Tough one to read as the Stampeders are coming off their bye week and
the Argos are coming off their best game of maybe the last year and two
games. Last week Ricky Ray put up a little over 400 yards against a
good Rider front four and defence. It's a similar challenge this week as
Calgary also has a solid front four and defence. Can Toronto keep Jon
Cornish under 100 yards without middle linebacker Shea Emery? Probably
not, but I like Ray to bring another "A" game and win on a fourth
quarter shootout. Give me the Argos at home over the Stampeders.
BC at Saskatchewan
This will be a long week in Regina for Rider players. I would be
surprised if they do not bounce back and show up emotionally this
Saturday night. Anthony Allan may not be dominant and Darian Durant may
not be exceptional. But pass rush and pass blocking win and I think
Saskatchewan will perform well in both areas. As head coach Corey
Chamblin expressed in his halftime interview against Toronto, "Our
problem is an absence in fundamental football, the basics of the game".
Maybe not a word-for-word quote but you get what the problem was. Not
going to happen again. Saskatchewan over B.C.Comment
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Re: CFL Betting News Week 3
Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs. Montreal Alouettes
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Montreal Alouettes will both be gunning for a victory on Friday when they meet at Percival Molson Stadium.
Brandon Whitaker rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown in Week 2 as the Alouettes picked up a 24-9 victory over the Lions.
The Lions had been favored by 3 points on the road in that contest, while the combined score fell UNDER the night's posted total (49.5).
Nic Grigsby rushed for 62 yards and three touchdowns in the Blue Bombers' 36-28 win over the RedBlacks in Week 2.
The Bombers managed to cover the 3.5-point spread at home in that contest, while the combined score went OVER the day's posted total (52.5).
Winnipeg:
Team record: 2-0 SU,2-0 ATS
Winnipeg is 4-9-1 ATS in its last 14 games
Winnipeg is 4-14 SU in its last 18 games
Winnipeg is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Winnipeg is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Montreal:
Team record: 1-1 SU,1-1 ATS
Montreal is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Montreal's last 5 games
Montreal is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Montreal is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
Next up:
Winnipeg home to Edmonton Thursday, July 17
Montreal at British Columbia Saturday, July 19
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Ottawa RedBlacks vs. Edmonton Eskimos
The fans at Commonwealth Stadium will be treated to a game between the Ottawa RedBlacks and the Edmonton Eskimos when they take their seats on Friday.
The Eskimos put up 15 points in the fourth quarter in Week 2 to rally for a 28-24 victory over the Tiger-Cats.
The Eskimos failed to cover the 4.5-point spread at home in that contest, while the combined score fell UNDER the night's posted total (53).
The RedBlacks came up short in their first regular season game in franchise history in Week 2, falling 36-28 on the road against the Blue Bombers.
The Bombers managed to cover the 3.5-point spread at home in that contest, while the combined score went OVER the day's posted total (52.5).
Ottawa:
Team record: 0-1 SU,0-1 ATS
Ottawa is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games
Ottawa is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Ottawa's last 11 games
Ottawa is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Edmonton:
Team record: 0-1 SU,1-1 ATS
Edmonton is 6-18 SU in its last 24 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Edmonton's last 6 games
Edmonton is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Edmonton is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games at home
Next up:
Ottawa home to Toronto Friday, July 18
Edmonton at Winnipeg Thursday, July 17
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Calgary Stampeders vs. Toronto Argonauts
The Calgary Stampeders and the Toronto Argonauts will both be gunning for a victory on Saturday when they meet at Rogers Centre.
Ricky Ray passed for 407 yards and three touchdowns in Week 2 to lead the Argonauts to a 48-15 victory over the Roughriders.
The Roughriders had been favored by 2 points on the road in that contest, while the combined score went OVER the day's posted total (55.5).
Bo Levi Mitchell passed for 313 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Week 1 to lead the Stampeders to a 29-8 win over the Alouettes.
The Stampeders easily covered the 7.5-point spread at home in that contest, while the combined score fell UNDER the day's posted total (53).
Calgary:
Team record: 1-0 SU,1-0 ATS
Calgary is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Calgary's last 5 games
Calgary is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Calgary is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Toronto:
Team record: 1-0 SU,1-1 ATS
Toronto is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games
Toronto is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games at home
Toronto is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
Next up:
Calgary home to Hamilton Friday, July 18
Toronto at Ottawa Friday, July 18
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British Columbia Lions vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders
The British Columbia Lions and the Saskatchewan Roughriders will both be trying to pick up a win on Saturday when they battle at Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field.
Darian Durant had two touchdown passes and two interceptions in the Roughriders' 48-15 loss to the Argonauts in Week 2.
The Roughriders had been favored by 2 points on the road in that contest, while the combined score went OVER the day's posted total (55.5).
Kevin Glenn threw for 159 yards and was intercepted twice in the Lions' 24-9 loss to the Alouettes in Week 2.
The Lions had been favored by 3 points on the road in that contest, while the combined score fell UNDER the night's posted total (49.5).
British Columbia:
Team record: 0-2 SU,0-2 ATS
British Columbia is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of British Columbia's last 6 games
British Columbia is 5-12 ATS in its last 17 games on the road
British Columbia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Saskatchewan:
Team record: 0-2 SU,1-1 ATS
Saskatchewan is 6-11-1 ATS in its last 18 games
Saskatchewan is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Saskatchewan's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Saskatchewan's last 12 games
Next up:
British Columbia home to Montreal Saturday, July 19
Saskatchewan home to Toronto Saturday, July 26Comment
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Re: CFL Betting News Week 3
Pat Steinberg
CFL.ca
The 2014 season is just over two weeks old, yet we have plenty to sink our teeth into. We’ve got some West Division early season surprises and a long awaited debut in the books. On top of that, we’ve also seen some really encouraging individual trends develop, and we’re just getting started!
Milestone number one
The Ottawa REDBLACKS finally have their first regular season game in the books. And even though it was a 36-28 setback at the hands of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, I feel like there’s a lot to feel positive about for the league’s ninth franchise.
First off, there’s some skill on the offensive side of the football. We knew that Henry Burris could still play, as we saw examples of time and time again during 2013. Prior to their first game, Burris was the main reason why I thought the REDBLACKS might be more competitive than other expansion teams might be. He makes players around him better, he’s a proven CFL winner, and he’s got a chip on his shoulder. And Burris had some really nice moments against the Bombers.
I think it’s safe to say that Burris is continually motivated to prove many doubters wrong at this point. The Stampeders decided to go in a different direction a few years ago, and he caught on in Hamilton. He had an outstanding 2013 with the Tiger-Cats, helping lead them to the Grey Cup game before the team opted to move on.
Now in Ottawa, it would be only natural for the guy to have a little extra motivation! That could end up being a very positive thing for his new team.
So, Burris played well in game one, but he wasn’t the only REDBLACKS player to impress. In Marcus Henry and Kierrie Johnson, they have two receivers playing in far more advanced roles than they have before.
Henry saw his role increase every year in his three seasons with Edmonton, but this is by far the best chance he’s had to be a top target. Johnson, on the other hand, looked like he might be able to emerge as a nice threat in BC but that never materialized in his time with the Lions. After a stint in Saskatchewan, Johnson brings some big play ability to Ottawa’s offence.
And don’t forget Chevon Walker. The guy that Burris once called the best blocking back he’d ever played with has joined him in our Nation’s Capital. Walker rushed for 62 yards against Winnipeg and remains an absolute handful to bring down on first contact. But it’s his ability to give his quarterback solid extra protection that makes him such a valuable player.
So, the REDBLACKS were unable to win their first ever CFL game, and there are lots of things to work on going forward. That defence looked susceptible to the long ball during the pre-season and it certainly was against Drew Willy and the Bombers.
But I liked parts of their pass rush, I like some of the playmakers on offence, and Ottawa has given me a little confidence to say they’ll be a competitive group this season.
Welcome back
The last two seasons have been nightmares for Brandon Whitaker. A knee injury ended his campaign in 2012, which lead to an entire off-season of rehabbing and strengthening. Fast forward to 2013 where Whitaker finished the season on the nine-game injured list, unable to complete the year thanks to hamstring and shoulder injuries. But the Alouettes sure are happy have him back.
The Baylor product was such an absolute beast in his one full season as Montreal’s starting tailback, going back to 2011. If you remember reading this column at the time, we called him the best all round running back in Canadian football, because he was at the time.
2011 saw Whitaker rush for almost 1,400 yards while he added 630 more catching the ball out of the backfield. He was dangerous coming at you and going around you, and was a perfect foil to Anthony Calvillo.
Now here we are in 2014. Calvillo is gone and Troy Smith is still learning the ropes of the Canadian game. A healthy Whitaker is just what the doctor ordered in Montreal. In a 24-9 Als win over BC this weekend, Whitaker ran for 76 yards and a touchdown to go along with 21 yards receiving. It wasn’t a banner performance, but it was a solid one, and one Montreal needed.
Smith was better against the Lions, but he and the Als would be well served to use Whitaker more often. Whitaker is an explosive runner, but it’s his proficiency in the passing game that could be of the utmost importance. Smith is never going to be a pinpoint passer, so having a dangerous checkdown weapon as a “get out of jail free” card could end up being crucial.
A few throws underneath to Whitaker in the flat going forward could turn second and long into second and short, which is where Smith and this Montreal offence are going to thrive going forward. Add in Whitaker’s outstanding blocking and you can imagine that his return to the lineup was welcomed heartily. Now let’s hope those nightmares are a thing of the past.
On your feet
There were times last year when you thought Mike Reilly was Rudy on the Notre Dame practice squad. The Edmonton Eskimos quarterback was on the run for so much last year, because the group in front just couldn’t protect him well enough. He’d try to make plays happen himself, he’d risk his own well-being to complete a pass, and he was a straight up warrior.
It was inspiring stuff, but it was also the ticket to early retirement. That’s why one of the top priorities during the off-season in Edmonton was to revamp their offensive line. The Eskimos brought in Tony Washington from Toronto to anchor the line at left tackle, allowing them to move Thaddeus Coleman to the right side. They also signed Andrew Jones as a free agent and plugged him in at right tackle.
So far, so good through two games.
In Edmonton’s 28-24 win over Hamilton on Friday night, Reilly was sacked just twice and had noticeably more time than he had for the vast majority of last season.
When Reilly has time, he can be extremely dangerous. He throws the long ball well, he isn’t afraid to move the pocket, and he has the speed to breakaway if he needs to. That stuff is going to be on display way more if his offensive line continues to play the way it has through two games.
One more thing on Reilly: How impressive was that touchdown pass to Nate Coehoorn to open the scoring? On play action, Reilly rolled left and worked through his progressions on the run to spot his receiver. But it was the throw that really did it for me. Reilly had to throw across his body while on the run and made it look easy. This guy is an athlete.
Quick hits
Speaking of Edmonton, they’ve posted the highest attendance total of the young season with 30,714 on hand to see them register their second win in as many games on Friday.
The Eskimos are one of the positive stories early this season and they’ve got another Friday night home game this weekend against Ottawa. I know Commonwealth Stadium takes its lumps in Edmonton, but I’ve always really enjoyed watching football games there. And when it gets busy, it gets loud.
If you had forgotten about Ricky Ray, he showed you Saturday why that was a bad idea. Against a Riders defence that looked really strong in Week 1 against Hamilton, Ray put on a near-perfect passing display. The Argos quarterback threw for 407 yards and three touchdowns on 29-for-37 passing and even added 32 yards on the ground.
Last year was a down year for Ray thanks to injury, but he certainly silenced any “he’s on the down slope” chatter that there might have been.
And finally, how much fun is Nic Grigsby to watch? After running for 122 yards in his CFL debut against Toronto, the Bombers tailback decided it was all about efficiency this weekend against Ottawa.
Grigsby’s rushing totals were lower, but he had three touchdowns sprinkled in with his 62 yards on the ground. He is shifty and a fun part of a Winnipeg attack that looks pretty darn dangerous right now.Comment
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Re: CFL Betting News Week 3
=WEEK 3 LINES
http://sportsdatabase.com/cfl/query?output=default&sdql=20140710%3C%3Ddate+and+F&submit=S+D+Q+L+!
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Re: CFL Betting News Week 3
TREND SHEET
JULY 11, 7:00 PM
WINNIPEG vs. MONTREAL
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JULY 11, 10:00 PM
OTTAWA vs. EDMONTON
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JULY 12, 6:30 PM
CALGARY vs. TORONTO
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JULY 12, 9:30 PM
BRITISH COLUMBIA vs. SASKATCHEWAN
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Re: CFL Betting News Week 3
Comment
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Re: CFL Betting News Week 3
CFL Betting Notes - Week 3
July 8, 2014
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
The new CFL regular season is just two weeks old and Winnipeg and Edmonton’s four straight-up victories are already more than half of their combined win total for 2013. The Blue Bombers made it two straight with last Thursday’s 36-28 victory as 3 ½-point home favorites over Ottawa with the total going OVER the 53-point closing line.
Saturday’s action started out with Montreal shutting down British Columbia 24-9 as a three-point home underdog with the total staying UNDER 49 ½ points. The Eskimos remained perfect on the year with a 28-24 win against Hamilton, but they could not cover the closing 4 ½-point spread as favorites at home. The total in that contest stayed just UNDER the 54-point closing line.
Toronto roared back from an ugly opening week loss with a convincing 48-15 romp over Saskatchewan as a two-point home underdog on Sunday to close-out action in Week 2. The total in that game went OVER the 56-point line.
Friday, July 11
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2-0 SU, 2-0 ATS) vs. Montreal Alouettes (1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS)
Point-spread: Montreal -2 ½
Total: 50 ½
Game Overview
Winnipeg’s new-found success after winning just three games last season has to be heavily attributed to the early play of quarterback Drew Willy. He has thrown for a CFL-high 615 yards in two games while completing 66.7 percent of his throws. The Blue Bombers also lead the league in scoring with 81 points.
It has been a tale of two weeks for the re-tooled Montreal offense. After coming up flat in Week 1 with just eight points, this unit behind quarterback Troy Smith looked much more efficient against BC last week. One of the biggest differences was a rushing attack that gained 203 yards against the Lions.
Betting Trends
The Blue Bombers have covered against the spread in five of their last six trips to Montreal and they are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings overall. The total has stayed UNDER in nine of the last 14 games played at Percival Molson Stadium.
Ottawa RedBlacks (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS) vs. Edmonton Eskimos (2-0 SU, 1-1 ATS)
Point-spread: Edmonton -6 ½
Total: 54 ½
Game Overview
The RedBlacks looked like a veteran ball club in the first quarter of their first ever CFL regular season game by jumping out to a 21-7 lead over Winnipeg, but their defense could not hold on to preserve a win. Henry Burris looked fairly sharp throwing the ball with 241 yards and two touchdowns while completing passes to seven different players.
Edmonton is halfway to last season’s win total on the strength of quarterback Mike Reilly’s arm. He completed 29-of-40 attempts for 253 yards against Hamilton last week after putting up similar numbers in an opening week victory against BC. Also give credit to a much-improved Eskimos’ defense that was ranked second-to-last in points allowed last year.
Betting Trends
The Eskimos come into this inter-division matchup with a 0-4 record ATS in their last four home games and they are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a SU win. The total has gone OVER in six of Edmonton’s last nine games following a win SU.
Saturday, July 12
Calgary Stampeders (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) vs. Toronto Argonauts (1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS)
Point-spread: Toronto -1 ½
Total: 53
Game Overview
Calgary enjoyed the week off after posting an impressive 29-8 victory over Montreal in Week 1 as a 7 ½-point favorite at home. Bo Levi Mitchell established himself as the new starting quarterback for the Stampeders with 313 yards passing and two touchdowns while completing 64 percent of his throws.
The Argonauts are another team from the East that quickly returned to form after getting crushed in a 45-21 loss to Winnipeg in Week 1 as seven-point road favorites. Ricky Ray was at his best this past Sunday with 407 yards passing and three touchdown throws. Toronto rolled-up 23 fourth quarter points to blow a tight game wide open.
Betting Trends
The Stampeders have had their share of problems at the Rogers Centre with a 1-5 record ATS in their last six trips there. They are just 1-7 ATS in the last eight meetings overall and the total has gone OVER in four of the last five meetings in Toronto.
British Columbia Lions (0-2 SU, 0-2 ATS) vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders (1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS)
Point-spread: Saskatchewan -6 ½
Total: 48 ½
Game Overview
BC came into the new season as 5Dimes’ favorite to win this year’s Grey Cup title and while a 0-2 start is not the end of the world, this week’s game suddenly looks like a must win. The offense sputtered under quarterback Kevin Glenn so the Lions turned to John Beck in later part of Saturday’s loss in hopes of finding a suitable replacement for the injured Travis Lulay, who remains out with a shoulder injury.
The defending champs played the part in a 31-10 season-opening victory against Hamilton as 3 ½-point home favorites, but they had no answer for Toronto in Week 2. Darian Durant threw for 295 yards and two scores against the Argonauts, but two costly interceptions including one that was returned 108 yards for a touchdown certainly did not help Saskatchewan’s cause.
Betting Trends
The Lions have gone just 1-3-1 ATS in their last five road games against their West Division rivals and the total in this matchup has stayed UNDER in five of the last six meetings at Mosaic Stadium. The home team has won six of the last eight meetings SU.Comment
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Re: CFL Betting News Week 3
Well done with the thread Thomas.
ThanksComment
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Re: CFL Betting News Week 3
CFL Preview - Winnipeg (2-0) at Montreal (1-1)
From The Sports Network
By Gregg Xenakes, CFL Editor
DATE & TIME: Friday, July 11, 7 p.m. (ET).
GAME NOTES: In a surprising turn of events, Winnipeg finds itself tied atop the Western Division standings after two weeks of play, something that would have been unthinkable just a season ago when the club registered a grand total of just three victories in 18 chances.
This time around the Blue Bombers are one of only two teams (the other being Edmonton) that is 2-0 after as many weeks as they prepare to challenge the enigmatic Montreal Alouettes at Percival-Molson Stadium on Friday evening.
Last year at this time the Bombers had split a pair of meetings with Montreal and then didn't pick up their second victory of the campaign until Week 11 with a 25-13 stunner versus Saskatchewan. Ironically, the only other win after that also came against the Als five weeks later on the road, 34-27.
After defeating Toronto in the 2014 opener, rather convincingly (45-21), the Blue Bombers had their hands full against the Ottawa RedBlacks, in the debut of the latter in the CFL on July 3. In fact, Ottawa delivered three touchdowns in the first 15 minutes of action, before being held to just seven points the rest of the way in a 36-28 final.
Quarterback Drew Willy managed to connect on 21-of-33 passes for 307 yards, but while he was able to move the ball up and down the field with regularity, he was sacked five times and threw an interception, while being held out of the end zone. Instead, it was running back Nic Grigsby who did the honors as he logged three majors and 62 yards on 14 rushing attempts.
Providing another boost for the Bombers was Demond Washington, who returned a kickoff 96 yards for a score in the fourth quarter, but even after that Willy attempted a two-point conversion and failed. Tack on a lost fumble for Willy and it ended up being a mixed bag for the signal-caller. For his efforts, Washington was named the CFL's Special Teams Player of the Week.
Perhaps because of their early success, the Bombers are now taking care of their own as they locked up a couple of defenders with contract extensions this week. Linebacker Teague Sherman and defensive tackle Jake Thomas were given some additional job security after Week 2 action, although terms were not disclosed.
Sherman, in his second season with Winnipeg, partially blocked a punt and added two tackles in last week's victory against Ottawa and also reeled in an 11-yard pass on a fake punt in the season-opener versus Toronto.
Now in his third season with the club, Thomas has just 10 stops in 32 career games, but is only now becoming a fixture along the defensive line.
As for the Alouettes, they bounced back from a disappointing 29-8 loss to Calgary in the opener and grabbed a convincing 24-9 victory versus British Columbia on July 4 at home. Montreal jumped all over the Lions with a 20-0 halftime advantage and then cruised to the triumph, thanks in part to defensive end John Bowman, who tied a career-high with four sacks as he was named the CFL's Defensive Player of the Week.
The very first points of the meeting were tallied by Chip Cox, who took a lateral after an interception and returned it 23 yards for the score.
On the offensive side of the ball, quarterback Troy Smith bounced back from a lackluster opener to keep the Als in line for the win. Smith converted 17- of-29 passing for 187 yards and was sacked only once, while Brandon Whitaker ran for a game-high 76 yards on 12 carries, including a 32-yard TD in the first quarter.
Kicker Sean Whyte accounted for 12 points as he hit on three of his five field goal tries. Despite the strong showing, Whyte is still fourth in the league in kicking points after two games with just 13.
While those kicking points certainly come into play from one week to the next, the bigger concern for the Als is the progress of Smith under center. Against Calgary, the former Heisman Trophy winner was sacked four times and intercepted once. Although, after not logging a single rushing attempt versus the Stampeders, Smith did take off six times for 55 yards.
Third in the league in pass attempts with 70, Smith has converted just half of those and has an efficiency rating of 58.1 over two games.
By comparison, Willy is fourth this week with a rating of 108.7 and has connected on 66.7 percent of his throws.
As far as the series between the squads is concerned, taking into account only regular season bouts dating back to 1961, the Als are ahead by a count of 46-38-2, although Winnipeg has won two straight and four of the last five, including a 34-27 final last October in Montreal.
These teams are slated to face off against each other once more in the regular season in Week 9 at Winnipeg.
By getting out of the pocket and running with the ball last week, Smith showed that he is capable of taking the steps necessary to make the Als successful, but for now Winnipeg simply seems to be operating at just the right speed in order to come up with another win this week.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Winnipeg 26, Montreal 21
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CFL Preview - Ottawa (0-1) at Edmonton (2-0)
From The Sports Network
By Gregg Xenakes, CFL Editor
DATE & TIME: Friday, July 11, 10 p.m. (ET).
GAME NOTES: As one of two teams in the CFL with a record of 2-0 after two weeks of action, the Edmonton Eskimos put their unblemished mark on the line Friday night as they clash with the Ottawa RedBlacks at Commonwealth Stadium.
Tied with Winnipeg for the top spot in the Western Division standings, the Eskimos needed a 15-0 spurt to close out the meeting with Hamilton last week in order to come away with the 28-24 home victory. Kicker Grant Shaw deserves much of the credit for the victory as he knocked through four of his six field goal tries and finished with 16 points all on his own.
Quarterback Mike Reilly, who placed second on the team with 22 rushing yards on just two carries, converted 29-of-40 passing for 253 yards and a score, while being picked off once and sacked two times. Running back Tyler Thomas carried the ball 11 times for 28 yards.
While it has been just two games and the Esks are still undefeated, the fact that they have yet to register a rushing touchdown has to be a concern. The squad is tied with British Columbia for last in the league with a mere 67.5 ypg on the ground, which may have prompted them to go out and sign Noel Devine earlier this week.
Devine, who attended West Virginia like backup quarterback Pat White, had spent two seasons with Montreal but was limited as far as his production coming out of the backfield was concerned. However, Devine did show promise as a kick returner and having someone who can serve in several roles is certainly a bonus in the CFL.
Even though Edmonton could stand more production in the running attack, the good news for the time being is that the team ranks first in the league in terms of turnovers, sporting a plus-seven in that department. No other club has more than a plus-one after two games.
The newest team added to the CFL, Ottawa didn't hit the field until Week 2 and did so rather convincingly as it scored 21 points in the first quarter at Winnipeg, only to end up with a 36-28 setback in the end. Running back Chevon Walker accounted for two touchdowns, one rushing and the other receiving, coming up just shy of 100 yards from scrimmage.
Quarterback Henry Burris connected on 17-of-30 passes for 241 yards and two scores, was sacked twice, but also ran for 20 yards on two attempts which moved him into first place on the CFL's all-time rushing yards list for a quarterback. Now in his 15th season, Burris has 5,053 rushing yards which puts him eight ahead of Russ Jackson, the latter coincidentally playing for the Ottawa Roughriders.
This latest incarnation of Ottawa football appeared to be heading towards a potential win in the opener, but the defense became rather lax in the fourth quarter and gave up 16 unanswered points to the Blue Bombers on the road. Clearly the offense for the RedBlacks stalled after an exciting first frame, but it also didn't help that the squad was flagged for 16 penalties, accounting for 120 yards of lost field position.
From the judicial side of the CFL, it was announced on Monday that Ottawa defensive back Jerrell Gavins was being fined for a late and low hit on Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Drew Willy.
Coincidentally, Edmonton defensive lineman Odell Willis was also sent a bill for what was deemed a high hit on Hamilton Tiger-Cat quarterback Zach Collaros last week, leaving little room for where and how a quarterback may be met with contact by a defender.
The Esks were also dealt blows to the depth chart when it was announced that both Thaddeus Coleman and Don Oramasionwu would miss playing time due to injuries suffered against Hamilton. Coleman will be out indefinitely after suffering a dislocated elbow, while Oramasionwu will miss the rest of the season with a ruptured patellar tendon in his left knee.
The other meeting scheduled between the teams for later this season has Edmonton paying a visit to the RedBlacks during Week 8 action on August 15.
Ottawa showed that it has the talent and ability to put points on the board in the opener, but the RedBlacks have to keep up the pressure and maintain consistency if they want to come out on the winning side this week.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Edmonton 29, Ottawa 18
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CFL Preview - Calgary (1-0) at Toronto (1-1)
From The Sports Network
By Gregg Xenakes, CFL Editor
DATE & TIME: Saturday, July 12, 6:30 p.m. (ET).
GAME NOTES: After sitting idle last week, the Calgary Stampeders are back this weekend, as they visit the Toronto Argonauts at Rogers Centre.
On the road for the first time in 2014, the Stamps enjoyed some time off after sticking it to Montreal in the season opener back on June 28 in a 29-8 final at home. Calgary is seeking to move to 2-0 and keep pace with fellow Western Division members, Winnipeg and Edmonton, which already have two victories to their credit.
In the opener, quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell showed quite a bit of poise in the pocket as he moved to 4-0 as a starter in his CFL career. Mitchell clearly out-dueled Montreal's Troy Smith as the former Walter Payton Award winner from Eastern Washington converted 16-of-25 passes for 313 yards and a pair of scores, although he was heavily aided statistically from a 102-yard major to Maurice Price.
Running back Jon Cornish took some serious hits from the Montreal defense in that first go-around, but still managed to post a game-high 67 yards and a score on 14 carries.
The reigning Most Outstanding Player in the CFL and the top Canadian in the league the last two seasons, Cornish finished with a league-leading 2,157 yards from scrimmage a year ago and was second in combined yards with that same number. The punishing back also paced the CFL in majors with 14 in 2013, all but two of those coming on the ground.
However, news on Cornish as of Tuesday had him questionable for this contest, as he missed his second day of practice following concussion protocol testing after taking a hard hit from Montreal's Kyries Hebert in the opener.
Mitchell may have gotten away with a big play and the fact that there is very little tape on him to this point in his CFL career, but Cornish is clearly someone that the Toronto defense will have to keep an eye on coming out of the backfield this weekend.
Under the direction of Kevin Glenn last season, Calgary was the top-scoring team in the league with 30.5 ppg, but a good bit of that had to do with the performance of Cornish, so at least that piece of the puzzle is still intact for 2014.
As for the Argonauts, their first outing of the new season wasn't as positive as they succumbed to an aggressive Winnipeg group, 45-21. With a couple extra days to prepare for Saskatchewan in Week 2 action, Toronto got it all together and ripped apart the Roughriders at home by a final of 48-15 over the weekend.
Ricky Ray had another outstanding day under center as he converted 29-of-37 passes for 407 yards and three touchdowns, one of those scores going to Chad Owens, who finished with 159 yards on 11 receptions and 89 yards on six punt returns. Ray, who has completed just under 75 percent of his passes in two games and has an efficiency rating of 124.9, was named the CFL Offensive Player of the Week.
As part of an offensive barrage that generated a massive 568 yards, Toronto running back Curtis Steele also played a key role in the easy victory for the hosts as he ran for 59 yards and scored twice on eight carries.
On the defensive side of the ball, while Toronto did surrender a hefty 447 yards, outside of permitting a pair of majors in the third period, the squad played well. It certainly didn't hurt that a portion of the 23 points scored by the Argos in the fourth quarter came courtesy of a 108-yard interception return for a touchdown by Antwaun Molden in the final minutes.
Unfortunately, not all the news was good for the Argos during their victory, as Andre Durie, who caught five passes for 77 yards, suffered a major injury. On Monday it was confirmed that the slot back, who was named the Canadian Player of the Week, had a broken clavicle and would be out for the next six weeks.
Durie appeared in all 18 games a season ago and put up career numbers with 986 yards and three touchdowns on 92 receptions, and another 107 yards on 16 rushing attempts. With Durie on the sidelines for close to two months, expect to see Ray seeking out Owens, Spencer Watt and John Chiles even more moving forward.
Despite being the target of every defense he lines up against, Owens again leads the league in combined yards with 419 and is third in yards from scrimmage (237).
Taking into consideration only regular season matchups dating back to 1961, the series between the squads is currently knotted at 42-42-1. Toronto, which won the most recent encounter in September by a score of 33-27 on the road, has taken six of the last seven meetings.
These teams played twice last season, with each winning on the road. The Argos have a road trip to Calgary scheduled for Sept. 13 during Week 12 action this year.
The loss of Durie will certainly hurt the Argos for the time being, but Ray is not the type of player to let a setback prevent him from putting his team in a position to win. However, if the Toronto defense is a bit too lax once more, Mitchell should be able to expose just enough cracks in the unit.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Calgary 27, Toronto 25
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CFL Preview - British Columbia (0-2) at Saskatchewan (1-1)
From The Sports Network
By Gregg Xenakes, CFL Editor
DATE & TIME: Saturday, July 12, 9:30 p.m. (ET).
GAME NOTES: Still seeking their first win of the 2014 season, the British Columbia Lions face off against the Saskatchewan Roughriders Saturday night at Mosaic Stadium.
Last season the Lions won five of their first seven games on the schedule, but this time around it has been a struggle to get on track. In the opener, BC was at least competitive in a 27-20 setback versus Edmonton at home, but that wasn't the case last week as the Lions were steam rolled by Montreal, 24-9.
The Lions generated just 268 yards of offense against Montreal and even when the visitors were able to get the ball into the end zone late in the fourth quarter, the two-point conversion try was broken up. John Beck completed two of his five attempts in relief of Kevin Glenn who hit on 13-of-25 for 159 yards. The starting signal-caller tossed a pair of interceptions and was sacked five times along the way as well.
Glenn may have the third-most passing yards after two games in the league with 410, but a more glaring stat shows him with six picks on a mere 53 attempts, resulting in an efficiency rating of only 48.5. It is still very early in the schedule, but when you consider Glenn tossed only seven INTs all of last season, he is clearly off to a bad start.
If a mounting interception total were not enough for Glenn, one of those tossed in Week 2 was eventually returned for a touchdown after defensive tackle Scott Paxson made the pick and tossed a lateral to Chip Cox for a Montreal TD.
After just two games, BC is last in the league in turnovers with a minus-six in that department. The Riders are one of the other two clubs (Hamilton) with a negative number in turnovers (minus-one) heading into play this week.
If the Lions being winless after two games was hard to imagine, consider how the Roughriders are feeling following their meeting with Toronto at Rogers Centre on Saturday. Saskatchewan's offense was nowhere to be found through the first 30 minutes of action, trailing 17-1 at the break, before coming up with a pair of TDs in the third quarter to make things interesting.
Unfortunately, after closing the gap, the Riders let their guard down and allowed Toronto to rip off 23 straight points to close out the meeting and capture the 48-15 decision. The 48 points allowed by Saskatchewan were the most since the franchise gave up 51 in a three-point, overtime loss to Montreal in the 2010 opener.
The Roughriders were able to generate 447 yards on offense versus Toronto, but most of those were rather hollow and it didn't help that the defense surrendered 568 yards to the Argonauts.
Playing without receiver Chris Getzlaf, the offense sputtered as Darian Durant tried to find a new favorite target. Before exiting late in the meeting, Durant converted 17-of-29 passes for 295 yards and two scores, but he was also picked off twice and sacked four times.
Anthony Allen, who caught seven passes for 50 yards and a major, accounted for a game-high 66 yards rushing on nine carries, but it wasn't nearly enough to offset the lackluster performance of the Saskatchewan defense.
Allen leads the league in rushing with 224 yards on 36 carries, but when the Riders are forced to play catch-up, as they were against Toronto, there are fewer opportunities for Allen to get his hands on the ball in the backfield.
Off the field this week, the Riders made a move with their roster by sending defensive back Dwight Anderson to Toronto in exchange for a conditional draft pick in 2015. Anderson, now in his eighth CFL campaign, has 19 career interceptions, four of which have been returned for touchdowns.
In another roster move, Saskatchewan reportedly added running back Jerome Messam to the practice squad. Just three years removed from being named the Most Outstanding Canadian in 2011 when he ran for 1,057 yards and six touchdowns for Edmonton, Messam was released by Montreal following their first preseason game of 2014.
A potential dual threat, Messam ran for 565 yards and two majors a year ago in just 13 games for the Alouettes, accounting for 317 yards on 31 receptions as well.
With regards to a series history that dates back to 1954 and figures in only regular season battles, Saskatchewan is ahead of the Lions by a 94-83-4 margin, thanks to consecutive victories. The schedule shows BC hosting the Riders in late August for their only other meeting during the 2014 regular season.
At some point Glenn is going to level out with his passing, perhaps gamble less and opt for shorter connections, but for the time being, the Roughriders still have the advantage and the incentive to come back from an awful showing last week.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Saskatchewan 28, British Columbia 21
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Re: CFL Betting News Week 3
Active trends for week 3
Trends from SDB's sample ats
Showing 1 to 23 of 23 entriesLast edited by Thomas; 07-09-2014, 11:15 AM.Comment
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Re: CFL Betting News Week 3
CFL Week 2 Betting News and Notes
By Ian Cameron
Sportsmemo.com
Here is the first installment of my weekly CFL News and Notes as we examine each team from a betting perspective.
Toronto Argonauts (1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS)
Give Toronto’s completely revamped defense credit for following up an embarrassing effort against Winnipeg in Week 1 (45 points, 450 yards allowed) with a much better performance in Saturday’s 48-15 blowout win against defending Grey Cup champion Saskatchewan. However, the Roughriders offense suffered cluster injuries at WR and RB and Anthony Allen was yanked out of the game for fumbling in the first half. That has to be taken into consideration moving forward because as mentioned this Argos D is still very much a work in progress (note that they acquired veteran, all-star CB Dwight Anderson from Saskatchewan via trade yesterday which should only help). Overall, quarterback Ricky Ray is arguably the best in the league and moving forward it will be up to him and the offense to carry Toronto to victory until the defense has time to gain some traction.
Montreal Alouettes (1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS)
I’ve talked on the Sportsmemo Podcast about the multitude of problems plaguing the Montreal offense. They have a new quarterback, a rebuilt and struggling offensive line, and a first-year offensive coordinator after their previous OC was let go during training camp. It was a problem in Week 1’s 29-8 loss at Calgary and to a lesser degree in last week’s 24-9 win over BC. The Alouettes still only scored two touchdowns in the win and one came courtesy of a pick six. Montreal relied more on the running game which helped quarterback Troy Smith. He had a much better completion rate but many of his passes were dink-and-dunks as the Alouettes made a concerted effort to minimize the number of deep shots down the field. The Montreal defense however has been excellent. They wore down in the second half against Calgary but put a blanket over BC’s offense and forced two interceptions from Kevin Glenn. I had Montreal pegged to be a strong Under team and they haven’t disappointed (0-2 O/U).
Ottawa RedBlacks (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS)
The CFL’s brand new franchise lost their debut to Winnipeg, 36-28. After a Week 1 bye head coach Rick Campbell had his team ready to go as the RedBlacks stormed out to an early 21-7 lead and dominated most of the first half. However, the Blue Bombers made good adjustments and we saw Ottawa’s offense struggle to move the football in the second half while their defense didn’t force many stops against Drew Willy and the Winnipeg offense. Veteran quarterback Henry Burris played well going 17-for-30 with a pair of TDs. Despite the loss, this was still a positive for the RedBlacks – although a frustrating result for Ottawa backers who were in position to cash tickets until the fourth quarter. They came up short both SU and ATS but I still think Ottawa will be competitive moving forward.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-2 SU, 1-1 ATS)
Hamilton is dealing with a lot of issues despite being a Grey Cup contender heading into the season. The Ticats have a woeful offensive line that has suffered key personnel losses. It got so bad that quarterback Zach Collaros to take a wicked hit that knocked him out of the game and put his status for this week in question. The defense improved but the Ticats are still taking too many penalties and critical turnovers cost them against Edmonton and turned a fourth quarter lead into a 28-24 loss. To make matter worse news broke yesterday that Hamilton’s new stadium (Tim Hortons Field) will not be ready for their first two home games prompting them to play at Ron Joyce Stadium on the much smaller McMaster University campus. Already off to an 0-2 start and dealing with injuries and off the field issues, Hamilton’s upcoming bye week couldn’t have come at a better time.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2-0 SU, 2-0 ATS)
Off last year’s 3-15 disaster the Winnipeg Blue Bombers notched two straight home wins against Toronto and Ottawa to kick off the campaign. First-year head coach Mike O’Shea has this team well prepared and playing with great energy and intensity. Quarterback Drew Willy has surpassed all reasonable expectations through two games and they seemed to have found a dynamic and explosive RB to complement the passing attack with Nic Grigsby (3 TDs last week). Last year’s league-worst defense has held its own so far and it has resulted in 2-0 SU and ATS marks. If the Blue Bombers hope to keep it rolling, they will need to show what they are made of in their first road game of the season on Friday night against the Montreal Alouettes.
Edmonton Eskimos (2-0 SU, 1-1 ATS)
Edmonton is very similar to Winnipeg – a bad team last year (4-14) with a new head coach and a 2-0 start. Head coach Chris Jones was a great hire after serving many years as defensive coordinator for both Calgary and Toronto. He has instilled hard work and discipline with this team; something that was lacking during the Kavis Reed era. Quarterback Mike Reilly is more comfortable running the offense in his second season. The defense remains an area of strength with the likes of Odell Willis and J.C. Sherritt causing problems up front. I had Edmonton circled as an under-the-radar sleeper that could produce profits but I also didn’t expect to see them priced as significant favorites in back-to-back weeks. Edmonton closed as 5-point favorites last week against Hamilton but its 4-point win failed to cash tickets at the closing number.
Calgary Stampeders (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS)
Calgary enjoyed an early season Week 2 bye after toppling Montreal 29-8 in Week 1. The Stampeders still have plenty of quarterback concerns – can either Bo Levi Mitchell or Drew Tate consistently win games for them? Mitchell got the Week 1 starting nod and performed admirably but did nothing eye popping. The good thing for Calgary is they have workhorse running back Jon Cornish to offset any shortcomings at the quarterback position. The defense was dominant against Montreal but will be put to the test by Ricky Ray and the Toronto Argonauts this weekend.
Saskatchewan Roughriders (1-1 SU, 1-1 ATS)
It’s been a tale of two games for the defending champs. They enjoyed a 31-10 blowout win against Hamilton in Week 1 and suffered a blowout loss against Toronto, 48-15. Saskatchewan is still very good but part of me thinks this team will take a small step back in 2014. They lost multiple key pieces from last year’s championship team on both sides of the football – a good explanation as to why we saw two very different results. As long as quarterback Darian Durant is under center there’s a chance for victory but there are still some problems to address, namely a defense that got chewed up by Ricky Ray and the Argos last week and an offense lacking depth at the skill positions.
BC Lions (0-2 SU, 0-2 ATS)
Whatever a team can do wrong BC has done it in its first two games. The Lions are getting dreadful quarterback play from Kevin Glenn who has thrown 6 INTs and just 1 TD. Part of Glenn’s problem has come from BC’s porous offensive line. The Lions defense has been slightly better and deserves credit for keeping them close against Montreal. But ultimately, the team’s fate rests of what is currently a bad offense. They can’t run the football as Andrew Harris hasn’t gotten much open space. The receiving corps is mediocre compared to some of the past editions, and as mentioned the offensive line isn’t holding up. BC is 2-0 to the Under to go along with their 0-2 SU and ATS marks and it will be interesting if both of those side and total trends continue this week as they head to Saskatchewan to face the Roughriders on their always formidable home field.Comment
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