CFL betting trends, odds and predictions for Week 8 from various handicappers and websites
CFL Betting Recap - Week 7
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com
League Betting Notes
Favorites went 3-1 SU in Week 7
Favorites/underdogs went 2-2 ATS in Week 7
Home/road teams posted a 2-2 SU record in Week 7
Road teams posted a 3-1 ATS record in Week 7
The 'Over' went 3-1 in Week 7
Analysis
Hamilton (0-6) was on the short end of a 59-point annihilation in Week 6. So when looking ahead at the schedule, seeing Edmonton (6-0) on the next up list, it looked like it could go from bad to worse. However, the Tiger-Cats really showed something, fighting hard for the entire game and coming up just short in a 33-28 loss on the road.
It was the ninth consecutive loss for Hamilton, including the postseason, dating back to Oct. 28. They were booted out of the playoff last year by Edmonton, and the nine-game slide ended at home aginst Edmonton, but they have lost all three of those games by a total of 11 points. For some reason the Ti-Cats play the Esks tough.
For Hamilton, the 'over' has now hit in five consecutive games. They have allowed 31 or more points in each of their six outings, obviously a huge reason for their 0-6 start. They'll face a Winnipeg (4-2) side which has scored at least 33 points in five of their six outings, with the 'over' at 5-1. You can expect plenty of fireworks at Tim Horton's Stadium in Hamilton on Saturday evening.
Team Betting Notes
BC Lions (5-2) won the first-end of a home-and-home with Saskatchewan (2-4), doubling up the Roughriders by a 30-15 score on Saturday in Vancouver. The rematch is set for Sunday in Regina. The Riders have failed to cover six in a row against the Lions, dropping seven straight overall. The last time they topped the Lions was Aug. 24, 2014.
The Riders have alternated covers and non-covers in each of their first six outings. If you believe in patterns, they'll cover the number at home on Sunday against B.C.
The Esks did win for the sixth straight time to open the season, but they're just 1-4 ATS over the past five outings. The 'over' has hit in three consecutive games for Edmonton after the 'under' hit in their first three contests.
Ottawa (1-5-1) continues to struggle, looking far from a team which played in the Grey Cup last season. While theyh ave scored at least 21 point in each of their first seven games, averaging a solid 27.4 points per game (PPG), they're allowing 28.9 PPG, including 23 or more in six of their seven outings.
Toronto (3-4) lost 41-24 at home against Montreal (5-1-1) to kick off the weekend. It's just the first time the Argonauts have lost back-to-back games this season. Toronto is a dismal 0-4 ATS over the past four outings, while the 'over' has hit in three of those games. Toronto's defense is the culprit for its slide, allowing 24 or more points in six straight.
The Bombers won their second straight game on Friday, topping Ottawa. It's the first time they have won back-to-back games this season, as they try to keep the leaders in sight in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.
The Stamps have won and covered three in a row, averaging 42.7 PPG during the impressive span. More importantly, they're allowing just 11.7 PPG. Of course, the averages are skewed a bit with a 60-1 mashing of Hamilton last week, but Calgary has scored 23 or more points in all seven games to average an impressive 36.3 PPG. As such, the 'over' is 5-2 for Calgary on the season.
EDMONTON (6 - 0) at OTTAWA (1 - 5 - 1) - 8/10/2017, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) after 2 or more consecutive straight up wins over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in games where the line is +3 to -3 over the last 3 seasons.
OTTAWA is 29-17 ATS (+10.3 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
OTTAWA is 29-17 ATS (+10.3 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
OTTAWA is 20-6 ATS (+13.4 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
OTTAWA is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.
OTTAWA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) after 2 or more consecutive straight up losses over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 4-2 against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 4-3 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO (3 - 4) at MONTREAL (2 - 4) - 8/11/2017, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 2-2 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 2-2 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
WINNIPEG (4 - 2) at HAMILTON (0 - 6) - 8/12/2017, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WINNIPEG is 1-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) as a road favorite of 3 points or less since 1996.
WINNIPEG is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in a road game where the total is greater than or equal to 52 over the last 3 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in road games in games played on turf over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
HAMILTON is 2-2 against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
HAMILTON is 2-2 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
BRITISH COLUMBIA (5 - 2) at SASKATCHEWAN (2 - 4) - 8/13/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SASKATCHEWAN is 129-95 ATS (+24.5 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 19-4 ATS (+14.6 Units) as a home underdog of 3 points or less since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 69-46 ATS (+18.4 Units) in road games off a division game since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 27-9 ATS (+17.1 Units) in road games in August games since 1996.
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 29-15 ATS (+12.5 Units) in road games in weeks 5 through 9 since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 28-46 ATS (-22.6 Units) in August games since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 6-0 against the spread versus SASKATCHEWAN over the last 3 seasons
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 7-0 straight up against SASKATCHEWAN over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON vs. OTTAWA
Edmonton is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Edmonton's last 5 games when playing on the road against Ottawa
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Ottawa's last 9 games at home
Ottawa is 3-5-1 SU in its last 9 games ,at home
TORONTO vs. MONTREAL
Toronto is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Toronto is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Montreal
Montreal is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Montreal's last 21 games at home
WINNIPEG vs. HAMILTON
Winnipeg is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Hamilton
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Winnipeg's last 6 games when playing Hamilton
Hamilton is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
Hamilton is 3-11-1 ATS in its last 15 games
BRITISH COLUMBIA vs. SASKATCHEWAN
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of British Columbia's last 6 games when playing on the road against Saskatchewan
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of British Columbia's last 12 games when playing Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
Saskatchewan is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games
EDMONTON @ OTTAWA
Edmonton is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Edmonton's last 5 games when playing on the road against Ottawa
Ottawa is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Edmonton
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ottawa's last 5 games when playing at home against Edmonton
TORONTO @ MONTREAL
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Toronto's last 16 games when playing Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Toronto's last 10 games when playing on the road against Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Montreal's last 16 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Montreal's last 10 games when playing at home against Toronto
WINNIPEG @ HAMILTON
Winnipeg is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Winnipeg's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Hamilton's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Hamilton's last 10 games when playing at home against Winnipeg
BRITISH COLUMBIA @ SASKATCHEWAN
British Columbia is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Saskatchewan
British Columbia is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Saskatchewan
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Saskatchewan's last 11 games when playing at home against British Columbia
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Saskatchewan's last 20 games when playing British Columbia
CFL Week 8
Edmonton (6-0) @ Ottawa (1-5-1) — None of Ottawa’ five losses are by more than four points; underdogs are 5-2 vs spread in their games this season, with four of last five staying under total. Eskimos (-6) nipped Ottawa 23-21 at home five weeks ago, outrushing RedBlacks 113-59- they were 0-3 vs Ottawa LY, losing by 3-12 in two visits here. Last three Edmonton games went over total; only one of their six wins is by more than five points. Eskimos are 2-0 on road, with both wins by FG, at BC/Hamilton. Ottawa is 1-2-1 at home, losing by 1 to Toronto, 3 to Winnipeg.
Toronto (3-4) @ Montreal (2-4) — Argonauts allowed 79 points in losing last two games; they’re 1-2 on road, losing 33-25 at Winnipeg, 38-27 in Regina. Three of their last four games went over. Montreal is 6-4 in its last ten games vs Toronto; visitors are 10-3 in last 13 series games, despite going 0-2 in LY’s games. Under is 6-1 in last seven series games. Alouettes had last week off; they lost four of last five games, are 2-1 at home, beating Saksatchewan/Calgary by 1-7, losing 23-16 to BC. Under is 4-2 in Montreal games so far this season.
Winnipeg (4-2) @ Hamilton (0-6) — TiCats have new DC after 33-28 loss in Edmonton LW; they are 0-2 at home, losing 41-26 to BC, 31-28 to Edmonton. Hamilton’s last five games went over total; they’re 1-4-1 vs spread in all games. Teams split last six meetings, with Bombers winning both games LY; they won two of last three visits here- under is 6-2 in last eight series games. Winnipeg won three of last four games; they’re 2-1 at home, with wins by 8-1 points, and 29-10 loss to Calgary. Last four Bomber games went over the total.
BC Lions (5-2) @ Saskatchewan (2-4) — Roughriders (+7) lost 30-15 in Vancouver LW, their 7th loss in row vs Lions— BC won its last four visits to Regina, by 13-3-13-18 points. Lions gained 547 yards LW in game that was 22-0 after 3rd quarter. Saskatchewan is 2-1 at home, with only loss in OT to Winnipeg- favorites covered all three of their home tilts, all of which went over the total. Lions are 4-0 vs spread if they allow 26 or less points, 0-3 if they allow 30+; BC is 3-1 on road, with only loss 37-26 in Edmonton. BC is only team in CFL not to have its bye yet.
Favorites vs spread for season: 14-14-1
Over/Under: 16-13
Armadillosports.com
CFL Betting Notes - Week 8
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
Week 7 Recap
Calgary stretched its straight-up winning streak to three games with a 41-24 romp over Toronto last Thursday night as a six-point road favorite to kick off action in Week 7 of the CFL regular season. Winnipeg outlasted Ottawa 33-30 in the first of two games on Friday night’s slate, but it could not cover against the spread as a 3½-point road favorite.
Edmonton remained perfect on the year with a 33-28 victory against Hamilton in the second half of Friday night’s action, but the Eskimos failed to cover as heavy nine-point favorites at home. British Columbia closed out the week with a 30-15 rout of Saskatchewan on Saturday as a seven-point home favorite.
Thursday, Aug. 10
Edmonton Eskimos (6-0 SU, 2-4 ATS) vs. Ottawa RedBlacks (1-5-1 SU, 5-2 ATS)
Point-spread: Edmonton -2½
Total: 55
Game Overview
The Eskimos remained perfect on the year with last week’s win, but these close calls have been murder on bettors trying to ride this team against the spread. Mike Reilly had another productive day throwing the ball against the Tiger-Cats with 317 yards passing and two scores while completing 29 of his 38 passing attempts. LaDarius Perkins led the way on the ground in that game with 105 rushing yards on 19 carries.
Ottawa has been a bit snake bit in its surprising 1-5-1 SU start. The RedBlacks have remained competitive in every game they have played this season and those five losses were by a combined 13 points. Trevor Harris is the second-leading passer in the CFL with 2,202 yards and he is leading the way in touchdown throws with 14. One big issue has been an Ottawa defense that is allowing an average of 28.9 points per game.
Betting Trends
Ottawa has covered ATS in five of the last six meetings, but it is just 4-13 SU in the last 17 games between these two teams. The total has stayed UNDER in seven of the last 10 meetings.
Friday, Aug. 11
Toronto Argonauts (3-4 SU, 2-5 ATS) vs. Montreal Alouettes (2-4 SU, 3-3 ATS)
Point-spread: OFF
Total: OFF
Game Overview
This game remains OFF the board given the day-to-day playing status of quarterback Ricky Ray with a shoulder injury, but the fact that he worked with the first-team offense in Sunday’s walk through practice is a good sign that he might be ready to go come Friday night. Ray continues to lead the CFL in total passing yards with 2,421 yards despite missing the entire second half of last Thursday’s loss to Calgary.
Montreal is coming off a Week 7 bye after losing a last-second 41-40 heart breaker against Winnipeg the week before as a four-point road underdog. Despite the loss, the Alouettes have to feel good about scoring that many points as opposed to their season scoring average of 23.5 PPG. That Week 6 loss to the Blue Bombers was the first time that this defense allowed more than 23 points this season.
Betting Trends
Montreal has a 4-2 edge both SU and ATS in the last six meetings, but it falls to 2-5 both SU and ATS in its last seven road games against the Argonauts. The total has stayed UNDER in eight of the last 10 meetings in Montreal.
Saturday, Aug. 12
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (4-2 SU, 4-2 ATS) vs. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-6 SU, 2-4 ATS)
Point-spread: Winnipeg -2½
Total: 59½
Game Overview
The Blue Bombers have been a scoring machine this season with an average of 33.7 PPG, but they have actually given up seven more points than they have posted which equates to a points-allowed average of 34.8. Matt Nichols has led the way with 1,757 yards passing and 11 touchdown throws and Andrew Harris has anchored the running game with 283 yards and four scores on 65 rushing attempts.
Hamilton looked much better in last week’s five-point loss to Edmonton after being on the wrong side of an embarrassing 60-1 loss to Calgary the week before as a 12½-point road underdog. The Tiger-Cats have averaged just 19.7 PPG this year while allowing an average of 39 points a game on defense. Zach Collaros has pretty much gone the distance at quarterback this season and he has thrown for 1,425 yards and six scores.
Betting Trends
The Tiger-Cats have won eight of the last 11 meetings SU and it has a 6-3 edge ATS in their last nine games against the Blue Bombers. The total has stayed UNDER in nine of the last 10 meetings in Hamilton
Sunday, Aug. 13
British Columbia Lions (5-2 SU, 4-3 ATS) vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders (2-4 SU, 3-3 ATS)
Point-spread: BC -3½
Total: 54½
Game Overview
BC comes into the backend of this Western Division home-and-home series with a 3-1 record on the road this season both SU and ATS. It was able to keep the Roughriders off the scoreboard in last week’s home-and-home opener until the fourth quarter when the game was already out of hand. With the exception of the Lions’ two losses to Edmonton this season, they have outscored their opponents in those five SU wins by a combined 53 points.
Saskatchewan turned to Brandon Bridge for a spark last week at quarterback late in the game and he led the team to two fourth quarter scores, but it is pretty safe to expect Kevin Glenn to remain at the helm as this team’s starter. He did complete 19-of-27 throws for 186 yards in that loss, but he was also picked off twice. On the year, he has thrown for 11 touchdowns against six interceptions.
Betting Trends
BC has a 4-1 record SU in its last five road games against Saskatchewan while going a perfect 5-0 ATS. The total has stayed UNDER in nine of the last 11 meetings in Saskatchewan.
Thursday's CFL Betting Preview: Eskimos at RedBlacks
Covers.com
Edmonton Eskimos at Ottawa RedBlacks (-2, 55.5)
The Edmonton Eskimos look to keep their perfect record intact when they hit the road to take on the Ottawa RedBlacks on Thursday. The Eskimos held off the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33-28 on Friday to improve to 6-0 for the first time since 1961 and hope to continue their winning ways by sweeping the season series with the RedBlacks following a 23-21 victory July 14.
Edmonton's offence hasn't skipped a beat despite injuries to their top two running backs John White (knee) and Travon Van (shoulder), and star wide receiver Adarius Bowman (hamstring) as they have put up 31 or more points in three consecutive games. Ottawa is the only team in CFL history to have its first seven games decided by five points or fewer after a 33-30 setback to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The RedBlacks failed once again to hold on to a late lead, giving up 10 points in the final five minutes to suffer their fifth loss in six games, and hope to bounce back by beating a West Division opponent for the first time in five tries. "You can call me crazy but I still believe in this team," Ottawa quarterback Trevor Harris told reporters. "We'll keep fighting and we'll put together a string of wins as we're a good team."
LINE HISTORY: The Edmonton Eskimos opened as 2.5-point road favorites and on Wednesday morning, that line flipped all of the way to Ottawa -2. The total hit the betting boards at 55 and has been bumped slightly to 55.5. Check out the complete line history here.
ABOUT THE ESKIMOS (6-0 SU, 2-3-1 ATS, 3-3 O/U): Mike Reilly threw for 317 yards and accounted for four touchdowns against Hamilton to extend his touchdown passing streak to 16 regular-season games, which is tied for the longest in franchise history. "The West is a dogfight and you have to keep winning to keep pace and keep that slim lead," Reilly told reporters. "We dug ourselves a big hole last year as we were 2-4 but 6-0 feels a lot better." Brandon Zylstra saw his three-game streak of 100-yard receiving games come to an end after he suffered a lower-body injury in the first half and his status for Thursday's contest is unknown while centre Justin Sorensen hurt his knee and is questionable.
ABOUT THE REDBLACKS (1-5-1 SU, 5-2 ATS, 3-4 O/U): William Powell rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game with a lower-body injury in the third quarter and could miss Thursday's clash. Defensive end Arnaud Gascon-Nadon, who has registered two sacks this season, missed the second half of the Winnipeg loss with an undisclosed injury and is questionable against Edmonton. Greg Ellingson continues to have a career year as he caught five passes for 59 yards a touchdown to take his total to a league-best 702 while kick returner/wide Quincy McDuffie accounted for 145 yards of return yards in his Ottawa debut.
TRENDS:
* Eskimos are 0-3-2 ATS vs. a team with a losing record.
* RedBlacks are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games in August.
* Over is 11-4 in Eskimos last 15 games in August.
* Over is 7-2 in RedBlacks last 9 home games.
* Eskimos are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 meetings.
EXTRA POINTS:
* Reilly leads the CFL in total touchdowns (15) -- 11 passing and four rushing.
* Ottawa has dropped five games by a combined 13 points.
* Ellingson has caught a touchdown pass in three straight games.
CONSENSUS: The road favorite Eskimos are getting 65 percent of the action and the Over is picking up 59 percent of the totals wagers. View full consensus data for this matchup here.
Saturday's CFL Betting Preview: Blue Bombers at Tiger-Cats
Covers.com
Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (+2.5, 59.5)
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers look to extend their winning streak to three games when they battle the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on the road Saturday. The Blue Bombers have won back-to-back games on the final play as Andrew Harris ran for a 1-yard touchdown in the 41-40 victory against the Montreal Alouettes before Justin Medlock kicked a field goal as time expired to down the Ottawa Redblacks 33-30, and hope to win their third straight meeting with the Tiger-Cats after sweeping the season series in 2016.
Winnipeg has scored at least 33 points in each of its last four games and can improve to 4-0 against East Division opponents in 2017 with another victory. Hamilton is still searching for its first win of the season following a 33-28 setback to the Edmonton Eskimos in Week 7. The Tiger-Cats demoted defensive coordinator Jeff Reinebold on Tuesday and replaced him with former linebackers coach Phillip Lolley, who will be tasked with turning around a struggling unit which ranks last in points allowed (39) and net yards allowed (460.8 ) per game. "Phillip is a great football mind that has been around the game at all levels for a very long time," Hamilton coach Kent Austin told reporters. "He has been an excellent addition to our coaching staff this season and we fully expect him to flourish in his expanded role with our team moving forward."
LINE HISTORY: The Blue Bombers opened as 2.5-point road favorites and was bet down as low at 1.5 before bouncing back to an even 2. The total opened at 59.5 and has yet to move off the opening number.
ABOUT THE BLUE BOMBERS (4-2 SU, 4-2 ATS, 5-1 O/U): Medlock was named one of the CFL's Top Performers of the Week after he kicked six field goals, including the game-winning 38-yard attempt as time expired, against Ottawa. "Most guys that are at the top of the heap in their craft make it look easy," Winnipeg coach Mike O'Shea said of Medlock. "He works extremely hard to make it look like that." Wide receiver Addison Richards, who was selected 11th overall in the 2015 CFL Draft, announced his retirement after a slew of injuries hampered his ability to stay in the lineup.
ABOUT THE TIGER-CATS (0-6 SU, 1-4-1 ATS, 5-1 O/U): Zach Collaros threw for 282 yards and three touchdowns against Edmonton after being limited to 102 yards the previous week against the Calgary Stampeders. All-star defensive back Emanuel Davis, who hasn't made an appearance this year because of injury, practiced with the team this week and could be in line to make his season debut. Hamilton made a series of roster moves as they signed offensive lineman Tony Washington, defensive end Mike McAdoo and wide receiver Gerell Robinson while releasing quarterback Logan Kilgore and wide receiver Kevin Elliott, who has caught 11 touchdown passes since 2015 with Toronto and Hamilton.
TRENDS:
* Blue Bombers are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 road games.
* Tiger-Cats are 0-6-2 ATS in their last 8 home games.
* Over is 10-1 in Blue Bombers last 11 road games.
* Over is 5-0 in Tiger-Cats last 5 games overall.
* Over is 4-0 in Tiger-Cats last 4 vs. a team with a winning record.
EXTRA POINTS:
* Winnipeg has scored more than 40 points in three of its six games in 2017.
* Hamilton has given up an average of 41.3 points over its last three contests.
* Collaros is winless in his last 10 regular-season starts.
CONSENSUS: The road favorite Blue Bombers are getting 63 percent of the action from and the Under is picking up 56 percent of the totals wagers.
Sunday's CFL Betting Preview: Lions at Roughriders
Covers.com
BC Lions at Saskatchewan Roughriders (+2, 56)
The BC Lions look to beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders for the second time in nine days when they travel to Regina in the last game of a home-and-home set Sunday. The Lions jumped out to a big lead and never looked back en route to a 30-15 victory in the first matchup and hope to continue their dominance in the series by downing the Roughriders for the eighth consecutive time.
Quarterback Jonathon Jennings is likely to return to the starting lineup after suffering a shoulder injury on the first play from scrimmage against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on July 15, bumping Travis Lulay into a backup role despite the veteran going 3-1 in his absence. Saskatchewan is heading in the wrong direction in an ultra-competitive West Division. The Roughriders, who trailed 30-0 before scoring two consolation touchdowns late in the fourth quarter against BC in Week 7, are the only team in the division with a losing record and sit six points behind the Lions as they desperately try to dig themselves out of the cellar by notching their first victory in the series since a 20-16 victory Aug. 24, 2014. "It's good for us to play them (again) because we get a chance to redeem ourselves," Saskatchewan defensive back Jovon Johnson told reporters. "We have to match their effort on the field and be the more physical team."
LINE HISTORY: The Lions opened up as 3.5-point road chalk and that number has been bet down to 2. The total opened at 54.5 and was driven up as high as 56 before fading to 55.5. Check out the complete line history here.
ABOUT THE LIONS (5-2 SU, 4-2 ATS, 3-3 O/U): Bryan Burnham was named one of the CFL's Top Performers of the Week after hauling in five passes for 131 yards and a touchdown against Saskatchewan while Chris Williams had three receptions for 75 yards in his first game of 2017 after tearing his ACL last season. BC made some significant roster moves during the week bringing back veteran defensive end Ricky Foley, who was drafted by the Lions in 2005, and signing offensive lineman Andrew Jones to provide depth for a unit that is missing Cody Husband and David Foucault because of the concussion protocol. Defensive back Buddy Jackson is in line for another start as Anthony Gaitor continues to recover from an undisclosed injury.
ABOUT THE ROUGHRIDERS (2-4 SU, 3-3 ATS, 3-3 O/U): Kevin Glenn completed 19-of-27 passes for 186 yards against BC to move past the legendary Ron Lancaster in sixth place on the CFL's all-time passing list. Duron Carter continued his stellar play of late, catching five passes for 83 yards and a touchdown to give him 14 receptions for 214 yards and three scores in his last two games. Saskatchewan moved offensive lineman Dan Clark (elbow) and defensive lineman Zach Minter (calf), who has registered seven tackles and a sack this season, to the six-game injured list with Brendon LaBatte sliding over to centre and Ese Mrabure filling in at defensive tackle.
TRENDS:
* Lions are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games in August.
* Roughriders are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games in August.
* Over is 6-1 in Lions last 7 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 5-1 in Roughriders last 6 games following a ATS loss.
* Lions are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings in Saskatchewan.
EXTRA POINTS:
* BC is averaging 35.5 points over its last four games.
* Saskatchewan has dropped 26 of its last 29 games against West Division rivals.
* Lions LB Solomon Elimimian leads the CFL with 51 tackles.
CONSENSUS: The road favorite Lions are getting 70 percent of the action from and the Over is picking up 58 percent of the totals wagers.