CFL Week 13 Betting News and Notes

EDMONTON (2 - 9) at WINNIPEG (2 - 9) - 9/20/2013, 8:00 PM

Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 66-94 ATS (-37.4 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
EDMONTON is 4-15 ATS (-12.5 Units) as a road favorite of 3 points or less since 1996.
EDMONTON is 44-66 ATS (-28.6 Units) when playing on a Friday since 1996.
WINNIPEG is 23-9 ATS (+13.1 Units) as a home underdog of 3 points or less since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
EDMONTON is 3-2 against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 3-2 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

MONTREAL (4 - 7) at HAMILTON (5 - 6) - 9/21/2013, 4:00 PM

Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record after 9 or more games over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
HAMILTON is 7-1 against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
HAMILTON is 5-3 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

TORONTO (7 - 4) at CALGARY (9 - 2) - 9/21/2013, 7:30 PM

There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 5-1 against the spread versus CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 5-1 straight up against CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

BRITISH COLUMBIA (7 - 4) at SASKATCHEWAN (8 - 3) - 9/22/2013, 4:30 PM

There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 5-2 against the spread versus SASKATCHEWAN over the last 3 seasons
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 5-2 straight up against SASKATCHEWAN over the last 3 seasons
6 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

EDMONTON vs. WINNIPEG
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Edmonton's last 15 games when playing on the road against Winnipeg
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Edmonton's last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 5 games at home
Winnipeg is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home

MONTREAL vs. HAMILTON
Montreal is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Hamilton
Montreal is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Hamilton
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Hamilton's last 6 games at home
Hamilton is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

TORONTO vs. CALGARY
Toronto is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
Toronto is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Calgary
Calgary is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Toronto
Calgary is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Toronto

BRITISH COLUMBIA vs. SASKATCHEWAN
British Columbia is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
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 OVER in 11 of Saskatchewan's last 16 games
Saskatchewan is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games when playing British Columbia

Week 13 CFL

Edmonton (2-9) @ Winnipeg (2-9) — Home teams won last 11 series games; Eskimos lost last five visits here, by 7-10-26-12-1 point. Underdogs are 8-2 vs spread in Edmonton’s last ten visits here. Bombers (+5) lost 25-7 in Edmonton last week, turning ball over four times (-4); they’re -16 in turnovers for season and 1-4 at home, though they did upset Roughriders in last home game. Edmonton snapped 8-game skid last week by running ball for 153 yards; they’re 1-4 on road, with only win over TiCats in rain at Guelph in Week 2- they’re 1-1 as favorites this season, with last week only cover. Winnipeg is home dog to a 2-9 team; not good. Four of five Winnipeg home games, six of last eight Eskimo games went over total, but under is 8-3-1 in last dozen series games.

Montreal (4-7) @ Hamilton (5-6) — Tiger Cats are 5-4 in last nine series games, after losing eight of nine to Alouettes before that; Als lost last five visits here, by 37-8-23-8-15-13 points, as home side won eight of last nine series games, with last four in Hamilton going over total (this game is at Guelph, TiCats’ temp home, but you get the idea). Banged-up Alouettes have QB issues with Calvillo out; neither Marsh/Neiswander has proven to be an adequate backup. Alouettes lost last two weeks, allowing 37-36 points; they’re 2-2 as road underdogs, losing away games by 11-3-22 points, with wins at Winnipeg/Toronto. TiCats covered their last six games; they’re 2-2 as home favorites this year, winning home games by 5-23-8 points (3-2 SU). Four of five Hamilton home games this year stayed under total.

Toronto (6-5) @ Calgary (9-2) — Underdogs won SU in last seven series games; Stampeders (+3.5) won 35-14 at Toronto four weeks ago, outrushing Argos 177-74, getting three turnovers (+2) while shutting Toronto out in second half in stopping six-game series losing skid. Argonauts won last two visits here 23-21/22-14. Toronto scored 37-31 points while posting upsets last two weeks; they’ve won last four road games since losing 24-16 in Vancouver in Week 2 road opener- they’re 2-1 as road dogs this year. Red-hot Calgary won last four games; they are 3-2 as home favorites, winning at McMahon by 12-11-15-3-4 points- they won last three weeks despite being -1 in turnovers all three games. Four of last five Calgary games stayed under total, but seven of last nine Toronto games went over.

BC Lions (7-4) @ Saskatchewan (8-3) — Lions lost QB Lulay (shoulder) last week, either unproven DeMarco (threw six passes, one for TD in mop-up role last week) or former Lion Pierce (9-year vet recently re-acquired in trade) gets nod here, in series where BC won five of last seven games, despite losing last two visits to Regina by 23-20/27-21 scores. In its four losses, BC allowed 44-38-39-37 points; they allowed average of 17.4 ppg in their wins. Riders slipped up last two weeks, allowing 25-31 points in games they led at half (outscored 34-10 in second half). Saskatchewan is 3-2 as a home favorite, winning at Taylor Field by 15-37-3-23 points. Lions are -11 in turnovers last seven games, after being even in first four. Nine of last ten series games stayed under total, but three of last four games overall for both sides here went over.

Armadillosports.com

CFL Betting Notes - Week 13
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com

It is only Week 13 of the CFL regular season and we pretty much already know the six teams that will be competing for this year's Grey Cup title. Calgary moved to the top of the West Division with a 26-22 victory over Hamilton this past Friday, but it could not cover as a six-point favorite at home. The two teams that are on the outside looking in saw Edmonton snap an eight-game losing streak with a 25-7 victory over Winnipeg as a 4½-point home favorite in the first half of a home-and-home series this past Saturday.

Toronto firmed-up its grip on the East Division lead with Saturday night's stunning 31-29 victory over Saskatchewan as an eight-point road underdog and this past Sunday, British Columbia kept pace in the West title race with a 36-14 rout of Montreal as a nine-point favorite at home.

The following is a brief betting preview for Week 13 in the CFL with the opening pointspread and 'over/under' lines provided by TopBet.

Friday, Sept. 20

Edmonton Eskimos vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Pointspread: Edmonton -2½
Total: 51

The 2-9 Eskimos will now have to go on the road to try and complete the sweep where they are 1-4 straight-up on the year but 3-2 against the spread. The total has gone OVER in seven of its 11 games overall and in four of their five road games. Edmonton is tied for sixth in the CFL in scoring with an average of 23.5 points a game.

The Blue Bombers are also 2-9 SU after last Saturday's loss and 4-7 ATS. They are 1-4 SU at home this season while failing to cover in four of the five games. The total has gone OVER in four of five at home. Winnipeg is now the lowest scoring team in the league with an average of 20.4 points a game.

Edmonton's win raised its record in this series to 4-2 SU in the last six meetings, but it is still just 3-6 ATS in the last nine games. The Blue Bombers have dominated this series at home in recent years with a 5-1 record both SU and ATS in the last six games played at Investors Group Field. The total has stayed UNDER in 11 of the last 15 game between the two in Winnipeg.

Saturday, Sept. 21

Montreal Alouettes vs. Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Pointspread: Hamilton -8
Total: 53½

It is a bit too early to call this game a must-win for Montreal, but a loss on Saturday would cut its lead for the final playoff spot to one game. This past Sunday's loss dropped the Alouettes to 4-7 SU this season and 2-4 SU in their last six games. They are 5-6 ATS and the total has stayed UNDER in three of their last five games.

The Tiger-Cats trail Toronto by two games in the East at 5-6 SU and they are 6-5 ATS. They are 3-2 SU at home this season and 2-3 ATS with the total staying UNDER in four of the five games. Hamilton is 4-2 SU in its last six games with a perfect 6-0 record ATS. The total has gone OVER in four of those contests behind an offense that has scored 30 or more points four times during that stretch.

Hamilton holds a 6-3 SU edge in the last nine meetings including a perfect 5-0 SU record in the last five games at home. The total has gone over in four of the last five meetings in Hamilton. The Tiger-Cats outscored Montreal 80-52 in two home games last season with the total going way OVER in both.

Toronto Argonauts vs. Calgary Stampeders

Pointspread: Calgary -7½
Total: 54½

Toronto's huge win over Saskatchewan in Week 12 raised its record to 7-4 SU and 6-5ATS. It is 4-1 SU and ATS on the road this season and the total has gone OVER in three of the five games. Over the past two weeks, quarterback Zach Collaros has thrown for 561 yards and three touchdowns in relief of an injured Ricky Ray.

The Stampeders have run roughshod over the league the past few weeks with a four-game winning streak that has them atop the West at 9-2 SU on the year. They are 2-2 ATS during this run and 7-4 ATS overall. The total has gone OVER in four of five games at home. Calgary is the second-highest scoring team in the CFL with an average of 31.5 points a game.

The Argonauts are 2-5 both SU and ATS in their last five road games against the Stampeders. The total has gone OVER in three of the last five meetings overall. Calgary drew first blood in this season's series with a 35-14 victory on Aug. 23 as a four-point road underdog. The total stayed UNDER the 57-point closing line in that game.

Sunday, Sept. 22

British Columbia Lions vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders

Pointspread: Saskatchewan OFF
Total: OFF

BC comes into this crucial West Division showdown with a 5-2 SU (4-3 ATS) record in its last six games that has it two games out of the lead at 7-4 SU (5-6 ATS). The Lions are just 1-4 SU and ATS on the road this season with the total going OVER in four of the five games. Travis Lulay is ranked second in the league in total passing yards with 2,787 yards and tied for second in touchdown throws with 19, but listed as questionable for Sunday's game after hurting his shoulder last week.

Saskatchewan has now lost its last two games both SU and ATS after streaking out to an 8-1 SU start. It is 6-5 ATS on the year and the total has gone OVER in seven of the 11 games. The Roughriders remain the highest scoring team in the CFL with an average of 32.2 points a game and their defense has given-up the fewest points (258).

The Lions have won five of the last seven meetings SU overall, but they are only 2-6 SU in the last nine games played in Saskatchewan. The total has stayed UNDER in five of the last six games between these two that were played at Taylor Field. The home team in this series was a perfect 3-0 both SU and ATS last season.

Eskimos at Blue Blombers: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com

Edmonton Eskimos at Winnipeg Blue Bombers (+2.5, 50.5)

The Edmonton Eskimos finally broke out of their eight-game losing streak by beating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers last week. On Friday, the Eskimos will try for consecutive victories over the Blue Bombers when they travel to Winnipeg. Edmonton quarterback Mike Reilly threw three touchdowns and ran for 113 yards in the win - enough to earn him offensive player of the week honors and take the team rushing lead with 530 yards.

Winnipeg managed three sacks last week and is tied for the league lead with 41. Starting quarterback Justin Goltz was pulled for the second half last week and replaced by Max Hall, who fared slightly better but could not orchestrate a touchdown drive in the 25-7 loss. The Blue Bombers won their last home game, but unless they can slow down Reilly and establish their own offensive game - worst in the league with 224 points - even struggling opponents such as Edmonton might be too much to handle.

ABOUT THE ESKIMOS (2-9): Reilly connected twice for touchdowns with slotback Fred Stamps, who leads the league in receiving yards with 821 and has already tied his career-high in touchdowns with nine. Linebacker J.C. Sherritt returned last week after undergoing surgery to repair his left hand but left the game in the fourth quarter. Sherritt finished with two tackles and recovered a fumble in the first quarter.

ABOUT THE BLUE BOMBERS (2-9): Winnipeg traded veteran quarterback Buck Pierce to BC, leaving Goltz and Hall as its two main options under centre. Slotback Terrence Edwards leads the team with 405 receiving yards, but only he and slotback Clarence Denmark (368) have more than 300 yards in the air. The Blue Bombers’ defensive line has accounted for 30 of the team’s 41 sacks and defensive end Alex Hall is tied for the league lead with 12.

TRENDS:

* Eskimos are 0-4 ATS in their last four meetings in Winnipeg.
* Under is 5-1-1 in the last seven meetings in Winnipeg.
* Eskimos are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall.
* Blue Bombers are 0-4 ATS versus a team with a losing record.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Winnipeg announced Tuesday it will start Max Hall on Friday.

2. Edmonton’s defense - last in the West Division with 301 points allowed - has given up only 29 points over the last two games and has 12 sacks in its last three.

3. The Eskimos and Blue Bombers - a combined 4-18 in 2013 - are four points behind the Montreal Alouettes for the final playoff spot.

CFL Saturday: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com

Montreal Alouettes at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (-8, 52.5)

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are used to playing home games away from home this season, but they will travel a lot further than Guelph on Saturday when they host the Montreal Alouettes in Moncton. The Tiger-Cats have been playing home games at the University of Guelph’s Alumni Stadium while Tim Hortons Field is built in Hamilton, making them the perfect team to host the third regular-season game to be played in the Maritime town. Moncton could be a prime candidate for future expansion.

Montreal could use a change of scenery since the team appears to have lost any momentum gained from Tanner Marsh’s comeback victory over the BC Lions. The Alouettes have dropped two straight games and Marsh was replaced by Josh Neiswander after a lacklustre first half against BC last week. Veteran quarterback Anthony Calvillo is likely out for the rest of the season, meaning either Marsh or Neiswander will need to seize the starting role if Montreal is to make a playoff run.

ABOUT THE ALOUETTES (4-7): Quarterback Troy Smith also took a couple snaps last week as general manager/head coach Jim Popp searches for a solution under center. Smith signed with Montreal in August and is still adjusting to the CFL after failed attempts to crack the rosters of three NFL teams. Uncertainty at quarterback is an unusual situation for the Alouettes, who had two starters - Tracy Ham and Calvillo - since 2006. “We heard a lot of complaining about not seeing anybody else,” Popp said. “Now you're seeing other people and there's complaining that you're seeing three quarterbacks in a game. You're never going to make everybody happy. We're trying to give these guys a chance - to see what they can do.''

ABOUT THE TIGER-CATS (5-6): Quarterback Henry Burris leads the league in passing yards by a substantial margin, recording 3,589 - 802 more than any other quarterback - as he tries to top his career-best total of 5,367 set last season. Eight hundred of those passing yards have been to wide receiver Greg Ellingson, who has six touchdown catches. Running back C.J. Gable surpassed 400 rushing yards after dealing with injuries to start the season. Linebacker Jamall Johnson leads the team with 42 tackles and has three sacks.

TRENDS:

* Tiger-Cats are 6-0 ATS in their last six games overall.
* Under is 8-2 in Alouettes last 10 games following a ATS loss.
* Under is 6-1 in Tiger-Cats last seven home games.
* Alouettes are 0-5 ATS in their last five meetings.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. The last time the Tiger-Cats played in Moncton - 2011 - Burris was a member of the Calgary Stampeders, who lost 55-34 to Hamilton in that game.

2. Montreal LB Chip Cox leads the league with 78 tackles.

3. Burris surpassed 50,000 career passing yards last week.

Toronto Argonauts at Calgary Stampeders (-7.5, 55.5)

The Toronto Argonauts’ road-warrior status will be put to the test against a fellow division leader when they visit the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday. The Argonauts are 4-1 on the road, but the Stampeders stand 5-0 at home and have ridden a four-game winning streak to the top of the West Division. East Division-leading Toronto has won two straight despite missing top offensive players such as quarterback Ricky Ray and slotback Chad Owens, moving into second in the CFL power rankings behind Calgary.

The Stampeders are no stranger to battling through injuries. Even though Calgary lost top slotback Nik Lewis for the season and is still without starting quarterback Drew Tate, third-string quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell is making a strong case to start more games with a completion rate of 70.3 percent and 10 touchdown passes to just three interceptions. Mitchell completed 4-of-6 passes in limited action during Calgary 35-14 victory in Toronto in Week 9, but he and young Argonauts quarterback Zach Collaros will take center stage Saturday in a game Ottawa Redblacks scouts would be smart to watch.

ABOUT THE ARGONAUTS (7-4): Coach Scott Milanovich said Owens is doubtful for Saturday, marking the second straight game last season’s Most Outstanding Player will miss. Running back Chad Kackert returned from injury last week but left after a helmet-to-helmet hit in the first half and his status for Saturday is uncertain. Jerious Norwood ran for 73 yards and one touchdown replacing Kackert. Linebacker Robert McCune leads the team with 60 tackles.

ABOUT THE STAMPEDERS (9-2): Defensive linemen Charleston Hughes and Cordarro Law set the tone on Calgary’s defense, accounting for 21 of the team’s 41 sacks. Defensive back Fred Bennett has a team-leading three interceptions. Running back Jon Cornish reached 1,000 rushing yards for the second straight season last week against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Mitchell is second on the team with 145 rushing yards.

TRENDS:

* Argonauts are 6-0 ATS in their last six Saturday games.
* Over is 8-1 in Stampeders last nine home games.
* Under is 6-0 in the last six meetings in Calgary.
* Argonauts are 6-1 ATS in their last seven meetings.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Three of Toronto’s four losses have come against West Division opponents.

2. Calgary might not get Tate back until the 2014 season, raising big questions over whether to protect him or Mitchell for the Redblacks’ expansion draft after the season.

3. Toronto WR John Chiles has caught seven touchdown passes in his last seven games.

Lions at Roughriders: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com

BC Lions at Saskatchewan Roughriders (-5.5, 53)

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are facing their biggest adversity of the season after dropping consecutive games for the first time and losing league-leading running back Kory Sheets to a sprained knee. The Roughriders will try to maintain their position in the West Division when they host the BC Lions on Sunday. Saskatchewan quarterback Darian Durant, who threw for 369 yards last week but was also intercepted three times, will be looked upon to carry the offense in Sheets’ absence.

The Lions could tie second-place Saskatchewan in the standings with a victory, but will be without starting quarterback Travis Lulay (arm injury). Lulay will miss at least two games, leaving the starting spot open for backup Thomas DeMarco or recently acquired veteran pivot Buck Pierce. Without Lulay, BC running back Andrew Harris will likely play a bigger role in the offense after having his carries limited recently by minor injuries.

ABOUT THE LIONS (7-4): DeMarco has completed 6-of-11 passes for 57 yards and one touchdown in spot duty this season, while also running for a touchdown. Wide receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux (649) and slotbacks Nick Moore (642) and Courtney Taylor (572) have caught over 500 receiving yards. Kick returner Tim Brown is second in the league with 1,361 combined return yards and has provided BC with good field position all season - a role that becomes ever more vital in Lulay’s absence.

ABOUT THE ROUGHRIDERS (8-3): Slotback Geroy Simon will face his old team for the first time on Sunday. Simon recorded 14,756 of his record 16,128 career receiving yards with BC and is five catches away from tying Ben Cahoon for the CFL all-time reception record. Slotback Weston Dressler - Saskatchewan’s third-leading receiver - missed last week’s game but should return to the lineup on Sunday. Linebacker Renauld Williams, who will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL, was missed last week by the Roughriders, who allowed a season-high 31 points at home.

TRENDS:

* Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings in Saskatchewan.
* Lions are 6-2 ATS in their last eight meetings.
* Roughriders are 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall.
* Under is 4-0 in Lions last four games in Week 13.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Saskatchewan S Tyron Brackenridge was fined an undisclosed amount by the league for a dangerous hit to the head of Toronto RB Chad Kackert in last week’s game.

2. Pierce began his CFL career with the Lions, starting 34 games over five seasons.

3. The Roughriders are 4-1 at home. BC is 1-4 on the road.