CFL Betting Recap - Week 6
VegasInsider.com
League Betting Notes
Underdogs went 1-1 straight up in Week 6
Underdogs went 2-0 against the spread in Week 6
Home and Road teams went 1-1 record in Week 6
The 'over/under' went 1-1 in Week 6
Team Betting Notes
British Columbia (4-2) picked themselves off the mat for a 27-20 home win over Winnipeg (1-5), after the Lions were flattened in Toronto the week before. The Lions are now unbeaten in three games at home, and they are 2-1 ATS in Vancouver.
The Blue Bombers have now dropped four straight games since their lone victory in Week 2 at Montreal. However, Winnipeg is a rather impressive 3-0 ATS on the road, and 0-3 ATS at home.
Hamilton (2-4) earned a much-needed victory, its first since July 13, with a road win at Edmonton (1-5). It was the first cover for the Ti-Cats in six games overall this season. The 'over' in their Week 6 game ended a string of four straight 'unders'.
The Eskimos are now 1-5 ATS after failing to cover as a home favorite in Week 6. The Esks have now failed to cover in four straight weeks dating back to their lone win July 7 at Hamilton. The over has cashed in three straight games for Edmonton, however.
Canadian Football League Week 6 Betting Recap
By Ian Cameron
Sportsmemo.com
Here is my recap of Week 6 in the Canadian Football League as I provide a quick hitter analysis of the four teams that were in action…
Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2-4 SU/ATS)
Beating the reeling Edmonton Eskimos (1-5) is nothing to thump your chest about but it was still a huge win for the Tiger-Cats and has given them a much needed boost of confidence heading into the bye week. Hamilton fought through another week with a ton of injuries but this time they emerged victorious despite it. Head coach Kent Austin deserves plenty of praise for a great offensive game plan which involved running the football much more and also inserting backup quarterback Dan LeFevour for several plays on multiple drives all in a successful effort to keep the Eskimos defense guessing. Quarterback Henry Burris was efficient and rookie receiver Greg Ellingson’s two touchdown receptions in the win provided a much needed spark for a receiving corps that was still without standout Andy Fantuz. The defense bent but didn’t break and made the key stops at the end of the game to preserve the win. The return of veteran Dee Webb in the secondary and Torrey Davis on the defensive line was big and both of them had strong games for what had been a struggling Ticats defense. Hamilton will have back-to-back games against Winnipeg after their bye. They should be healthier by that time and with both games being winnable affairs, Hamilton could get back to .500. I like this team’s talent level when they are healthy and I still think Austin will be the right guy for the job.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1-5 SU, 2-4 ATS)
Winnipeg got the pointspread cover as 11-point road underdogs against BC but still lost the game 27-20. It was a very uneven performance from new starting quarterback Justin Goltz. He started the game strong but struggling mightily in the second half completing less than 50% of his passes for 112 yards and an interception. The offense completely fizzled as Winnipeg scored only four points in the last 30 minutes of the game. It is clear it will take more time for Goltz to get comfortable as a starting quarterback in this league. The good news for Winnipeg is the defense put forth its best performance of the season despite the loss. They kept BC’s offense bottled up for most of the game and most of the Lions points came off turnovers and/or excellent field position not by driving the football up and down the field. The return of Desia Dunn and Johnny Sears to the secondary helped out and the defensive front which has underperformed at times this season out a lot of pressure on BC quarterback Travis Lulay. Despite the loss, I still think there are positives to be taken from this game for Winnipeg. They had a chance to win on the road against one of the better teams in the CFL but eventually they have to start turning good efforts into wins. They’ll have the chance to do it after their bye week when they face the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in back-to-back games.
Edmonton Eskimos (1-5 SU/ATS)
For the second straight week, Edmonton lost a game in the dying seconds. The Eskimos were stopped twice inside the 5-yard line in their Week 5 loss against Montreal and this time it was a missed field goal with no time left on the clock against Hamilton in a crushing 30-29 loss. There were more offensive struggles from quarterback Mike Reilly who was pulled once again for a brief period of time. And the defense continues to underperform compared to last season. Head coach Kavis Reed is clearly feeling some pressure as he has made panicky moves in consecutive games by yanking his starting quarterback in each of Edmonton’s last two losses. The bye week could provide Edmonton with a chance to regroup but I’m not sure this group can do it. There has been little pass rush on opposing quarterbacks. There has been a sharp decline in their ability to stop the run. On offense, they are getting subpar production at the quarterback, running back, and receiver positions. Reed is far from being one of the smartest head coaches in the league and his outbursts of rage lately seem to be negatively impacting his players. It’s not a good situation at all in Edmonton right now and I’m not convinced the bye week will change things.
BC Lions (4-2 SU, 3-3 ATS)
BC did enough to bounce back from a disastrous blowout loss in Toronto last week with a 27-20 win against Winnipeg. However, the Lions were far from impressive and might have lost that game if they had been playing a better foe. BC usually roars back strong and blows out inferior teams after a bad game but they let Winnipeg hang around for four quarters with an inexperienced quarterback and they nearly paid the price for it. The Lions offense seemed to be miss injured starting guard Kirby Fabien much more than expected. Fabien suffered a season ending injury in Toronto last week and the offensive line didn’t have their usual strong performance. They didn’t blow open holes for running back Andrew Harris who only gained 56 yards on the ground and they allowed Winnipeg to get pressure on Travis Lulay who despite that posted solid numbers with three touchdowns and 269 passing yards. Overall most of BC’s points came off Winnipeg turnovers in their own territory. There were many times during the game that BC’s offense got the football in Winnipeg territory and never even moved the far enough to get into field goal range. When completely healthy and playing at their best, BC is a good team but right now the Lions look out of sync. They are 4-2 but their performance level in the last two games has given me some mild cause for concern moving forward. We’ll see if BC can get back to its dominating ways following the bye week but right now this looks like the third best team in the division behind Saskatchewan and Calgary.
Week 7 CFL
Toronto (3-2) @ Montreal (2-3) -- Alouettes fired Dan Hawkins during bye week; they've scored 38-32 points in two wins, 17.3 ppg in three losses, dropping two of three at home. Toronto split its two road games, with favorite covering both; they've scored 39-35-38 in their wins, 16-28 in losses, with four of five games going over total. This is first meeting in series since Argos (+5) upset Als 27-20 in Eastern Conference finals last fall, just 4th win for Toronto in last 18 series games- they're 3-4 in last seven visits here, winning twice in last three visits. Montreal has been outscored in second half of every game (80-45), after outscoring opponents 77-59 in first half. Last five series games stayed under the total.
Saskatchewan (5-0) @ Calgary (4-1) -- Roughriders' fast start includes 36-21 (-2) home win over Calgary in Week 2, when Riders outrushed Stamps 151-58, didn't turn ball over and outscored Calgary 22-0 in second half, avenging 36-30 (+6) loss here in first round of LY's playoffs. Calgary won seven of last nine series games,. with last three going over the total, though four of last five played here stayed under. Riders are 3-0 on road, scoring 39-39-32 points; they've had 144+ rushing yards in every game this year. Stampeders held last three foes to 14-27-24 points after allowing 32-36 in first two weeks- they won their first two home games by 12-11 points. Roughriders have one turnover (+8) in five games.
Armadillosports.com
CFL Betting Notes - Week 7
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com
The CFL enters its second and final bye week of the year so once again there are only two games on the Week 7 slate. Last Friday night, Hamilton squeezed-out a 30-29 victory over Edmonton as a three-point underdog on the road. The total in that game went OVER the 52 ½-point line. This past Monday night, British Columbia beat Winnipeg 27-20 as an 11-point home favorite. The total for that game stayed UNDER the 48-point line.
The following is a brief betting preview for the two games in the CFL this week with the opening pointspread and 'over/under' lines provided by The Greek.
Thursday, August 8
Toronto Argonauts vs. Montreal Alouettes
Pointspread: Montreal -1½
Total Line: 54
Toronto went into its bye week with a two-game winning streak that improved its record to 3-2 both straight-up and against the spread. It knocked-off Winnipeg 35-19 on the road in Week 4 as a 3 ½-point favorite and last Tuesday night it stunned BC 38-12 as a 7½-point underdog at home. The total has gone OVER in four of its five games this year.
The Argonauts could have their hands full against their East Division rivals if quarterback Ricky Ray is unable to go. Zach Collaros played well in his place in the victory over the Lions, but Ray was off to another great start with 1,203 yards passing while completing 75.4 percent of his throws.
Montreal used its bye week to shake things up after a disappointing 2-3 start SU and ATS. It fired head coach Dan Hawkins and replaced him with Jim Popp. The Alouettes beat Edmonton 32-27 as four-point home favorites their last time out, but this followed three-straight losses in which they were outscored 79-52. The total has gone OVER in three of their first five games.
The change at the top could work in long-time veteran quarterback Anthony Calvillo's favor as Popp brings some familiarity back into the offense. Calvillo has really struggled in what should be his final season in the CFL with a completion percentage of just 60.1 and four interceptions verse five touchdown throws.
The Argonauts are 4-14 SU and 5-13 ATS in their last 18 games against Montreal and the total has stayed UNDER in the last five meetings. This will be the first meeting this season after splitting their four games in 2012 both SU and ATS.
Friday, August 9
Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. Calgary Stampeders
Pointspread: Calgary -3
Total Line: 56
The upstart Roughriders will put their five-game winning streak on the line this Friday night in a crucial early season West Division showdown. They already beat the Stampeders 36-21 in Week 2 as 2½-point home favorites with the total going OVER the 55 ½-point line. Saskatchewan is also a perfect 5-0 ATS and the total has gone OVER in three of the five games.
This team has gotten it done on both sides of the ball this season with the highest scoring offense in the league (36.6 points a game) complementing a defense that is holding its opponents to an average of 17.4 points a game. Darian Durant has thrown for 1,021 yards and 12 touchdowns while completing 69.2 percent of his passes.
Calgary is 4-1 both SU and ATS on the year following a 37-24 victory over the Blue Bombers in Week 5 as a 5½-point road favorite. The total went OVER the 48 ½-point line and it has now gone OVER in four of its five games. The Stampeders are averaging 32.4 points a game while allowing 26.6 points a game on defense.
Look for Drew Tate to get the start at quarterback on Friday night. He missed some time due to injury, but appears to be ready to go after using the bye week to get healthy. Tate's numbers on the year are an impressive 38-for-52 for 468 yards and five touchdowns. The Stampeders have also gotten a solid effort from Jon Cornish running the ball. He has racked-up 501 yards on 77 carries.
The Roughriders have lost seven of their last nine games against Calgary SU but they are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings. The total has gone OVER in four of those five games. The Stampeders are 5-1 SU in its last six home games against Saskatchewan.
Thursday, August 8
TORONTO (3 - 2) at MONTREAL (2 - 3) - 8/8/2013, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 15-27 ATS (-14.7 Units) in games played on turf over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 4-3 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 5-2 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
Friday, August 9
SASKATCHEWAN (5 - 0) at CALGARY (4 - 1) - 8/9/2013, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SASKATCHEWAN is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in August games over the last 3 seasons.
SASKATCHEWAN is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in weeks 5 through 9 over the last 3 seasons.
CALGARY is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) when playing on a Friday over the last 2 seasons.
SASKATCHEWAN is 67-43 ATS (+19.7 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 112-73 ATS (+31.7 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 5-4 against the spread versus SASKATCHEWAN over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 7-2 straight up against SASKATCHEWAN over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO vs. MONTREAL
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Toronto is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Montreal is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Montreal is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games when playing Toronto
SASKATCHEWAN vs. CALGARY
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Saskatchewan's last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Saskatchewan's last 6 games on the road
Calgary is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Saskatchewan
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Calgary's last 12 games
Argonauts at Alouettes: What Bettors Need to Know
Covers.com
Toronto Argonauts at Montreal Alouettes (+2, 52)
A bye week and a change at coach give the Montreal Alouettes a chance to put their rough start to the season behind them. General manager Jim Popp will be on the sidelines when the Alouettes host the East Division-leading Toronto Argonauts on Thursday. Dan Hawkins lasted only five games as coach as his offensive schemes failed to gel with quarterback Anthony Calvillo, who expressed frustration with the coaching after a Week 2 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The Argonauts entered their bye week on a high note after backup quarterback Zach Collaros led them to a 38-12 home victory over the BC Lions. An extra week’s rest means starter Ricky Ray will likely return Thursday, but Collaros showed his value by throwing 253 yards and three touchdowns against one of the best defences in the league. Toronto’s defence limited the Lions to field goals on four red-zone opportunities in its strongest performance and could prove very difficult for a Montreal offence that has only produced only seven touchdowns.
ABOUT THE ARGONAUTS (3-2, 3-2 ATS): Running back Chad Kackert remains out with a knee injury, meaning backup Curtis Steele will likely start Thursday after recording a pair of rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter against BC. Steele looked comfortable with Collaros, but will need to play a larger blocking role for Ray, who plays a more traditional style under centre. Defensive tackle Khalif Mitchell recorded a sack against his old team and was not flagged for any penalties in Week 5 - something Toronto’s defence needs to replicate to remain effective.
ABOUT THE ALOUETTES (2-3, 2-3 ATS): Despite the early struggles, Calvillo has still thrown for 1,035 yards, connecting with slotback S.J. Green for 347 yards and four touchdowns. Running back Brandon Whitaker recorded 162 yards and one touchdown in Week 5 - his strongest performance since returning from injury. Montreal’s defence, led by linebackers Chip Cox and Shea Emry and safety Kyries Hebert, has been solid despite allowing 139 points. Cox leads the team with 39 tackles, while Hebert has 31 and a team-leading seven sacks and Emry has two of the team’s league-leading seven interceptions.
TRENDS:
* Under is 4-0 in the last four meetings in Montreal.
* Under is 5-0 in the last five meetings.
* Argonauts are 5-13 ATS in their last 18 meetings.
EXTRA POINTS:
1. The Argonauts defeated the Alouettes 27-20 in the East Division finals last year en route to their Grey Cup victory.
2. Popp - Montreal’s general manager since 1996 - has served two previous stints as coach: one game in 2001 and for 22 games over the 2006 and 2007 seasons, compiling a 10-13 regular-season record.
3. Toronto is 2-0 against East Division opponents.
Roughriders at Stampeders: What Bettors Need to Know
By Covers.com
Saskatchewan Roughriders at Calgary Stampeders (-3, 56.5)
The Saskatchewan Roughriders and Calgary Stampeders entered their bye week riding big winning streaks and the top two teams in the CFL will face off Friday in Calgary. Saskatchewan has not lost a game, outscoring its opponents by 96 points over the first five weeks, while the Stampeders’ only blemish came in a road loss to the Roughriders in Week 2. Calgary quarterback Drew Tate has not played since injuring his right forearm in that 36-21 setback, but will play Friday.
Saskatchewan quarterback Darian Durant will also return after missing one game with a sore foot, but it’s the running backs who have stolen the offensive spotlight for both teams. Roughriders running back Kory Sheets and Stampeders running back Jon Cornish are averaging more than 100 yards, and Sheets is on a record-breaking pace with 712 yards - the best five-game start in CFL history. Saskatchewan limited Cornish to 42 yards in Week 2, but if Calgary can find the same answer for Sheets, the Roughriders might not have a perfect record much longer.
ABOUT THE ROUGHRIDERS (5-0, 5-0 ATS): Saskatchewan’s defence has allowed a league-low 87 points because of the leadership of players such as linebacker Renauld Williams, who has six of the team’s 22 sacks to go with an interception and team-leading 22 tackles. Slotback Geroy Simon is rounding into form after missing the start of the season because of injury, leading the team with five receptions for 125 yards and one touchdown in his second game with the Roughriders. Simon joins a crowded backfield that includes slotbacks Weston Dressler (team-leading 319 yards) and Chris Getzlaf (222), giving Durant plenty of options if Sheets gets shut down.
ABOUT THE STAMPEDERS (4-1, 4-1 ATS): Tate threw five touchdowns and one interception in his two starts before being injured, completing 38-of-52 passes. Slotbacks Nik Lewis (285 yards) and Marquay McDaniel (211) have been the preferred targets for Calgary pivots, who have combined to run the second-most effective offence in the league, next to Saskatchewan. Defensive lineman Charleston Hughes, who leads the team with four sacks and has 40 in his career, will return to the lineup after missing time because of a wrist injury, while wide receiver Maurice Price will return after missing two weeks with a hamstring injury.
TRENDS:
* Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
* Roughriders are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings.
* Roughriders are 0-7 ATS in their last seven games in August.
* Stampeders are 21-6-1 ATS in their last 28 Friday games.
EXTRA POINTS:
1. Sheets leads the league with 790 yards from scrimmage. Cornish is third with 638.
2. Saskatchewan’s best start to a season came in 2008, when it was 6-0 and finished the regular season 12-6, but lost in the division semifinals.
3. Calgary is 2-0 at home; the Roughriders are 3-0 on the road.