CFL Week 8 Betting News and Notes

HAMILTON vs. WINNIPEG
Hamilton is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Winnipeg
Hamilton is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 5 games
Winnipeg is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games

MONTREAL vs. EDMONTON
Montreal is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
Montreal is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Edmonton is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
Edmonton is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Montreal

TORONTO vs. CALGARY
Toronto is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Calgary
Toronto is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Calgary's last 8 games at home
Calgary is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Toronto

SASKATCHEWAN vs. BRITISH COLUMBIA
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Saskatchewan's last 9 games when playing on the road against British Columbia
Saskatchewan is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against British Columbia
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of British Columbia's last 6 games
British Columbia is 7-17 ATS in its last 24 games when playing at home against Saskatchewan

CFL Betting Notes - Week 8
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com

Week 7 in the CFL wrapped up the last of the two bye weeks this season so the action was limited to just two games. Last Thursday night, Calgary rolled over Hamilton 31-20 as a four-point road underdog to even its record to 3-3 straight up on the year.

Edmonton moved into a tie for first in the West Division at 4-2 SU with a 28-20 victory over Saskatchewan as a two-point home favorite in Friday night's game. The following is brief preview of this week's CFL games along with the opening point spread and 'over/under' lines as provided by 5Dimes.

Thursday, August 16

Hamilton Tiger-Cats (-3) vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers Total: 55

Hamilton is currently is sitting in a three-way tie in the East Division at 3-3 SU (4-2 against the spread). It is 2-0 SU in the division and the total has gone 'over' in five of its first six games. The Blue Bombers are bringing up the rear in the East at 1-5 SU but are 2-1 ATS in their last three games.

The Tiger-Cats are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games following a SU loss, while Winnipeg is 2-5 ATS in its last seven games overall. Winnipeg is 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS in the last four meetings and the total has gone 'over' in six of the last seven meetings at Canad Inns Stadium.

Friday, August 17

Montreal Alouettes vs. Edmonton Eskimos (-1) Total: 52

Montreal is also part of the mix in the East at 3-3 SU but 2-4 ATS overall and 1-2 ATS on the road. The total has gone 'over' in four of the six games. The Eskimos are 4-2 both SU and ATS and a perfect 3-0 SU and ATS at home this year.

The Alouettes are just 6-20 ATS in their last 26 games following a SU win and the total has gone 'over' in 10 of their last 13 road games. Edmonton is 4-0 ATS in its last four games at home. Montreal is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings overall, but just 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games in Edmonton. The total has gone 'over' in seven of those 10 games.

Saturday, August 18

Toronto Argonauts vs. Calgary Stampeders (-4) Total: 55

Toronto is the third team in the East at 3-3 SU and it is 2-4 ATS with the total staying 'under' in four of the games. The Stampeders are 3-3 both SU and ATS with the total going 3-3 as well. They are one game behind the Eskimos and BC Lions in the West Division.

The Argonauts are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following both a SU and ATS loss. The total has stayed 'under' in five of their last seven road games. Calgary is 7-0 ATS in its last seven games played in August. Toronto is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings but only 1-5 ATS in the last six meetings in Calgary. The total has stayed 'under' in the last five games played there.

Sunday, August 19

Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. British Columbia Lions (- 6½) Total: 51

The Roughriders have dropped three straight after winning their first three, but they are 4-2 ATS. The total has gone 'over' in four of six games this season. BC has won its last two games SU to move to 4-2 SU (3-3 ATS) on the year with the total has staying 'under' in five of the games.

Saskatchewan is 6-2 ATS in its last eight games and the total has stayed 'under' in 15 of its last 21 games overall. The Lions are 13-5 ATS in their last 18 games and the total has stayed 'under' in 16 of their last 21 games overall. The Roughriders are 1-4 ATS in the last five meetings and 1-5 ATS in the last six meetings in BC. The total has stayed 'under' in eight of the last nine meetings at BC Place.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Winnipeg Blue Bombers
By Covers.com

Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Winnipeg Blue Bombers (+3, 55)

Hamilton was dealt a reality check, losing 31-20 to the Calgary Stampeders in Week 7 following a three-game winning streak that saw the TiCats extend a four-game ATS run.

Heavy rain kept both teams from getting on the scoreboard early in the game and Hamilton was outworked by former QB Kevin Glenn and a scrappy Stamps team looking for its first road win of the season.

Now, the Tiger-Cats turn their attention to a Blue Bombers squad that is trying to climb out of the league’s basement. Winnipeg followed its first win of the year with a 36-26 loss to Montreal in Week 6 and had the bye week to ready itself for Thursday’s home date with Hamilton.

The Bombers are making a switch at QB, giving the nod to Joey Elliott over Alex Brink for Week 8. Elliot hasn’t started a CFL game since 2010 but head coach Paul LaPolice is confident in Elliot. LaPolice has come under fire after the 1-5 start but told the media he isn’t worried about job security.

“I’m preparing to win a football game,” LaPolice told the Winnipeg Sun. “We’re one-third through our season, we’ve had some challenges for our first third of the season. There’s still 12 football games to play. Nobody in the CFL has established themselves as elite. We’re certainly not happy (with how) we’re playing and we need to get better and I think we will. I’m concerned about winning a football game.

“Sometimes, I think people gloom and doom very much. Things out of my control are out of my control. We’ve got a lot of football left to be played.”

LaPolice will also match wits with one of his former staff, Hamilton’s defensive coordinator Casey Creehan. Creehan, who served two years under LaPolice, has helped the TiCats improve against the pass, ranking third in the CFL. Hamilton will attack Winnipeg’s untested arm early and often.

TRENDS:

* Over is 6-1 in the last seven meetings in Winnipeg.
* Under is 5-2 in the last seven meetings.
* Tiger-Cats are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games following a loss.
* Blue Bombers are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 Thursday games.

CFL Week 8

Home (12-12). Favorites (11-13), Over (12-12). West 8-4 vs East.

Hamilton (3-3) @ Winnipeg (1-5) -- TiCats scored 35+ points in four of their six games this year, losing by 27-11 points when they score less than 35. Bombers were 4-0 vs Hamilton LY, with a 19-3 win in Eastern Conference finals-- they're 1-5 this year, allowing average of 31.5 ppg. TiCats lost 30-27/19-3 here LY; they won three of last four games, covered four of last five, splitting pair of road tilts, losing 39-36 at BC (+6), winning 35-34 at Regina (+4). Bombers split their first two home games. Five of six Hamilton games went over total.

Montreal (3-3) @ Edmonton (4-2) -- Alouettes scored 41-33-36 points in their three wins this season, 10-24-20 in losses; Edmonton hasn't allowed anyone to score more than 23 this season. Eskimos are 3-0 at home this season, with wins by 4-32-8 points; they're +8 (13-5) in turnovers last four games, after being -1 in first two, with only one takeaway. Montreal lost two of three on road, with only win 36-26 (-1.5) at Winnipeg in last game, before last week's bye. Alouettes won both meetings LY, 27-4 (-6.5) at home, then 34-21 (-1.5) here. Four of last five Montreal games went over the total.

Toronto (3-3) @ Calgary (3-3) -- Argonauts (+5) upset visiting Stampeders 39-36 in Week 2, outrushing them 118-57, outgaining them 525-293 in game where they had four takeaways (+2). Calgary scored 31+ points in five of six games; they're 1-3 as a favorite this year, as underdogs covered five of their six games. Toronto is 1-2 on road, losing 19-15 (+1.5) at Edmonton, 36-27 (+5) at Hamilton, winning 23-20 (+4) at Montreal. Last three Toronto games stayed under the total. Four of six Argonaut games were decided by four or less points.

Saskatchewan (3-3) @ BCLions (4-2) -- Roughriders (+2.5) beat visiting BC by a FG in Week 3, 23-20, but haven't won since, losing by 3-1-8 points- they've yet to trail at halftime this year, but were outscored 73-48 in second half of their last three games (0-3, after 3-0 start). BC outgained Riders 460-266 in first meeting, but were -2 in turnovers; they're 2-3 as favorite, 1-2 at home, winning by 17-3 at home, losing to Edmonton. Saskatchewan allowed 16-1-20 points in winning first three games, then allowed 41-35-28 in losing its last three. Five of BC's six games stayed under the total. Riders' last three games all went over.

Armadillosports.com

Montreal Alouettes at Edmonton Eskimos
By Covers.com

Montreal Alouettes at Edmonton Eskimos (-2, 52)

Edmonton is riding high after a hard-fought win over the rival Saskatchewan Roughriders last week, improving to 4-2 SU and ATS while grabbing a share of first place in the West.

The Eskimos could debut CFL leading rusher Cory Boyd Friday night. Boyd, who rumbled for 447 yards and two touchdowns before being dropped by the Toronto Argonauts, is listed as a game-time decision and would give Edmonton extra pop in the backfield. The Eskimos come into Week 8 ranked seventh in rushing with 87.3 yards per game.

“We feel that the coaches have spent a lot of quality time with Cory to get him up to speed,” Eskimos head coach Kavis Reed told the media. “We’ve asked him to do things in practice and he’s done those things well and situational-wise, we dress an extra American (in Boyd), we have to be able to justify having another American off the roster.

“It’ll probably be closer to a game-time decision.”

Boyd, who rushed for 2,500 yards the past two seasons, would be handy against the Alouettes defense, which ranks second at stuffing the run. Montreal gives up just 88.5 yards on the ground per game and held Winnipeg to 82 yards in a much-needed 36-26 win in Week 6.

The Als have had the bye week to prepare for Edmonton, which has dropped four straight meetings (0-4 ATS) to Montreal and is just 3-7 SU and ATS in its last 10 with the Alouettes going back to 2007. These teams have also met three times in Grey Cup competition over the past 10 years – 2002, 2003, 2005 – and have a great deal of respect for each other.

"They're very efficient," Reed told reporters. "This offense has been a well-oiled machine for the last 10 years."

Als quarterback Anthony Calvillo, who leads the CFL in passing with 2,001 yards heading into Friday, catches a break against the Eskimos. Edmonton’s premier pass rusher, DE Ted Laurent, will sit out with an ankle injury. Laurent has recorded at least one sack in the past five games and is tied for second in the league in QB kills.

Trends:

- Alouettes are 4-0 ATS in their last four meetings.
- Over is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings in Edmonton.
- Alouettes are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 meetings in Edmonton.

Toronto Argonauts at Calgary Stampeders
By Covers.com

Toronto Argonauts at Calgary Stampeders (-4.5, 55)

So much for a relaxing bye week for the Argos. Toronto released the CFL’s top rusher Cory Boyd, with rumors of on and off-field issues reaching the breaking point.

The Argonauts offense, which is averaging just 23 points per game, hit a new low in Week 6, losing 18-9 to the B.C. Lions while mustering only 215 yards passing and 37 yards on the ground. Quarterback Ricky Ray threw three interceptions and the departed Boyd ran for just 23 yards.

Head coach Scott Milanovich believes the problem is rooted in the offensive line, which underwent a shake-up heading into Saturday’s game. Left tackle Wayne Smith is moving to guard and 6-foot-7 beast Tony Washington is stepping into protect Ray’s blindside.

“Absolutely (the offensive line) can take some blame, but there is blame to be spread around, including me,” Milanovich told the media. “Everybody has to be accountable.”

The Stampeders, who rank third among CFL defenses, will put that new o-line mixture to the test this weekend. Calgary is coming off a solid 31-20 win over Hamilton in Week 7 but has struggled with Toronto in the past.

The Stamps have lost four straight (0-4 ATS) to Toronto after posting six wins in a row over the Argos going back to 2007. One of those losses came in a 39-36 Toronto victory off a last-second field goal back in early July.

"We need to be better prepared. That's been my theme all week long," Calgary head coach John Hufnagel told reporters. "Even though we did some unbelievably hard things well in the game… there were several other plays where we were knuckleheads."

Trends:

* Argonauts are 4-0 ATS in their last four meetings.
* Under is 5-0 in the last five meetings in Calgary.
* Argonauts are 1-5 ATS in their last six meetings in Calgary.

Saskatchewan Roughriders at B.C. Lions
By Covers.com

Saskatchewan Roughriders at B.C. Lions (-6.5, 51)

The Lions won’t have the services of standout DT Khalif Mitchell for the next two games after the league upheld his suspension for a dirty hit on Edmonton’s Simeon Rottier back on July 20.

While Mitchell is a huge cog in B.C.’s defense, rookie Maurice Evans is out to prove he’s a suitable replacement. Evans won’t start against the Riders Sunday but will be promoted to the active roster and is expected to be a part of the regular rotation in the trenches.

"He's (Evans) the most explosive guy we have up front," Lions defensive line coach Carl Hairston told reporters. "Saskatchewan ain't seen a guy like him. He's got the attitude and guts. And he's a talented guy. The only thing I worry about is, he's going to try so hard, he's going to get tired. That energy is going to be so high."

British Columbia has the No. 1 defense in the league, giving up less than 20 points on 293.3 yards against per game this season. The Lions fell 23-20 in their last meeting with Saskatchewan, failing to cover the spread as 3-point road favorites on July 14. That snapped B.C.’s three-game winning streak over the Riders and was just Saskatchewan’s third ATS victory over the Lions in their past 10 meetings.

That win was also the last time the Roughriders celebrated a victory, dropping three straight since. Saskatchewan suffered a crushing 28-20 defeat to the rival Edmonton Eskimos last week and is trying to remain positive about the upcoming schedule.

"We just have to keep going, keep fighting, keep plugging," quarterback Darin Durant told reporters. "That's why we play next week."

Durant threw for 401 yards in the loss to the Eskimos but was also picked off twice and failed to find the endzone. On the season, he’s completed just 63.6 percent of his passes and has an 8-to-4 TD-to-INT count. He passed for only 172 yards without a touchdown or interception in the Week 3 win over the Lions.

Trends:

* Under is 8-1 in the last nine meetings in B.C.
* Under is 5-1 in the last six meetings.
* Roughriders are 1-4 ATS in their last five meetings.
* Roughriders are 1-5 ATS in their last six meetings in B.C.