This Week's Best Spot Bet Opportunities
By Ben Burns
Covers.com
Lookahead spot
The Toronto Argonauts have been wandering the CFL landscape for six weeks now, including this Monday’s road trip to Hamilton to play the rival Ti-Cats. Thanks to the Pan Am Games taking over the Rogers Centre for the past month, the Argos play their first five games away from home, starting with a “home” game in Fort McMurray, Alberta against the Eskimos in Week 1 then trips to Saskatchewan, Calgary, and British Columbia.
Road-weary Toronto wraps this grueling stretch of sked in Hamilton, with the welcoming domed confines of the “Sky Dome” just one week away. The Argonauts have been a solid wager, covering in each of those first four games, but could get caught looking ahead to a long-awaited home opener versus the Rough Riders the following Saturday. Books have Toronto set as a 4-point pup in Hamilton this Monday.
Letdown spot
The Alabama Crimson Tide aren’t wasting any time getting into the college football playoff mix, facing Wisconsin inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas in Week 1 of the season. Books have the Tide set as 10.5-point favorites for that opener and also have Alabama listed as early 9.5-point chalk hosting Ole Miss in Week 3. Sandwiched between these monster matchups is a “cake walk” versus Middle Tennessee in Week 2.
The Blue Raiders are nothing more than guinea pigs for Nick Saban’s squad – an opportunity to fine tune what didn’t work in Week 1 and try some new things out before Week 2. Middle Tennessee is one of the better C-USA programs but will be getting a boatload of points against the SEC super power. With the Tide in letdown mode after Wisconsin (and in a lookahead to a revenge spot against Mississippi) – and not wanting to reveal too much of the playbook before facing the Rebels – Alabama could fall short of this lofty number. The Tide are just 3-8-1 ATS in their last 11 non-conference games.
Schedule spot
The Cleveland Indians are looking to get away from home – and not for the usual reasons people want to leave Cleveland. The Tribe are mired in a nasty losing skid, dropping five in a row inside Progressive Field as of Tuesday. The Indians are currently hosting the Royals but must have their bags packed for a West Coast run starting Thursday.
Following a series finale with Kansas City Wednesday, Cleveland flies overnight to Oakland for four games with the Athletics then a three-game set with the Angels to round out the trip. The Indians have actually been a solid wager away from Cleveland this season, with a 26-22 record as visitors – earning +3.52 units while burning up -23.14 units at home. The Tribe have a collective 3.46 ERA on the road - fourth lowest in the bigs. That pitching performance puffs up to 4.46 at home.