CFL Week 6

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West Division

Team..................SU..........ATS.........O/U
Calgary...............4-0..........3-1.........0-4
Edmonton............4-1.........3-2.........0-5
Winnipeg.............4-1..........4-1.........3-2
Saskatchewan......2-2..........2-2.........1-3
British Columbia...2-3..........2-3.........0-5

East Division

Team...................SU.........ATS..........O/U
Hamilton.............1-3..........3-1..........1-3
Ottawa................1-3..........1-3..........2-2
Montreal..............1-3..........1-4..........2-3
Toronto...............1-4..........1-4..........2-3

*Under is money the first five games winning 30 of 41 games.
*East Division is just 6-12 against the spread so far.

Week 6 Schedule

Thur. 7/31 Winnipeg @ Hamilton
Fri. 8/1 Toronto @ Montreal
Fri. 8/1 BC @ Calgary
Sat. 8/2 Saskatchewan @ Ottawa

Pick of the week will be posted later.
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Other football news.............

NFL
For an undrafted rookie out of Tiffin University, Tennessee Titans receiver Nate Washington has had a pretty good career. As he goes into his 10th NFL training camp, Washington is a long way from 2005, when he was a rookie in camp with Pittsburgh just praying to make the roster. Now he has two Super Bowl rings from four seasons with the Steelers, and is preparing for his sixth with the Titans. Washington, who turns 31 August 28, ranks behind only Wes Welker and Antonio Gates for career yards receiving among active NFL players who came into the league undrafted. He has played every game the past eight seasons, and his streak of 128 consecutive games played leads all receivers in the league. For his career, Washington has 371 catches for 5,649 yards and 38 touchdowns. Love these kind of success stories.

NCAA
Auburn finished the No. 1 rushing attack in the country last year. The deception involved in the running game was one of the most confusing aspects of the offense last season. Gus Malzahn has so many variations of the same play, defenders have a difficult time of deciphering the most likely opposing blocker or if the play is a run or pass. The basic of defensive football is reading your keys, but Auburn has plays where offensive linemen go one way, but the ball goes the other way. Players are taught to read their keys and react, but when the Tigers send those keys somewhere else where the ball is not, then they have the defense out of position. When it's moving at full speed, trying to stop Malzahn's offense, which he pioneered in the Arkansas high school ranks in 1996, becomes simultaneous test of mental aptitude, communication and physical endurance. Defenders have to line up, make judgement calls on assignments, and, if Auburn doesn't substitute, deal with fatigue, which can have an adverse effect on the rapid decision making required, all at a fast pace.

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Welcome any comments.....................

 

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The Canadian Football League founded 1958 is a worthy professional league especially for players who are not good enough to play in the NFL. The CFL has never been a threat to the NFL financially or any other way. Actually, NFL owners have helped keep the CFL afloat on occasion. A number of players have proven themselves playing in Canada and moved to the NFL where they had nice careers. Compared to the NFL, the CFL pay scale is like daylight and dark. The average CFL player salary is $83,018 with the minimum being $45,000 and the maximum set at $400,000. The average CFL coach earns in the $500,000 range.
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Other football news...............

NFL
As I mentioned above, there is a huge difference in the NFL and CFL, not only in talent and popularity but especially in the amount of money a player or coach can earn. The average NFL player salary is $1,900,000 with the minimum set at $405,000 and the maximum being a staggering $20,000,000 (Peyton Manning for example). The average NFL coaches salary is in the $1,700,000 range. Another huge difference in the leagues is how the officials are paid. CFL officials are paid $550 to $850 per game. NFL officials are paid a salary in the $175,000 and up range.

NCAA
Alabama coach Nick Saban has a special interest in the Bama secondary. He works with the defensive backs daily in practice. When they struggled last season, he took it personally. Saban also knew the reason for the off year. A string of early departures to the NFL left the cupboard bare. Last season Alabama was playing all freshmen corners and even had to move some receivers to the defensive backfield. Saban worked the still developing group hard during spring practice, and the results seem to be positive. Alabama addressed the issue in recruiting, signing two five-star cornerbacks and both should fit into the rotation before the season is over. I look for Tony Brown, the recruit from Texas who went through spring practice to start before the season is over. All-Star Landon Collins (6-0, 220) and Nick Perry (6-1, 215) are set to start at safeties with Eddie Jackson (6-0, 190) and Cyrus Jones (5-10, 195) slated for the corners. A weakness last year should be much improved this year with more experience and depth. We shall see.......

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Welcome your comments...................

 

[indiana]

C/L.............always great info ............looks like a good under with BC and Calgary................BOL this week, also a thank you for the Baseball plays..............indy

 

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Indy, under has definitely been the winning play thus far hitting 73 percent. Good luck with your play.
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Thursday Night Game
Tonight's game features Winnipeg from the Western Division traveling to Hamilton of the Eastern Division. Knowing that the Blue Bombers have won 4 games compared to just 1 win for the TigerCats...I like the fact that Hamilton has outgained Winnipeg by 83 yards per game on offense. On defense, they have been 11 yards better per game. At home, the TigerCats have averaged 33 points while giving up just 23. Tonight, I like Hamilton for the win and cover.

421 Winnipeg
422 Hamilton -4 (Heritage)

Sidenote: 19 of 26 games in this series have gone under the total since 1996.
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Other football news..............

NFL
Dallas has now had three consecutive 8-8 regular seasons. Some think the Cowboys have the talent to be better but just don't have the right coach. Jason Garrett is a terrible in-game coach, and his mistakes have cost the Pokes some wins over the years. During the past three years, 15 of 24 losses came by a touchdown or less...including five losses by a field goal or less last year. The offense put up 27 points a game last year but the defense was atrocious. Out defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin and in new defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli. Will it make a difference? Probably not. Dallas is stuck in neutral with the coaches they have, and until Jerry Jones cleans house, the Cowboys won't improve. My take and welcome yours.

NCAA
Some snapshots on SEC West teams:
Alabama: Running back position is loaded, receivers are strong again, defense always solid, talent galore.
Auburn: Malzahn's fast-paced offense and QB Nick Marshall will rip through SEC again.
LSU: Miles recruits well enough to reload, not rebuild, so what's the problem?
Ole Miss: Many key offensive weapons are back and the defense returns 9 starters.
Texas A&M: Aggies return 9 defensive starters, offense retains playmakers, Johnnie is gone though.
Miss State: Dak Prescott is a dangerous dual-threat QB, defense returns 8 starters.
Arkansas: Second year in Bielema's system should help, Hogs will pound the ball with good RBs.

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Welcome your comments.......................

 

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I lost on Hamilton last night as Winnipeg scored on the last play of the game for a come from behind win. Nic Grigsby caught a touchdown pass from Drew Willy to give the Blue Bombers a 27-26 victory. The backdoor cost me $110 bucks.

Tonight there are two games scheduled. Toronto travels to Montreal and British Columbia visits Calgary. No play for me even though I lean toward the dogs in both games. The B.C./Calgary game features two top defenses and both teams have combined to play Under 8 of 9 games this season. For a total play, I would lean to the Under.
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Other football news..........

NFL
The Pittsburgh Steelers are retiring Hall of Fame defensive end Joe Greene's number No. 75. The team announced Wednesday that Greene will be honored during a ceremony November 2 when the Steelers host the Baltimore Ravens. Greene, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1969 NFL draft, helped Pittsburgh win four Super Bowls. Mean Joe was a hell of a player for the Steelers!

NCAA
Some snapshots on SEC East teams:
South Carolina: New QB Dylan Thompson and RB Kike Davis spark the offense.
Georgia: Dawgs return two stud RBs, some good receivers and 9 defensive starters.
Florida: QB Jeff Driskel is healthy, RBs are solid, defense should be strong again.
Missouri: QB Maty Mauk takes the reins of experienced offense, nice schedule.
Tennessee: Offense features better skilled players, LB's among SEC's best.
Vanderbilt: Learned how to win the past two years with 18 victories, new coach though?
Kentucky: Recruiting has gone well and Cats building a better defense.

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Nothing better than that first cup of coffee early in the morning. Looking at last nights results, both underdogs covered as expected. Toronto blasted Montreal 31-5 and B. C. outlasted Calgary 25-24.

Tonight has only one game on tab with Saskatchewan (2-2) traveling east to take on Ottawa (1-3). Heritage currently has the Roughriders listed as 6.5 favorites verses the RedBlacks with the total set at 50. I like the favorite in this one with no position on the total. Love the fact that Western teams are 11-2 vs Eastern teams so far this season.
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Other football news.............

NFL
Let's face it, Seattle just flat out beat the dog out of Denver in the Super Bowl. The 43-8 blowout was no accident. When head coach Pete Carroll took over the Seahawks in 2010, he revamped the roster with speed and youth. That all paid off last year, and there's no reason Seattle can't sustain a high level of performance this season. There's no holes on this Seattle team, and they could actually be better than they were last season barring key injuries. The Birds have won 17 of 18 home games the past two seasons including 13-5 against the spread during that time. As much as I like this Seattle team, there's always room for caution. The schedule for 2014 is much tougher than last year including six road foes that won 10 or more games in 2013. Also, factor in the SB Champs get every team's best shot week in and week out...just ask Baltimore and New York the past two winners.

NCAA
Yes Lucy, there are two good college football programs in Los Angeles. You probably didn't know that for years until UCLA's Jim Mora came to town. Mora has directed the Bruins to 9-5 and 10-3 seasons during his two years at the ole basketball school, including two straight wins over cross town rival USC. Going into this season, having quarterback Brett Hundley in the fold is a big plus for this year's talented team. Hundley decided to forgo the NFL draft and having a player of his ability lead the team is never a bad thing. With 16 returning starters from last season's team that blasted USC and Virginia Tech by a combined 77-26 to conclude the season, look for the Bruins to take another step forward. By the way, UCLA's quarterback is my choice to win the Heisman Trophy.

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The Western Division continued its dominance over the East Division as Saskatchewan downed Ottawa 38-14 last night. The West now owns a 12-2 record against their rivals from the East.

Remember QB Doug Flutie who won the Heisman Trophy while playing for Boston College. Most people don't realize the great success he had playing in the CFL. Flutie was named the league's MVP six times. He holds the single season passing record (6,610 yards) and the single season touchdown pass mark (48). Little Doug had a nice career up north.

Can you imagine the numbers Johnnie Manziel could put up playing in the CFL offenses. I can!
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Other football news...........

NFL
Seven players were inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame last night. Derrick Brooks, Ray Guy, Claude Humphrey, Walter Jones, Andre Reed, Michael Strahan, and Aeneas Williams. One player I was glad to see enter the Hall was punter Ray Guy who played for the Oakland Raiders from 1973 to 1986. Guy was the first punter ever drafted in the first round and became an impact player from the very first game as a rookie averaging 45.3 yards per kick. He led the NFL in punting in 1974, 1975 and 1977. During his 14 year career, he had only three punts blocked. He played in seven Pro Bowls, seven AFC championship games and three Super Bowls. Great addition to the NFL Hall of Fame.

NCAA
The Baylor Bears are coming off their first outright conference title since 1980, and with an offense as potent as the one they have, they should challenge for it again this season. Quarterback Bryce Petty is the real deal passing for 4,200 yards and helping Baylor lead the nation in total offense last year. The problem for the Bears is the other side of the ball and that will be the real key for a another Big 12 title run. Somehow Baylor must improve on the 360 yards per game allowed during 2013 while introducing 7 new starters. The Bears have to know a team north of them (Oklahoma) has 16 starters back and a front seven on defense that will be the best in the conference.

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CFL WEEK 7 *******************************

West Division

Team.....................SU......ATS.....O/U
Winnipeg................5-1.....5-1......4-2
Calgary..................4-1.....3-2......1-4
Edmonton...............4-1....3-2.......0-5
Saskatchewan.........3-2.....3-2......2-3
British Columbia......3-3.....3-3......1-5

East Division

Team.....................SU.....ATS.....O/U
Toronto..................2-4.....2-4.....2-4
Hamilton................1-4.....3-2.....2-3
Ottawa...................1-4.....1-4.....3-2
Montreal.................1-4.....1-4.....1-4

Week 7 Schedule

Thur. 8/7 Saskatchewan @ Winnipeg
Fri. 8/8 Edmonton @ Montreal
Fri. 8/8 Hamilton @ British Columbia
Sat. 8/9 Ottawa @ Calgary
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Other football news..............

NFL
Michael Vick to the Jets? Give me a frecken break. This human turnover machine has 17 touchdowns and 18 turnovers spread out over his last 14 games. Sure, he'll make some spectacular plays. He'll break some incredible runs and a few other fantasy plays, but bettors should be cautious. Do you really want to risk a heart attack watching Vick torpedo your winning wager with turnovers. Didn't you scream at your television set enough when he played for Philadelphia. Oh yeah, the starting quarterback (Geno Smith) finished last year with 13 touchdowns and 26 turnovers. Enjoy your final year in New York Rex Ryan!

NCAA
The days of quarterbacks Ryan Mallett and Tyler Wilson seemed like long ago last season at Arkansas, which saw its once-vaunted passing attack fall to the bottom of the SEC with an average of 148 yards passing per game. Much of the blame from fans for the passing struggles fell on the shoulders of QB Brandon Allen. What most of these fans didn't realize after being injured in the third game against Southern Miss, Allen played the rest of the season less than healthy. The 6-3 Allen only missed one game and finished the season by completing 49.6 percent of his passes and throwing 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He did so while practicing only once a week after the injury and receiving weekly numbing shots in his shoulder in order to play. The kid refused to use the injury as an excuse last season, even while he was unable to lift his arm above his shoulder. Tough player and will go into the 2014 season healthy and the starter opening week against Auburn.
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Welcome your comments.....................

 

[indiana]

C/L..........your info is always right on and very helpful...........much appreciated, BOL with your action this week..............indy

 

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Very kind Indy...appreciate you sir.

Several of my old buds scattered around the country ask me to start a new thread away from college football. Don't get me wrong, we all love CFB but we also know all hells about to break loose with every hotdog who can drip mustard. Different format but gang seems to like it. Heck, I've never really bet CFL games....like our changes even though no big money wagered.

Hope to have some good winners for NFL and CFB and will post some on this thread. JON's tracker forum is where I will post weekly picks. Keeps the old guys happy....well maybe not all the times!

 

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Edmonton Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly was named the Offensive Player of the Month for July. Through the first month of the season, Reilly passed for 1,142 yards on 110 for 173 passing (63.6%) and threw for nine touchdowns to help lead the Eskimos to a 4-1 start. Reilly also impressed with his legs by rushing for 221 yards on 28 carries (7.9 ypg), the most by any quarterback and the most in the CFL.
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Other football news...............

NFL
From the time Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford entered the NFL as the top pick in 2009, talent has never been a question. Efficiency, maybe. Attention to fundamentals, sure. But not talent. Entering his sixth season with just one playoff appearance to his name...but suddenly under the tutelage of QB friendly coach Jim Caldwell...Stafford is at a crossroads. Detroit's new coach began coaching Peyton Manning at a similar point in his career. Same with Baltimore's Joe Flacco. Caldwell, whose job interview with the Lions included a well researched critique of Stafford, believes the quarterback is close to reaching that championship level of play. Like I said...the QB is at a crossroads.

NCAA
Mississippi State is expecting quarterback Dak Prescott to have an all-Southeastern Conference caliber season in his first full year as the starter. Judging from his performance last year, that's certainly possible. Prescott's huge role on the team is hard to overstate. He threw for 1,940 yards and 10 touchdowns last season while also running for a team high 829 yards and 13 touchdowns. If he's not healthy, the Bulldogs' offense suddenly looks a lot different. The Bulldogs return 16 starters with 8 being on an offense that set 7 school records in 2013, including total yards, passing yards, yards per game and passing yards per game.
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Thanks to their first bye week of the season, Edmonton had plenty of time to reflect following their first loss of the season Week 5. Now, refreshed and healed of their injuries, the Eskimos will aim to get back in the win column against a Montreal team that has lost three straight games. The Alouettes are having offensive problems and if quarterback Troy Smith doesn't start showing some improvement with his play...they will lose their fourth straight Friday night. Montreal is listed as a 6 point dog at this writing for good reason.
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NFL
The Cleveland Browns have suffered 10 losses in ten of the last eleven seasons. They also go through quarterbacks like no other team in the NFL while going through seven starting quarterback's the last four years (including three last season). The Browns have officially cycled through 20 starting signal-callers since 1999. They also have gone through 141 coaches and assistants during that time. Meanwhile a strong draft, some good off-season signings and a renewed enthusiasm have fans excited about the coming season. The four win Browns sent five players to the Pro Bowl last year. Now, back to the quarterbacks. Brian Hoyer is in a battle with first round draft pick Johnnie Manziel for the starting job. As Cleveland's preseason becomes a quarterback competition, the team will have to leave their offensive starters in for both players in order to get a fair evaluation. Playing starters longer will possibly make the Browns a solid preseason bet, both against the line and Over the total.

NCAA
Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight created a monster with his dominant Sugar Bowl performance. As a redshirt freshman, he passed for 348 yards and four touchdowns and was the MVP in the Sooners 45-31 upset victory over Alabama in January. He was rewarded with the unquestioned starting job and a newfound fame. With those spoils comes a new level of expectations and pressure. Oklahoma's already rabid fans are fired up. The Sooners are expected to be in the mix for the national title, and they face a bright spotlight with a quarterback who has had one dominant game in his career. Fans are hoping Knight can duplicate that kind of performance starting August 30 as a 38 point favorite over Louisiana Tech. Looking only at his breakout performance in New Orleans and expecting more of the same can be dangerous. Lot of pressure on the kid! At this writing, I lean toward taking the points in this game.
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Tonight's CFL game features Saskatchewan traveling to Winnipeg for the opening game for Week 7. The home team Blue Bombers are off to a nice start with a 5-1 win/loss record and for a gaming man, they have been steady money covering five of six. The visiting Roughriders stand at 3-2 straight up and 3-2 against the spread. Winnipeg has had a difficult time beating Saskatchewan of late winning only two for their past thirteen games against the Riders. Should be a pretty entertaining ballgame as both teams are playing good football right now. I lean toward Saskatchewan to win and cover this one.
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NFL
There are six games on the NFL card tonight. Recognizing these practice games are nothing more than a crap shoot for gamblers, it's fun to try to pick some winners. Tonight's games:

Indianapolis @ New York Jets
New England @ Washington
San Francisco @ Baltimore
Cincinnati @ Kansas City
Seattle @ Denver
Dallas @ San Diego

Looking at today's schedule, I lean toward the Colts against the Jets and the Ravens against the 49ers. Baltimore has won 6 of their last 7 game one preseason games while New York has lost 5 straight opening preseason games.

NCAA
Arkansas State has their 5th head coach in five years. 2010 Steve Roberts who was fired. 2011 Hugh Freeze who left for Ole Miss. 2012 Gus Malzahn who hoped the train back to Auburn. 2013 Bryan Harsin who headed west to Boise State. The new man in town is Blake Anderson, the North Carolina offensive coordinator, and ASU asked him to sign a contract with a hefty buyout schedule to try to get him to stick around for longer than just a single season. Arkansas State's recent success (28-11 last 3 years/ 24-12 ATS) may be difficult to sustain, as they return only 11 starters from a team that wasn't as good as their 5-2 conference mark suggests (they were outgained by 50 yards per game). With the frequent coaching turnover, it stands to reason that recruiting suffered due to a lack of continuity. I would offer some caution on betting on the Red Wolfs this season.
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Saskatchewan won and covered last night against Winnipeg beating the Blue Bombers 23-17. The loss dropped Winnipeg to 5-2 while the Roughriders improved to 4-2. Tonight's games have Edmonton (3-1) traveling to Montreal (1-3) and Hamilton (1-3) visiting British Columbia (3-2). Both games look to be to close to take a position on other than Edmonton/Montreal have played under in seven of their eight games this season.
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NFL
New Orleans coach Sean Payton has been a solid leader for the Saints as he enters his 8th season with the team. He is 79-43 straight up and 66-54-2 against the spread. The Saints finished 2013 with a 12-6 record including 7-1 against the spread as a home favorite. Over the past three seasons, New Orleans is a staggering 19-4 ATS as a home favorite. Might be worth a mental note heading into the nearing season.

Tonight their are six more practice games scheduled. The one that sticks out to me is the Eagles vs Bears. Knowing Philadelphia is just 1-8-1 in game one preseason games. I'll lean toward Chicago and the small number to win and cover tonight.

NCAA
Arizona State's high-octane offense averaged 39.7 points per game last year and will have quarterback Taylor Kelly back to lead the team again. Last year he passed for 3,635 yards, good for second all time for a single Sun Devil season. He also threw 29 touchdowns during 2013 giving him 57 over the last two years. While the Devils will routinely score in the 40's as it did last year, the difference is the other team might too. The defense has been completely blown up with eight starters departing. To help with the defensive transition, seven junior college transfers were brought in. Winning during 2014 will take some quick adjusting from a lot of defensive newcomers who weren't around for spring practice. I'm thinking there will be some high totals with the Sun Devils this year!
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Working on that second pot of Folgers and man is it good this morning. Also good was being able to go over and watch one of the local high school teams practice yesterday. Just get the feeling some football is near...that's real good!

After the Unders dominated the first six weeks of the CFL season, Overs were the play last night as Edmonton downed Montreal 33-23 and British Columbia outlasted Hamilton 36-29. Only one game today. A struggling Ottawa RedBlacks team travels to Calgary as a double digit dog and a defense that giving up 400 yards per game. Gotta lean toward the Stampeders simply because they are the much better team.

Sidenote: What if the Washington Redskins were named the Washington RedBlacks? Holly Molly!!!
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Other football news..............

NFL
Some believe the Baltimore Ravens suffered from the Super Bowl Jinx last year. After finishing just 8-8 (7-9 ATS) and not even making the post season...I might just agree. On the other hand, when your quarterback throws more interceptions than touchdowns and your star running back averages just 3.1 yards per carry...that's bad. Also consider a team that led the league in penalties with 126 for 1,196 yards and you see an undisciplined/under performing organization. Close call losses (five by 6 or less points; average defeat 3.2 ppg) lends some confidence for 2014 if Joe Flacco and Ray Rice play again like highly paid professionals. There's lots of experience and excellent depth on a defense that gave up 22 ppg last year. Now, can Flacco and company score more than 20 points a game like last year's disappointing offense. Probably so, but I'm no Flacco fan and will be cautious the first part of the season with the Blackbirds.

NCAA
Oregon has six straight seasons of 10+ wins and can't see how the 2014 season will be any different. Led by explosive quarterback Marcus Mariota and seven other starters from the No. 2 offense in the nation last year, the "Quack Attack" should be alive and well. Mariota has his entire offensive line returning and typical Oregon burners are once again manning the skill positions. The defense is a concern due to only 5 regulars returning and the retirement of experienced defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti. Provided the defense can hold opponents to 20 points a game like last year, the offense should maintain or better their 45 ppg average. Doing the math...that spells a bunch of victories. The Ducks miss both Arizona State and USC, and will host Stanford in Eugene. If they get past UCLA in Pasadena on October 11, watch out.
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Calgary won and covered as expected last night beating a not very good Ottawa team 38-17. Another over the total brought the count to 3-1 for Week 7. Maybe offenses are hitting their stride while scoring more points than early in the season.
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Other football news...........

NFL
Johnny Manziel showed off some of his fancy footwork, and the Cleveland rookie looked sharp with his arm too in his preseason debut, although the Browns lost 13-12 to the Detroit Lions. Manziel entered the game in the middle of the second quarter and completed 7 of 11 passes for 63 yards. He ran for 27 yards on six carries, including a 16-yard scramble in the third quarter.

Rookie Zach Mettenberger, from LSU, made up for two turnovers in the fourth quarter by completing three passes for 71 yards to set up the Tennessee Titans go-ahead touchdown as Tennessee defeated Green Bay 20-16 for new coach Ken Whisenhunt's first win. The game was played mostly in pouring rain.

NCAA
The only hint Tennessee coach Butch Jones has offered about the status of the Volunteers' quarterback competition is that he isn't satisfied with the performance of any of the contenders. Senior Justin Worley and sophomores Joshua Dobbs and Nathan Peterman all struggled in the first week of practice. That represents a major concern for a Tennessee program that ranked 111th among FBS teams in passing efficiency last year. Worley, Dobbs and Peterman each started at least one game last year and combined to throw 17 interceptions and only 12 touchdown passes. Worley made seven starts before undergoing season ending thumb surgery. Dobbs started the final four games. Peterman started a 31-17 loss to Florida in which he broke his hand, knocking him out for the rest of the season. The Vols also have added walk-on Mike Wegzyn, who started 14 games at Massachusetts over the past two seasons. All the quarterbacks have experienced accuracy problems thus far. No wonder Jones is worried. Tennessee has had only one winning season the past six years.
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CFL Week 8**********************************************************

Western Division

Team.....................SU.....ATS.....O/U
Calgary..................5-1.....4-2.....2-4
Edmonton..............5-1.....4-2......1-5
Winnipeg................5-2....5-2......4-3
Saskatchewan........4-2.....2-4......2-4
British Columbia.....4-3.....4-3......2-5

Eastern Division

Team....................SU.....ATS.....O/U
Toronto.................1-5.....2-4.....2-4
Hamilton...............1-5.....3-3.....3-3
Montreal................1-5.....1-5.....2-4
Ottawa..................1-5.....1-5.....4-2

This week's schedule:

Tue. 8/12 - Winnipeg @ Toronto
Fri. 8/15 - Edmonton @ Ottawa
Sat. 8/16 - Calgary @ Hamilton and Montreal @ Saskatchewan
Sun. 8/17 - British Columbia @ Toronto

*The Eastern Division has a pitiful 5-19 win/loss record. On top of that, these same pretenders are a money burning 7-17 against the spread. Seems to me the eastern boys need to "Cowboy Up" and play like the western men.

*For the season, "Under" the total continues to dominate league play while covering 34 of 56 games.
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Other football news.....................

NFL
All four Saturday games went "Under" the total, bringing the overall number to 13 of 17 games, including the Hall of Fame Game. Of the 16 teams with true home field advantage, host teams went 12-3-1 against the spread and 14-2 straight up.

NCAA
It's an old cliché, but it's hard to argue: Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships. Notre Dame will go as far as the defense takes them this season. The big question is are there enough playmaker/athletes on that side of the ball? Rebuilding a defense with 6 new starters may prove difficult for 2014. By the way, the Fighting Irish don't have to worry about selling tickets. Notre Dame has filled its stadium every game since 1966.

Rice.....Michigan.....Purdue (Indianapolis).....Syracuse (East Rutherford).....Stanford.....North Carolina.....@Florida State.....Navy (Landover).....@Arizona State.....Northwestern.....Louisville.....@Southern Cal

One thing is for damn sure...the Irish won't have to worry about playing for a national championship...NOT WITH THIS SCHEDULE!!!
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Early week Tuesday game tonight as Winnipeg (5-2) travels east to play Toronto (2-4). It's hard to go against a western conference team playing an eastern conference team especially when Winnipeg is 3-0 in road games and 4-1 as a underdog, but I like Toronto to win and cover the small number tonight. Lean Argos in a close one.
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Other football news...............

NFL
San Francisco remains one of the two most talented teams (Seattle is the other) in the NFL. Injuries, a possible suspension and unfamiliar newcomers, however, will test them early on. The 49ers' offense likely will have to compensate for the early absence of linebacker NaVorro Bowman, and perhaps linebacker Aldon Smith, by scoring more points. That might mean a shift from a decidedly run-heavy offense to one that incorporates three-receiver formations at least more than the team has used in the past. San Francisco's schedule appears more difficult in the second half when they will face the Seahawks twice. If they can weather the first eight games, they promise to be at their strongest when the games count the most.

NCAA
Mark Emmert said Sunday the NCAA will appeal a ruling that opens the door for college athletes to receive some of the money they help generate in major sports. In the NCAA president's first public comments since Friday's ruling, Emmert said college sports' largest governing body found a lot in the decision that was "admirable" and some parts they disagreed with so strongly that they could not let it go unchallenged in court. The NCAA's decision to challenge the ruling is hardly a surprise. Donald Remy, the organization's chief legal officer, had repeatedly said that if the NCAA lost, it would appeal the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if needed. Many legal experts think this case could be heading that direction.
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After a 21-21 tie midway through the third quarter, Toronto went on to beat/cover against Winnipeg 38-21 last night as 3.5 point favorites. Argonauts quarterback Ricky Ray passed for 297 yards and 4 touchdowns while completing passes to ten different receivers. This week, Toronto will continue it's home stand (note: short week) when the British Columbia Lions visit on Sunday night. Winnipeg's next game will be on Friday during Week 9 against Montreal.
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Other football news.................

NFL
Week 2 preseason schedule:
Thursday: Jacksonville @ Chicago (ESPN)
Friday: Philadelphia @ New England.....Tennessee @ New Orleans.....Detroit @ Oakland.....San Diego @ Seattle
Saturday: Green Bay @ St. Louis.....NY Jets @ Cincinnati.....Baltimore @ Indy.....Buffalo @ Pittsburgh.....Miami @ Tampa Bay.....Atlanta @ Houston.....Arizona @ Minnesota
Sunday: Denver @ San Francisco.....Kansas City @ Carolina (FOX)
Monday: Cleveland @ Washington (ESPN)

Listed blow are the Best and Worst against the spread trends for teams in preseason Game Two.
Miami (7-1)
Minnesota (6-1)
San Diego (6-1)
Kansas City (0-11)
Dallas (0-4)
Carolina (1-6)

NCAA
The Manziel era is now over at Texas A&M. So are the playing days for first round draft picks WR Mike Evans and OT Jake Matthews leaving some big holes on a record setting 2013 offense. Even with the departure of three first-round draft picks, the offense should again generate plenty of points and excitement, as the veteran line is loaded with talented players and the running backs and receivers are filled with big-play threats. If A&M receives adequate play at quarterback, the offense will have a chance to be pretty good.

The Aggie defense needs to improve by leaps and bounds from last year's unit that ranked last in the SEC. The defense returns nine starters from a squad that game up 476 yards per game and 32 points per game. Having nine of these same guys back may or may not be so good. It's worth noting the Aggies played 20 first time players, including 15 true freshman, in their season opener last year. Many being on the defensive side of the ball.

First year quarterback and run-of-the-mill defense will cause a team difficulties in the tough-ass Southeastern Conference. Guess we will all see opening week when the Aggies travel to Columbia, South Carolina for a Thursday night game. Bank on one thing, the rookie A&M quarterback will be tested early and often. Williams-Brice Stadium will be rocking!!
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2014 CFL Players of the Week

.............Offense..........................................Defense
Wk. 1 Drew Willy, QB, Winnipeg..............Ricky Foley, DE, Saskatchewan
Wk. 2 Ricky Ray, QB, Toronto.................John Bowman, DE, Montreal
Wk. 3 Andrew Harris, RB, BC..................Almondo Sewell, DT, Edmonton
Wk. 4 Emanuel Arceneaux, WR, BC..........Odel Willis, DE, Edmonton
Wk. 5 Dan LeFevour, QB, Hamilton..........John Chick, DE, Saskatchewan
Wk. 6 Drew Willy, QB, Winnipeg..............Ronnie Yell, DB, British Columbia
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Other football news..............

NFL
Week One road FAVORITES have gone Under the Total 66% of the time since 1995. NFL teams that lay points on the road in their first game of the season have been great 'Under' plays over the years. Week One road 'chalk' is 33-65-2 O/U. That's 2 out of every 3 games over an 18 year period that have gone UNDER the Total. Last season, there were 5 such road favorites in Week One and the results went 1-4 O/U. In fact, the results were the exact same in the 2012 season as well. Four out of five Week One road favorites also went under the total.

NCAA
The Southeastern Conference's new network debuts today, promising more than 1,000 live events this year and reach that includes most major television providers in the South. The network will be welcomed by millions of fans of who can't get enough coverage of the most powerful conference in college sports (homer) and SEC officials think it will increase each schools revenue. Getting the network off the ground with operations at 14 different campuses wasn't easy or inexpensive. Some schools needed to build professional studios, hire a video staff and upgrade stadium and arena TV facilities. Each of the 14 SEC representatives must have some sort of studio in place for live interviews the SEC Network can access from its home base in Charlotte, North Carolina.

DirecTV, Comcast, Cox Media, Dish Network, Charter Cable, AT&T U-Verse, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks will all offer the Network.
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Sidenote: The 2014 RX Posters College Football Challenge now has 30 paid contestants among the 50 plus who indicated they wanted in the contest. Special "thanks" to Betallsports for initiating this contest for all RX members who want to enter. Entries accepted until August 26th. Should be great fun and rewarding for the winner!

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