Cnotes 2019 Canadian Football League Picks - News - Trends !

[CNOTES]

PREVIEW
LIONS, ALS CAP OFF SATURDAY TRIPLE-HEADER
CFL.CA STAFF


VANCOUVER — With their starting quarterback watching from the sidelines, the Montreal Alouettes are looking to inch closer to a playoff spot when they take on the BC Lions at BC Place Saturday evening.


Vernon Adams Jr. is serving his one-game suspension following an incident in the team’s Week 15 victory. Instead of appealing the suspension, Adams will miss Saturday’s game against the Lions and return to take on the Calgary Stampeders next week.


Alouettes backup Matthew Shiltz is slated to make his second career start in place of Adams. Over his three seasons in Montreal, Shiltz has completed 61 per cent of his passes for 686 yards, 107 of which have come in 2019.


“His pocket presence has improved,” Alouettes head coach Khari Jones told MontrealAlouettes.com. “I think he might have been a little quick to get out of it sometimes. Now, he’s staying in there, trusting himself and trusting the reads. That comes with time and practice. He sees things more and more and has gotten more comfortable with what we’re doing. It will be fun to see.”


The main issue for Shiltz over his CFL career has been ball security – he’s thrown seven interceptions to just two touchdown passes. The 26-year-old graduate of Butler University has never thrown a pass against the Lions.


In his second career start, Shiltz will be facing the league’s active leader in passing yards. Mike Reilly has the unfortunate honour of being the last Week 1 starting quarterback standing in the CFL. This is despite getting punished earlier in the season.


The knock on BC through the first half of the year was the poor play of the offensive line. Reilly was sacked 43 times through the first 10 games and was on pace to absorb the most sacks in a single season in recent memory.


However, with the addition of offensive line coach Kelly Bates, the line has significantly improved, allowing just three sacks over the last three contests. Running back John White is coming off an 80-yard rushing performance in a win over Ottawa and, before that, Brandon Rutley broke the century mark.


Thanks to his being able to stay healthy, Reilly is 400 yards shy of passing Trevor Harris for the passing yards lead this season. Harris was moved to the six-game injured list by Edmonton this week, so it seems like Reilly is in good shape to take over atop the ranking.


BC enjoyed back-to-back dominant wins over the Ottawa REDBLACKS during the past two weeks, outscoring Ottawa 69-12. Reilly was able to get a variety of different receivers involved, while the Lions defence forced seven turnovers.


“They’re starting to share the load a little bit,” Lions receivers coach Markus Howell told BCLions.com. “Shaq Johnson had a big game and helped us get the ball rolling in Ottawa, Lemar helped us in the run game and caught a lot of jet sweeps . . . and then Duron got in the end zone and helped us on the big throw down the field. They’re sharing the load and they’re making plays, which is helping us.”


Even with their stretch of good play, the Lions can be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention should they lose and the Eskimos beat the REDBLACKS Saturday afternoon in Ottawa.


“There’s no point bringing up the record from the past,” receiver Lemar Durant said. “It is what it is. We just have to keep getting better this week. We come out to practice looking at nothing except for the opponent we have right now. This week it’s Montreal. The only goal is to beat them and, hopefully, other things will just work themselves out.”


As for the Als, they are coming off the biggest comeback in franchise history, erasing a 24-point deficit against the Bombers. Montreal boasts one of the league’s most formidable receiving corps, with DeVier Posey, Eugene Lewis and Quan Bray proving to be dependable targets.


Rookie Jake Wieneke played hero last week in a breakout performance. Entering the contest, the 25-year-old from Maple Grove, Minn., had never caught more than three balls in a game, but exploded for eight receptions, 134 yards and the late, game-winning touchdown.


The most remarkable performance belonged to the Montreal defence, though. After giving up 34 points in the opening half, they conceded a lone field goal in the second half. They’ll be looking for a similar performance Saturday on the west coast.


BY THE NUMBERS


4 – Straight seasons with 1,000 yards receiving for Bryan Burnham. The last Lion to accomplish that feat was Geroy Simon.


131 – Career sacks for John Bowman. He passed Vince Goldsmith (130.5) for sole possession of sixth all-time.


93.3 – Field goal percentage for Sergio Castillo, the highest in the CFL this season.


521 – Receiving yards for DeVier Posey over the last five games.


Kickoff is at 10 p.m. ET and can be seen on TSN, RDS and ESPN+, and followed live via CFL.ca Game Tracker.

 

[CNOTES]

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


EDM at OTT 04:00 PM
OTT +7.0
U 47.0


SSK at TOR 07:00 PM
SSK -7.0
O 49.0


MTL at BC 10:00 PM
BC -6.5
U 49.0

 

[CNOTES]

GAME RECAP
LATE TOUCHDOWN LIFTS ESKS OVER REDBLACKS
CFL.CA STAFF


OTTAWA — The Edmonton Eskimos scored a late touchdown and came out on top against the Ottawa REDBLACKS with a 21-16 road win on Saturday. Logan Kilgore threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Tevaun Smith in the final minutes to give Edmonton the victory, and the Esks now hold a 7-7 record after snapping a four-game losing streak.


Stingy defensive play made an immediate impact, as both defensive units did not surrender any big plays or touchdowns in the first half. The REDBLACKS struck first late in the opening quarter with a field goal from Lewis Ward, and the Esks added a single point in the second quarter.


A pair of field goals from Sean Whyte gave Edmonton a 7-3 lead heading into half-time, and the Esks extended their lead with a long touchdown drive to start the third quarter. But Ottawa got things going in the fourth quarter with Ward’s second field goal and a rushing score from Dominique Davis.


Ottawa later lost Davis to an injury, and Kilgore engineered a late scoring drive to retake the lead and claim the win. Kilgore threw a key 51-yard completion to DaVaris Daniels to get the drive going, and he capped it off with the game-winning touchdown toss to Smith.


Kilgore threw for 223 yards while completing 19 of 28 passes.


Edmonton’s defence held the REDBLACKS to just 56 passing yards in the first half, and they finished the game with six sacks while forcing 10 punts.


Jonathon Jennings got the start at quarterback for Ottawa, but Davis rotated in early and helped lead the REDBLACKS to their first score late in the opening quarter. A 19-yard catch-and-run from receiver Marco Dubois brought the ball into kicking range, and Ottawa grabbed the game’s first lead on a 42-yard field goal from Ward after the drive stalled.


Edmonton cut into the lead in the second quarter when the REDBLACKS conceded a single after a 50-yard punt from Hugh O’Neill.


The Esks grabbed a one-point lead shortly before half-time when a 17-yard pass from Kilgore to Greg Ellingson helped set up a clutch 50-yard field goal from Whyte. Back-to-back sacks from Esks defensive lineman Mike Moore forced Ottawa to punt the ball in the final minute of the half, and Kilgore capitalized by finding Ellingson for an 18-yard gain that set up Whyte’s second field goal.


Whyte knocked the 47-yard kick through the uprights as time expired to give Edmonton a 7-3 lead.


The Esks came out strong on offence to start the second half, putting together a 10-play, 66-yard drive that saw them move the ball with tough yardage on the ground to extend the lead. Running back C.J. Gable gained 45 yards on five carries to set up a one-yard rushing touchdown from Kilgore, and Whyte kicked the convert to put Edmonton up 14-3.


Ottawa gained ground on Edmonton early in the fourth quarter with a big 52-yard field goal from Ward. Davis moved the ball into range with completions to Dominique Rhymes and R.J. Harris, and the successful kick gave the REDBLACKS a needed momentum boost.


The REDBLACKS forced a quick punt on defence, and the offence began driving once again. Davis dropped back and found Rhymes for a huge 45-yard gain that sparked the drive, and a 25-yard catch-and-run from Brendan Gillanders led to a quarterback sneak touchdown from Davis two plays later.


Davis also added the two-point conversion on a quarterback sneak to tie the game at 14 apiece with under 10 minutes remaining.


But Davis left the game late in the fourth quarter after suffering an apparent upper body injury while taking a sack, and the Esks began to find a rhythm on offence in the final minutes. Kilgore connected with Daniels deep down the field for a 51-yard gain after the receiver used a double move to get open.


Smith capped off the drive with a 17-yard touchdown catch. The play was challenged, but the call stood with Smith somehow maintaining possession as he went to the ground. Whyte added the extra point to give Edmonton a 21-14 lead.


Edmonton surrendered a safety in the final seconds while grinding out the clock, giving them a 21-16 win.


Week 17 will see the Edmonton Eskimos travel on the road to face the East-leading Hamilton Tiger-Cats, while the Ottawa REDBLACKS will get a bye week before facing the Toronto Argonauts on the road in Week 18.

 

[CNOTES]

GAME RECAP
SEA OF GREEN TOO MIGHTY FOR ARGOS; RIDERS WIN, CLINCH PLAYOFFS
CFL.CA STAFF


TORONTO — The Saskatchewan Roughriders brought the Sea of Green with them to Toronto as they defeated the Argonauts 41-16 at BMO Field.


With the win, the Riders clinched a playoff berth.


Cody Fajardo had every piston clicking in his offence, finishing the game with 278 yards through the air and three touchdowns. And if that wasn’t enough, he’d add 80 yards on the ground and a touchdown as well.


The Roughriders opened up the scoring in Toronto. Quarterback Cody Fajardo scampered and slung his offence deep into the red zone before Argos’ Bear Woods forced a third down.


Saskatchewan went on to settle for a chip-shot field goal, putting them ahead by three momentarily. The Argos matched them on the ensuing drive after a 42-yard reception by Derel Walker put the Boatmen inside the 10-yard line.


From there, either team’s defence kept things for the remainder of the first quarter and much of the second.


That is until Fajardo got the ball rolling for the Riders’ offence.


Midway through the second quarter, the Riders started on offence from their own 36-yard line. seven plays later and the Green and White were in the end zone by way of Kyran Moore from Fajardo.


A 40-yard field goal by Brett Lauther pushed the Roughriders’ lead to double digits, going ahead of the Argos 13-3. That score would stand as time expired on the half.


The first turnover of the ball game came in the form of an interception by James Franklin on the final play of the half.


Saskatchewan snagged a first down away from the Argos early in the third quarter after Salomon Elmimian forced a fumble after Argos’ running back Chris Rainey had broken free. Nick Marshall jumped on the bouncing ball, putting his team’s offence back on the field for another scoring drive.


Starting on Toronto’s 27-yard line, the Riders just needed a few plays to progress the ball deeper into the red zone before finding Shaq Evans on an out route near the goal line, further extending their lead to 17 points.


After a quick two-and-out by Franklin and the Argos, Fajardo and the Riders kept the pedal to the metal.


Starting from their own 44-yard line, Fajardo went five for six on the drive before calling his own number. The Riders’ pivot dashed his way through an opening in the trenches for eight yards and the score. The touchdown marked his tenth rushing touchdown of the season.


In the fourth quarter, fans got a look at vintage SJ Green as the Double Blue looked to chip away at their deficit. Capping an 11 play drive, Franklin found Green posting towards to back of the end zone. Toronto’s quarterback then delivered the ball to the veteran’s outstretched hands to narrow the Saskatchewan lead to 17 with 9:40 remaining in the game.


Not to be phased, Fajardo responded by connecting with his veteran receiver in the form of Emmanuel Arceneaux for a 55-yard touchdown. The score marked Arceneaux’s first as a Roughrider.


Just about sealing the deal for the Riders, Cameron Judge picked of a floating pass from Franklin, leading to another touchdown for the Riders on the following play to go up 41-10. Backup quarterback Bryan Bennett dashed 12 yards for his first touchdown of the season.


Toronto pieced together a scoring driving concluded with a 1-yard sneak by Franklin. But with two minutes remaining it was too little too late as the Roughriders went on to win their ninth game of the season.


The Argos lost their 11th tilt of the year.


Up next for the Riders will be a home date with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on the Friday of Week 17. The Argonauts will follow up with a trip to the west coast where they’ll take on the BC Lions.

 

[CNOTES]

GAME TRACKER
LIONS REMAIN IN PLAYOFF CONTENTION WITH 3RD CONSECUTIVE WIN
CFL.CA STAFF


VANCOUVER — A sigh of relief for the BC Lions as their playoff hopes came within a few yards of being crushed by the Montreal Alouettes.


It remains a long climb for the Lions, but they held off the Alouettes and claimed the 25-23 victory at BC Place on Saturday night.


As for the Alouettes, they could have clinched a playoff position for the first time since 2014. That hope will have to wait for now.


Lions’ Mike Reilly completed 30 of his 34 passing attempts, putting up 309 yards through the air and a touchdown. As for his young counterpart, Matthew Shiltz managed to complete 53 per cent of his passes for 177 yards. He’d also add 62 yards on the ground, as well as a touchdown.


After the first quarter, both teams exchanged field goals.


Offensively, Montreal had the upper hand with a mere 82 yards compared to BC’s 63 yards. It perhaps may be safe to say the quarter was primarily dictated by the defensive side of the ball. Shawn Lemon tallied two sacks, and teammates Odell Willis and Jonathon Newsome both recorded one each as well.


The defensive play continued to be the strength for either team as the remainder of the first half was played out.


John Bowman registered two sacks for Montreal. Also, while it may be hard to believe that it took him 14 years to do so, but Bowman hauled in his first career interception in the first half against the Lions.


Kickers would be responsible for all of the points in the first half. Sergio Castillo‘s leg would take the Lions into the locker room at halftime with the lead. He went perfect on his three field goal attempts, giving BC the 9-3 lead after two quarters of play.


In the second half, Montreal got their offence operating as Matthew Shiltz looked to get a little more comfortable in his first start of the season with Vernon Adams Jr. out on a 1-game suspension.


On the Alouettes’ first offensive play of the half, Eugene Lewis slipped through the Lions’ secondary coverage as Shiltz dropped the ball into his receiver’s waiting hands. Lewis went 97 yards untouched to put the Alouettes ahead 10-9.


One offensive drive later, Shiltz continued his demonstration of comfort as he’d later take off on a 29-yard scamper down to the 1-yard line. Antonio Pipkin came in for the short-yardage plunge to give the Als a 7-point advantage.


A spark was ignited for quarterback Mike Reilly and the Lions’ offence. They responded with a scoring drive of their own. Starting on their own 15-yard line, Reilly marched the Leos downfield and connected with Bryan Burnham in the front corner of the end zone. The Lions were unable to capitalize on a two-point conversion and remained trailing Montreal 17-15.


As time expired in the third quarter, Reilly and Burnham connected once again to get the Lions within the 5-yard line as they looked to claw back into the lead. As the fourth quarter got underway, Reilly handed the ball off to John White as the Lions’ running back dashed his way into the end zone.


With the score, the Lions reclaimed the lead over the Alouettes with the score at 22-17.


As Shiltz looked to respond, the Lions defence buckled down.


Looking for Quan Bray, Shiltz found his pass finding the hands of BC’s Chris Edwards as the defensive back undercut Bray’s route.


While the Lions offence was unable to move the ball, the sure-legged Castillo came in to further extend his team’s lead with a 48-yard field goal.


On a drive that remained on the ground for eight of its nine plays, Shiltz orchestrated a scoring drive with 34 yards of his own, including the 7-yard scoring run. An incomplete 2-point attempt to Devier Posey kept the Als trailing by two.


With less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Sergio Castillo lined up for a 50-yard field goal. However, despite making each of his attempts up until this point, the Alouettes’ Fabion Foote burst through the line to block the kick.


The block gave Shiltz the opportunity that Vernon Adams Jr. has done so often this season, lead a game-winning drive and bring Montreal another win for the season.


Within yards of pulling off the victory, the Alouettes fumbled the ball and were unable to get the ball across the goal line, giving Reilly and the Lions possession on their own 1-yard line and ultimately letting time run out, extending BC’s playoff hopes to another week.


Montreal will continue their road trip with a stop in Calgary to face the West Division-leading Stampeders on Saturday. The Lions will conclude another triple-header Saturday in the CFL by welcoming another East Division opponent next week when the Toronto Argonauts come into town.

 

[CNOTES]

WEEK 17


Friday, October 4, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home
7:00 PM Edmonton Eskimos Hamilton Tiger Cats


Saturday, October 5, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home
4:00 PM Calgary Stampeders Montreal Alouettes
7:00 PM Winnipeg Blue Bombers Saskatchewan Roughriders
10:00 PM Toronto Argonauts British Columbia Lions






****************************




CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE AUGUST/SEPT. BEST BETS AND OPINIONS


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD




09/28/2019.......5-1-0.....83.33%.....+19.50
09/27/2019.......1-1-0.....50.00%......-0.50
09/21/2019.......3-1-0.....75.00%.....+9.50
09/20/2019.......1-2-1.....33.33%......-6.00
09/14/2019.......3-1-0.....75.00%......+9.50
09/13/2019.......1-1-0.....50.00%.......-0.50
09/07/2019.......5-1-0.....83.33%.....+19.50
09/06/2019.......1-1-0.....50.00%......-0.50
09/01/2019...... 0-2-0...... 0.00%..... -11.00
08/25/2019...... 1-1-0 .....50.00%..... -0.50
08/24/2019 ......2-2-0 .....50.00%..... -1.00
08/17/2019...... 3-1-0..... 75.00%..... +9.50
08/16/2019...... 1-1-0 .....50.00%..... -0.50
08/15/2019...... 2-0-0 .....100.00%.... +10.00
08/10/2019...... 0-2-0........ 0.00%.... -11.00
08/09/2019...... 3-1-0 .......75.00%.... +9.50
08/08/2019...... 1-0-1.......100.00%.... +5.00
08/03/2019...... 1-1-0 .......50.00%.... -0.50
08/02/2019...... 2-0-0...... 100.00%... +10.00
08/01/2019...... 3-1-0........ 75.00%.. +9.50




Totals..............34-20-2..... 62.96%.... +58.00






******************************




BEST BETS:




DATE........................ATS........... ..UNITS..............O/U..............UNITS.............TOTAL




09/28/2019..............2 - 1.............+4.50............3 - 0.............+15.00............+19.50
09/27/2019..............0 - 1..............-5.50.............1 - 0.............+5.00..............-0.50
09/21/2019..............1 - 1..............-0.50.............2 - 0.............+10.00............+9.50
09/20/2019..............1 - 0..............+5.00............0 - 2.............-11.00..............-6.00
09/14/2019..............1 - 1..............-0.50.............2 - 0.............+10.00.............+9.50
09/13/2019..............0 - 1..............-5.50.............1 - 0.............+5.00...............-0.50
09/07/2019..............2 - 1.............+4.00.............3 - 0.............+15.00.............+19.00
09/06/2019..............1 - 0 ............+5.00............0 - 1..............-5.50................-0.50
09/01/2019..............0 - 1.............-5.50..............0 - 1.............-5.50................-11.00
08/25/2019..............1 - 0.............+5.00.............0 - 1.............-5.50................-0.50
08/24/2019..............0 - 2.............-11.00.............2 - 0............+10.00..............-1.00
08/17/2019..............1 - 1.............-0.50...............2 - 0............+10.00.............+9.50
08/16/2019..............0 - 1.............-5.50...............1 - 0............+5.00................-0.50
08/15/2019..............1 - 0.............+5.00..............1 - 0.............+5.00..............+10.00
08/10/2019..............0 - 1.............-5.50...............0 - 1..............-5.50...............-11.00
08/09/2019..............2 - 0............+10.00.............1 - 1.............-0.50...............+9.50
08/08/2019..............1 - 0............+5.00..............0 -0 -1...........+0.00.............+5.00
08/03/2019..............1 - 0............+5.00...............0 - 1.............-5.50...............-0.50
08/02/2019..............1 - 0............+5.00...............1 - 0.............+5.00.............+10.00
08/01/2019..............2 - 0 ...........+10.00.............1 - 1..............-0.50..............+9.50




Totals....................18 - 12...........+23.50.........21 -10 - 1..........+55.50............+79.00

 

[CNOTES]

CFL Betting Notes - Week 17
David Schwab


Hamilton helped it cause in winning the East Division title with Friday night’s 33-13 upset over Winnipeg as a five-point road underdog. In the first of three Saturday games on the Week 16 CFL schedule, Edmonton got past Ottawa 21-16, but it could not cover as seven-point favorites on the road.


In the third of four CFL inter-division tilts this past weekend, Saskatchewan rolled over Toronto 41-16 as a 6 ½-point road favorite. British Columbia kept things rolling for the West by beating Montreal 25-23, but it could not cover giving six points at home.


Friday, Oct. 4


Edmonton Eskimos (7-7 SU, 4-10 ATS) at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (11-3 SU, 9-4-1 ATS)
Point-spread: Hamilton -6
Total: 46 ½


Game Overview


The Eskimos were able to even their record and improve their playoff chances with Saturday’s win. They also snapped a straight-up four-game losing streak that included a 30-27 loss to Hamilton at home as slight 1 ½-point underdogs. Edmonton has failed to cover against the spread in seven of its last eight games with the total going OVER in four of its last six outings. Logan Kilgore threw a 17-yard game winning scoring strike to Tevaun Smith in the closing minutes to get past Ottawa.


Hamilton has clinched a playoff spot and its lead over Montreal for the East title is now four and a half games. The Tiger-Cats are a perfect 6-0 SU at home this season with a 4-1-1 record ATS. They are 6-3-1 ATS when closing as favorites. The total has stayed UNDER in seven of their last 10 games. Dane Evans continues to get the call at quarterback and he threw for 359 yards and three scores against Winnipeg last Friday. Brandon Banks caught eight balls for 113 yards and a score in that game.


Betting Trends


-- Edmonton is 4-1 SU in its last five road games against the Tigers-Cats with a 5-1-1 record ATS in its last seven trips to Hamilton. The total has gone OVER in four of the last five meetings overall.




Saturday, Oct. 5


Calgary Stampeders (9-4 SU, 5-7-1 ATS) at Montreal Alouettes (7-6 SU, 8-5 ATS)
Point-spread: Calgary -1 ½
Total: 51 ½


Game Overview


Calgary returns from its bye week tied with Saskatchewan for first place in the West Division standings. The Stampeders have won their last four games SU with a 2-1-1 record ATS. Back on Aug. 17, they lost to Montreal 40-34 as five-point home favorites. The total went way OVER 49 ½ points in that game, but it has stayed UNDER in three of four games since that loss. Bo Levi Mitchell is a big reason for Calgary’s current winning streak. Overall, he has thrown for 1,732 yards and eight touchdowns in six previous starts.


Saturday’s loss to BC kept Montreal from clinching its first playoff berth since 2014, but it only needs one more win in its last five games to earn a spot in the East. With Vernon Adams Jr. serving a one-game league suspension, Matt Shiltz got the start at quarterback for the Alouettes. He went 10-for-19 for 177 yards. Adams should be back in the lineup this Saturday. He is fifth in the CFL in total passing yards (2,953) with 15 touchdown throws verse eight interceptions.


Betting Trends


-- Montreal has won four of its last five home games against Calgary SU while covering in all five contests. The total has stayed UNDER in eight of the last 11 matchups in this inter-division clash.




Winnipeg Blue Bombers (9-5 SU, 9-5 ATS) at Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-4 SU, 8-5 ATS)
Point-spread: Saskatchewan -6
Total: 47


Game Overview


Winnipeg slipped out of first place in the West with Friday’s loss. This was its third SU loss in its last four games. This includes a SU home-and-home split against Saskatchewan with each team coming away with a win on its home field. The total stayed UNDER in both contests. The Blue Bombers are still forging on without Matt Nichols under center. In his place, Chris Streveler threw for 304 yards with one touchdown in Friday’s losing cause. He was also picked off twice.


The Roughriders’ only SU loss in their last nine games was on the road to Winnipeg. They have failed to cover in three of their last four games, but they are 6-3 ATS in nine games closing as favorites. Cody Fajardo turned in another strong effort at quarterback in Saturday’s win with 278 yards passing and three touchdown throws against no interceptions. He also ran for 80 yards and a score on 11 carries. Saskatchewan rushed for 147 total yards in that game.


Betting Trends


-- Winnipeg has a SU 8-4 edge in its last 12 games against the Roughriders and it is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings. The total has gone OVER in nine of the last 11 meetings in Saskatchewan.




Toronto Argonauts (2-11 SU, 5-6-2 ATS) at British Columbia (4-10 SU, 6-8 ATS)
Point-spread: BC -9 ½
Total: 51


Game Overview


The Argonauts continue to ride out the string with just one SU win in their last six games. They lost to BC 18-17 early in the season as eight-point home underdogs. Toronto is 2-3-1 ATS in six previous road games this season. It is easy to see why this team has only won two games this year. The offense is averaging 19.7 points per game to complement a defense that is ranked last in the league in points allowed (33.0). James Franklin was back under center in Saturday’s loss.


It may be too little, too late, but the Lions have strung together three SU wins. Even after failing to cover against Montreal, they are 5-2 ATS over their last seven outings. The total stayed UNDER 49 points in that latest win and it has now stayed UNDER in BC’s last six contests. Mike Reilly completed 30 of his 34 passing attempts on Saturday for 309 yards and a score. He is currently second in the CFL in total passing yards with 3,615. Reilly has tossed both 15 touchdowns and interceptions this season.


Betting Trends


-- BC has won 10 of its last 14 home games against Toronto SU, but the Argonauts have a 4-1 edge ATS in the last five meetings overall. The total has stayed UNDER in seven of the last eight matchups in this inter-division tilt.

 

[CNOTES]

CFL Week 17 preview, odds, picks & predictions: Bombers Defense will bounce back
Rohit Ponnaiya


The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have held the the Roughriders to 14.5 points per game in two contests this year, but are 6-point underdogs against Saskatchewan on Saturday.


Week 17 in the CFL is highlighted by a battle between the Roughriders and Blue Bombers. The Bombers are smarting after their embarrasing loss at home to Hamilton last week and will look to get their defense back on track against a Riders offense they have stuffed this season.


We break down the odds (provided by 10bet.com) for that game and more as we bring you our best bets and predictions for all the CFL games this weekend.


Season Betting Trends


Favorites: 45-16 SU, 26-33-2 ATS
Home teams: 35-26 SU, 28-31-2 ATS
Over/Under: 27-33-1


Week 16 Picks: 2-2
Season to date: 26-29-2

EDMONTON ESKIMOS AT HAMILTON TIGER-CATS (-6, 46.5)


No Masoli, no matter. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats clinched first place in the Eastern Division with five weeks left in the regular season despite losing their star quarterback Jeremiah Masoli to a season-ending injury in July. They are riding high after a 20-point victory on the road in Winnipeg and return home for a tilt against the Eskimos who have lost four of their last five games.


The Esks will once again be missing their own star QB in Trevor Harris who was moved to the six-game IL last weekend. Even with Harris, Edmonton had struggled in the red zone and despite leading the league with 403 yards per game is averaging only 21.3 points per game over thier last 10 contests.


With the Ti-Cats the No. 1 team in the league in both points scored (29.8 ppg) and points allowed (19.7 ppg), back them to win and cover the spread.


PICK: Hamilton -6




CALGARY STAMPEDERS AT MONTREAL ALOUETTES (+2, 51)


The Stamps are coming off their bye week and are tied for the best record in the West. The Als lost on the road to the Lions in Week 16 but had to play that game without their talented QB Vernon Adams Jr who was serving a one-game suspension.


These teams played each other on August 17 and Montreal pulled off a 40-34 road upset thanks to Adams who scored a pair of touchdowns on the ground while throwing for another two scores. The Stamps have an interesting recent history of struggling this month; they're 0-8 ATS and 2-6 SU over their last eight games in October. They also don't generally play well in Montreal going just 0-5 ATS and 1-4 SU in their previous five games at Molson Stadium.


If the Als win they clinch a playoff spot in the East so they should be extremely motivated to make those trends continue. Take the home dogs.


PICK: Montreal +2




WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS AT SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (-6, 47)


Two of the best teams in the CFL tangle for the third time this season. The Riders are 6-1 at home, including a 19-17 win over the Bombers in Week 12. However, the Bombers bounced back to throttle the Riders 35-10.


The Bombers coming off back to back losses, while the Riders have won eight of their last nine games and crushed the Argos by 25 points last week.


That said, Saskatchewan has only scored a total of 29 points in two games against Winnipeg this year. And despite the Bombers defense being uncharacteristically exposed the last two weeks they still hold opponents to just 21.4 points per game on the year. Expect Bombers defensive coordinator Richie Hall to make the necessary adjustments for Saturday and take the Riders team total Under 26.


PICK: Team Total - Saskatchewan Under 26.5




TORONTO ARGONAUTS AT BC LIONS (-9, 51)


The Lions have now won three games in a row after beginning the year 1-9. Their only victory through the first ten games of the season came against Toronto on July 6, when they eked out a 18-17 win on a missed field goal (a missed FG that goes through the endzone is a single point in the CFL).


BC's recent success might be a bit of a mirage though. Two of those three victories came against the Ottawa Redblacks who have been the worst team in the league since July and the other win was by just two points at home against an Alouettes side that was playing their backup QB. Laying nine points is just too much for a mediocre team like the Lions. Take the visitors.


PICK: Toronto +9

 

[CNOTES]

CFL
Long Sheet


Week 17


Friday, October 4


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


EDMONTON (7 - 7) at HAMILTON (11 - 3) - 10/4/2019, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 59-84 ATS (-33.4 Units) when playing on a Friday since 1996.
EDMONTON is 3-10 ATS (-8.0 Units) in games played on turf this season.
EDMONTON is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
HAMILTON is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) in all games this season.
HAMILTON is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) in all lined games this season.
HAMILTON is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) when playing on a Friday over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
HAMILTON is 4-1 against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
HAMILTON is 3-2 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Saturday, October 5


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CALGARY (9 - 4) at MONTREAL (7 - 6) - 10/5/2019, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CALGARY is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) in October games over the last 3 seasons.
MONTREAL is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) as an underdog this season.
MONTREAL is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) when playing on a Saturday this season.
MONTREAL is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 15-30 ATS (-18.0 Units) in home games in October games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 4-1 against the spread versus CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 3-2 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WINNIPEG (9 - 5) at SASKATCHEWAN (9 - 4) - 10/5/2019, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SASKATCHEWAN is 130-96 ATS (+24.4 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.
WINNIPEG is 33-20 ATS (+11.0 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 33-20 ATS (+11.0 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 6-3 against the spread versus SASKATCHEWAN over the last 3 seasons
WINNIPEG is 5-4 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 (2 - 11) at BRITISH COLUMBIA (4 - 10) - 10/5/2019, 10:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 4-1 against the spread versus BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 3-2 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------








CFL


Week 16


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Friday, October 4


Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton is 4-1-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Hamilton is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Hamilton's last 10 games
Hamilton is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Hamilton is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Hamilton's last 6 games at home
Hamilton is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Edmonton
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Hamilton's last 5 games when playing Edmonton
Hamilton is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Edmonton
Hamilton is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Edmonton
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Hamilton's last 7 games when playing at home against Edmonton
Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Edmonton is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Edmonton's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Edmonton's last 12 games
Edmonton is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Edmonton is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Edmonton's last 7 games on the road
Edmonton is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Hamilton
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Edmonton's last 5 games when playing Hamilton
Edmonton is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Hamilton
Edmonton is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Hamilton
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Edmonton's last 7 games when playing on the road against Hamilton




Saturday, October 5


Montreal Alouettes
Montreal is 13-5 ATS in its last 18 games
Montreal is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Montreal is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games at home
Montreal is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
Montreal is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games at home
Montreal is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Calgary
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Montreal's last 11 games when playing Calgary
Montreal is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Calgary
Montreal is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Calgary
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Montreal's last 6 games when playing at home against Calgary
Calgary Stampeders
Calgary is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Calgary's last 11 games
Calgary is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Calgary's last 9 games on the road
Calgary is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Calgary's last 11 games when playing Montreal
Calgary is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Calgary is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Calgary's last 6 games when playing on the road against Montreal


Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
Saskatchewan is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Saskatchewan is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Saskatchewan is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Winnipeg
Saskatchewan is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing Winnipeg
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Saskatchewan's last 5 games when playing Winnipeg
Saskatchewan is 16-4 SU in its last 20 games when playing at home against Winnipeg
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Saskatchewan's last 11 games when playing at home against Winnipeg
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg is 15-7 ATS in its last 22 games
Winnipeg is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 6 games
Winnipeg is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Winnipeg is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Saskatchewan
Winnipeg is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing Saskatchewan
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 5 games when playing Saskatchewan
Winnipeg is 4-16 SU in its last 20 games when playing on the road against Saskatchewan
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Winnipeg's last 11 games when playing on the road against Saskatchewan


British Columbia Lions
British Columbia is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
British Columbia is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of British Columbia's last 5 games
British Columbia is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home
British Columbia is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of British Columbia's last 5 games at home
British Columbia is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
British Columbia is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of British Columbia's last 8 games when playing Toronto
British Columbia is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto
British Columbia is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Toronto
British Columbia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto
Toronto Argonauts
Toronto is 5-10-2 ATS in its last 17 games
Toronto is 3-20 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 7 games
Toronto is 3-9-1 ATS in its last 13 games on the road
Toronto is 1-14 SU in its last 15 games on the road
Toronto is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing British Columbia
Toronto is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games when playing British Columbia
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Toronto's last 8 games when playing British Columbia
Toronto is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against British Columbia
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against British Columbia
Toronto is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against British Columbia

 

[CNOTES]

CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE AUGUST/SEPT./OCT. BEST BETS AND OPINIONS


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD




09/28/2019.......5-1-0.....83.33%.....+19.50
09/27/2019.......1-1-0.....50.00%......-0.50
09/21/2019.......3-1-0.....75.00%.....+9.50
09/20/2019.......1-2-1.....33.33%......-6.00
09/14/2019.......3-1-0.....75.00%......+9.50
09/13/2019.......1-1-0.....50.00%.......-0.50
09/07/2019.......5-1-0.....83.33%.....+19.50
09/06/2019.......1-1-0.....50.00%......-0.50
09/01/2019...... 0-2-0...... 0.00%..... -11.00
08/25/2019...... 1-1-0 .....50.00%..... -0.50
08/24/2019 ......2-2-0 .....50.00%..... -1.00
08/17/2019...... 3-1-0..... 75.00%..... +9.50
08/16/2019...... 1-1-0 .....50.00%..... -0.50
08/15/2019...... 2-0-0 .....100.00%.... +10.00
08/10/2019...... 0-2-0........ 0.00%.... -11.00
08/09/2019...... 3-1-0 .......75.00%.... +9.50
08/08/2019...... 1-0-1.......100.00%.... +5.00
08/03/2019...... 1-1-0 .......50.00%.... -0.50
08/02/2019...... 2-0-0...... 100.00%... +10.00
08/01/2019...... 3-1-0........ 75.00%.. +9.50




Totals..............34-20-2..... 62.96%.... +58.00






******************************




BEST BETS:




DATE........................ATS........... ..UNITS..............O/U..............UNITS.............TOTAL




09/28/2019..............2 - 1.............+4.50............3 - 0.............+15.00............+19.50
09/27/2019..............0 - 1..............-5.50.............1 - 0.............+5.00..............-0.50
09/21/2019..............1 - 1..............-0.50.............2 - 0.............+10.00............+9.50
09/20/2019..............1 - 0..............+5.00............0 - 2.............-11.00..............-6.00
09/14/2019..............1 - 1..............-0.50.............2 - 0.............+10.00.............+9.50
09/13/2019..............0 - 1..............-5.50.............1 - 0.............+5.00...............-0.50
09/07/2019..............2 - 1.............+4.00.............3 - 0.............+15.00.............+19.00
09/06/2019..............1 - 0 ............+5.00............0 - 1..............-5.50................-0.50
09/01/2019..............0 - 1.............-5.50..............0 - 1.............-5.50................-11.00
08/25/2019..............1 - 0.............+5.00.............0 - 1.............-5.50................-0.50
08/24/2019..............0 - 2.............-11.00.............2 - 0............+10.00..............-1.00
08/17/2019..............1 - 1.............-0.50...............2 - 0............+10.00.............+9.50
08/16/2019..............0 - 1.............-5.50...............1 - 0............+5.00................-0.50
08/15/2019..............1 - 0.............+5.00..............1 - 0.............+5.00..............+10.00
08/10/2019..............0 - 1.............-5.50...............0 - 1..............-5.50...............-11.00
08/09/2019..............2 - 0............+10.00.............1 - 1.............-0.50...............+9.50
08/08/2019..............1 - 0............+5.00..............0 -0 -1...........+0.00.............+5.00
08/03/2019..............1 - 0............+5.00...............0 - 1.............-5.50...............-0.50
08/02/2019..............1 - 0............+5.00...............1 - 0.............+5.00.............+10.00
08/01/2019..............2 - 0 ...........+10.00.............1 - 1..............-0.50..............+9.50




Totals....................18 - 12...........+23.50.........21 -10 - 1..........+55.50............+79.00

 

[CNOTES]

CFL
Dunkel


Week 17




Friday October 4


Edmonton @ Hamilton


Game 681-682
October 4, 2019 @ 7:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Edmonton
107.871
Hamilton
120.188
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Hamilton
by 12 1/2
49
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Hamilton
by 6
46 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Hamilton
(-6); Over




Saturday, October 5


Calgary @ Montreal


Game 683-684
October 5, 2019 @ 4:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Calgary
118.566
Montreal
113.601
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Calgary
by 5
54
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Calgary
by 2
51
Dunkel Pick:
Calgary
(-2); Over


Winnipeg @ Saskatchewan


Game 685-686
October 5, 2019 @ 7:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Winnipeg
116.936
Saskatchewan
118.209
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Saskatchewan
by 1 1/2
52
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Saskatchewan
by 5 1/2
47
Dunkel Pick:
Winnipeg
(+5 1/2); Over


Toronto @ BC Lions


Game 687-688
October 5, 2019 @ 10:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
108.098
BC Lions
114.165
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
BC Lions
by 6
54
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
BC Lions
by 9
50 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(+9); Over

 

[CNOTES]

PREVIEW
ESKS LOOK TO CLINCH PLAYOFF SPOT VS. TICATS
CFL.CA STAFF


HAMILTON — Two first year starters are set to duke it out when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Edmonton Eskimos battle at Tim Hortons Field on Friday night.


Dane Evans and Logan Kilgore are facing one another for the second time in three weeks. If Friday’s matchup is anything like the game in Week 15, fans in the Hammer are in for a treat.


Evans has been impressive since taking over for Jeremiah Masoli as the Tabbies starting pivot. The 25-year-old is 6-2 as a starter this season and has turned it on in recent weeks, throwing for at least 300 yards in each of his last four games.


“I like our game plan,” Evans told Ticats.ca. “I like how open everything is. I’m not taking the home run every time, sometimes it’s OK to check it down. We have playmakers everywhere, including our running backs. Those guys are lethal with the ball in their hands. Sometimes you have to take the short one and let them run with it.”


Evans’ most eye-catching performance came in Week 12, when he went 31-for-37 for 442 passing yards and two touchdowns against the Toronto Argonauts, despite being sacked seven times. In that game, he completed 19 straight passes to lead his team to a come-from-behind win.


It’s no surprise Evans was in his typical form when he faced the Esks two weeks ago, throwing for 336 yards and three touchdowns. He had his team up by 17 points at the half, but that’s when Kilgore and the Eskimos stormed back.


Kilgore accounted for three touchdowns of his own, including two in the second half. He was able to guide the Eskimos into field goal range, where a 48-yarder from Sean Whyte with under a minute to go looked to force overtime.


However, the Ticats would not be denied, and a Lirim Hajrullahu field goal off the upright as time expired gave Hamilton a dramatic victory.


“They have a great defence,” Hamilton offensive coordinator Tommy Condell said. “They’re number one statistically in a bunch of categories; red zone defence, all the yardage. We really respect them. We’re going to have to play our best game, but we’re ready and we’ll be prepared.”


An area of improvement for Evans is unquestionably ball security. He has thrown an interception in each of his last six games. No Eskimo has more than two interceptions this season, so that streak might be snapped Friday.


Kilgore earned his first victory of the year last week over the Ottawa REDBLACKS. He was mistake-free, throwing a touchdown pass and earning a rushing score for the third consecutive game. With a win Friday, Edmonton can wrap up a playoff berth.


Playoff positioning is also on the line for Hamilton. The Ticats can clinch first place in the East Division with a win and a Montreal Alouettes loss.


Under Condell and rookie head coach Orlondo Steinauer, Hamilton has gained a reputation for running an open, free-flowing offence. The Eskimos defence, which gives up the fewest passing yards per game, is ready for the many option plays the Tiger-Cats have in their playbook.


“It can be a little confusing, but we prepare for that,” Eskimos defensive tackle Mike Moore told Esks.com. “We know they’re going to try the trick stuff. We know they’re going to move people around. They have a lot of those little receivers who can move and run pretty fast.”


The Ticats’ secondary will get a nice boost with Delvin Breaux returning to the lineup. Out since Week 8, Breaux slots into an already impressive Hamilton defence.


The Tabbies have allowed the fewest points in the league this season, despite allowing the sixth-highest net offence in the CFL. Ja’Gared Davis leads the team with 11 sacks, while Simoni Lawrence recorded 17 tackles last week – the most ever by a player in a single game.


Edmonton has reason to be feeling good about their defence as well. Mathieu Betts has looked right at home since joining the Eskimos, notching a sack in each of his first two professional games.


“Mathieu is only going to get better as this year progresses,” said Head Coach Jason Maas. “Ultimately, next year, he’s going to be right up there with all of them. He’s a hard worker. He’s got a lot of athletic ability. He’s smart. He’s picked up our [defensive assignments], and he’s fit in. He did a great job of coming in, not saying too much, just feeling the room out. But now he fits in and he gets it.”


BY THE NUMBERS


12 – Hamilton’s all-time record for wins in a season. They are currently sitting on 11 in 2019.


18 – Consecutive field goals without a miss for Sean Whyte.


1964 – The last time the Ticats ranked first in points for and points allowed.


79 – Greg Ellingson is 79 yards short of his fifth straight 1,000-yard season.


Kickoff is at 7 p.m. ET and can be seen on TSN and ESPN2, and followed live via CFL.ca Game Tracker.

 

[CNOTES]

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


EDM at HAM 07:00 PM


HAM -7.0


U 47.5

 

[CNOTES]

GAME RECAP
TICATS ROLL PAST ESKS TO REMAIN PERFECT AT HOME
CFL.CA STAFF


HAMILTON — Dane Evans threw a pair of touchdowns to help give the Hamilton Tiger-Cats a 42-12 win over the Edmonton Eskimos on Friday night. The Tabbies remain perfect at home and now hold a 12-3 record. They will clinch first place in the East if the Montreal Alouettes lose to the Calgary Stampeders tomorrow.


The Ticats opened the game with an impressive nine-play, 70-yard scoring drive that ended with Brandon Banks‘ ninth touchdown catch of the season. Both teams traded field goals before Hamilton reached the end zone again in the second quarter on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Evans to Jaelon Acklin.


The Ticats successfully added a two-point conversion after both touchdowns, giving them a 19-3 lead heading into the second half. Logan Kilgore gave Edmonton life in the fourth quarter with a touchdown pass to Natey Adjei, but a touchdown run from David Watford and a pick six from Richard Leonard sealed the victory for Hamilton.


Banks finished with 81 receiving yards on eight catches. The 31-year-old receiver is now leading the league in receiving yards while also being tied for the league lead in receiving touchdowns.


Hamilton’s defence erupted with five sacks and three interceptions, and Lirim Hajrullahu was successful on all four field goal attempts for the Ticats.


Tyrell Sutton had his biggest game since joining Hamilton with 111 total yards on 11 carries and three catches.


Sutton gave the Ticats instant momentum on their opening drive by breaking off a 13-yard run on the first play from scrimmage. The Ticats kept the drive moving on third-and-inches with a nine-yard run from Watford, and Sutton followed it up a play later with a 12-yard catch-and-run.


Bralon Addison caught a 12-yard pass to bring the ball into scoring position, and Evans capped off the impressive opening drive with a five-yard touchdown pass to Banks. Evans completed the ensuing two-point conversion pass to receiver Marcus Tucker to give Hamilton an early 8-0 lead.


The Esks responded with a solid drive of their own, as running back C.J. Gable drove the offence down the field with a 29-yard catch-and-run and a handful of tough runs up the middle. But the Ticats’ defence held strong near their own end zone and forced Kilgore to step out of bounds as he attempted to move the chains with his legs on second down. Edmonton settled for a nine-yard field goal from Sean Whyte to cut into Hamilton’s lead.


Hamilton extend their lead in the second quarter with a 31-yard field goal from Hajrullahu, and the defence came up with a turnover when Leonard picked off a deep pass from Kilgore that was intended for DaVaris Daniels.


Edmonton’s defence prevented Hamilton from converting the turnover into points, but the Tabbies managed to find the end zone on their next drive. A 30-yard punt return from Frankie Williams and a 12-yard run from Addison set up Evans’ second touchdown pass of the half.


Evans threw a 14-yard strike to Acklin for the score, and he followed it up by completing a two-point conversion pass to Addison give Hamilton a 19-3 lead heading into the third quarter.


Gable started moving the Esks down the field again with a 15-yard catch-and-run to start the second half, but a costly roughness penalty against fullback Calvin McCarty forced Edmonton to settle for a 31-yard field goal from Whyte. The Esks were dealt a major loss when Gable left the game with an injury after the drive.


Hamilton began to regain momentum on the following drive when Evans connected on a deep 47-yard pass to receiver Mike Jones, but Larry Dean recorded an eight-yard sack for the Esks two plays later to force a punt.


But Edmonton was unable to generate a spark against the stingy Ticats defence, and Hajrullahu added another field goal for Hamilton to extend the lead to 16 points. The Ticats then forced another two-and-out on defence to help set up a 33-yard field goal from Hajrullahu as time expired in the third quarter.


A big 28-yard run by backup running back Alex Taylor gave the Esks a needed spark. The play led to a nine-yard touchdown pass from Kilgore to Adjei two plays later, but the two-point conversion attempt fell short when Delvin Breaux picked off Kilgore, leaving the score at 25-12.


Hamilton responded once again and extended the lead with an eight-play, 56-yard drive that saw back-to-back big runs from Sutton set up a two-yard rushing touchdown from Watford. The two-point conversion was unsuccessful, but the Ticats’ defence kept momentum on Hamilton’s side when Leonard notched his second interception.


Leonard picked off a tipped Kilgore pass and returned the ball 19 yards for the pick six. Evans completed the ensuing two-point conversion pass to Addison to put Hamilton up 39-12.


Hajrullahu added a 32-yard field goal after the three minute warning to give the Ticats a 42-12 victory.


Week 18 will see the Edmonton Eskimos host the BC Lions next Saturday at 7:00 p.m. EDT., while the Hamilton Tiger-Cats will get a week to rest before hosting the Ottawa REDBLACKS in Week 19.

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday, October 5, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home
4:00 PM Calgary Stampeders Montreal Alouettes
7:00 PM Winnipeg Blue Bombers Saskatchewan Roughriders
10:00 PM Toronto Argonauts British Columbia Lions




*****************************




CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE AUGUST/SEPT./OCT. BEST BETS AND OPINIONS


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


10/04/2019.......1-1-0.....50.00%......-0.50
09/28/2019.......5-1-0.....83.33%.....+19.50
09/27/2019.......1-1-0.....50.00%......-0.50
09/21/2019.......3-1-0.....75.00%.....+9.50
09/20/2019.......1-2-1.....33.33%......-6.00
09/14/2019.......3-1-0.....75.00%......+9.50
09/13/2019.......1-1-0.....50.00%.......-0.50
09/07/2019.......5-1-0.....83.33%.....+19.50
09/06/2019.......1-1-0.....50.00%......-0.50
09/01/2019...... 0-2-0...... 0.00%..... -11.00
08/25/2019...... 1-1-0 .....50.00%..... -0.50
08/24/2019 ......2-2-0 .....50.00%..... -1.00
08/17/2019...... 3-1-0..... 75.00%..... +9.50
08/16/2019...... 1-1-0 .....50.00%..... -0.50
08/15/2019...... 2-0-0 .....100.00%.... +10.00
08/10/2019...... 0-2-0........ 0.00%.... -11.00
08/09/2019...... 3-1-0 .......75.00%.... +9.50
08/08/2019...... 1-0-1.......100.00%.... +5.00
08/03/2019...... 1-1-0 .......50.00%.... -0.50
08/02/2019...... 2-0-0...... 100.00%... +10.00
08/01/2019...... 3-1-0........ 75.00%.. +9.50




Totals..............35-21-2..... 62.50%.... +57.50






******************************




BEST BETS:




DATE........................ATS........... ..UNITS..............O/U..............UNITS.............TOTAL


10/04/2019..............1 - 0.............+5.00............0 - 1..............-5.50...............-0.50
09/28/2019..............2 - 1.............+4.50............3 - 0.............+15.00............+19.50
09/27/2019..............0 - 1..............-5.50.............1 - 0.............+5.00..............-0.50
09/21/2019..............1 - 1..............-0.50.............2 - 0.............+10.00............+9.50
09/20/2019..............1 - 0..............+5.00............0 - 2.............-11.00..............-6.00
09/14/2019..............1 - 1..............-0.50.............2 - 0.............+10.00.............+9.50
09/13/2019..............0 - 1..............-5.50.............1 - 0.............+5.00...............-0.50
09/07/2019..............2 - 1.............+4.00.............3 - 0.............+15.00.............+19.00
09/06/2019..............1 - 0 ............+5.00............0 - 1..............-5.50................-0.50
09/01/2019..............0 - 1.............-5.50..............0 - 1.............-5.50................-11.00
08/25/2019..............1 - 0.............+5.00.............0 - 1.............-5.50................-0.50
08/24/2019..............0 - 2.............-11.00.............2 - 0............+10.00..............-1.00
08/17/2019..............1 - 1.............-0.50...............2 - 0............+10.00.............+9.50
08/16/2019..............0 - 1.............-5.50...............1 - 0............+5.00................-0.50
08/15/2019..............1 - 0.............+5.00..............1 - 0.............+5.00..............+10.00
08/10/2019..............0 - 1.............-5.50...............0 - 1..............-5.50...............-11.00
08/09/2019..............2 - 0............+10.00.............1 - 1.............-0.50...............+9.50
08/08/2019..............1 - 0............+5.00..............0 -0 -1...........+0.00.............+5.00
08/03/2019..............1 - 0............+5.00...............0 - 1.............-5.50...............-0.50
08/02/2019..............1 - 0............+5.00...............1 - 0.............+5.00.............+10.00
08/01/2019..............2 - 0 ...........+10.00.............1 - 1..............-0.50..............+9.50




Totals....................19 - 12...........+28.50.........21 -11 - 1..........+50.00............+78.50

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday’s List of 13: Random stuff with the weekend here…….


13) Greetings from Las Vegas, America’s favorite city; had a long flight in Friday, complete with 20+ fired-up college students sitting behind me, drinking their way across America. It was a very loud five hours.


12) College football teams with best record vs spread:
5-0: UL-Lafayette, SMU, Auburn, Oklahoma State
11) College football teams with worst record vs spread:
0-5: Akron
0-4: FIU, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech


10) Weird NFL schedule this Sunday; 10 games at 1PM ET, only two at 4:00 or 4:25, with Packers-Cowboys the feature game.


There used to be a rule that the Jets/Giants couldn’t play at the same time unless they were playing each other, to maximize ratings in NY/NJ, but that has gone by the boards.


9) Good program on HBO; 24/7: College Football, which features a different team each week, with Hard Knocks-type access to the head coach and players.


This week’s show featured an hour on the Florida Gators; next three weeks are Penn State, Arizona State and then Washington State.


8) Speaking of Washington State, they found a scapegoat for consecutive losses when defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys “resigned” (got fired) Friday.


Two weeks ago, Wazzu was unbeaten and Leach was playing up his quirky Pirate image with the media; then they blew a 49-17 lead at home to UCLA, got whacked at Utah LW and now fingers are being pointed. We live in a fickle society.


7) Mets fired manager Mickey Callaway, who went 163-161 in his two years in Flushing. There are now seven managerial openings in the major leagues.


6) NFL stuff:
— Colt McCoy will start at QB for the Redskins Sunday.
— Saquon Barkley, Sam Darnold are both out this week.
— Rams’ LB Clay Matthews broke his jaw Thursday, is out for a month.


5) Braves’ OF Ronald Acuna had 33 singles this year that went 300+ feet, a testament to both his power and his tendency not to hustle out of the batters’ box.


4) Sports Illustrated laid off half of its writing staff this week; TheMaven, which is now running SI, is expected to hire contract workers to fill out the writing staff after the layoffs.


3) College football stuff:
— Oklahoma suspended K Calum Sutherland, after an alleged incident with his girlfriend.
— Tennessee will start true freshman QB Brian Maurer against Georgia today.


2) Apparently when the Washington Redskins drafted QB Dwayne Haskins last April, coach Jay Gruden didn’t want the kid, which must make things awkward now, since by the time Haskins is deemed ready to start for Washington, Gruden is likely to have a different job.


1) Golden State Warriors’ star Draymond Green made only 29% of his jump shots LY, the worst %age in the NBA.

 

[CNOTES]

PREVIEW
STAMPS SEEK FIFTH STRAIGHT WIN IN MONTREAL
CFL.CA STAFF


MONTREAL — The top two quarterbacks in the CFL QB Index are going head to head Saturday afternoon in Montreal, where the Calgary Stampeders face the Montreal Alouettes at Percival Molson Stadium.


The Stamps are currently the hottest team in the league, having won four straight games since Bo Levi Mitchell came off the injured list.


Vernon Adams Jr. is set to return from his one game suspension. The Als seemed to miss Adams last week, as they fell to the BC Lions while accumulating only 177 passing yards.


“Hopefully [the week off] got him excited to play,” Alouettes head coach Khari Jones told MontrealAlouettes.com when asked about Adams. “Hopefully he missed it a little bit, knowing that this can be taken away from you at any time. He had a really good week of practice and was out there with a lot of energy like he normally is.”


A bright spot for the Alouettes was an eye-popping performance from William Stanback. The running back rushed 14 times for 147 yards – his first 100-yard rushing outing since Week 5.


Meanwhile, Don Jackson returns to the backfield for the Stamps. Out since Week 10, Jackson has battled injuries and inconsistency this season while appearing in a mere three games.


Jackson isn’t the only Calgary rusher to endure a rough 2019 season. Fellow running backs Romar Morris and Ka’Deem Carey have both been ruled out for the season with serious injuries.


“I’ve just got to play in the name of those guys, Romar and Ka’Deem,” Jackson told Stampeders.com. “It ain’t been the easiest season but we stay above all that and put our friendship, our brotherhood above all that other stuff. All we know is that whoever is on the field, we try to be the best we can be and represent everybody else in the room.”


Mitchell and the Stamps had to deal with an unexpected distraction at practice this week…snow. Calgary was hit with an unseasonable storm that left 25 centimetres in some parts of the city. It’s something Stampeders veterans are familiar with and welcome.


“In the CFL, when that cold wind starts to kick in — and we skipped that and went straight to the snow — you know it’s playoff time,” Mitchell said. “I think everyone in the West feels like it’s already playoff time. Everybody is really tight in the races and it’s just going to come down to the last couple of games. We control our own destiny basically when it comes to that.”


One trend that Mitchell is looking to shake involves interceptions. He has thrown seven picks through six games this season. The Katy, Texas product tossed 14 interceptions last year (his most in a single season) but did so in three times as many contests.


“Regardless of who they have out there, he makes that offence tick,” Khari Jones answered when asked about Mitchell. “If you can get him a little off his game, then you have a better chance. We just have to limit everybody. You never know who’s going to show up in their receiving corp.”


The Stampeders defence was dealt a blow this week when middle linebacker Cory Greenwood was moved to the six-game injured list. Greenwood was filling the spot vacated by Alex Singleton admirably, leading the league in tackles and on pace to set the franchise record for tackles in a season.


Wynton McManis shifts to the middle linebacker spot in Greenwood’s absence. The third-year pro has 50 defensive tackles this season.


How McManis and the rest of the Calgary front-seven deal with Stanback could be a deciding factor in the matchup. Stanback missed the teams’ Week 10 meeting due to injury, but Jeremiah Johnson picked up the slack, rushing for 107 yards on 13 carries.


Adams has been putting up impressive numbers over his last few starts (he’s thrown for 300 yards or more in four of his last five games) and it’s no wonder considering his receiving corps.


Chris Matthews won’t play on Saturday, but the Alouettes still have Geno Lewis and rookie standout Quan Bray. Jake Wieneke, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound rookie, has proven to be a threat in the red zone as he leads the Als with five receiving touchdowns.


Key off-season signing DeVier Posey anchors the group, and he certainly has some history with the Stamps. It was Posey who earned Grey Cup MVP honours in 2017 thanks to a 175-yard performance that helped the Toronto Argonauts stun the favoured Stampeders.


BY THE NUMBERS


4 – Calgary has had a four-game winning streak in each of the last 10 seasons.


12 – Rushes of 20 yards or more for William Stanback, the most in the CFL.


48 – Passes thrown by the Stampeders last week, their most since 2017.


3 – Straight games for Montreal decided by two points or less.


Kickoff is at 4 p.m. ET and can be seen on TSN, RDS and ESPN+, and followed live via CFL.ca Game Tracker.

 

[CNOTES]

PREVIEW
RIDERS, BOMBERS READY TO SETTLE SEASON SERIES
CFL.CA STAFF


REGINA — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders will meet in their final regular season matchup Saturday evening at Mosaic Stadium.


The Riders won the first game over their dreaded rival during Week 12, but the Bombers got the better of the Riders one week later in the Banjo Bowl.


Saskatchewan has won its last two games, but the Riders feel this game needs to be approached with a playoff mentality.


“I feel like this is a playoff game,” Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive end Charleston Hughes said. “It’s one of those games where it’s going to come down to us, Calgary, and Winnipeg to be the No. 1 team and it’s going to be a fight to the finish.”


“We’re in a real good groove and we’ve gotta just keep it going,” Riders defensive back Loucheiz Purifoy said.


The Bombers, meanwhile, will try to return to their winning ways. Back to back losses to East Division opponents Montreal and Hamilton have caused them to fall from atop the West Division and into a mid-table dogfight. But they intend to fight their way out of it.


“We’ve got another opportunity to get back out there and right the wrongs we’ve had from the last two weeks,” Bombers running back Andrew Harris said. “It’s a great opportunity.


“If it was a situation where we couldn’t control our destiny there might be a little bit different vibe, but the work we put in throughout the week and the product we put out on game day needs to be in a winning fashion. So for us to be able to control our destiny is crucial and an opportunity we’re excited about.”


Winnipeg and Saskatchewan enter Saturday’s game still in the fight for first place in the Western Division, where a victory would give the winning team the tiebreaker should these teams tie in the standings. The Riders also have a game in hand on the Bombers as they have five games left to play to the Bombers’ four.


Both teams currently trail the division-leading Stampeders, who will also play the Alouettes on Saturday. Both teams will also meet the Stamps at least one more time before season’s end, with the Riders meeting them Oct. 11 and the Bombers facing off in a home-and-home series Oct. 19 and Oct. 25 in their season-ending contest.


The Bombers will make three changes to their lineup Saturday, including the addition of two defensive backs. Brandon Alexander and Nick Taylor will be inserted into the lineup, while Anthony Gaitor and Mike Jones will sit out. Alexander will start at safety instead of Jeff Hecht, while Taylor will start for Marcus Rios at halfback.


Wide receiver Malcolm Williams was also added, in place of Drew Wolitarsky, but it’s Daniel Petermann who will start. Jake Thomas will also start at defensive tackle instead of Steven Richardson.


Riders defensive tackle Zack Evans could play Saturday after being on the six-game injured list, but he is listed as the backup to Micah Johnson. The Riders will also start receiver Jordan William-Lambert over Emmanuel Arcenaux at field wide receiver. Kenny Stafford, who was the original backup receiver, has been moved to the one-game injured list.


Chad Geter will also miss Saturday’s game and he’ll be replaced by Seun Idowu. Canadian linebacker Sam Hurl has also been moved off the roster to the one-game injured list.


BY THE NUMBERS


9 — Roughriders quarterback Cody Fajardo is 9-3 all-time as a starter, with all of his starts coming this season. He is one of 21 Canadian Football League quarterbacks who have begun their careers with such a record or better.


5 — Five of the last 22 matchups between these two teams have been decided by four points or less, including the Sept. 1 Saskatchewan victory over Winnipeg.


2 — Bombers’ defensive lineman Willie Jefferson has gone sackless in his last two games. He does, however, lead the league in pass knockdowns with 12. The last defensive lineman to lead the league in that stat was Fred Perry in 2006 — who’s played for both Saskatchewan and Winnipeg.


15 — Riders’ Charleston Hughes has 15 sacks this season, good enough to lead the league. The 35-year old could become the oldest player to ever lead the league in sacks.


Kickoff is at 7 p.m. ET and can be seen on TSN and ESPN+, and followed live via CFL.ca Game Tracker.

 

[CNOTES]

PREVIEW
ARGOS, LIONS FINISH OFF SATURDAY TRIPLE HEADER
CFL.CA STAFF


VANCOUVER — The BC Lions, suddenly one of the league’s hottest teams, will look to extend their winning streak on Saturday afternoon.


The Lions and Toronto Argonauts will square off at BC Place in the third game of a triple header to close out Week 17. BC is in search of its fourth straight victory as they face a team they previously defeated earlier this season.


The Lions defeated the Argos 18-17 at BMO Field for their first win of the season.


“They have some playmakers,” Lions defensive back Branden Dozier said. “The receivers they have are all great. They have (James) Wilder Jr. as well. They have some playmakers. But last time we played, it came down to the wire.”


The Lions are clinging to their thin playoff hopes, but a win over Toronto would keep them in the running for a crossover playoff spot. Edmonton, who owns that sixth and final playoff position by way of the East, lost 42-12 Friday night against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.


“We’re trying to come out and make a statement early, continue to put the ball in Mike’s hands because we know what can happen the more chances they get,” Lions defensive back Aaron Grymes said.


“For us, it’s easy to sit here and talk about another team struggling; I mean we’re 4-10 as well, right? We’re continuing to correct ourselves and we’re trying to get this win on Saturday.”


The Boatmen will trot out James Franklin at quarterback for the second straight contest. Franklin started for Toronto in a 41-16 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, throwing one touchdown and two interceptions for 208 passing yards. Chamblin, however, also said he expects both Franklin and McLeod Bethel-Thompson to see time on the field.


“I’m excited. I’m always thankful to be playing. It’s just not necessarily how I’d anticipated it,” Franklin told The Canadian Press. “For me, it feels like it’s hard to come in and really ‘rah-rah’ the guys or say things without worrying (about them thinking) ‘Hey, he wasn’t playing with us through this whole struggle.’ So I’m trying to find that happy medium.”


“Here’s another opportunity for him to start the game and see the game and correct some of the things he didn’t do well last week,” Chamblin said.


History could also be made Saturday with Argos receiver S.J. Green. The 34-year old is 95 yards away from reaching the 10,000-yard plateau.


“Honestly, it’s my drive, and my will to not fail,” Green told Argonauts.ca. “I always wanted to be a professional football player. I always wanted to play at a high level. I always wanted to be great at what I did. Every time I step on the field, I push myself to try to be that, never settling for mediocrity, I feel that’s pushed me to the point of consistency.”


Where will Green’s potential milestone-making ball go after the game?


“It’s going in my man cave at the house,” Green added. “I’ll put it in a glass box. I have about 17 or 18 balls that I’ve kept over the years.”


Despite missing walkthrough with an illness, the Lions will start quarterback Mike Reilly. The 34-year-old, who joined BC this off-season with a four-year contract worth nearly three million dollars, is the only quarterback this season who has started every game for his team. Reilly has 15 touchdowns and 15 interceptions to go with 3,615 passing yards — second most among quarterbacks — through 14 contests.


Argonauts linebacker Bear Woods will miss Saturday’s game as he’ll be on the six-game injured list. Ian Wild will now start at middle linebacker, while Eric Striker will be on the weak side. Juwan Foggie, a cousin of former Argo and Lion Ricky Foggie, will be among the many backups to Wild at MIKE.


Anthony Covington will also draw into the lineup, replacing an injured Jonathon Mincy at cornerback.


The Lions will have defensive Josh Woodman in the lineup Saturday as well as global player and wide receiver Benjamin Plu. Fellow global player and receiver Fernando Richarte has been moved to the practice roster while receiver Jevon Cottoy is on the one-game injured list.


Rashaun Simonise, a 2018 draft pick of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, will make the start at field wideout.


BY THE NUMBERS


4 — The last time the Lions won four straight games was in 2017 between late June and early July. The 2017 four-game winning streak began with a victory over the Toronto Argonauts.


15 — Lions quarterback Mike Reilly has 15 touchdown passes this season, tied for third in the league with Edmonton’s Trevor Harris and Montreal’s Vernon Adams Jr. They each trail Toronto’s McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who has 19.


1,155 — Lions receiver Bryan Burnham has 1,155 receiving yards this season. The 29-year old has cracked the 1,000-yard plateau for the fourth consecutive year.


478 — Since Week 10, Argos receiver Derel Walker has 478 receiving yards to go with four touchdowns and 28 receptions.


Saturday night’s game can be seen on TSN and ESPN+ and can also be followed on Game Tracker through CFL.ca.


Kickoff is at 10 p.m. ET and can be seen on TSN and ESPN+, and followed live via CFL.ca Game Tracker.

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday, Oct. 5


Calgary Stampeders (9-4 SU, 5-7-1 ATS) at Montreal Alouettes (7-6 SU, 8-5 ATS)
Point-spread: Calgary -1 ½
Total: 51 ½


Game Overview


Calgary returns from its bye week tied with Saskatchewan for first place in the West Division standings. The Stampeders have won their last four games SU with a 2-1-1 record ATS. Back on Aug. 17, they lost to Montreal 40-34 as five-point home favorites. The total went way OVER 49 ½ points in that game, but it has stayed UNDER in three of four games since that loss. Bo Levi Mitchell is a big reason for Calgary’s current winning streak. Overall, he has thrown for 1,732 yards and eight touchdowns in six previous starts.


Saturday’s loss to BC kept Montreal from clinching its first playoff berth since 2014, but it only needs one more win in its last five games to earn a spot in the East. With Vernon Adams Jr. serving a one-game league suspension, Matt Shiltz got the start at quarterback for the Alouettes. He went 10-for-19 for 177 yards. Adams should be back in the lineup this Saturday. He is fifth in the CFL in total passing yards (2,953) with 15 touchdown throws verse eight interceptions.


Betting Trends


-- Montreal has won four of its last five home games against Calgary SU while covering in all five contests. The total has stayed UNDER in eight of the last 11 matchups in this inter-division clash.




Winnipeg Blue Bombers (9-5 SU, 9-5 ATS) at Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-4 SU, 8-5 ATS)
Point-spread: Saskatchewan -6
Total: 47


Game Overview


Winnipeg slipped out of first place in the West with Friday’s loss. This was its third SU loss in its last four games. This includes a SU home-and-home split against Saskatchewan with each team coming away with a win on its home field. The total stayed UNDER in both contests. The Blue Bombers are still forging on without Matt Nichols under center. In his place, Chris Streveler threw for 304 yards with one touchdown in Friday’s losing cause. He was also picked off twice.


The Roughriders’ only SU loss in their last nine games was on the road to Winnipeg. They have failed to cover in three of their last four games, but they are 6-3 ATS in nine games closing as favorites. Cody Fajardo turned in another strong effort at quarterback in Saturday’s win with 278 yards passing and three touchdown throws against no interceptions. He also ran for 80 yards and a score on 11 carries. Saskatchewan rushed for 147 total yards in that game.


Betting Trends


-- Winnipeg has a SU 8-4 edge in its last 12 games against the Roughriders and it is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings. The total has gone OVER in nine of the last 11 meetings in Saskatchewan.




Toronto Argonauts (2-11 SU, 5-6-2 ATS) at British Columbia (4-10 SU, 6-8 ATS)
Point-spread: BC -9 ½
Total: 51


Game Overview


The Argonauts continue to ride out the string with just one SU win in their last six games. They lost to BC 18-17 early in the season as eight-point home underdogs. Toronto is 2-3-1 ATS in six previous road games this season. It is easy to see why this team has only won two games this year. The offense is averaging 19.7 points per game to complement a defense that is ranked last in the league in points allowed (33.0). James Franklin was back under center in Saturday’s loss.


It may be too little, too late, but the Lions have strung together three SU wins. Even after failing to cover against Montreal, they are 5-2 ATS over their last seven outings. The total stayed UNDER 49 points in that latest win and it has now stayed UNDER in BC’s last six contests. Mike Reilly completed 30 of his 34 passing attempts on Saturday for 309 yards and a score. He is currently second in the CFL in total passing yards with 3,615. Reilly has tossed both 15 touchdowns and interceptions this season.


Betting Trends


-- BC has won 10 of its last 14 home games against Toronto SU, but the Argonauts have a 4-1 edge ATS in the last five meetings overall. The total has stayed UNDER in seven of the last eight matchups in this inter-division tilt.




******************************




CALGARY STAMPEDERS AT MONTREAL ALOUETTES (+2, 51)


The Stamps are coming off their bye week and are tied for the best record in the West. The Als lost on the road to the Lions in Week 16 but had to play that game without their talented QB Vernon Adams Jr who was serving a one-game suspension.


These teams played each other on August 17 and Montreal pulled off a 40-34 road upset thanks to Adams who scored a pair of touchdowns on the ground while throwing for another two scores. The Stamps have an interesting recent history of struggling this month; they're 0-8 ATS and 2-6 SU over their last eight games in October. They also don't generally play well in Montreal going just 0-5 ATS and 1-4 SU in their previous five games at Molson Stadium.


If the Als win they clinch a playoff spot in the East so they should be extremely motivated to make those trends continue. Take the home dogs.


PICK: Montreal +2




WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS AT SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (-6, 47)


Two of the best teams in the CFL tangle for the third time this season. The Riders are 6-1 at home, including a 19-17 win over the Bombers in Week 12. However, the Bombers bounced back to throttle the Riders 35-10.


The Bombers coming off back to back losses, while the Riders have won eight of their last nine games and crushed the Argos by 25 points last week.


That said, Saskatchewan has only scored a total of 29 points in two games against Winnipeg this year. And despite the Bombers defense being uncharacteristically exposed the last two weeks they still hold opponents to just 21.4 points per game on the year. Expect Bombers defensive coordinator Richie Hall to make the necessary adjustments for Saturday and take the Riders team total Under 26.


PICK: Team Total - Saskatchewan Under 26.5




TORONTO ARGONAUTS AT BC LIONS (-9, 51)


The Lions have now won three games in a row after beginning the year 1-9. Their only victory through the first ten games of the season came against Toronto on July 6, when they eked out a 18-17 win on a missed field goal (a missed FG that goes through the endzone is a single point in the CFL).


BC's recent success might be a bit of a mirage though. Two of those three victories came against the Ottawa Redblacks who have been the worst team in the league since July and the other win was by just two points at home against an Alouettes side that was playing their backup QB. Laying nine points is just too much for a mediocre team like the Lions. Take the visitors.


PICK: Toronto +9




*****************************




Saturday, October 5


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CALGARY (9 - 4) at MONTREAL (7 - 6) - 10/5/2019, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CALGARY is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) in October games over the last 3 seasons.
MONTREAL is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) as an underdog this season.
MONTREAL is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) when playing on a Saturday this season.
MONTREAL is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 15-30 ATS (-18.0 Units) in home games in October games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 4-1 against the spread versus CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 3-2 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WINNIPEG (9 - 5) at SASKATCHEWAN (9 - 4) - 10/5/2019, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SASKATCHEWAN is 130-96 ATS (+24.4 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.
WINNIPEG is 33-20 ATS (+11.0 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 33-20 ATS (+11.0 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WINNIPEG is 6-3 against the spread versus SASKATCHEWAN over the last 3 seasons
WINNIPEG is 5-4 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 (2 - 11) at BRITISH COLUMBIA (4 - 10) - 10/5/2019, 10:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 4-1 against the spread versus BRITISH COLUMBIA over the last 3 seasons
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 3-2 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons




******************************




Saturday, October 5


Montreal Alouettes
Montreal is 13-5 ATS in its last 18 games
Montreal is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Montreal is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games at home
Montreal is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
Montreal is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games at home
Montreal is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Calgary
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Montreal's last 11 games when playing Calgary
Montreal is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Calgary
Montreal is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Calgary
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Montreal's last 6 games when playing at home against Calgary
Calgary Stampeders
Calgary is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Calgary's last 11 games
Calgary is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Calgary's last 9 games on the road
Calgary is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Calgary's last 11 games when playing Montreal
Calgary is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Calgary is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Calgary's last 6 games when playing on the road against Montreal


Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
Saskatchewan is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Saskatchewan is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Saskatchewan is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Winnipeg
Saskatchewan is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing Winnipeg
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Saskatchewan's last 5 games when playing Winnipeg
Saskatchewan is 16-4 SU in its last 20 games when playing at home against Winnipeg
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Saskatchewan's last 11 games when playing at home against Winnipeg
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg is 15-7 ATS in its last 22 games
Winnipeg is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 6 games
Winnipeg is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Winnipeg is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Saskatchewan
Winnipeg is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing Saskatchewan
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 5 games when playing Saskatchewan
Winnipeg is 4-16 SU in its last 20 games when playing on the road against Saskatchewan
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Winnipeg's last 11 games when playing on the road against Saskatchewan


British Columbia Lions
British Columbia is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
British Columbia is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of British Columbia's last 5 games
British Columbia is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home
British Columbia is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of British Columbia's last 5 games at home
British Columbia is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
British Columbia is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of British Columbia's last 8 games when playing Toronto
British Columbia is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto
British Columbia is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Toronto
British Columbia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto
Toronto Argonauts
Toronto is 5-10-2 ATS in its last 17 games
Toronto is 3-20 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 7 games
Toronto is 3-9-1 ATS in its last 13 games on the road
Toronto is 1-14 SU in its last 15 games on the road
Toronto is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing British Columbia
Toronto is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games when playing British Columbia
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Toronto's last 8 games when playing British Columbia
Toronto is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against British Columbia
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against British Columbia
Toronto is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against British Columbia




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Saturday, October 5

Calgary @ Montreal[/B]


Game 683-684
October 5, 2019 @ 4:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Calgary
118.566
Montreal
113.601
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Calgary
by 5
54
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Calgary
by 2
51
Dunkel Pick:
Calgary
(-2); Over


Winnipeg @ Saskatchewan


Game 685-686
October 5, 2019 @ 7:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Winnipeg
116.936
Saskatchewan
118.209
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Saskatchewan
by 1 1/2
52
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Saskatchewan
by 5 1/2
47
Dunkel Pick:
Winnipeg
(+5 1/2); Over


Toronto @ BC Lions


Game 687-688
October 5, 2019 @ 10:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
108.098
BC Lions
114.165
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
BC Lions
by 6
54
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
BC Lions
by 9
50 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(+9); Over