Sports Picks & Predictions

This is a play on the EDMONTON ESKIMOS for our CFL Game of the Year. We played against the Roughriders last week as they were unable to put away a bad Montreal team despite having a 294-yard advantage. Quarterback Zach Collaros recorded season highs in completions (29) and attempts (41) as the Roughriders registered a season-best 502 yards of total offense yet they only won by five points. Saskatchewan has been red hot, winning six of its last seven games but that record is as deceiving as they come. The Roughriders have outgained only two opponents over this seven-game stretch, with Montreal being one and the other was by just 12 yards. The Roughriders are four games over .500 yet are getting outgained on average in their 14 games. The last five victories have come by an average of just 4.4 ppg. Saskatchewan is 0-8 ATS in its last eight games after having won four out of its last five games. Edmonton had a chance to make a move in the West Division but it lost to Winnipeg by 27 points at home despite outgaining the Blue Bombers. The Eskimos killed themselves as they finished with seven turnover, which led to 20 Winnipeg points, including a pair of interceptions from Mike Reilly, who had his worst game of the season by a wide margin. Over the last two games, both losses, the Eskimos have been outscored 58-18 while totaling 585 yards and 12 turnovers and we know they are better than this. These recent results are skewing a line that is considerably off. Edmonton is 6-0 ATS in its last six games as a road underdog of seven points or less. The Eskimos fall into two solid situations as well. First, we play on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points coming off an upset loss to a division rival as a favorite going up against an opponent off a road win. This situation is 26-6 ATS (81.2 percent) since 1996. Second, we play on underdogs or pickems in the second half of the season in a game involving two teams allowing between 23 and 28 ppg, after a loss by 20 or more points. This situation is 22-4 ATS (84.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (657) Edmonton Eskimos

This is a play on he MONTREAL ALOUETTES for our CFL Sunday Enforcer. With Edmonton losing last night no thanks to six turnovers, the Roughriders now have a 1.5-game lead over three teams for second place in the CFL. Saskatchewan has been red hot, winning five of its last six games but that record is as deceiving as they come. The Roughriders have outgained only one opponent over this six-game stretch, and that was by just 12 yards, and they have been outgained in five straight games. Saskatchewan is 0-7 ATS in its last seven games after having won four out of its last five games. Montreal is having a tough season as it sits at 3-10 but there is still hope as the Alouettes are just 3.5 games out of fourth place which is not insurmountable at this point. They have split their last four games while outgaining three of their last four opponents and they turn to Johnny Manziel, who will be making his fourth start. Saskatchewan will be without a key piece of its offense today as Naaman Roosevelt will not be playing due to a knee injury. He has 48 catches for 570 yards and four touchdowns this season as he is leading the Roughriders in targets and receiving yards and is second in receptions. This is not ideal for a team that is averaging just 315.3 ypg over its last three games. The Alouettes are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against teams with a winning record and they fall into a great contrarian situation where we play on home underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points after one or more consecutive losses against the spread, in September games. This situation is 34-11 ATS (75.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (678) Montreal Alouettes

This is a play on the EDMONTON ESKIMOS for our CFL Saturday Enforcer. Once in hot pursuit of the Stampeders for first place, the Eskimos have gone 2-4 in their last six games and are now 7-6 as they take on the 6-7 Blue Bombers in a game that falls under the must-win category for both teams. Edmonton came into the season as arguably the team with the best chance to contend with Calgary but the Stampeders once again ran away from everyone and the Eskimos are now two points behind Saskatchewan for second place in the West Division. The home and road splits are glaring but good for tonight in this spot as the Eskimos have lost four consecutive games on the road and won five straight at home. This is not overly shocking but three of those losses have come by a combined seven points. The offense will be the spotlight tonight led by quarterback Mike Reilly, who is the reigning Most Outstanding Player, and he leads the CFL in passing yards and touchdown passes with 27, 17 of which have covered 20 yards or more. This is a big game for Winnipeg as well as it can catch Edmonton in the standings with a victory. The Blue Bombers snapped a four-game losing streak with their win over Montreal last week, but they have yet to beat a team with a winning record this season. Four of their six wins have come against the Alouettes (3-10) and Toronto (3-9) while the other victories coming against B.C. and Hamilton. The Blue Bombers are 0-5 ATS in their last five games against teams with a winning record and Edmonton falls into a solid situation where we play on home teams that are averaging 385 to 420 ypg after allowing 7.6 or more yppl in their previous game going up against teams that are averaging 345 to 385 ypg. This situation is 23-5 ATS (82.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (676) Edmonton Eskimos

This is a play on the HAMILTON TIGER-CATS for our CFL Game of the Month. Hamilton hung with Calgary for over half of the game last week but after taking a 25-20 lead on a fumble return for a touchdown, the Tiger-Cats were outscored 23-3 to close the game. That snapped a three-game winning streak as well as a six-game streak where they outgained their opponent. They are now a game behind Ottawa in the East Division but with the playoff crossover, they are in fifth place overall and just a half-game up on Winnipeg for sixth place. B.C. has won two straight games for the first time this season but this is not a good spot to keep it going. Lions quarterback Travis Lulay got hurt two weeks against Ottawa and he tried to go last week but left the game after just two pass attempts. Jonathon Jennings will get the start and he has been as average as average can be. He opened the season as the starter when Lulay was on the shelf and he did not produce a single 200-yard passing game in three starts as he averaged 162.3 ypg with the Lions going 1-2. Making matters more difficult, he will face a Hamilton defense that leads the CFL in passing defense, allowing just 219.3 ypg. On the other side, Jeramiah Masoli is 214 yards away from his first 4,000 yard passing season in the CFL and three touchdowns short of tying his career-best of 21 in 2016. Additionally, with one more 300-plus yard game, Masoli can set a Tiger-Cats record of 10 such games. The B.C. defense has shored things up over its last three games but that is skewed based on last week when it held the hapless Alouettes to just 95 yards passing. B.C. is 0-7 ATS in its last seven games after outgaining opponent by 70 or more total yards in their previous game while the Tiger-Cats are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a losing record. 10* (657) Hamilton Tiger-Cats

This is a play on the CALGARY STAMPEDERS for our CFL Saturday Enforcer. We have been high on Hamilton all season and we won with the Tiger-Cats but we are going against them here in what is tough spot. Hamilton enters the game riding a three-game winning streak and looks to extend it as they eye the first-place position in the East Division. After a 7-0 start, Calgary has gone just 2-2 over its last four games, both losses coming on the road against West Division opponents. The Stampeders lost a tight one last week in Edmonton and they have not lost back-to-back meaningful games since early 2012. There is an asterisk with this as they lost their last three regular season games last year but those were not meaningful as they had everything wrapped up. Not counting those, Calgary is 21-0 in its last 21 regular season games following a loss in a game that means something which is pretty impressive to say the least. The Stampeders have dominated in this series as they have won their last 13 games against the Tiger-Cats dating back to Sept. 25, 2011. We have two solid situations in play. First, we play on road teams coming off an upset loss to a division rival as a favorite going up against an opponent off a road win. This situation is 39-15 (72.2 percent) since 1996. Second, we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 after two or more consecutive wins against the spread, with a winning record in the second half of the season. This situation is 48-22 ATS (68.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (661) Calgary Stampeders

This is a play on the HAMILTON TIGER-CATS for our CFL Saturday Enforcer. Typically, this would be a good spot to go contrarian and back the home underdog but right now, there is a huge variance between these two teams. It is hard to believe that Toronto is the reigning Grey Cup champions as it is 3-7 and it just goes to show how important the quarterback is in this league. Ricky Ray has been the face of this franchise since 2012 but he was injured in the season opener and is done for the year. Ray led the Argonauts to Grey Cup victories in 2012 and 2017, and he also claimed the CFL championship in 2003 and 2005 while with the Edmonton Eskimos. In ten games, Toronto has been outgained nine times including last week at Hamilton by 322 yards. The Tiger-Cats are just 5-5 but remain a sleeper team for the postseason as they have played better than their record indicates. They have been outgained only twice all season as they own the top offense and the second ranked defense and their 126.9 ypg differential is the best in the CFL. Entering Week 13 of the regular season, Hamilton holds a four-point advantage over the Argonauts and the idle Alouettes for second place in the East Division and are looking to win their third consecutive game. Speaking of quarterback play, Jeremiah Masoli has been exceptional as he has thrown for at least 300 yards in eight of their 10 games, including a 385-yard output against the Argonauts on Monday. 10* (653) Hamilton Tiger-Cats

This is a play on the EDMONTON ESKIMOS for our CFL Monday Enforcer. It has been an up and down run for Edmonton as it looks to bounce back from its worst game of the season. The Eskimos only lost by a point to Hamilton but they were outgained by 195 yards in an ugly loss where they blew a 14-point lead. Edmonton comes into today with a 6-4 record and sits in second place in the West Division, four points back of the 8-1 Stampeders for first place. Prior to Hamilton, the Eskimos outgained their previous seven opponents and they are in good position to get back into this rivalry as the Eskimos have not won on Labour Day since the 2011 season and they have not had a lead on Labour Day since the 2012 game. Calgary bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 13-point win against Winnipeg last Saturday and it remains the class of the league. While the Stampeders have surrendered just nine offensive touchdowns in the nine games they have played this year, this is the first time they will face an offense led by Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly, who leads the league in both passing touchdowns, with 22, and rushing touchdowns, with eight. Edmonton falls into a spectacular contrarian situation where we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 10 points after outgaining their last opponent by 70 or more total yards going up against an opponent after being outgained by its opponent by 70 or more total yards last game. This situation is 59-28 ATS (67.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (645) Edmonton Eskimos

This is a play on the SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS for our CFL Sunday Enforcer. We have the advantage of a small number here based on the fact these two teams are going in opposite directions. The Roughriders have been trotting along since quarterback Zach Collaros returned from injury, going 2-1, including handing the Stampeders their first loss of the season. They are a half-game behind Edmonton in the West Division, which plays Calgary tomorrow, so they could be sitting in second place come tomorrow provided they take care of business in the annual Banjo Bowl. Saskatchewan has won the yardage battle in three of its last five games and the two it did not, it was outgained by only 12 and 13 yards. The Roughriders are 3-2 at home but one of those losses was against Calgary and while the other one was an inexcusable one against Montreal, it was due to four thrown interceptions by the two backups. Winnipeg has lost two straight games and neither were really close but the problem actually goes back further. Despite victories over Hamilton and Toronto prior to that, the Blue Bombers have been outgained in all four games and by an average of 91.8 ypg so it has been a significant discrepancy. Winnipeg running back Andrew Harris continues to lead the league in rushing yards, but faces a strong defensive line anchored by the August Top Performer Charleston Hughes, who leads the league with 12 sacks. Saskatchewan is second in the CFL in rushing defense as it allowed just 78.3 ypg and that will be an issue here for Winnipeg considering its passing offense has not been good enough this season to carry it. 10* (644) Saskatchewan Roughriders

This is a play on the B.C. LIONS for our CFL Game of the Month. We were on Saskatchewan last week as they pulled off the huge upset over then undefeated Calgary and we know what we can expect this week and that is a major letdown. The Roughriders improved to 3-2 at home with that victory but they are just 1-2 on the road and their inconsistent play hurts them even more coming off that big victory. This rivalry has not gone their way of late when having to travel as the Roughriders have struggled in B.C., losing each of their last four regular season meetings and seven of their last nine dating back to October 31st of 2010. The Roughriders are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a straight up win. B.C. is coming off a tough one-point loss in Toronto last week and a win would have given the Lions their first road win of the season, but they fell to 0-5 on the highway. Conversely, they are 3-0 at home including a pair of impressive wins over Winnipeg and Edmonton and this is an extremely important game when looking at the big picture. A victory means B.C. and Saskatchewan are likely in a battle going forward for a playoff spot, but a loss means not only would the Lions fall four points back, they would also be behind the eight ball in terms of the head to head tiebreaker. While the season is just half over, and we do not back teams just because they are in must win spots, this one is different because of the situation. 10* (368) B.C. Lions

This is a play on the EDMONTON ESKIMOS for our CFL Thursday Enforcer. We have been high on Hamilton this season, justifying that it is better than its record shows and we still believe in that. The Tiger-Cats lost at Winnipeg in their last game two weeks ago. so they do have the benefit of having an extra week of preparation here as they try to move to a game under .500. The problem for Hamilton is that it has struggled against the better teams it has played, going 1-4 against the West Division. That lone win came at Edmonton so while many will think Hamilton has the matchup edge which is not the case and the Eskimos will be out for payback. One of the biggest things hampering Hamilton is they give up a lot of sacks and getting to the quarterback has been a strength of Edmonton so far this season. Hamilton possesses the second best defense in the CFL, but the Eskimos are not far behind, allowing fewer than 17 ypg more. The Edmonton offense is scary good, led by quarterback Mike Reilly. Even more impressive could be the receiving corps as Duke Williams leads all CFL receivers with 831 yards while Derel Walker is right behind him with 816 yards. Since 1958, players from the same team have finished first and second in receiving yards only six times. The Eskimos rebounded from a loss at B.C. with a blowout win over Montreal last week and in nine games this season, they have won the yardage battle in eight of those. Edmonton is ranked No. 2 in the CFL Power Rankings and this has turned into a big game as a win here gets the Eskimos to within a game of first place Calgary heading into their bye week and with a game at Calgary following that. Here, we play against home teams where the line is +3 to -3 coming off a non-conference game. This situation is 41-11 ATS (78.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (361) Edmonton Eskimos

This is a play on the SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS for our CFL Sunday Enforcer. Calgary has been the class of the CFL for upwards of the last decade and it is showing it again this season with a perfect 7-0 record. The Stampeders will not be going undefeated this season and coming off a bye week, they are in a vulnerable spot tonight against a desperate team. Showing how dominant they have been, they have been up by at least 14 points in all seven of their games this season and only three teams have done that in seven consecutive games in CFL history, and no team has ever made it to eight straight. This is the best defensive team in the league, but the Roughriders have a solid defense of their own and if it turns into a low scoring game, the underdog has the significant advantage. Adding to it, a home underdog of a touchdown has an even bigger advantage. The Roughriders are also coming off a bye week and it helps more than hurts coming off a pair of losses including a loss to Edmonton in their last game as they were up by two points late in the fourth quarter before eventually losing by seven points. Saskatchewan has already lost at home once to Calgary this season as it fell by 12 points, but it outgained the Stampeders as special teams ended up being the difference. The fact the Roughriders gave up 24 points in the first quarter did not help either so getting off to a better start this time around is crucial. Here, we play on underdogs or pickems that are coming off a loss against a division rival, with a winning percentage between .400 and .499 on the season. This situation is 41-15 ATS (73.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (378) Saskatchewan Roughriders

This is a play on the TORONTO ARGONAUTS for our CFL Saturday Enforcer. Toronto is not getting much respect here as it is in the role of home underdog for the fifth time in five games. The difference here is the fact the first four times were against teams with winning records, three from the West Division and Ottawa which is 6-3 on the season. The Argonauts have played the toughest schedule in the CFL so the fact the reigning Grey Cup Champions are just 2-5 should not come as a huge surprise. Another factor is quarterback. Ricky Ray was lost for the season in Week Two and James Franklin took over, but he was ineffective. Enter McLeod Bethel-Thompson who made his first start two weeks ago against Ottawa and he was outstanding as he was 25-37 for 302 yards, four touchdowns and just one interception as he led Toronto back from a 24-point deficit. The Argonauts are coming off a bye week, which does not help the momentum from that victory, but it does give Bethel-Thompson an extra week of preparation which is important for his second career start. B.C. has been playing a lot better since Travis Lulay has taken over at quarterback, but it could be just an illusion. The Lions have been outgained in three of his four starts and six of their seven games overall. This includes getting outgained by 107 and 91 yards the past two games and the overall numbers are right there with Toronto so making the Lions the road chalk seems to be very aggressive, but it is based on public action and right now that action is all over B.C. 10* (374) Toronto Argonauts

This is a play on the OTTAWA REDBLACKS four our CFL Friday Enforcer. Two weeks ago, Ottawa blew a 38-14 lead late in the third quarter as Toronto outscored the RedBlacks 28-3 the rest of the way to pull off the outright victory. Ottawa clearly came out flat last week against Montreal as it avoided the upset by scoring the final 13 points in the fourth quarter after trailing the Alouettes 17-11 after three quarters. So now the positive momentum is on their side heading into Week Ten. It was a game that should not have been that close as the RedBlacks rung up 587 yards of net offense Saturday night, including a 69-yard touchdown drive that closed out the victory, with 15 seconds left on the clock. They outgained Montreal by 330 total yards and while the challenge will be more difficult here, the linesmakers have made a number based on a score and not what really transpired. Ottawa is 9-0 ATS in its last nine road games after one or more consecutive losses against the spread while going 7-0 ATS in its last seven games as a road underdog of seven points or less. Winnipeg comes in with an identical 5-3 record as it has won three straight games including a six-point victory over Hamilton last week. The Blue Bombers were outgained by 120 yards, so this was also a game that differed from what really happened, and it was the Tiger-Cats that hurt themselves with a pair of lost fumbles and 13 penalties. This score is also playing into the linesmakers number, the same way the Ottawa games from last week is as well. The Blue Bombers are 1-3-1 ATS in their last five games following a straight up win. Ottawa falls into a great situation where we play on road underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points coming off two straight division games. This situation is 116-66 ATS (63.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (371) Ottawa RedBlacks

This is a play on the HAMILTON TIGER-CATS for our CFL Game of the Week. We won with Hamilton last week as it completely demolished Montreal and while a win over the Alouettes is nothing special, it does give the Tiger-Cats much needed confidence moving forward. They had lost three straight games prior to that and now sit at 3-4 but they have played better than this record shows. While the domination against Montreal skews the numbers slightly, Hamilton has outgained five of seven opponents and one of the games it was outgained in, it was against 7-0 Calgary and it was by just 29 total yards. Overall, the Tiger-Cats are outgaining opponents by 90.2 ypg which is the second best differential in the CFL. And making it more impressive in that they have played a tough schedule five of seven games against the West Division as well as a game against Ottawa. Winnipeg is coming off a bye week where it won its previous two games to improve to 4-3 on the season. The Blue Bombers have played an opposite type of schedule as they have played just one team with a winning record and of the six games against losing teams, five of those have been against opponents with two of fewer wins. They will be out for revenge following a 31-17 loss at Hamilton earlier in the season, but they do not match up well with the strong Hamilton running game that has been bolstered even more with the return of Alex Green. Going back, the Tiger-Cats have covered eight of their last 10 road games and they fall into a solid situation where we play on road underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points coming off in two straight division games. This situation is 115-66 ATS (63.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (353) Hamilton Tiger-Cats

This is a play on the B.C. LIONS for our CFL Saturday Enforcer. It is no secret that Calgary is the best team in the CFL and by a pretty wide margin. At 6-0, the Stampeders off to their best start since 1995 when they opened 7-0 under current Lions coach Wally Buono which adds another interesting dynamic to this rivalry. The Calgary defense has been unreal thus far as the Stampeders have allowed just four offensive touchdowns so far this season and lead the league in forced fumbles with 10. Calgary is tied for first in sacks with Edmonton at 17 and also tied for first in interceptions with seven with Winnipeg. The other side of the ball has not been as dominant but still above average although there are shortcomings heading into tonight. Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell and the Stampeder offense may lean a little more on the defensive contributions Saturday with star wideout Eric Rogers and No. 1 running back Don Jackson out with injuries. B.C. is coming off a bye week, which is always a big advantage against teams playing on a regular schedule. The Lions lost at Ottawa two weeks ago to fall to 2-3 on the season but there is plenty of optimism on offense as quarterback Travis Lulay has taken over for a struggling Jonathon Jennings, and his veteran leadership is big which will be buoyed by the return of running back Jeremiah Johnson. Lulay has passed for over 300 yards in two starts since taking over and certainly gives the Lions a fighting chance in what is considered an overinflated line. 10* (377) B.C. Lions

This is a play on the HAMILTON TIGER-CATS for our CFL Game of the Week. The big storyline in this game is the debut of Johnny Manziel and while it is unknown how he is going to do in Canada, even if he becomes a star and plays well on Friday, the Alouettes have other issues to deal with. Th offense has definitely struggled, averaging a league-low 292 ypg, but the defense has been just as bad, allowing 420.3 ypg so their yardage differential is by far the worst in the CFL. There are holes all over the depth chart so just one player, even if he does not fail, cannot fill all of the holes. Hamilton is coming off of a disappointing loss to the RedBlacks at home in what was a fairly slow-moving game until the final minutes of the fourth quarter. It was the third straight loss for the Tiger-Cats as they are now 2-4 on the season but they have played better than that record shows. Hamilton has outgained four of six opponents and by an average of 65.6 ypg which is third best overall and tops in the East Division. That is even more impressive considering the Tiger-Cats have played five of six games against the West Division. Through six games, quarterback Jeremiah Masoli ranks 2nd in the CFL in passing yards with 1,914, completions with 144 and completion percentage (67%), however, he has thrown just five touchdowns to six interceptions. In what should help Hamilton with their lack of finish, receiver Luke Tasker is set to return after missing two weeks plus it will be facing a horrendous passing defense that allows close to 300 ypg. That is not a good thing for Montreal as it is 4-13 in its last 17 games when allowing 300 or more passing yards and it is 0-8 following three or more consecutive losses. 10* (375) Hamilton Tiger-Cats

This is a play on the TORONTO ARGONAUTS for our CFL Thursday Enforcer. We were on Toronto last week as it lost at Winnipeg 40-14, but it was a game that was not dominated by the winner but decided because of miscues. The Argonauts actually outgained the Blue Bombers by 27 total yards, but Toronto committed four turnovers and had a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown. It was the third straight loss and fifth in six games to start the season for the reigning Grey Cup Champions and now is the time we will see things regressing to the mean. The Argonauts have played the toughest schedule thus far as they got a brutal draw to open the season as the first six games have come against Western Conference teams. Ottawa is off to a 4-2 start as it has played an easier schedule but has been outgained in its last three games. Overall, the RedBlacks are getting outgained on the season despite the winning record and the numbers are skewed as they were able to outgain lowly Montreal by 158 total yards. While some may see this as a disadvantage, Toronto will start McLeod Bethel-Thompson at quarterback over the ineffective James Franklin and this can only help things. Bethel-Thompson has a chance to display his big arm against a RedBlacks defense that leads the league with 13 completions allowed of more than 30 yards. Additionally, they have no film to look at, so preparation will be non-existent, and adjustments will have to made on the fly. Toronto has a strong situation on its side as we play against favorites of 3.5 to 10 points that are coming off an upset win over a division rival as an underdog. This situation is 65-32 ATS (67 percent) since 1996. 10* (372) Toronto Argonauts

This is a play on the SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS for our CFL Game of the Week. For those that do not follow the CFL very close, the Calgary Stampeders are the equivalent of the New England Patriots in the NFL as they are on their way to their 11th straight season with double-digit victories. They have won the Grey Cup twice along the way but have also lost it three times and they can be vulnerable against the number as the linesmakers have no choice but to inflate their numbers as evidenced last week when they failed to cover a 19.5-point spread against Montreal. Saskatchewan is coming off a pair of wins over Hamilton to move back over .500 for the season and while this will be its first game against a team from the West Division, the same holds true for Calgary which has played nearly an identical schedule to open the season. The Stampeders know where they are as a team which makes this game a big one for the Roughriders as they do have a shot to bring Calgary back to the pack and even have a realistic shot at taking the West Division. There might be an opportunity at quarterback because starter Bo Levi Mitchell is nursing an injured knee that he suffered two weeks ago and while he started the following week against the Alouettes, there were mobility issues and the swarming Saskatchewan defense can take advantage. On the other side, despite Calgary ranking at the top in just about every offensive category, the Roughriders rank fairly close in many key statistics that could prove crucial in pulling off an upset against the lone undefeated team in the CFL. Here, we play against teams with a winning percentage of .750 or better after one or more consecutive losses against the spread, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 54-23 ATS (70.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (368) Saskatchewan Roughriders

This is a play on the TORONTO ARGONAUTS for our CFL Friday Enforcer. This is the second game of a home-and-home set for Toronto and Winnipeg with the latter easily winning the first meeting last week on the road. We are going absolutely contrarian here as the Argonauts could be considered one of the worst defending Grey Cup Champions we have seen in recent history. They are off to a 1-4 start and have been outgained in all five games and by an average of 143.6 ypg so things have not been going the way as planned. Injuries have taken their toll, but things are looking up this week Toronto is returning some key defensive players as back in the fold tonight will be defensive linemen Frank Beltre and Dylan Wynn, as well as linebacker Cassius Vaughn. This is huge for the worst defense in the league statistically. Winnipeg is now 3-3 and can move over .500 for the first time this season but this is a tricky spot, especially coming off a blowout win that can display overconfidence. The Blue Bombers have a Week Eight bye, and with every looming vacation there is the risk of being preoccupied mentally so Winnipeg could be at risk of thinking too far ahead. Even though past history can be meaningless, it is extremely difficult for teams to win twice against the same team in back-to-back weeks while also losing in consecutive weeks is usually not the norm. The Blue Bombers have played 42 sets of back-to-backs since 1996 and have swept only four of them while Toronto has played 34 back-to-backs and have only been swept nine times. Toronto falls into a contrarian situation where we play on road underdogs or pickems that are allowing 385 or more total ypg, after gaining 275 or less total yards in their previous game. This situation is 54-25 ATS (68.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (363) Toronto Argonauts

This is a play on the EDMONTON ESKIMOS for our CFL Thursday Enforcer. Edmonton is off to a 3-2 start, yet it has covered just once game, which was the 41-22 home victory against B.C. More importantly, the Eskimos have outgained four of five opponents and by an average of over 50 ypg which sets them up in a great spot tonight coming off their bye week. This is an offensively driven league and right now, Edmonton leads the way as it is averaging a CFL-best 429.6 ypg thanks to a great start from quarterback Mike Reilly who leads the league with 1,648 yards passing and nine touchdowns. He has thrown six interceptions which would normally be a concern, but not in this matchup against a Montreal defense that is allowing a league-high 29.6 ppg and applies no pressure with a league-low six sacks. While Reilly has been a rock at quarterback for Edmonton for the last six seasons, the Alouettes have gone through 13 starters since Anthony Calvillo retired after the 2013 campaign. One of those is Vernon Adams, who is making the start tonight in his second stint with Montreal as Drew Wiley has an injured hand, both Jeff Mathews and Matthew Shiltz are also hurt, and Johnny Manziel has been in town for only two days. Montreal falls into a simple, yet effective, negative situation where we play against CFL teams after scoring nine or fewer points in their last game. This situation is 84-41 ATS (67.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (361) Edmonton Eskimos

This is a play on the OTTAWA REDBLACKS for our CFL Friday Enforcer. Ottawa is coming off a humbling loss last week against Calgary, its second loss to the Stampeders this season, but it has dominated its other two games and we expect a big rebound tonight. The RedBlacks were outgained by 214 total yards and they managed only three points, their lowest point total since August of 2015, which also happened to come against Calgary. The 150-yard offensive output against Calgary was the lowest in team history over 76 games since rejoining the league in 2014. Going back, Ottawa is 16-4 ATS in its last 20 games after gaining 275 or less total yards in its previous game. B.C. meanwhile came back from a 17-0 half-time deficit to win 20-17 on a walk-off field goal in front of their home crowd against Winnipeg last week. The Lions are now 2-2 on the season, winning both games at home and losing both games on the road, but the one consistent is that they have been outgained in all four games thus far. Ottawa running back William Powell is third in the CFL with 372 rushing yards, averaging 5.9 ypc, despite getting shut down last week. That should prove to be another tough test for the B.C. run defense after they allowed Winnipeg running back Andrew Harris to eclipse the 100-yard mark in back to back meetings, and overall, the Lions are dead last in the league allowing 152 rushing ypg. Making matters worse, B.C. will be without its defensive leader as Solomon Elimimian was placed on the six-game injured list with a wrist injury. His 26 defensive tackles rank him fourth in the league so far this season after amassing 274 tackles over the previous two seasons. 10* (374) Ottawa RedBlacks

This is a play on the SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS for our CFL Thursday Enforcer. The Roughriders and Tiger-Cats meet in the back end of a home-and-home series that, due to a bye week, has been stretched out an extra seven days. Saskatchewan prevailed in the first matchup 18-13 despite getting outgained by 131 total yards as its bend but do not break defense kept Hamilton out of the endzone despite amassing 429 total yards. It has been a struggle offensively for the Roughriders since Zach Collaros went down with a concussion. Quarterback Brandon Bridge is set to make his third straight start for Saskatchewan and the fourth of his career and he is returning to the site of his first start for the Roughriders as he helped them win in Hamilton last season. David Watford will also see time behind center as head coach Chris Jones confirmed that the two will split time again which does give them some extra wrinkles on offense. While Hamilton is looking for some revenge, this line is inflated in what very well could be another low scoring battle which gives a big edge to the underdog, especially one this big. The Roughriders defense has stepped up numerous times against highly-powered teams as they are 23-9 ATS in their last 32 games against teams averaging 325 or more passing ypg. Meanwhile, Hamilton is just 3-12 ATS in its last 15 home games against teams allowing 75 or fewer rushing ypg. 10* (371) Saskatchewan Roughriders

This is a play on the B.C. LIONS for our CFL Game of the Week. This line was off the board all week waiting for the news of the B.C. quarterback situation and it has been confirmed Travis Lulay will be starting after suffering a knee injury last season. Jonathon Jennings has started the firth three games in his place and once considered one of the most promising young quarterbacks in the CFL, he has struggled to start the 2018 season, completing just 48 of his 72 passes for 487 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. This is the second game of a home-and-home between the Lions and Blue Bombers with the latter taking the first game last week with a 41-19 home win to even their record at 2-2. The Blue Bombers now lead the entire league in total points with 144 and points per game at 36 ppg, while the Lions are sixth overall in both categories so the return of Lulay is a big boost. Winnipeg was excellent on defense last week as it allowed just 280 total yards, but we can chalk that up as an aberration more than the norm as the previous week against Hamilton on the road, the Blue Bombers allowed 480 total yards. Defensively, the Lions need a better push up front as they did not register a sack last week and a change of venue can help that, especially with this being their first home game in a month following a bye week and two road games. Based on what we have seen through four weeks, the public is all over the Blue Bombers which is causing an inflated line considering Winnipeg was favored by just two points more last week and that game was at home. 10* (366) B.C. Lions

This is a play on the EDMONTON ESKIMOS for our CFL Friday Enforcer. We won with Toronto last week as a home underdog as it snapped a two-game losing steak to start the season despite getting outgained by 64 yards. It was a game of momentum, in which Toronto scored 12 straight points to open the game, followed by 17 consecutive points by the Eskimos before the Argonauts put together the winning drive in the fourth quarter. While the Eskimos won the yardage battle, they lost an intangible that lost them yards, points and a possible win as they were penalized 12 times for 126 yards. This included one holding penalty that took a touchdown off the scoreboard. Additionally, they fumbled on their second play of the game which set up the second Toronto touchdown. The Argonauts have been outgained in all three games this season and taking nothing away from their Grey Cup Championship from last season, they have now been outgained in five straight games including 134 yards against Calgary in the final. Edmonton returns home where it is 1-1 and a more discipline team should be able to run away with this one. The Eskimos passed for 370 yards last week and Mike Reilly can go off again against an Argonauts defense that is ranked dead last in the CFL in passing defense. The home team has won eight of the last nine meetings in this series including four straight Edmonton wins by an average of 3.5 ppg. The Eskimos fall into a solid situation where we play on teams that are revenging a same season loss versus opponent, off an upset loss as a favorite. This situation is 106-58 ATS (64.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (364) Edmonton Eskimos

This is a play on the CALGARY STAMPEDERS for our CFL Thursday Enforcer. This is the second meeting of the season between Calgary and Ottawa which possess the best records in the CFL early in the season. Both teams top their respective divisions, with the Stampeders the lone undefeated team remaining while Ottawa will be looking to even the season series after dropping the first meeting 24-14 in Week Three. That game probably should not have been as close as the final score shows as the Stampeders defense did an outstanding job of putting RedBlacks quarterback Trevor Harris under pressure and limited him to 135 passing yards while he completed 13-of-29 pass attempts. They did not do a great job against the run but thanks to a bye week, Calgary will have Cordarro Law back in the lineup, giving them a potent front four that should give the RedBlacks offensive line serious trouble. Ottawa is back home after a pair of road games, including that game at Calgary two weeks ago, and a win over Montreal last week. The RedBlacks are at the disadvantage of having eight fewer days to prepare for this game as Calgary looks to break it recent curse at TD Place Stadium. The Stampeders haven't won a game Ottawa since a 32-7 victory in the RedBlacks inaugural season in 2014 as they have gone 0-1-2 At TD Place against Ottawa since, and suffered a 27-24 Grey Cup loss to Toronto at the stadium last fall. All said and done, the Stampeders are the better team by a significant margin. Calgary is 23-10 ATS in its last 33 games after one or more consecutive straight up wins while Ottawa is 0-6 ATS in its last six home games after gaining 450 or more total yards in their previous game and 3-11 ATS in its last 14 games after outgaining opponent by 70 or more total yards in their previous game. 10* (361) Calgary Stampeders

This is a play on the TORONTO ARGONAUTS for our CFL Saturday Enforcer. Toronto is off to a 0-2 start and will be facing its third team from the West Division to open the season. Making matters worse, the Argonauts lost quarterback Ricky Ray for the season last week due to a neck injury, so James Franklin will be making his first start. Franklin spent his first three CFL seasons backing up Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly, the CFL most outstanding player last year. Franklin appeared in 12 games with the Eskimos, going 2-1 as a starter. Two weeks ago, he completed eight of 13 passes for 65 yards and ran three times for 14 yards, his 10-yard TD run accounting for lone Toronto touchdown of the game. While Edmonton is a very good team, Franklin does have the edge of knowing the Eskimos personnel and having an additional week to prepare. Edmonton is 2-1 on the season and coming off an impressive win over British Columbia last week. Reilly threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns and C.J Gable had an outstanding game, rushing for 126 yards and chipping in a touchdown of his own. The Toronto defense was lit up for 564 yards against the Stampeders but like the offense, the stop unit has an extra week to get ready. The recent results along with the Ray injury is giving value to the Argonauts in what is a great contrarian spot. Here, we play against favorites coming off a win over a division rival, in the first month of the season. This situation is 58-22 ATS (72.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (356) Toronto Argonauts

This is a play on the OTTAWA REDBLACKS for our CFL Game of the Week. Montreal came through for us last week as it upset the Roughriders on the road as a double-digit underdog, but we go against them in this follow up game where it will not be sneaking up on Ottawa. The Alouettes snapped a 13-game losing streak, both straight up and against the number, going back to last season and while it can be argued that they finally have some positive momentum, this is not a good team. Last week, they were able to capitalize on four Saskatchewan turnovers and their lone touchdown came on a trick play. Despite the victory, Montreal will be going with a new starting quarterback as Jeff Matthews will be making his first start after it had 13 two-and-outs against Saskatchewan, the most by a team in almost five years. The RedBlacks are coming off a loss last week in Calgary as the offense was able to put up just 299 yards against the stout Stampeders defense. Things will be a lot easier this week facing the third worst defense in the league as quarterback Trevor Harris has a chance to bounce back following a poor performance against Calgary. In the two meetings he played against Montreal last season, he threw for 376 and 343 yards. Ottawa is 7-0 ATS in its last seven road games after one or more consecutive losses against the spread while going 8-0 ATS in its last eight road divisional games. Meanwhile, Montreal is 0-6 ATS in its last six games after gaining 300 or less total ypg over their last 3 games. 10* (353) Ottawa RedBlacks

This is a play on the SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS for our CFL Thursday Enforcer. We have ridden Hamilton the last two weeks as it coasted to two easy victories and now faces its fourth straight opponent from the West Division prior to its bye week. The Tiger-Cats have been dominant on offense as they lead the CFL with 469.3 ypg but they will be tested here against the No. 2 ranked defense in the league. This is the first time since 2009 that Hamilton has started a season 2-1 and it has not won three straight games since August of 2015, going 0-4 in its last four games following consecutive victories since then. Additionally, the Tiger-Cats are 5-11 ATS in their last 16 games following a straight up win. We played against the Roughriders last week as they lost at home against Montreal as 10.5-point favorites and now they come in as significant underdogs, making this a 17-point shift in the line which is simply too big in a one week span. The loss of quarterback Zach Collaros for six weeks due to a concussion is big and it showed last week as Brandon Bridge was held to 111 yards and two interceptions before being replaced by David Watford, who went 10-of-22 for 108 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in the loss. Bridge played well prior to that and will be back in to start tonight. Favorites are 8-4 ATS through the first three weeks but the underdog situation early in the season still thrives, especially at home, as we play on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points in the first month of the season. This situation is 32-14 ATS (69.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (352) Saskatchewan Roughriders

This is a play on the MONTREAL ALOUETTES for our CFL Saturday Enforcer. The favorites have gone 3-0 ATS this week after a 3-1 ATS performance last week which is a surprise in this league and we will buck that trend tonight by going as contrarian as you can get with a Montreal team that has not won a game since Week Eight of last season and is currently on a 0-13 ATS run since then. Last week was not ideal for the Montreal home opener as it was blasted 56-10 against Winnipeg. It was a setback for the revamped Montreal defense, which added high-profile free agents in the off-season and has defensive guru Rich Stubler as the new coordinator. The unit should be better this week with a couple games behind then plus the fact they welcome back defensive end John Bowman. Saskatchewan opened its season with a win at home against the Argonauts, extracting some revenge, but are coming off a humbling 40-17 defeat last week at Ottawa. The big story here is that Roughriders quarterback Zach Collaros sustained a concussion last week and it out for the next six games. Brandon Bridge came into the game last week in relief and he completed just 13 of 22 for 145 yards and was intercepted once. It does not help that Bridge will be without the top receiving target as although he was the leading receiver with 1,043 yards last season, Duron Carter will continue playing boundary cornerback due to an injury. The Alouettes fall into a positive situation where we play on road underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points after allowing 450 or more total yards in their previous game. This situation is 86-43 (66.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (377) Montreal Alouettes

This is a play on the HAMILTON TIGER-CATS for our CFL Game of the Week. We won with Hamilton last week as it defeated Edmonton to pick up its first win of the season after losing its opener in Calgary. This is the home opener for the Tiger-Cats which have spent the last two weeks in Alberta to avoid extra travel and as mentioned last week, they have the potential to be a contender in the East Division. The Tiger-Cats missed the playoffs last season after a 0-8 start, but they finished strong by going 6-4 over their last 10 games after June Jones was hired as head coach to take over for Kent Austin. Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli has been exceptional this season, throwing for 676 yards and he is becoming one of the top quarterbacks in the league. Last week, the Tiger-Cats had a pair of 100 yard receivers in the win, as Brandon Banks (117 yards) and Luke Tasker (103 yards) both played major roles. Winnipeg is also coming off a victory last week as it rolled past Montreal 56-10 but the Alouettes are by far the worst team in the CFL. Rookie quarterback Chris Streveler was 22-of-28 for 246 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for a team-high 98 yards and a touchdown. He has been impressive in his first two starts but he will facing a much bigger test on Friday against a tougher Hamilton defense. The Blue Bombers have not been good in a spot like this as they are 0-6 ATS in their last six games after allowing 150 or less passing yards in their last game while going 0-7 ATS in their last seven road games after outrushing their last opponent by 175 or more yards. 10* (374) Hamilton Tiger-Cats

This is a play on the TORONTO ARGONAUTS for our CFL Game of the Week. Week Two finds the rematch of the Grey Cup Final from last season and Calgary will be out for revenge but playing this game on the road is a different story. Calgary got away with one last week as Hamilton was trailing by a touchdown with less than two minutes remaining in the game and the Tiger-Cats were on the march to at least tie the game when Calgary defensive back Brandon Smith intercepted Jeremiah Masoli and the Stampeders added on a long touchdown run to cement the cover. The Stampeders were inefficient on offense as on the first five trips into the redzone, the Stampeders generated just four field goals and an interception. Toronto lost at Saskatchewan in its opener on the road, but it is back home where it went 7-3 last season and it looking to show that last season was no fluke. Argonauts quarterback Ricky Ray did not play in the preseason and it looked like he was a little behind game speed until the second half against Saskatchewan. That lack of offense is giving Toronto some value here with Calgary once again being a public favorite. Toronto falls into a couple solid situations. First, we play on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points that averaged 385 or more total ypg the previous season. This situation is 26-6 ATS (81.2 percent) since 1996. Additionally, underdogs of three or more points coming off a loss are 57-30-3 ATS (65.5 percent) since 2005. 10* (368) Toronto Argonauts

This is a play on the HAMILTON TIGER-CATS for our CFL Friday Enforcer. Edmonton comes in at 1-0 while Hamilton is 0-1 but those records could easily be reversed heading into this game. Trailing by a touchdown with less than two minutes remaining in the game, the Tiger-Cats were on the march to at least tie the game when Calgary defensive back Brandon Smith intercepted Jeremiah Masoli and the Stampeders added on a long touchdown run to cement the cover. In the other game, Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly led his team to 11 points in the final 1:22 of the fourth quarter to charge an Edmonton comeback. Both of those results are inflating a line that should not be this big, so we are getting value based on recency bias and skewed Week One results. While Hamilton lost last week against arguably the best team in the league in Calgary, it proved it can play with the big boys and as mentioned last week, this is going to be a surprise team that could easily take down the East Division. The Tiger-Cats missed the playoffs last season after a 0-8 start, but they finished strong by going 6-4 over their last 10 games after June Jones was hired as head coach to take over for Kent Austin. Masoli was exceptional last week, going 25-36 for 344 yards and that late pick was his only flaw. The Eskimos are expected to make a big run this season but because that is a publicized theory, they are going to be overpriced throughout the season and that is the case here. The early season underdog situation was just 2-2 last week but it is still in play as is the situation where we play against teams coming off a divisional win that had a winning record last season, playing a team that had a losing season. This situation is 24-5 ATS (82.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (365) Hamilton Tiger-Cats

This is a play on the OTTAWA REDBLACKS for our CFL Thursday Enforcer. Ottawa was the lone team to have last week off and it should pay dividends in Week Two as it hosts Saskatchewan for the second time in as many home games. The last time the RedBlacks played a meaningful game was back on November 12 when they hosted Saskatchewan in the Divisional Semifinals and were upset by 11 points, cutting short their chances of defending their Grey Cup championship from 2016. Last year was a strange season for Ottawa as it clearly had the roster to contend for a championship but opened the campaign 0-4 and 1-7 before making a late run to get into the postseason and it can ill afford to repeat that start. We won with Saskatchewan last Friday as it defeated Toronto at home by jumping ahead 14-1 and was able to hold on. Zach Collaros, who was brought in from Hamilton, was effective in the victory but now comes his first road start and definitely not the spot that he would prefer. Ottawa finished in second place in the East Division after claiming the top spot in 2015 and 2016 so it can be considered the class of the division despite how weak the overall division looks. This is a chance to make some noise as a win on Thursday could give the RedBlacks an early spot atop of the division, as Toronto, Hamilton and Montreal all lost against West Division opponents last week. The difference here is that all of those games for the Eastern teams were on the road so the home team with motivation should put an end to that. 10* (362) Ottawa RedBlacks

This is a play on the HAMILTON TIGER-CATS for our CFL Game of the Week. There are a couple teams in the CFL that could make surprising runs and at the top of the list is Hamilton. The Tiger-Cats missed the playoffs last season after a 0-8 start, but they finished strong by going 6-4 over their last 10 games after June Jones was hired as head coach to take over for Kent Austin. Jones has had a full off-season and training camp to implement his system and culture and hire his preferred staff, like new defensive coordinator and former NFL head coach Jerry Glanville. The stage is set for Tiger-Cats quarterback Jeremiah Masoli to carry the team all the way to their first Grey Cup victory since 1999 but all of training camp Masoli has, once again, been forced to look over his shoulder and answer questions about depth charts instead of opponents. That of course is headlined by Johnny Manziel, but it gives Masoli added motivation to perform at a high level. Calgary will not be short of any motivation either after losing to Toronto last season for the Grey Cup. The Stampeders are the favorites yet again but of course with that comes overzealous expectations and inflated lines. This team is loaded and should be expected to win it all they face a tough opening challenge here based on what not to expect. During that 0-8 stretch last season, Hamilton lost here 60-1 and it surely has not forgotten. We have the same league-wide situation as the last two nights as we play on underdogs or pickems in the first two weeks of the season. This situation is 29-5 ATS (85.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (375) Hamilton Tiger-Cats

This is a play on the SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS for our CFL Friday Enforcer. We won with the underdog Blue Bombers last night and we will be backing the underdog again tonight in a game with a lower pointspread but a higher chance of winning outright. Winnipeg was playing with revenge last night after getting bounced in the playoffs by Edmonton and tonight, Saskatchewan will be doing the same after losing to Toronto in the Divisional Finals. Toronto beat the Roughriders 25-21 on a last minute drive before going on to win the Grey Cup the following week against Calgary. The Argonauts won the Grey Cup despite posting a 9-9 record from the weak East Division and the victory over Calgary was fortunate. The game was played in snowy conditions and Toronto had two record touchdowns, a 100-yard passing score and a 109-yard fumble recovery for another touchdown which tied the game late. Saskatchewan has a quarterback battle between newcomer Zach Collaros, who was brought in from Hamilton, and Brandon Bridge, who took over for an ineffective Kevin Glenn in that game against Toronto and was effective enough to get a shot this season. Whichever quarterback it is will have one of the top receiving groups in the CFL in Duron Carter, Naaman Roosevelt and Bakari Grant. Toronto is the favorite because it is defending champions but there is no way a team from the east should be favored on the road against a team from the west. This has been a lucrative spot for the Roughriders as they are 20-4 ATS in their last 24 games as home underdogs of three or fewer points. Additionally, we have the same league-wide situation as last night as we play on underdogs or pickems in the first two weeks of the season. This situation is 28-5 ATS (84.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (374) Saskatchewan Roughriders

This is a play on the WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS for our CFL Thursday Enforcer. Many factors go into the CFL in the early stages of the season as rosters have been turned over and there is general optimism for all nine teams. That makes betting underdogs early in the season a lucrative endeavor and we will come right out of the gates with one of those. Winnipeg hosts Edmonton in a rematch of the Divisional Semifinals which saw the Eskimos win by a touchdown, so revenge is on the table right from the start. Things will be different for the Blue Bombers as both sides of the ball will have different looks. The defense gave up 50 offensive touchdowns in 2017, just one better than the two teams tied for last, Hamilton and Montreal. They tied for last in passing touchdowns allowed with 33 and they were second worst in yardage at nearly 400 per game. They made some big signing to shore that up. On offense starting quarterback Matt Nichols is out at least six weeks and 23-year-old rookie Chris Streveler will be making his first ever start. Not ideal of course but the good news is that the Bombers have the best running back in the league in Andrew Harris who can take some of the pressure off Streveler. The Eskimos are one of the frontrunners for the Grey Cup and the added motivation is that it is being held in Edmonton this season. Still, laying a number like this on the road is rather overaggressive and we can take advantage of the underdog. Plain and simple, we play on underdogs or pickems in the first two weeks of the season. This situation is 27-5 ATS (84.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (372) Winnipeg Blue Bombers

This is a play on the HAMILTON TIGER CATS for our CFL Game of the Week. Calgary is the hottest team in the CFL with 10 straight wins to move to 12-1-1 on the season but this game means nothing in the grand scheme of things. The Stampeders have a 2.5-game lead in the West Division and all they need to do is win one of their last three games, which are all divisional games, after this one to make it eight victories in the West Division which would give them the tiebreaker. To no surprise, the linesmakers have adjusted the number based on the winning run but this is by far the most they have been favored by on the highway all season. Calgary is 6-1 ATS at home with all those spreads being a touchdown or more while it is 3-3-1 ATS on the road with all those spreads being less than a touchdown. The main concern now is to stay healthy so pouring it on here is not a priority. Hamilton has turned things around since its 0-8 start, going 4-2 since June Jones took over as head coach. The playoffs are still within reach as five teams are going for the final two spots and none of those have winning records and while a loss here will not mathematically eliminate them, it will be hard to recover. Tiger Cats quarterback Jeremiah Masoli is flourishing as they have scored an average of 26.3 ppg since he took over as the starter. Prior to that, Hamilton's scoring average was 18.5 ppg. Like Calgary, Hamilton has significant splits based on the number as it is 4-1 ATS when getting a touchdown or more while going 1-7-1 ATS in all other games. Additionally, Hamilton has not forgotten the 60-1 beatdown in took in Calgary at the end of July. 10* (602) Hamilton Tiger Cats

Today is Thanksgiving in Canada and whichever team can walk away with a victory here will be giving thanks that their massive losing streak has ended. Montreal has dropped seven straight games after a 3-4 start while Edmonton has lost six games in a row following a perfect 7-0 streak. All losing streaks are not the same however and these two skids are very different. The Eskimos have lost some close games over this stretch and they have actually outgained the opposition in exactly half of those games while getting outgained by 10 yards in another. It has not been that good for the Alouettes however as they have lost six of seven games by at least 14 points and while they have won the yardage battle twice by minimal amounts, they were outgained by an average of 213.8 ypg in the other five games. The playoffs are no longer an option for Montreal so the level of motivation is in question but for the Eskimos, there is still a lot on the line. They are sitting in fourth place in the CFL and can tie Saskatchewan for third place with a win with only four games left. Edmonton has improved its offense as it has now added talented and well-rounded running back C.J. Gable to their stable of dynamic weapons. The Eskimos won the first meeting at home by just four points but they have dominated this series as going back, they have won seven straight meetings. Typically, we like to play teams like Montreal that are on significant losing streaks both straight up and against the number but when we have a team on the other side in a similar skid with much more talent and much more at stake, we will lay the number. 10* (631) Edmonton Eskimos

This is a play on the EDMONTON ESKIMOS for our CFL Game of the Week. After being the last remaining undefeated team in the CFL at 7-0, Edmonton has lost five straight games to fall into third place in the CFL standings. The losing skid started with a loss against Winnipeg and then a blowout loss against Saskatchewan by 23 points but the difference there was three touchdowns from the defense and special teams for the Roughriders. The Eskimos then dropped consecutive games against Calgary which has won nine straight games and followed that up with a loss in Toronto. A lot of those games were winnable but the good news on the backend of this stretch is that Edmonton had a bye last week and it is typically the best time to have a week off during a poor run. As mentioned, the losing streak started with a loss against Winnipeg so revenge is in order as well. The Blue Bombers have won seven of their last eight games to move into second place in the league standings but it has been a very favorable schedule they have been involved in. of those seven wins, five came against three teams from the East Division that are a combined 11-27 while the other two wins came on their home field. Despite being six games over .500 at 9-3, Winnipeg is outgaining opponents by fewer than 10 ypg and is being outgained on the road even though it is 4-2. This shows the record is skewed somewhat and this is where we can get value with a line that has been erroneously adjusted. The Eskimos are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games following a bye week and they add to that with a much-needed victory. 10* (624) Edmonton Eskimos

It is no secret that the East Division is extremely weak as all four teams are at least three games under .500 and it is still wide open. Ottawa was supposed to be the class of the division coming off its Grey Cup win last season but things have not gone well for the RedBlacks although they have started to play better at least from a record standpoint. They started the season 1-6-1 but then went on to win three straight games before falling to Hamilton last week which was a very bad loss. It was a bad loss in more ways than one as quarterback Trevor Harris was placed on the six-game injured list with a shoulder injury meaning Drew Tate will be making the start. He is very capable but has not been in this position in a while. Montreal is a game behind Ottawa and Toronto and it can move into a first-place tie after Week 13 should it win here and Toronto loses to Edmonton on Saturday. Nonetheless, this is a big game for the Alouettes who will be breaking in a new coach with Kavis Reed who is the interim head coach after Jacques Chapdelaine was let go. Montreal has dropped four straight games, three of which have come by way of blowout, as the defense has been a real letdown. The good news here is that the Alouettes will be facing Tate with an offense that is already far from potent. Montreal is the only team in the league that is winless on the road and this is just its fifth game within the division. Two of those games have come against Ottawa, both resulting in losses, so there is the double revenge angle in play. 10* (608) Montreal Alouettes

Saskatchewan had a three-game winning streak snapped with a revenge loss at Winnipeg last weekend despite outgaining the Blue Bombers by 68 total yards. Turnovers and penalties were the difference which can be said for most games if there is a significant variance one way or the other. Winnipeg broke open a close game with an interception return for a touchdown and it was shortly thereafter that Saskatchewan quarterback Kevin Glenn left the game with a bruised throwing hand and he is listed as doubtful for tonight. He is having a very solid season but Brandon Bridge is more than capable, especially against a disaster of a defense from the East Division. Hamilton has won two straight games since starting 0-8 but do not read too much into that. The Tiger-Cats defeated Toronto two weeks ago despite getting outgained by 118 total yards and then they defeated Ottawa by four points last week while winning the yardage battle by only six yards. Jeremiah Masoli has taken over at quarterback for the victories but he is below average as he is completing just 54.9 percent of his passes. Also, June Jones has been the head coach for Hamilton after taking over on an interim basis but he is not performing any sort of magic as this winning run is just random. The last first-year head coach to take over in-season and win at least their first three games was Larry Donovan for BC in 1987. Hamilton is 0-6 against the West while the Roughriders are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games following a straight up loss. 10* (601) Saskatchewan Roughriders

We played on Saskatchewan last week as it snapped the Blue Bombers five-game winning streak and got some payback from its only home loss early in the season. Now that revenge goes the other way as Winnipeg will be out for payback in a quick turnaround as the Banjo Bowl sets up the third meeting Saturday afternoon. Besides Calgary, these are two of the hottest teams in the league as the Roughriders have now won three straight games and five of their last seven to move into sole possession of fourth place in the league. The issue has been winning on the road as they are just 1-3 and while the lone victory was against a very good Edmonton team, that game was handed to them by the Eskimos with a pair of interceptions that were returned for touchdowns as well as a blocked punt returned for a score. The last two road losses came against B.C. and Calgary where they were outgained by 198 and 143 total yards respectively. During their five-game winning streak, the Blue Bombers were averaging 36 ppg so last week was a poor effort on offense although the loss can be attributed to Winnipeg catching a very hot team at home. The Blue Bombers will have a final chance to redeem themselves and it is the final time the two teams will square off this regular season, with the implications being more than just saving face for the home team. Winnipeg has covered 12 of its last 14 games against teams with a winning record. 10* (654) Winnipeg Blue Bombers

After being the lone undefeated team in the CFL at 7-2, Edmonton had hit a bit of a skid as it has dropped two straight games to fall a half-game behind Calgary in the West Division. Last week, the Eskimos were defeated by 23 points against Saskatchewan but it was an anomaly as they were outgained by just 10 total yards but had a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown while having two passes picked off that were also returned for touchdowns. Edmonton has fallen to No. 7 in scoring defense but it is skewed by last week and take away those three touchdowns and it moves into the No. 3 spot. Both teams boast stingy pass defenses as the Stampeders are first in the CFL, allowing 261.6 ypg while the Eskimos are allowing the second fewest at 268.9 ypg. Calgary has won five straight games and are playing at its typical high level thus we are catching a line that is inflated because of the recent results. This is a classic Labour Day rivalry and while Calgary has won the last five meetings, four of those last five were decided in the final three minutes of the game. Edmonton has two excellent situations on its side. First, we play on divisional road underdogs that are coming off a home loss by seven or more points as favorites. This situation is 24-9 ATS (72.7 percent) L33. Also, we play on road teams coming off a loss as home favorites where they committed four or more turnovers. This situation is 18-1 ATS (94.7 percent) L19. 10* (355) Edmonton Eskimos

Saskatchewan started the season 1-3 but has won three of its last four games including two in a row to make it to .500 so get into the playoff mix. The Roughriders are coming off an impressive win at Edmonton last week which was their first win of the season on the road and they return home looking to improve upon their 3-1 record here. The lone defeat came against Winnipeg in the second game of the season so revenge is in play on Sunday as Saskatchewan lost that game by just three points. Winnipeg is one of the hottest teams in the league as it has won five straight games after a 2-2 start. The Blue Bombers pulled off an upset at home against Edmonton two weeks ago which handed the Eskimos their first loss of the season and while the streak includes three consecutive road wins, all of those were against the much weaker East Division. Overall, they are 5-0 against the East which has helped inflate the record. The Roughriders have only played three games against the East and while they are 2-1, the lone defeat came by a point at Montreal in a game they won the yardage battle by 59 total yards. They can take advantage of a Winnipeg defense that is ranked No. 8 in the CFL, ahead of only 0-8 Hamilton. Saskatchewan falls into a great revenge situation as we play on divisional home favorites or underdogs of fewer than three points that have a worse record than their opponent and playing with same season revenge. This situation is 10-1 ATS which includes 10 outright wins and one tie over the last 11 occurrences. 10* (354) Saskatchewan Roughriders

Ottawa picked up a much-needed win last week against Hamilton and while it came against the 0-8 Tiger-Cats, it was a huge victory. It snapped a three-game losing streak for the RedBlacks which are now 2-6-1 but even a record like that still has them in contention in the weak East Division. It was a dominating performance as it should have been as they outgained Hamilton by 221 total yards, giving them some much needed confidence going forward. Despite being four games under .500, Ottawa is actually slightly outscoring opponents as the six losses have come by a total of just 20 points. British Columbia lost a tough one at home against Calgary last Friday, its second straight loss after getting throttled by Saskatchewan five days earlier. The offense has struggled over the two-game skid as the Lions have managed only 25 points with the quarterback situation not in a good place right now. Neither Jonathon Jennings nor Travis Lulay seems to be in a good zone since the 4-1 start to the season. We are catching a short price here due to the difference in records as well as the West vs. East scenario but it is clear that Ottawa is better than its record shows while the Lions are arguably not as good as their 5-4 record indicates. 10* (376) Ottawa RedBlacks

We won both games last week involving these two teams and tonight, we will be going the complete opposite way of those selections. We played on Winnipeg as the Blue Bombers handed Edmonton its first loss of the season as the situation was a great one for the home team as the Eskimos has 22 players on the injury list and coming in, Edmonton had won six of its seven games by a single possession. Additionally, five of those wins came against the East Division including two victories over 0-7 Hamilton. Now the Blue Bombers hit the road in a classic letdown situation with a game against rival Saskatchewan on deck. We also played against Montreal which was playing the second game of a home-and-home against Toronto and coming off a 21-9 win in the first meeting but the Argonauts were without quarterback Ricky Ray. The Alouettes return home where they are 3-1 compared to 0-4 on the road and they will be out for revenge on top of it as they lost in Winnipeg by a single point prior to that Toronto series. It is even a greater point of revenge considering how the Blue Bombers won as they reversed a historic 12-point deficit inside the final minute of play to beat Montreal. The Alouettes offense has been inconsistent however they catch a good matchup here where they can bust out as Winnipeg is allowing 407.4 ypg which is third worst in the league. Going back, the Alouettes are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games following a straight up loss. 10* (372) Montreal Alouettes

This is the second game of a home-and-home between these East Division rivals with Montreal taking the first meeting 21-9 eight days ago. That win snapped a two-game slide for the Alouettes and it has been an up and down season for them as they have yet to win consecutive games but have come close as their four losses have all come by seven points or less. Montreal owns a very impressive win over Calgary earlier in the season which came at home where it is 3-1 compared to going 0-3 on the road. The Alouettes were favored by nine points last week which seems like a huge number which does not coordinate with the number this week but that is because Toronto was without quarterback Ricky Ray and that was the difference in the game. Backups Cody Fajardo and Jeff Mathews led the Argonauts to only nine points while failing to find the end zone in Week Eight. That was the third straight loss for Toronto, two coming on the road and the third coming against Calgary which is once again red hot and it did not catch the Stampeders in a good spot like Montreal did. We can chalk last week up as a bad break for Toronto without their signal caller and the other seven games have been true to form as it is 3-0 against the weak East Division and 0-4 against the much tougher West Division. The story last week was the Toronto defense as it was solid once again and its 356.9 ypg allowed is a yard away from being the best in the CFL. The return of Ray and the continued strength of the defense lead Toronto to a revenge victory today. 10* (358) Toronto Argonauts

We played against British Columbia last Sunday as they got hammered at Saskatchewan to fall to 5-3 on the season but it remains a very dangerous team in the loaded West Division where four teams are separated by two games after the Edmonton loss last night. The Lions other two losses have come against the Eskimos, one coming at home by just three points in their season opener. They looked awful last week and that is keeping the betting public off the Lions and we will go the contrarian route here with a team that has not been a home underdog since the season opener in 2016. Calgary is coming off its bye week so it has the advantage of playing with some extra rest but at the same time, some positive momentum could have been lost after winning its last three games by a combined score of 128-35. The Stampeders are road favorites for a reason based on the recent play but facing a quality team and favored by this amount is too much of an overreaction. Going back, the Lions are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games following a straight up loss and they will be extra motivated here against a hated rival. They get their first crack at Calgary after they were shellacked last season in the Division Finals by a 42-15 score. Payback is in order tonight. 10* (356) British Columbia Lions

Edmonton remains the lone undefeated team in the CFL but this is a banged-up team now and that is going to eventually catch up. The Eskimos have an unheard of 22 players on the injury report this week with both sides of the ball affected. Edmonton has some key players on offense on the shelf but it is struggling more on the other side as the Eskimos have lost Almondo Sewell and Marcus Howard off the defensive line this week and that is where the Blue Bombers need to expose an Eskimos weakness. Winnipeg has won three straight games including the last two on the road to move to 5-2 overall. The Blue Bombers are in third place in the loaded West Division and they can close the gap with a win tonight. The Saturday win over Hamilton improved Matt Nichols record to 15-5 since becoming the Blue Bombers starting quarterback and since taking over under center, the Bombers are 7-2 in games decided by a single score. A lot of talk is that Winnipeg has been fortunate to be where it is based on the numerous close calls but the same can be said for the other side as Edmonton has won six of its seven games by a single possession. Additionally, five of those wins have come against the East Division including two victories over 0-7 Hamilton. Winnipeg has gone 8-0 ATS in its last eight games against teams with a winning record. 10* (352) Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Saskatchewan cashed for us two weeks ago against Toronto and we will be backing the Roughriders again this week as they are coming off a loss on the road in Week Seven. They fell behind 30-0 against British Columbia and managed to make it a more respectable 30-15 loss but a defeat is a defeat and they are set up for a quick revenge turnaround in the second game of this home-and-home set. Saskatchewan is 2-1 at home with the lone defeat coming in overtime against Winnipeg while the wins came against Toronto as mentioned which was impressive and while a win over Hamilton may not look imposing, the Roughriders outgained the Tiger-Cats by 258 total yards so it was a dominating performance. There has been talk about the play of quarterback Kevin Glenn last week but everyone is entitled to a bad game and prior to that, he has been more than fine. British Columbia is 5-2 to start the season and it has been especially good on the road with a 3-1 record although those three victories were against three teams from the East Division and not even the best one. The Lions only two losses have come against Edmonton which is still undefeated heading into Week Eight and that fact is keeping public betting on their side as they are the biggest public consensus of the week which we gladly will fade. This is far from a blind fade though as the home/road splits favor the Roughriders and the revenge just does not go back to last week as they want to end the seven-game skid against one of their hated rivals. 10* (378) Saskatchewan Roughriders

The Blue Bombers have found magic in the closing minutes of the last two games to pull out victories but something says that comes to an end as that run cannot last too long and they are in a very tough spot to get up for. Winnipeg scored 10 points in the final 2:43 last week against Ottawa which came after reversing a historic 12-point deficit inside the final minute of play to beat Montreal 41-40 two weeks ago. Their last second close wins and their 4-2 record are deceiving as the Blue Bombers have a negative point differential (-7 points), the eighth-ranked offense in the CFL (364.7 ypg) and the seventh-ranked defense (412.5 ypg). Not exactly the best rankings in a nine-team league. Hamilton is off to a horrible start as it is the lone remaining winless team in the CFL and things hit the ultimate bottom two weeks ago when the Tiger-Cats were throttled 60-1 against Calgary. They could have tossed it in right after that but they following that defeat up with a solid effort last week in a 33-28 loss at undefeated Edmonton. They have had their share of struggles across all areas but the defense has gotten the attention, allowing a league-worst 39 ppg and 460.8 ypg so they made a chance and replaced their defensive coordinator this past week which can provide a big spark. Get that effort and if Zach Collaros can repeat his performance from last week, having thrown for 282 yards and three touchdowns, this is a very winnable game. Hamilton is back home where it has only played twice in six games and those were two good efforts despite losses. The streak ends Saturday. 10* (376) Hamilton Tiger-Cats

We lost with Ottawa last week in a stunner as some late Matt Nichols/Justin Medlock heroics enabled the Blue Bombers to pull out another last-second victory. They scored three field goals and a single in the final 2:43 of the game and left us with a losing ticket with the RedBlacks which fell to 1-5-1 on the season. Things could be a lot different though. They blew a 14-point fourth quarter lead to Calgary in Week One, they were leading Toronto 12-1 at the end of the half after holding them to -47 yards offensively yet still lost by one in Week Three and they gave up 14 points in the final 2:16 of the first half that cost them in a 23-21 loss to the Eskimos a week later. The five losses have been by 4, 1, 2, 3 and 3 points which equates to an average loss of 2.6 ppg and they are now favored this week against the lone remaining undefeated team in the CFL. Edmonton is 6-0 and has had some close call along the way as well but the Eskimos have had the breaks go their way. They have won five of their six games by five points or less including both road games by three points each, one coming against winless Hamilton. They actually have two wins over Hamilton, the second coming last week by just five points at home. This is a revenge game for Ottawa as it lost the first meeting as mentioned earlier and it has covered four straight games following an ATS loss while the Eskimos are 0-3-2 ATS against teams with a losing record. 10* (372) Ottawa RedBlacks

It has been a very disappointing start to the season for the defending Grey Cup Champions as the RedBlacks are off to a 1-4-1 start with only hapless Hamilton owning a worse record in the CFL. Ottawa has played better than the record shows however as all four losses have come by four points or less and while it has not been able to get any late breaks, this team is a few of those breaks to being undefeated right now or at least close to it. The RedBlacks are coming off a bye week which came at a great time as it played three games in 11 days and it only adds to their motivation to get going back in the right direction. Playing at home also helps where they are 1-1-1 compared to 0-3 on the road. Winnipeg is off to a 3-2 start and the schedule has played a big part in that. Three games have come at home while the other two have also taken place on the west coast making this the first trip east for the Blue Bombers. If ever there is a chance of a letdown, this is it. Last week, the Blue Bombers reversed a historic 12-point deficit inside the final minute of play to beat Montreal 41-40. Offensively, they have been solid but the defense remains a big issue as they allowed 531 yards against Montreal and have given up 40 points or more three times this season. Ottawa has covered five of its last six games following a loss and this has turned into a huge game to get back into the playoff picture. 10* (354) Ottawa RedBlacks

Calgary is hitting on all cylinders following an average start by its standards, opening 2-1-1. We played on the Stampeders two weeks ago as they defeated Saskatchewan following their loss to Montreal the previous week and last week, they absolutely took it to Hamilton in a 60-1 drubbing. They remain a game behind undefeated Edmonton in the West Division and will look to continue their dominance over Toronto as they have won all six meetings going back to 2014. We played against the Argonauts last week as they have now alternated wins and losses to start the season. They bounced back with wins over Ottawa in their two previous games coming off a loss and we can expect another big effort tonight. Toronto quarterback Ricky Ray has thrown for over 300 yards in every game so far and sits on top of the league in passing yards (2,282). He extended his streak of games with 300+ passing yards to six after passing for 386 yards against Saskatchewan last week and he is on pace for 6,846 passing yards. While the offense has paced the Argonauts, the defense cannot be overlooked. With a pass rush consisting of Shawn Lemon, who has contributed to the Argonauts league-leading sack total of 19, the Stampeders offensive line will have a tough task in protecting Bo Levi Mitchell. While an outright Toronto win is not far from out of the question, we will gladly grab the generous home points here. 10* (352) Toronto Argonauts

We played against Saskatchewan last week as it got dominated in Calgary but it was in a horrible spot catching the Stampeders coming off a loss. Now the Roughriders head home in search of snapping their three-game losing streak and the positive situation this week shifts over to their side. The two losses prior to the Calgary loss were extremely close as they were by a combined four points including one of those coming in overtime against Winnipeg in their home opener. They followed that up with an impressive 37-20 win over Hamilton as they outgained the Tiger-Cats by 258 total yards. This team went 8-28 over the last two seasons and was billed as a sleeper team coming into this season and they are showing it thus far. The Argonauts are 3-2 and boast the top passing attack in the CFL at 379.2 ypg and on Saturday search for their first win of the season outside the East Division. Ricky Ray is on pace to pass for 6,826 passing yards this season, which would break the CFL All-Time record and he has recorded five straight games of 300+ yards. His passing yards totals in 2017 are 506, 323, 366, 330 and 367. Saskatchewan has played a very tough pass defense this season so he will be tested. This is a very tough spot for Toronto as it played on Monday against Ottawa and will have just four days in-between games which includes this 1,400-mile trip making the rest time that much shorter. 10* (376) Saskatchewan Roughriders

It has been an exciting week in the CFL as the first three games have been decided by a total of 11 points and no team has covered by more than one point so staying away early in the week has been the prudent choice. Tonight, however presents the opportunity for a blowout as Calgary is back home in search of a dominant effort as it has been average thus far. The Stampeders are 2-1-1as they had two close games with regaining Grey Cup Champion Ottawa and they are coming off a loss last week at Montreal so they will be in bounce back mode on Saturday. They have put up more points than any other CFL team and will have defensive star Charleston Hughes back in the lineup against the Roughriders, providing a huge boost to a defense that struggled last week against the Alouettes. Saskatchewan is coming off a big win last week at home against Hamilton as an underdog and despite a 1-2 record, it has played much better than many expected. The two losses have come by four points including one of those in overtime but the Roughriders had a bye this past week which hurt momentum following that dominating victory. The chances of the Roughriders recording consecutive wins might be slim considering Calgary has not lost back-to-back regular-season games since Week 2 and Week 3 of the 2012 season, a league-record streak of 91 games. Calgary has won 121 straight home games while Saskatchewan is 0-9-1 in its last 10 games at McMahon Stadium with most of those games resulting in blowouts. 10*(358) Calgary Stampeders

Ottawa had a difficult schedule to open the season and the reigning Grey Cup Champions faltered out of the gate. The RedBlacks played Calgary at home to open the regular season and the Stampeders were certainly out for revenge but the home team held its own and played to a 31-31 tie. Ottawa then had to travel to Calgary the following week and the Stampeders were able to avenge that Grey Cup loss with a four-point win. The RedBlacks were in clear letdown mode last week as it lost at home to the Argonauts but a point and in both losses, they actually won the yardage battle. Edmonton opened the season with a pair of wins over British Columbia and Montreal before having its bye week last week which came at a bad time as it hurt whatever early season momentum was gained. Revenge is in plat for the Eskimos this week as they will be out to get back at Ottawa for eliminating them from the semifinals last season as they lost by 12 points. Typically, we would take a hard look at the revenge angle but motivation should be higher on the other side with the winless RedBlacks. Despite being just one of two winless teams in the CFL, Ottawa is still in the upper half of the league in power rankings and the winless record has the linesmakers attention with this number which is much too big here. The RedBlacks are 4-0 ATS in their last four games as an underdog between 3.5 and 10 points while the Eskimos are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games as a home favorite between 3.5 and 10 points. 10* (375) Ottawa RedBlacks

Saskatchewan will be looking to rebound from a tough loss last week as it fell at Montreal by a point. The Roughriders had a chance to win it on a last second field goal but missed and now they head back to Saskatchewan for their home opener. They will be riding high with the official opening of Mosaic Stadium after playing at Taylor Field for the last 80 years so the home field advantage will be even more so in this rivalry game on Canada Day no less. Saskatchewan committed 21 penalties while turning the ball over three times yet still only lost by a point so if there is any consolation for a loss, that is it plus they won the yardage battle by 69 total yards. This is the season opener for Winnipeg who had a bye last week so the Blue Bombers are at a disadvantage from a scheduling standpoint. They are coming off a great season where they made the playoffs for the first time since 2011 so expectations are certainly high. Matt Nichols enters his first season in his seven-year CFL career as the starting quarterback. Nichols had a less than impressive performance in his pre-season debut against the Riders, completing just five passes for a dismal 32 yards in a quarter-and-a-half of play. On the other side, Kevin Glenn was strong in his Roughriders debut last week, finishing 31-for-44 for 298 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. The Roughriders are now the slight favorites in this game and will buck the 7-0 ATS underdog start in the CFL. 10* (378) Saskatchewan Roughriders

We are not much into laying points on the road but catching a small number is ideal to go along with the situation that could not be better. When we last saw Calgary and Ottawa, it was back on November 27 where they were fighting for the Grey Cup that was eventually won in overtime by the RedBlacks. The Stampeders went into that game as 9.5-point favorites but went home with a shocking defeat which was their second since Week One, a record of 16-1-1 over that stretch. They have won 29 games over the past two seasons and last year they basically stomped all over everyone until their stunning Grey Cup loss and now they come into the season with revenge right out of the gate. Calgary has little room to improve because it has been so good over the last few years but it will be playing with a chip on its shoulder after no winning the championship the last two seasons despite a 29-6-1 record. Ottawa has made quick work of the franchise since coming back to the CFL in 2014 where it went just 2-16. The RedBlacks went 12-6 the following season and went to the Grey Cup in just its second season because losing to Edmonton. They were able to push forward last season and gain the championship despite posting an 8-9-1 regular season record. Give them credit for what they accomplished but they certainly catch Calgary at the wrong time and actually face them again next week so a 0-2 start is more likely than not. Calgary was tops in the CFL in both offense and defense last season and while it did lose some pieces on both sides, it is nearly enough to bring this team down. Going back, the RedBlacks are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 home games while the Stampeders are 15-5-1 ATS in their last 21 games as road favorites of three of fewer points. Instant revenge on Friday. 10* (353) Calgary Stampeders

This could very well be letdown time for Montreal as it snapped a four-game losing streak last week against rival Toronto as it played with a newfound energy in the first game for new head coach Jacques Chapdelaine. It will be touch to keep that going against a much better opponent and home field has not helped much as the Alouettes are just 2-5 at home. Edmonton has proven they can get it done through the air and on the ground, giving the Alouette defense a tough task on Monday afternoon. The CFL passing leader Mike Reilly and two top receiving yardage producers in Adarius Bowman and Derel Walker. The defense is playing better as well so overall the Eskimos are in good shape to make the playoffs. This is the first of three straight road games which makes it a vital one. The Eskimos have won two straight games and could be peaking at the right time in trying to defend the Grey Cup Championship. Montreal is in last place in the East Division and that is nothing to be proud of this season as it is the weaker of the two by far. The West has won 10 straight games against East Division opponents and is 15-8-1 overall this season. The Alouettes are 0-6 ATS in their last six games following a straight up win while the Eskimos are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games in Week 16. The Eskimos have covered five straight in this series while Montreal is 0-5 ATS this season as a home underdog. 10* (481) Edmonton Eskimos

The two hottest teams in the CFL square off on Saturday as Winnipeg heads to Calgary in a pivotal West Division matchup. The Blue Bombers won their seventh straight game last week as they rolled over Toronto and only one of those seven wins has been by less than a touchdown. Considering Winnipeg started the season 1-4, it has been a huge turnaround and has been keyed by a five-game winning streak on the road. The defense has been outstanding as after allowing 27 ppg in those first five games, the Blue Bombers have allowed just 19 ppg during their winning streak. Calgary meanwhile has not lost a game since opening week as it is on a 10-0-1 run and has clearly separated itself from the rest of the league. The Stampeders have covered their last seven games which is giving us solid value the other way. They were favored by just one more point in the last meeting that took place here but Winnipeg is a different team now that is playing with great confidence. The change at quarterback to Matt Nichols has made the offense much more efficient and they will be getting running back Andrew Harris back for the game today after a six-game stint on the IR. Winnipeg is a perfect 4-0 ATS this season on the road as a single-digit underdog. 10* (495) Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Calgary is coming off a blowout victory against British Columbia last weekend to build a 1.5-game lead in the West Division but that has dropped back to one game following the Lions upset win over Ottawa on Thursday. The Stampeders have won five straight games and have been playing good enough all season that they could be undefeated as they tied with Ottawa while the lone defeat came against the Lions by just two points. Calgary has had a strong defense year in and year out and this season is no exception as it is allowing a league-low 20.1 ppg. With the Ottawa loss, Hamilton has fallen into a tie for first place in the East Division with the RedBlacks and the Argonauts, all sitting at 4-4. The Tiger Cats snapped a two-game skid with a 53-7 win over Saskatchewan last week but most teams have been giving the Roughriders the business lately so not much should be read into that victory. Hamilton is not in an easy spot here considering it was coming off a four-game roadtrip prior to that and now has to jet off across country for yet another road game right before and home-and-home set with rival Toronto on deck. The Tiger Cats are just 2-7 ATS in their last nine games against teams with a winning record while Calgary is 12-2 ATS in its last 14 games against teams allowing 4.25 or fewer rushing ypc while going .9-1 ATS in its last 10 games against teams averaging 90 or fewer rushing ypg. 10* (308) Calgary Stampeders

After a 3-0-1 start, Ottawa has dropped three of its last four games so while many will shy off the RedBlacks, a closer look needs to be taken. Consecutive losses to Saskatchewan and Toronto were by a combined four points and while the loss last week against Montreal was by 24 points, it was a misleading final as they were outgained by just 42 total yards but were undone by four turnovers and 13 penalties and no team can overcome those miscues. Ottawa will be out for some redemption on Thursday as it looks to snap a 0-4 ATS run. British Columbia was humbled last week as it got destroyed at home against West Division leader Calgary 37-9 and that score was not misleading. The Lions were outgained by 181 total yards and that is a tough defeat to bounce back from after a solid run prior to that. They are 3-1 on the road and have covered all four of those games however this is now the biggest test they have had on the highway thus far. On the flip side, the RedBlacks are 0-4 ATS at home so those two converging pointspread records are giving us some value in the number on Thursday. Ottawa has covered six of its last seven games against teams with a winning record while going back further, it is 6-0 ATS against teams allowing 340 total ypg or fewer. With both teams coming off losses, we can expect the home field to be the difference here as Ottawa keeps it claim on first place in the East Division. 10* (302) Ottawa RedBlacks

We have won with British Columbia the last two weeks and we will ride the Lions once again. they returned home from a three-game roadtrip where they went 2-1 and took care of Hamilton by seven points. They blew a 16-point fourth quarter lead but scored a late touchdown to pull out the victory and remain a half-game out of first place in the CFL West Division. The team they trail is Calgary which has not lost since opening week when it came here and lost to the Lions by two points. The Stampeders got their revenge a month later when they defeated British Columbia by three points in overtime. That loss still strings for the Lions as they blew a 15-point lead late in the fourth quarter and closed the game by getting outscored 18-0. Revenge certainly comes into play on that factor alone. The Lions offense will be tested by a strong Calgary defense but quarterback Jonathon Jennings has been spectacular. He threw for 306 yards and three touchdowns last week against the Tiger Cats and British Columbia has now scored 38 points or more in each of its last four games, averaging 41.0 ppg over that stretch. The Lions fall into two solid situations as well. First, we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 after five or more consecutive straight up wins, with a winning record on the season. This situation is 23-5 ATS (82.1 percent) since 1996. Second, we play on home teams where the line is +3 to -3 revenging a loss where the opponent scored 38 or more points. This situation is 47-17 ATS (73.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (124) British Columbia Lions

This is a very unique scheduling matchup in the CFL as both Hamilton and British Columbia are coming off three straight road games. This gives the Lions the edge as they return home for the first time in five weeks while Hamilton remains on the highway for a fourth straight game. The road has been kind for the Tiger Cats as they are 3-1 but were blown out at Winnipeg 10 days ago by 26 points following a 3-0 start. They fell behind 34-0 at halftime so even the final score was misleading as they were undone by four turnovers. The Lions meanwhile won at Montreal going away to conclude a 2-1 roadtrip that included another blowout win at Saskatchewan and a tough overtime loss at Calgary where they blew a big second half lead. This is a good spot for them here as not only are they returning home but will be out to make up for an 11-point loss in their last home game against Toronto which was just their second home game of the season. British Columbia has outgained five of six opponents with the only exception being that game against Calgary where it was outgained by just two yards. Overall, the Lions are outgaining opponents by nearly 62 ypg. The Tiger Cats are just 2-6 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a winning record while British Columbia has covered five of six games this season and are catching a shorter than expected number here at home. 10* (308) British Columbia Lions

This is the third straight road game for British Columbia following a blowout win at Saskatchewan and a tough overtime loss last week in Calgary after blowing a 15-point lead to start the fourth quarter against the Stampeders. The Lions had their bye week prior to last week so they have not had to travel for three straight weeks which is a big edge. The quick turnaround, five days, between the loss to Calgary and the game in Montreal tonight could be a positive. They were outgained by just yards last week against Calgary and that was the first time this season they have been outgained. Overall, British Columbia is third in the CFL in total offense and second in total defense. Montreal snapped its three-game losing streak with a victory against Saskatchewan last week and it was a very impressive 41-3 victory but that can be considered an aberration as the offense was dreadful coming into last week and the Roughriders are currently the worst team in the league. The schedulemakers did the Alouettes no favors during this current stretch as this is the third game in 11 days for Montreal so while it does carry positive momentum forward, this has to be one tired team. British Columbia has covered six of its last seven road games while going back, the Alouettes are 0-4 ATS in their last four games following a straight up win. 10* (123) British Columbia Lions

Calgary enters Week Six of the CFL season sitting in second place in the West Division with a 2-1-1 record and returns home to place just its second home game of the season. The Stampeders won at Winnipeg last week and have not lost since their season opener which happened to come at British Columbia so revenge will be in play tonight. The Lions are leading the West Division with a 3-1 record with their only blemish coming at home against Toronto three weeks ago. They are coming off a bye week which at this early stage of the season can be more detrimental than helpful especially for a team that is playing good, thus killing positive momentum. B.C. has yet to lose on the road as it is a perfect 2-0 but this will be the toughest test so far and it heads to Calgary at the wrong time. Going back to last season, the Stampeders have covered six of their last seven home games and they have dominated this series at McMahon Stadium with covers in six of the seven meetings taking place here. 10* (306) Calgary Stampeders

With Hamilton winning on Saturday at Edmonton, the visitors are now an amazing 14-4-1 through the first 19 games of the CFL season. This trend will eventually even itself out or at least come close to doing so and tonight is a good place to start. Both Montreal and Toronto have played key roles in the road dominance as in their seven games combined, the road team has gone a perfect 7-0. The Argonauts were blown out by Hamilton in their season opener before winning consecutive road games at Saskatchewan and British Columbia. They could not keep the momentum going however as they fell again at home last week against Ottawa. That game was the first in Week Four, taking place on Wednesday so they have had 12 days to prepare for Montreal. The Alouettes meanwhile won their season opener at Winnipeg before dropping consecutive home games against Ottawa and Hamilton with a bye week in-between. That makes this the first road game for Montreal in a full month which puts it in a very tough spot here and making it even worse, this is the first of three games in an 11-day stretch. Montreal is averaging a CFL-low 14 ppg and will be without slotback S.J. Green and tailback Tyrell Sutton, who are both on the injured list. Meanwhile, Toronto quarterback Ricky Ray has completed 86-of-122 passes (70.5 per cent) for 1,000 yards with six touchdowns and just one interception so he has been very solid after missing most of last season and the offenses will be the difference here. 10* (128) Toronto Argonauts

We are going contrarian with this play as Saskatchewan comes into this game winless while Ottawa has yet to lose and those records are dictating this line. The Roughriders are coming off a home loss against B.C. last week as they blew a 13-point second quarter lead and a 12-point third quarter lead. They were outscored 14-1 to end the game but for the second straight week, they were in a winnable position and continue to move in the right direction. The other home game this season resulted in a loss against Toronto despite Saskatchewan winning the yardage battle by 137 total yards. Mitchell Gale will get the start at quarterback for the Roughriders after Darian Durant got hurt last week and Gale was solid as he threw for 247 yards and a touchdown on 17-of-30 passing. Ottawa meanwhile is off to a 3-0-1 start showing last year was no fluke. The RedBlacks are a perfect 3-0 on the road so keeping that pace up will be difficult and there has to be a lookahead here playing a winless team with a four-game homestand upcoming and this is the final road game until September. They have helped road teams dominate the league as a whole as the visitors are an amazing 13-3-1 through the first 17 games so the home field advantages will be coming out at some point and this could be exactly where it starts in an upset. The points are in our favor nonetheless. 10* (124) Saskatchewan Roughriders