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**TheGame** · 07-01-2014, 11:29 AM

Re: CFL Week 2.

CFL Betting Notes - Week 2
By David Schwab
VegasInsider.com

The new CFL regular season just got underway this past weekend and we have already seen a pair of shocking upsets to kick things off. Winnipeg got the ball rolling with a 45-21 romp over Toronto last Thursday night as a seven-point home underdog.

After Calgary thumped Montreal 29-8 on Saturday as a 7½-point favorite at home, Edmonton went on the road to beat British Columbia 27-20 as an eight-point underdog. In a rematch of last season’s Grey Cup Championship, Saskatchewan was even more dominant this time around with a 31-10 victory over Hamilton as a 3½-point home favorite to close things out for Week 1.

Total bettors watched the ‘under’ produce a 3-1 record in Week 1.

Opening numbers provided by 5Dimes

Thursday, July 3

Ottawa RedBlacks (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS) vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS)

Point-spread: OFF
Total: OFF

Game Overview

The Ottawa RedBlacks are the CFL’s newest franchise and they will make their debut on the road this Thursday night after enjoying an extra week to prepare with a bye. The expectations for an expansion team are never that high, but Ottawa will have an experienced gunslinger at the helm in veteran quarterback Henry Burris, who led the CFL in passing yards last season with 4,925 while playing for Hamilton.

The Blue Bombers only won three games straight-up in 2013 while averaging just 20.1 points a game, but they more than doubled that total last week against Toronto with Drew Willy lighting things up at quarterback. He completed 19-of-27 throws for 308 yards and four touchdowns.

Betting Trends

While there are obviously no recent betting trends for Ottawa, Winnipeg comes into this matchup with a 3-9-1 record against the spread in its past 13 games and they are just 2-11-1 ATS in their last 14 games following a SU win. The total has gone OVER in seven of its last 10 home games.

Friday, July 4

British Columbia Lions (0-1 SU, 1-0 ATS) vs. Montreal Alouettes (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS)

Point-spread: British Columbia -1
Total: 51

Game Overview

BC was listed as 5Dimes’ favorite to win this season’s Grey Cup on its preseason futures board, but last week’s loss at home has already raised some red flags. Kevin Glenn, who replaced an injured Travis Lulay at quarterback, was picked-off four times and the Lions’ ground game was held to just 53 yards.

The expectation level for Montreal’s re-tooled offense that now features former Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith at quarterback and Chad Johnson at wide receiver, sputtered out of the gate with just eight points in Saturday’s loss. Smith struggled to complete just 44 percent of his 41 passes for a total of 154 yards. Johnson recorded two catches for 20 yards.

Betting Trends

The Lions are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 trips to Montreal and they are 22-6 ATS in the last 28 meetings overall. The total has gone OVER in five of the last seven games between these two, including the last five games played at Percival Molson Stadium.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS) vs. Edmonton Eskimos (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS)

Pointspread: Edmonton -2½
Total: 52

Game Overview

Hamilton will quickly need to put last week’s trip to Saskatchewan in the rear view mirror to avoid a 0-2 start on this West Division road trip. It fell behind 24-1 at the half behind new starting quarterback Zach Collaros. He ended the day with 139 yards passing and a lost fumble and interception.

The Eskimos had the second-worst record in the CFL last season at 4-14 SU, but they looked like a whole different team in last Saturday’s upset against BC. Mike Reilly threw for 229 yards and three touchdowns while adding 33 yards on the ground. Edmonton’s defense was torched for an average of 28.8 points per game last season, but it came up big against BC in its 2014 season opener by holding the Lions to just three second-half points.

Betting Trends

The home team in this series has gone 7-3 SU in the last 10 meetings and the total has gone OVER in four of the last five games. Hamilton does hold a 13-6 edge ATS in the last 19 meetings in this matchup.

Saturday, July 5

Saskatchewan Roughriders (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) at Toronto Argonauts (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS)

Pointspread: PICK
Total Line: 53½

Game Overview

The defending champs are off to another solid start this year after going 8-1 SU in their first nine games of the 2013 regular season. Darian Durant was efficient throwing the ball in the win over Hamilton last Sunday with a completion percentage of 68.2 percent, but it was the Roughriders’ ground game that led the way. Anthony Allen ran the ball 27 times for 158 yards and one score while averaging 5.9 yards a carry.

The Argonauts are still trying to figure out what hit them in last Thursday’s season opener that started with a 17-0 hole in the first quarter. Ricky Ray’s numbers were solid with 283 yards passing and two touchdowns, but Toronto’s defense failed to show up after giving-up well over 300 yards through the air and over 130 yards on the ground.

Betting Trends

The Roughriders come into this contest with a 4-1 record ATS in the last five meetings in Toronto and the total has stayed UNDER in nine of the last 13 games between the two at the Rogers Centre. The road team in this matchup has won six of the last eight meetings SU.

**Thomas** · 07-02-2014, 09:21 PM

Re: CFL Week 2.

With a 2-2 record in Week 1, The Big Man is set with his Week 2 predictions. The CFL on TSN's Chris Schultz makes his bold predictions, which includes the official return of the Ottawa Redblacks.

Ottawa at Winnipeg

Well, it is good to say it - Ottawa. As a life-long fan of the CFL, I can tell you many stories of the games and players I identified with that were Rough Rider alumni. It's great to have 0ttawa back. I truly don't have any idea how they will play this year or how many games they'll win. Yet I'm optimistic as good teams aren't about the best individual players as much as good players working efficiently together. The Redblacks have a solid coaching staff and I feel a good 24 to begin with so competitive games are a real expectation early in the season. Winnipeg? Surprise, surprise! I didn't see the win over the Argos on the horizon and they have a real opportunity to begin the season 2-0. The challenge for Winnipeg is that many of the Redblacks are unknown and they're team strengths and weaknesses are will only be known after a month of football. A tough team to prepare for. I must stay with logic on this one, a Bombers win but much closer than score than the 45-21 victory over Toronto. More like 31-24 Winnipeg.

B.C. at Montreal

Both teams had disappointing losses to start the season, but of the two - Montreal was the greater disappointment. Every week there will be one or two players that desperately need to bounce back from a poor game and have a great one. This week it's Troy Smith at quarterback for Montreal. His accuracy wasn't there in Calgary and he has to improve quickly - not only for the Als to win but for Troy to keep his position as a starter and leader. Patience is never found in abundance in pro football - quite the opposite in fact. It was good to see Brandon Whitaker back at running back and he was effective, but he may have to be even more effective this week. This one should be close but I like B.C. on the road. They are not going to allow another fake field goal for a first down or an onside kick for a change of possession. Neither team will dominate so B.C. by three in an upset.

Hamilton at Edmonton

Protection problems, quarterback hesitation problems, run defence problems and there are more problems right now than solutions in Hamilton. Not in Edmonton. Confidence should be high after the win over the Lions on the road and this being the home opener. How about Adarius Bowman, nine catches for 105 yards and a touchdown! Mike Reilly as a quarterback may have found some chemistry after one week of football. Zach Collaros has to improve fast, as Kent Austin still has Dan LeFevour as plan "B" who could turn into plan "A" before anticipated. I have to go with the confident Eskimos over a Hamilton team searching for confidence.

Saskatchewan at Toronto

This one will be closer than anticipated. It would be easy to say the Riders in an easy win, but I would be shocked if Toronto didn't respond with a more professional response here in Week 2. I do think the Argo defence will play at a higher level in that the combination of pass rush and pass coverage will be much more evident. And I do not for see a 16-penalty first half repeat as was created in Winnipeg. Ricky Ray will have more opportunity this week at home. But - and a big but - the best offensive line may be in Regina. Fulton, Labatte, Picard, Best and Heenan are all athletic and technically sound. Also, the sixth best offensive lineman may be Dan Clark and he's used extensively in tight end run packages. I love my quarterbacks, receivers, running backs, line backers and defensive backs. But just like against Hamilton, I see Rider control that's closest to the line of scrimmage, offence and defensive lines. Riders by a touchdown.

**Thomas** · 07-02-2014, 09:22 PM

Re: CFL Week 2.

ATS Trends

BC Lions

Lions are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games in July.
Lions are 7-3 ATS vs. a team with a losing record.
Lions are 4-11-1 ATS in their last 16 road games.
Lions are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games in Week 2.

Montreal

Alouettes are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a S.U. loss.
Alouettes are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games in Week 2.
Alouettes are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS loss.
Alouettes are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
Alouettes are 3-7 ATS vs. a team with a losing record.
Alouettes are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games in July.

OU Trends
BC Lions

Over is 4-1 in Lions last 5 vs. a team with a losing record.
Over is 4-1 in Lions last 5 games in Week 2.
Over is 7-2 in Lions last 9 Friday games.
Under is 12-4 in Lions last 16 games following a S.U. loss.
Over is 6-2 in Lions last 8 road games.
Under is 17-6 in Lions last 23 games following a ATS loss.
Under is 5-2 in Lions last 7 games in July.

Montreal

Under is 5-0 in Alouettes last 5 games overall.
Over is 4-0 in Alouettes last 4 vs. a team with a losing record.
Over is 6-1 in Alouettes last 7 games in Week 2.
Under is 4-1 in Alouettes last 5 games following a S.U. loss.
Over is 10-3 in Alouettes last 13 Friday games.
Under is 9-3 in Alouettes last 12 games following a ATS loss.
Under is 9-4-1 in Alouettes last 14 home games.

Head to Head

Over is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings in Montreal.
Lions are 22-6 ATS in their last 28 meetings.
Over is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings.
Lions are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 meetings in Montreal.
------------------------------
Hamilton

Tiger-Cats are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 Friday games.
Tiger-Cats are 6-2 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
Tiger-Cats are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 road games.
Tiger-Cats are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
Tiger-Cats are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games in July.

Edmonton

Eskimos are 6-13 ATS in their last 19 games following a ATS win.
Eskimos are 16-35 ATS in their last 51 Friday games.
Eskimos are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 home games.
Eskimos are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games in July.

OU Trends
Hamilton

Under is 4-0 in Tiger-Cats last 4 games in July.
Under is 8-2 in Tiger-Cats last 10 games overall.
Under is 8-2 in Tiger-Cats last 10 games following a ATS loss.
Under is 5-2 in Tiger-Cats last 7 road games.
Over is 12-5 in Tiger-Cats last 17 Friday games.

Edmonton

Over is 6-1-1 in Eskimos last 8 games following a S.U. win.
Over is 4-1 in Eskimos last 5 vs. a team with a losing record.
Over is 7-2 in Eskimos last 9 Friday games.
Over is 8-3 in Eskimos last 11 games following a ATS win.
Over is 18-7-1 in Eskimos last 26 games overall.

Head to Head

Over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Edmonton.
Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
Tiger-Cats are 13-6 ATS in their last 19 meetings.
------------------------------
Saskatchewan

Roughriders are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 games following a S.U. win.
Roughriders are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
Roughriders are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games in July.
Roughriders are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games in Week 2.
Roughriders are 7-20 ATS vs. a team with a losing record.
Roughriders are 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win.
Roughriders are 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 Saturday games.

Toronto

Argonauts are 9-1-1 ATS in their last 11 Saturday games.
Argonauts are 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a S.U. loss.
Argonauts are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS loss.
Argonauts are 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
Argonauts are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 home games.

OU Trends
Saskatchewan

Under is 5-1 in Roughriders last 6 games following a S.U. win.
Over is 4-1 in Roughriders last 5 games in Week 2.
Under is 8-3 in Roughriders last 11 games overall.
Under is 5-2 in Roughriders last 7 games following a ATS win.
Under is 75-36-1 in Roughriders last 112 road games.

Toronto

Over is 6-1 in Argonauts last 7 vs. a team with a winning record.
Over is 4-1 in Argonauts last 5 Saturday games.
Over is 8-3 in Argonauts last 11 games in July.
Over is 10-4 in Argonauts last 14 home games.

Head to Head

Roughriders are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings in Toronto.
Under is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings in Toronto.
--------------===
Ottawa
No trends available.
Winnipeg

Blue Bombers are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 Thursday games.
Blue Bombers are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games in July.
Blue Bombers are 3-9-1 ATS in their last 13 games overall.
Blue Bombers are 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 home games.
Blue Bombers are 3-12-1 ATS in their last 16 games following a ATS win.
Blue Bombers are 2-11-1 ATS in their last 14 games following a S.U. win.

OU Trends
Ottawa
No trends available.
Winnipeg

Over is 4-1-1 in Blue Bombers last 6 Thursday games.
Over is 5-2 in Blue Bombers last 7 games in Week 2.
Under is 38-16 in Blue Bombers last 54 games following a S.U. win.
Over is 7-3 in Blue Bombers last 10 home games.

Head to Head
No trends available.

**Thomas** · 07-02-2014, 09:32 PM

Re: CFL Week 2.

CFL Preview - Ottawa (0-0) at Winnipeg (1-0)

From The Sports Network

By Gregg Xenakes, CFL Editor

DATE & TIME: Thursday, July 3, 8:30 p.m. (ET).

GAME NOTES: The CFL is set to break new ground again on Thursday night, as the
Ottawa RedBlacks make their official debut as the newest club in the century-
old league when they challenge the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Investors Group
Field.

While there is a new name and new ownership group in the city, this is
actually the third team to call Ottawa home for CFL action.

Early on, there were the Ottawa Rough Riders more than a century ago and more
recently, the Renegades tried to make a go of it, but lasted only a few years
before folding in 2005.

Rick Campbell, a two-time Grey Cup winner during his time with the Edmonton
Eskimos (2003, 2005), has been appointed the head coach of the RedBlacks, his
first shot at being the lead man on the sidelines.

It is expected that Henry Burris will be the man under center for the squad
once they officially take the field on July 3. The import from Temple
University finished his second season with the Tiger-Cats last year, and in
doing so not only paced the entire league in passing yards with 4,925 yards,
he also led his squad to the title game against Saskatchewan, where they bowed
in a 45-23 defeat.

Burris may be long in the tooth by football standards, this being his 15th
campaign, but there is no denying his desire, drive and fearless approach to
the game, as he is more than willing to take a chance to make something out of
nothing. While he hasn't scored a rushing touchdown since 2011, Burris is one
of the most successful ball-carrying quarterbacks in CFL history with more
than 5,000 yards and 55 TDs to his credit.

The most notable among the Ottawa wideouts is Paris Jackson, who several years
ago was a legitimate threat who registered back-to-back seasons with at least
1,000 yards and eight touchdowns. Unfortunately, his last three years with
British Columbia have been rather forgettable, ringing up a mere 27 catches
for less than 400 yards and a single major.

The squad will need to lean quite a bit on a player like Marcus Henry, a slot
back who is entering his fourth year in the league. In three seasons with
Edmonton, Henry averaged almost 14 yards per catch on 95 grabs, but still came
away with only three TDs through the air. The RedBlacks will need a spark
somewhere down the field, and Henry could be one of the players holding the
match.

Although running the ball is rarely the first option, the RedBlacks appear to
be coming up short in that department as well. Chevon Walker showed some nifty
footwork in his first season back in 2012 with Hamilton, putting up 656 yards
and four TDs, but he delivered a mere fraction of that last season. At this
point he might be the best option for Ottawa, although it would be nice to see
former Boise State running back DJ Harper get back on his feet after a pair of
ACL injuries in college.

For a team that was bringing in a new starter at quarterback after posting a
league-worst three victories in 2013, the Blue Bombers figured to have their
hands full when they opened the new campaign against Toronto last week, but
that wasn't the case at all.

However, before the Argonauts could realize what hit them, Winnipeg was up by
a score of 24-0 in the second quarter, en route to a lopsided 45-21 final. The
offensive onslaught represented the highest-scoring effort by the Bombers
since a 2010 meeting with British Columbia in Week 15 when the squad captured
a 47-35 win in overtime.

Quarterback Drew Willy, now in his third season with the Bombers, threw for a
career-high 308 yards as he converted 19-of-27 pass attempts, leading to four
majors for the hosts. For his efforts, Willy was named the league's offensive
player of the week.

Aaron Kelly did a heap of damage in the first few minutes of the meeting,
posting a pair of receiving touchdowns, en route to five receptions for 100
yards.

Giving the Bombers some much-needed punch on the ground was Arizona product
Nic Grigsby, who erupted for 122 yards on 21 carries in his CFL debut.

A year ago, Winnipeg was last in the CFL in scoring with a mere 20.1 ppg,
generating a league-low 281.4 ypg which made the Bombers the only club to come
in under 320 ypg. The team tossed a total of only 13 touchdowns, less than
half that of the closest opponent (Montreal, 27). Perhaps last year's efforts
had something to do with the Bombers being ranked only seventh in the Week 1
Power Rankings.

In recent news off the field for the Blue Bombers, the team suspended
defensive back Korey Banks after the 11-year veteran asked for his release.
The club did not satisfy the request and instead put Banks on the suspended
list, indefinitely.

A two-time Grey Cup winner Banks, who spent the last eight seasons with
British Columbia, has 442 tackles and 37 interceptions in 163 career games.

Despite the distractions after their impressive win last week, the Blue
Bombers have to be considered the favorite as they open up play at home
against a club that is waiting to record its first piece of history.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Winnipeg 28, Ottawa 14

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

CFL Preview - British Columbia (0-1) at Montreal (0-1)

From The Sports Network

By Gregg Xenakes, CFL Editor

DATE & TIME: Friday, July 4, 7 p.m. (ET).

GAME NOTES: A couple of teams coming off disappointing efforts in their
respective season openers get together at Percival-Molson Stadium on Friday
night, as the Montreal Alouettes entertain the British Columbia Lions.

The Als figured to have some struggles early on with the change in
quarterback, but no one could have foreseen their awful effort against Calgary
in the opener.

Troy Smith did little with his opportunity to make Montreal fans forget all
about Anthony Calvillo. In fact, it would not be surprising if Calvillo was
besieged by requests to reconsider his retirement after the lackluster
performance by the new starting quarterback for the Als in their 29-8 setback
at Calgary last weekend.

Smith was largely ineffective as he completed just 18-of-41 passes for 154
yards, was sacked four times and tossed an interception. Many of his throws
sailed over the heads of receivers, and at no time did Smith make an effort to
show off his running ability, perhaps the latter was in an effort to keep him
from getting injured in the very first game of the season.

Running back Brandon Whitaker was credited with 59 yards on 12 carries, while
Steven Lumbala scored a one-yard touchdown on his only carry of the contest,
one that came at the end of the meeting following a defensive penalty.

The debut of former NFL superstar receiver Chad Johnson was uneventful as he
caught just two passes for 20 yards, but he wasn't the only Montreal player
guilty of having little influence on the outcome. As a group, the Alouettes
generated a mere 175 yards of offense and while they were far from an
offensive juggernaut a season ago, they did manage to put up 322.5 ypg.

Charged with 12 penalties, for a loss of 120 yards, didn't help matters for
the Als, but that was just one aspect of the game that needs to be cleaned up
moving forward.

Defensively, Montreal surrendered 425 yards and did little to capitalize on
the fact that Calgary was hit with a dozen penalties for 129 yards.

While the Alouettes were completely blown out of the water, British Columbia's
meeting against visiting Edmonton immediately afterward on Saturday evening
started off well enough, before spiraling out of control, en route to a 27-20
defeat.

Kevin Glenn tossed a couple of first-quarter touchdowns for the Lions in that
clash, but after that he was barely heard from as the club registered just two
field goals by Paul McCallum the rest of the way.

BC ran only 65 plays partly because Glenn was picked off four times and
suffered four sacks as he completed 18-of-28 passes. The pressure on the
signal-caller was never ending, as his four picks were more than half of his
entire 2013 total of just seven.

Andrew Harris, who ran for 37 yards on 11 attempts, also caught six balls for
102 yards in an effort to keep the Lions in the mix against Edmonton. Then
again, Harris did fumble on the final offensive play of the game.

On a more positive note, the Lions did manage to limit the Eskimos to less
than 300 yards of offense, but even that went by the wayside in the loss.

The squads split their two regular-season matchups from last year as the home
team came up big. First, the Als slipped by BC during Week 9 action by a score
of 39-38, as Sean Whyte knocked through the game-winning field goal in the
waning moments in order to offset five field goals by his counterpart,
McCallum. Three weeks later, British Columbia returned the favor with a
resounding 36-14 decision, as Travis Lulay threw one TD and ran for another in
order to offset a trio of interceptions.

As far as the series record is concerned, BC is ahead by a count of 35-32-1
when taking into consideration only regular-season meetings dating back to
1961. The Lions have won two of the last three encounters, including a 36-14
decision at home back in September of 2013.

These teams will meet once more during the regular season a little over two
weeks from now in Vancouver.

Eventually Smith will find his groove and some measure of success for the Als,
but for the time being the Lions have more than enough tools and talent to
hand Montreal its second straight setback.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: British Columbia 27, Montreal 22

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

CFL Preview - Hamilton (0-1) at Edmonton (1-0)

From The Sports Network

By Gregg Xenakes, CFL Editor

DATE & TIME: Friday, July 4, 10 p.m. (ET).

GAME NOTES: After winning a total of just four times all of last season, the Edmonton Eskimos shoot for half that number in just the second week of the 2014 campaign as they host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Commonwealth Stadium on Friday night.

Edmonton, which won just once through the first 10 games of 2013, got off on the right foot this time around thanks to a convincing 27-20 victory versus British Columbia at BC Place last weekend.

Mike Reilly threw for 229 yards and three touchdowns for the Eskimos and new head coach Chris Jones. The quarterback converted 22-of-35 pass attempts and was intercepted once. Receiver Adarius Bowman finished with nine catches for 105 yards, one of his best performances in years. Calvin McCarty and Fred Stamps also registered majors in the outing.

Edmonton scored points in every quarter, yet the squad generated a mere 295 yards of total offense on 84 snaps, partly due to the fact that the Eskimos had to deal with 13 penalties for a loss of 93 yards on the evening.

Defensively, Edmonton held the Lions to just 283 yards on 65 plays, all without the services of J.C. Sherritt who remained on the injured list. The linebacker, who missed several games last season, set the CFL single-season record for tackles two years ago with 130.

Sherritt should be back on the active roster this week, but that does not guarantee that he will see game action.

While the Esks were setting in motion the start of what will hopefully be a successful season, Hamilton was being beaten up by Saskatchewan in a rematch of last year's Grey Cup.

In November of last year, the Roughriders dominated the Tiger-Cats at Mosaic Stadium by a score of 45-23, and Sunday night saw a similar performance from both sides as Hamilton took it on the chin once more in a 31-10 rain-soaked final.

In 2013, the 'Cats had the luxury of riding the arm of Henry Burris, the league's top passer with close to 5,000 yards, but he has since been moved a couple of times and now plays for the newest team to the league, the Ottawa RedBlacks. Now they are relying on free agent Zach Collaros to provide some stability at the position, something that was not found in the opener.

Granted, the poor weather conditions may have had something to do with the lackluster play of Collaros, as he completed 19-of-33 passes for 159 yards and a score, but considering the protection he was given along the offensive line, you really can't put all the blame on him. Although, being sacked a mystifying 10 times does indicate that perhaps Collaros was holding onto the ball a bit too long.

Unfortunately, it appears the sack issue may be a continuing trend from last season when Hamilton was last in the league with 65 allowed, second-most on that list was Edmonton with 60.

Producing only 201 yards of total offense in the opener, there were times when the Tiger-Cats could not get out of their own way. The squad fumbled the ball four times, losing possession twice, and was flagged for an incredible 17 penalties for a loss of 148 yards.

Sam Giguere stepped up and posted a game-high six receptions (a career high) for 46 yards, while Luke Tasker reeled in a four-yard scoring pass for the program midway through the final period.

One bright spot for the Hamilton defense was rookie tackle Bryan Hall who made three tackles, registered one sack and forced a fumble during the setback.

Dating back to 1961 and taking into consideration only regular-season meetings between these two clubs, Edmonton is ahead by a count of 54-30-1, winning two of the last three and four of the last six matchups overall. However, Hamilton is the one that came out on top in the most recent encounter last August, when kicker Grant Shaw delivered a 45-yard single as time expired in a 30-29 road triumph.

The teams are also set to meet in Hamilton during Week 13 play this season.

If Sherritt is back in the lineup and the defense for the Eskimos watched enough film on how to get after Collaros, this could be another very long night for the new starting quarterback for Hamilton.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Edmonton 27, Hamilton 24

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

CFL Preview - Saskatchewan (1-0) at Toronto (0-1)

From The Sports Network

By Gregg Xenakes, CFL Editor

DATE & TIME: Saturday, July 5, 3 p.m. (ET).

GAME NOTES: As was the case in the Grey Cup last year, the Saskatchewan Roughriders had their way with Hamilton in the season opener last weekend, and now the team is tasked with taking on the Toronto Argonauts this Saturday afternoon at Rogers Centre.

Last November the Roughriders barely got their hands dirty as they mangled Hamilton in the title game, 45-23, and on Sunday night the reigning champs experienced similar success in the rematch as they cruised to a 31-10 home win.

There were many aspects of the game in which Saskatchewan excelled, but the most notable area was with its pressure on quarterback Zach Collaros. Under heavy rain, Collaros had limited time to gain his footing and find open receivers, but to be sacked 10 times is still incredible. Leading the way for the Riders was defensive end Ricky Foley, who made a total of six tackles, three of those on Collaros in the backfield.

Last season, Saskatchewan ranked third in the league in sacks with 57, so they are already off to a tremendous start in that department. It should also be noted that Hamilton was the weakest club in the league in terms of holding off would-be sackers, allowing 65 takedowns of signal-callers.

For his efforts, Foley was named the Defensive and Canadian Player of the Week for Week 1. Because of the constant hitting under less than ideal conditions, the Tiger-Cats fumbled four times and lost possession twice.

On the offensive side of the ball for the Riders, quarterback Darian Durant orchestrated a decent effort, converting 15-of-22 passes for 136 yards and a couple of touchdowns, but the real story was new running back Anthony Allen.

Saskatchewan figured to have a huge hole to fill in the backfield with the departure of Kory Sheets, the league's second-leading rusher a year ago (1,598 yards), as he made the move back to the NFL to join the Oakland Raiders, but Allen seems to have turned more than a few heads with his hard-nosed play coming out of the gate.

Allen carried the ball 27 times for a game-high 158 yards, dwarfing the efforts of the entire Tiger-Cats rushing attack which managed to produce a mere 42 net yards. Allen, who crossed the goal line on a one-yard run in the second quarter, also caught a two-yard pass for a major earlier in the meeting.

While the Roughriders were again whipping up on Hamilton, the Argonauts were the ones taking a beating at the hands of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the season opener last Thursday night, 45-21.

On paper, Toronto should have easily handled the hosts, but that's why they actually play the game. Ricky Ray, the quarterback with the top efficiency rating in the league a year ago, threw touchdown passes to Jason Barnes and Jeremiah Johnson in the second and third quarters, respectively, but that was only after the hosts lit up the scoreboard with 24 unanswered points to begin the meeting.

Ray completed 27-of-38 passes for 283 yards, with Chad Owens being his favorite target with eight catches for 78 yards. Owens also pitched in with three punt returns for another 85 yards, one of those stretching for 83 yards and a major in the fourth quarter. Owens, who is always a threat to break a big play, was named the Special Teams Player of the Week for the seventh time in his career.

Even though the Argos came out on the losing end in the first game of the season, the team's management is keenly aware of the value that Owens brings to the field each and every week, which is why the mighty sprite was signed to a contract extension through the 2015 campaign.

Not limited to keeping only the skill players happy, Toronto also extended center Jeff Keeping it was announced on Monday. While he certainly doesn't get the same amount of press as Owens, Keeping has still made a name for himself after he was not only named an East Division All-Star, but won the Leo Dandurand Memorial Trophy as the East Division's Outstanding Offensive Lineman following the 2013 campaign.

Unfortunately, the Toronto defense had no answers for the Blue Bombers, a team that last season won a total of just three times. Bombers quarterback Drew Willy threw for a career-high 308 yards and four touchdowns while being named the CFL Offensive Player of the Week. Winnipeg generated 459 yards of offense, and kept the Toronto defense on the field for more than 36 minutes.

Toronto trails in the all-time series between these two clubs, 46-37-1, when speaking of regular-season meetings dating back to 1961. However, the Argos have won two of the last three meetings, including a 31-29 final in Regina last September.

If the Saskatchewan defense is anywhere near as punishing this week as it was in the opening game, Ray and Owens better be on the lookout for hits coming from all sides.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Saskatchewan 28, Toronto 25

**TheGame** · 07-03-2014, 05:33 AM

Re: CFL Week 2.

Game of the Day: Redblacks at Blue Bombers
By Covers.com

Ottawa Redblacks at Winnipeg Blue Bombers

The expansion Ottawa Redblacks play their first game Thursday when they visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Redblacks are already at the top of the East Division without playing a game thanks to Week 1 losses by every other East team. That position will be difficult to maintain against Winnipeg, which posted 45 points with its new-look offense against the Toronto Argonauts.

Quarterback Drew Willy tossed four touchdowns in his Blue Bombers debut, setting the bar high for his second outing. Veteran pivot Henry Burris will be under center for Ottawa, which has not had a CFL team since 2005. Special teams are a concern for Winnipeg after allowing a pair of long returns against Toronto, while the Redblacks finally decided on a kicker, going with 24-year-old Brett Maher.

LINE HISTORY: Lines for this game are currently off the board.

WHAT SHARPS SAY: "The Bombers couldn't have looked any better in last week's 45-21 win over the Argos, and they'll have the advantage of staying at home for another winnable game against the expansion Redblacks on Thursday. Ottawa really is an unknown commodity at this point. There are undoubtedly going to be some growing pains, even with plenty of veteran talent on the roster. Until we get a grasp of what the Redblacks have to offer, this is a difficult game to handicap. Bombers could find themselves slightly overvalued off last week's big, albeit surprising victory." Covers Expert Sean Murphy.

ABOUT THE REDBLACKS (0-0): Ottawa will be without receiver Carlton Mitchell, who is on the one-game injured list. Backup quarterback Thomas DeMarco jokes he is behind “the CFL’s Brett Favre” in Burris, 39, who brings 51,526 career passing yards of experience to the expansion franchise. Running back Chevon Walker looked sharp in preseason action, scoring three touchdowns in a win over the Montreal Alouettes.

ABOUT THE BLUE BOMBERS (1-0): Winnipeg added receiver Romby Bryant and defensive back Troy Stoudermire to its roster Sunday, presumably for depth purposes. First-year running back Nic Grigsby got his CFL career off to an excellent start with 122 rushing yards in Week 1. The Blue Bombers' defense forced three fumbles and recorded one sack against the Argonauts.

TRENDS:

* Blue Bombers are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 Thursday games.
* Blue Bombers are 3-12-1 ATS in their last 16 games following a ATS win.
* Over is 5-2 in Blue Bombers last 7 games in Week 2.

**TheGame** · 07-04-2014, 05:23 AM

Re: CFL Week 2.

Week 2 CFL

Ottawa (0-0) @ Winnipeg (1-0) -- First game for expansion Ottawa team that split its pair of exhibition games; no idea what to expect from them. Winnipeg is favored for first time since its last game in 2012, and just third time in last 39 games- they upset Toronto 45-21 last week on this field, averaging 11.3 yards/pass attempt while also running ball for 132 yards. Winnipeg is just 10-27 SU since losing 2011 Grey Cup to BC; they can't be overconfident here.

Saskatchewan (1-0) @ Toronto (0-1) -- Road underdogs won SU in last four series games; dogs are 8-3-1 vs spread in dozen series tilts. Roughriders are 7-1 in last eight visits here, winning in last two trips, 36-10/39-28; they led Hamilton 24-1 at half last week in easy 31-10 win, with 164 rushing yards and three takeaways (+1). Toronto (-7) got drilled 45-21 in Winnipeg; they allowed 11.3 yards/pass attempt. Argos lost five of last six home games last year.

BC Lions (0-1) @ Montreal (0-1) -- Home side won last six series games; Lions lost last three visits here, by 4-5-1 point; underdogs are 8-4-1 vs spread in last 13 series games, with five of last seven going over total. BC turned ball over five times (-4) to Edmonton last week, getting upset in home opener, with QB Lulay out; they lost last three road games LY, allowing 34.7 ppg. Montreal lost in Calgary last week; Troy Smith was just 17-40/127 passing.

Hamilton (0-1) @ Edmonton (1-0) -- Eskimos won eight of last 12 series games, but TiCats' 30-29 (+3) win here LY snapped six-game skid here for Hamilton, which lost 31-10 last week in Regina, turning ball over three times (was 24-1 at half). Four of last five series games went over total. Edmonton pulled upset in Vancouver last week, picking off four passes, rallying back from 17-13 halftime deficit to win 27-20 (+8), taking advantage of QB Lulay's absence.

Announcement

CFL Week 2.

CFL Week 2.

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