CFL plays: Week 1

[YourAllAmerican]

First play of the season: Toronto at Calgary (-13)

Right now I have eyes on the Argos as a possible play-on team, but not at the first part of the season. I tend to think Cleo Lemon will be a good pickup at quarterback -- he was solid enough in the NFL, I thought -- but he's still learning the quirks of the Canadian game right now. Henry Burris has those quirks mastered, though, and I expect the Calgary defense to be somewhat improved.

A small play -- especially considering Toronto's Jim Barker does know a lot about what the Stamps are capable of -- but one I like.

I've gone back and forth a half-dozen times over the Montreal/Saskatchewan opener, both line and total. It's starting to look likely that any wager I make on that game will come at halftime.

 

[Rjcsjc62]

I like your pick, I was considering it as well, by have decided to lay off. It feels like 13 is alot to give in week1 when so much can go wrong with new personnel etc. Last year the Stamps saw alot of big spreads and did terribly ATS. This line reminds me of last year.

What scares me about playing the Argos is that IMO Jim Barker was a terrible coach. A good scout and personnel guy, but I cringe at how bad it could get with him calling the shots.

Last year the Stamps defence single handedly destroyed them in Calgary, but of course that was kerry Joesph and a different coach so who knows. I am not sold on Cleo.

If it helps your decision making, tomorrow is forecasted to be a perfect, warm and dry night for football.

Good Luck whatever you do.

 

[YourAllAmerican]

Adding Montreal at Saskatechewan, O 53

Two good quarterbacks and two defenses that may be down a bit from 2009. Didn't feel too comfortable at 53.5, but 5D dropped to 53 and I like that number much more.

I'm glad to see that the NFL Network will be airing a game a week. That seems to make a lot of sense for them. I can't imagine it cost much, and surely the ratings will at least be as high as the crappy filler stuff they usually show on Thursday and Friday nights.

 

[PassTheBuck]

Adding Montreal at Saskatechewan, O 53

Two good quarterbacks and two defenses that may be down a bit from 2009. Didn't feel too comfortable at 53.5, but 5D dropped to 53 and I like that number much more.

I'm glad to see that the NFL Network will be airing a game a week. That seems to make a lot of sense for them. I can't imagine it cost much, and surely the ratings will at least be as high as the crappy filler stuff they usually show on Thursday and Friday nights.

Do you think the ratings will be better or worse than the AFL game of the week? It's too bad they couldn't get their own guys to broadcast the game, and maybe focus on how so many of the players are former college stars... might sell the game a bit better in the US.

 

[YourAllAmerican]

Do you think the ratings will be better or worse than the AFL game of the week? It's too bad they couldn't get their own guys to broadcast the game, and maybe focus on how so many of the players are former college stars... might sell the game a bit better in the US.

Honestly I can't even guess at the ratings. I would imagine it's a very low-risk move on the part of the NFL Network. The cost is probably very low (and by using the Canadian feed directly instead of hiring others, kept low) and their schedule can always be shifted around. All I ever seen when I flip through the NFL Network are replays of fames from 1988 or something ("Say, he's doing the 'Ickey Shuffle.'") or Steve Sabol-voiceover retrospectives of some team's season.

At the very least I can't imagine they'll lose any audience.

 

[douglas]

bol an thanks for the picks

 

[Coaster]

Adding Montreal at Saskatechewan, O 53

Two good quarterbacks and two defenses that may be down a bit from 2009. Didn't feel too comfortable at 53.5, but 5D dropped to 53 and I like that number much more.

I'm glad to see that the NFL Network will be airing a game a week. That seems to make a lot of sense for them. I can't imagine it cost much, and surely the ratings will at least be as high as the crappy filler stuff they usually show on Thursday and Friday nights.

Nice start!

 

[YourAllAmerican]

Hamilton at Winnipeg (+3.5)

The Bombers were a very good defensive team last year -- much better than looking just at points allowed appears -- especially at home, but they were saddled with a terrible coach who insisted on running a terrible offense. Not helped at all by a parade of terrible quarterbacks. Buck Pierce, for whatever his faults, is an upgrade over all of those guys, and the 2010 team's willingness to, say, take a snap from the shotgun formation will help on that side of the ball. I'm looking at Winnipeg as a potential play-on team for the first part of the season, and I'll start that tonight now that the line has crossed the 3 mark at 5D.

Was awfully smart of me to wait on that 53 instead of jumping on the Over 53.5 in the Montreal/Saskatchewan game, wasn't it, Coaster? Otherwise it would have been a squeaker that just baaaaaarely won.