Cnotes 2018 Canadian Football League Picks - News - Trends !

[CNOTES]

Toronto Argonauts – 9 wins projected (9-9 last season)

Give the Argos credit for finding a way last season but it is still hard to believe they won the Grey Cup after just a 9-9 regular season. Just as last year’s Cinderalla run was highly unlikely, a repeat is even more unlikely as there has only been one of those in the past 20 seasons! Big chances for the coaching staff as Marc Trestman (in just his 2nd year as head coach) has a new offensive coordinator and a new defensive coordinator.


This is particularly concerning on the defensive side of the ball because the now-departed Corey Chamblin was regarded as one the top DCs in the league. Don’t be surprised if Toronto’s offense also loses a step (literally) with the departure of speedy receiver DeVier Posey. The Argonauts will struggle to match last season’s 9 win total and I expect little to no post-season noise for them even though they play in the weaker East Division.




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


Saskatchewan Roughriders – 9 wins projected (10-8 last season)


Big hopes of course start at the pivot position for Saskatchewan after their big trade with the Tiger-Cats to acquire Zach Collaros. The concern though comes with pass protection and the Roughriders have had some changes along the offensive line. Of course, a revamped offensive line could be unwelcome news for Collaros and Company. The Riders have upgraded in the secondary but playing in the same division with Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg continues to make gaining any headway in the West an uphill battle.


Saskatchewan is solid overall on defense but transitions taking place along the offensive line and in the backfield will take time. The Roughriders went just 4-6 in the division last season and that continues to be the issue this season as well.

 

[CNOTES]

Friday June 15


Toronto @ Saskatchewan


Game 373-374
June 15, 2018 @ 9:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
117.726
Saskatchewan
117.420
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Saskatchewan
Even
56
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 1 1/2
52
Dunkel Pick:
Saskatchewan
(+1 1/2); Over


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


Friday, June 15


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


TORONTO (0-0) at SASKATCHEWAN (0-0) - 6/15/2018, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SASKATCHEWAN is 134-98 ATS (+26.2 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 20-4 ATS (+15.6 Units) as a home underdog of 3 points or less since 1996.


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


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


Toronto (-1.5, 52) @ Saskatchewan— Roughriders won three of last four series games; Argos won three of last four visits to Regina. Four of last five series games stayed under the total.


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


Friday, June 15


Toronto Argonauts
Toronto is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Toronto's last 9 games
Toronto is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games on the road
Toronto is 3-12 SU in its last 15 games on the road
Toronto is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Saskatchewan
Toronto is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Saskatchewan
Toronto is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Saskatchewan
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing on the road against Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan Roughriders
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Saskatchewan's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Saskatchewan's last 6 games at home
Saskatchewan is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
Saskatchewan is 3-8-1 ATS in its last 12 games when playing at home against Toronto
Saskatchewan is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Saskatchewan's last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto

 

[CNOTES]

PREVIEW


ARGOS, RIDERS KICK OFF SEASON IN EASTERN FINAL REMATCH


REGINA — The reigning Grey Cup Champs begin the quest of defending their title tonight as the Toronto Argonauts face off against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in a rematch of last year’s Eastern Final at new Mosaic Stadium in Regina.


The taste of bitter defeat from November still lingers for Riders players and fans alike after a devastating loss at the hands of the Double Blue. Saskatchewan was less than three minutes away from a Grey Cup berth when future hall of famer Ricky Ray worked his magic, orchestrating a late touchdown drive that pulled the Argos ahead.


The rest is history as the Toronto went on the stun the Calgary Stampeders in the 105th Grey Cup presented by Shaw to claim their 17th CFL title.


But the past is in the past. Rather than resting on their laurels, the Argos are looking forward to what is ahead.


“Obviously when you win you are enjoying it for a few weeks after the Grey Cup and into the holidays,” Ray told Argonauts.ca. “But once the new year roles around you’re getting focused on what you need to do to get ready for the upcoming year.”


The Argos run to the Grey Cup was considered unlikely by most after a disastrous 2016 season campaign and tumultuous off-season. Head coach Scott Milanovich left the team for an NFL opportunity a few months before training camp was set to start, and general manager Jim Barker was fired.


Enter Marc Trestman and Jim Popp.


In just one season, they turned the Double Blue from worst to first in the CFL. The Argos are considered by many as the top team in the East heading into the 2018 season.


Trestman says that while his methods haven’t changed, there is more familiarity heading into his second season with the team.


“We just had a different plan last year because we were on a shorter stick in terms of getting ourselves ready,” said Trestman . “The obvious things are you do have relationships with the players that you coach. You are able to have a little more fun with them…we just know each other better and that just makes it more fun.”


The Argos’ core group from their 2017 championship squad is intact. Ray will lead the charge on offence, flanked by last year’s Most Outstanding Rookie James Wilder Jr. at running back, and the seemingly ageless S.J. Green as a top target.


The Argos bolstered their already-strong defence with some new additions. T.J. Heath is back with the Boatmen after the team traded him two seasons ago to Winnipeg, while ex-BC Lion Ronnie Yell will be making his Double Blue debut at cornerback on Friday.


Yell says that the secondary will be in tough against a potent Riders offence.


“You’ve got names like Duron Carter, [Naaman] Roosevelt, [Caleb] Holley over there,” said Yell. “A couple of new additions. They’re exciting and always make big plays so our job is to stop them, contain them and win the game.”


Abdul Kanneh, after being acquired by the Argos in a trade with Hamilton on Sunday, is on the one-game injured list and will have to wait to make his Argos debut. The team could also be without Bear Woods and Taylor Reed for a while, and will lean on Terrence Plummer at middle linebacker.


The biggest question heading into Week 1 for the Riders is at quarterback. Will it be Zach Collaros or Brandon Bridge under centre against the Argos?


While Collaros is listed as the starter on the team’s depth chart, there is still no definitive answer.


“We’ll see, we’ll see,” responded Jones on Thursday when asked if Collaros would take the first snap of Week 1.


“They both work extremely hard and our offensive staff has done a nice job with them. They know what their roles are and exactly how things are going to work out.”


It’s expected that Collaros will make his first start as a Rider. The veteran pivot, who’s back to wearing his old number 17, is looking to bounce back after a pair of disappointing seasons in Hamilton. The 29-year-old suffered a devastating knee injury back in 2015 while on pace to be named Most Outstanding Player, and is trying to get back to that level.


A fresh start in Riderville may just do the trick.


“I’m just really excited to play football,” Collaros told Riderville.com. “I’m really excited about the group that we have here. It’s a great locker room of guys who really care about each other and love the game and that’s all you can really ask for.”


Collaros will have two of the top receivers in the league with Carter and Roosevelt at his disposal. While Saskatchewan’s offence is a force to reckoned with, Riderville was shocked by the release of three veteran receivers last week.


Rob Bagg, Bakari Grant, and Chad Owens were sent packing just days before the start of the season. Bagg was a favourite in Riderville and a mainstay on the Green and White for almost a decade. Grant was coming off of a plus 1000-yard season. Owens brought a wealth of knowledge to the locker room.


The move shows that the Riders mean business.


“It’s a young man’s game unfortunately,” said Jones. “We had a couple of young guys that preformed really over the course of the entire camp.”


The Riders also released offensive guard Travis Bond. Jarvis Harrison, another international, beat him out for the starting job, leaving Bond, one of the team’s big off-season additions, out of the plans. The Riders’ O-line will be under the microscope on Friday after being called out by Jones following the pre-season finale.


Despite some tough cuts on offence, the Riders appear stronger on both sides of the ball thanks to two new additions Jerome Messam will look to make a statement in his return to Saskatchewan, who he previously played for in 2014 and 2015. The 33-year-old running back is coming off of his third 1000-yard season and shows no signs of slowing down.


On defence, the Riders have added last year’s sack leader and four-time CFL All-Star Charleston Hughes. The one-two punch of Hughes and Willie Jefferson on opposite sides of the defensive line could cause nightmares for opposing quarterbacks, starting with Ricky Ray, who’s not exactly known for his foot speed.


Cruchin’ Numbers:


4 – Number of game last season that then-rookie James Wilder Jr. recorded 100-plus yards.


10 – Touchdown passes needed by Ricky Ray to surpass the legendary Ron Lancaster for fourth all-time.


11 – League leading sacks by Charleston Hughes last season.


12 – Straight starts for Zach Collaros without a win, tied for a league-worst record.


It’s a coin toss when it comes to who will prevail under the Friday night lights.


Our experts are split right down the middle.


Will the Argos pick up right where they left off, or will the Riders take their season opener in front of their always ruckus home town crowd?


Kickoff is at 9 p.m. ET and can be seen on TSN, RDS and ESPN2.

 

[CNOTES]

FRIDAY, JUNE 15
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

TOR at SSK 09:00 PM


SSK +2.5


O 49.5

 

[CNOTES]

GAME RECAP


DEFENCE SHINES BRIGHT AS RIDERS DOWN ARGOS AT MOSAIC


REGINA — All eyes were on the Saskatchewan Roughriders offence and Zach Collaros ahead of Friday night’s contest but it was the team’s defence that stole the show in their 27-19 win over the Toronto Argonauts.


Saskatchewan’s defensive unit held Toronto to just four points in the first half and disrupted Argonauts quarterback Ricky Ray throughout the entire night on their way to victory at Mosaic Stadium.


Charleston Hughes made an immediate impact in his Roughriders debut, recording three sacks on Ray in the first half alone, and defensive back Nick Marshall scored a pick-six late in the contest.


Collaros, yet another Rider making his first start in the green and white, spread the ball evenly among his receivers, hitting nine different targets through the air, including running back Jerome Messam, on the way to his first win with his new team. He finished his night throwing for 203 yards and connecting on 18 of his 25 pass attempts.


Naaman Roosevelt scored a touchdown for the Riders in the win and kicker Brett Lauther was good on four of his five field goal attempts.


After a lackluster first half that saw Ray throw for just 71 yards, the Argonauts pivot ended the night with 232 passing yards and an interception. His backup, James Franklin, scored a touchdown on a quarterback sneak and threw a touchdown pass to Declan Cross in the second half but it wasn’t enough for a comeback.


Both teams took the first few possessions of the contest to feel each other out as each defence stood tall on either side, trading two-and-outs as things got under way at Mosaic Stadium.


The Boatmen’s defence put early pressure on Collaros, who was making his debut in Rider green, with Cleyon Laing and Shawn Lemon both recording a sack on the former Hamilton Tiger-Cats pivot.


The first point of the contest was scored on a rouge and Toronto took a 1-0 lead just over five minutes in.


Collaros started to put first downs together as he got more comfortable with the Roughriders offence late in the first quarter. A 16-yard catch from Duron Carter and two penalties (15 yards each) to Argos defensive back T.J. Heath moved Saskatchewan down the field and into Toronto territory. Collaros kept rolling with No. 89, tossing an incompletion to his receiver and then an 11-yard grab for a first down, as the pair started to build some early chemistry. That drive set up a 32-yard missed field goal from Lauther to tie the score at 1-1.


As Ray tried to generate some offence for his Argonauts, Hughes recorded his 100th career sack, which was also Hughes’ first as a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, forcing Toronto to punt the ball away.


To start the second quarter, Lauther hit his second field goal attempt of the evening, this one from 45-yards out, to give the Riders their first lead of the contest (4-1).


Once again the Riders defence held the Argos to a two-and-out on Toronto’s next possession. Ed Gainey broke up the pass intended for S.J. Green on first and 10 and Willie Jefferson knocked down Ray’s next pass attempt, forcing Pfeffer to punt the ball away.


Collaros tossed his first touchdown pass as Rider to Roosevelt to put the home team up 11-1 as the quarterback continued to gain confidence as the game progressed. A third down gamble (which was a 34-yard completion to Caleb Holley) proved to be the right play call as it extended the drive that started on their own 30-yard line and set up for the major score.


Lauther hit his second-straight field goal to add three more points to the Riders lead. The 43-yard kick put Saskatchewan up 14-1 with under three minutes left in the half.


Hughes continued to make Ray’s night miserable as he added his third sack of the game late in the second quarter.


On that same drive, Pfeffer’s 35-yard field goal sailed through the uprights to cut Saskatchewan’s lead to 14-4 as the half finished and the teams went to their respective locker rooms.


Collaros finished the first half connecting on 12 of his 16 passes for 142 yards and a major score as he started to settle in. His counterpart, Ray, completed just six of his 13 passes for 71 yards after 30 minutes.


Toronto started the second half with the ball, hoping that the break from action would kick start their offence. The Riders defence had other plans, however, forcing Toronto to punt the ball away.


Pfeffer added another single for the Argonauts on his team’s next series, cutting Saskatchewan’s lead to 14-5 in the third quarter.


Collaros continued the momentum on his team’s side late in the third quarter, moving the sticks into field goal range. Lauther was good on his 46-yard attempt, increasing Saskatchewan’s lead to 17-5.


Toronto had the ball to start the fourth quarter and a marched down the field to set up Franklin’s one-yard sneak for his team’s first major score of the contest. With Pfeffer’s point after, the touchdown score cut the Riders lead to 17-12.


Saskatchewan’s defence continued to roll late in the fourth quarter, as Nick Marshall picked off Ray and took it to the house for a touchdown. The 65-yard return put the Riders up 24-12.


Toronto wasn’t ready to give up just yet. On the team’s next drive, Franklin tossed a touchdown pass to Cross with 2:16 left in the game to cut the Riders lead to 24-19.


With a five-point lead, Collaros and his offence stepped back onto the field and moved into field goal range where Lauther made his 32-yard attempt to put the Riders up 27-19 with 13 seconds left on the clock.


Ray and the Argonauts hit the field for one last chance to move down the sticks but were unsuccessful and the Riders started their 2018 season off with a win.


The Riders head to the nation’s capital next week to take on the Ottawa REDBLACKS while the Toronto Argonauts are at home to host the Calgary Stampeders.

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday, June 16


Hamilton Tiger-Cats (6-12 SU, 9-9 ATS) at Calgary Stampeders (13-4-1 SU, 8-10 ATS)
Point-spread: Calgary -9
Total: 53


Game Overview


The Tigers-Cats have been front page news in the States heading into the new season with the addition of former Cleveland Browns’ quarterback Johnny Manziel to the roster. June Jones, who was a head coach in the NFL with Atlanta continues to stick with Jeremiah Masoli as his starter, but that could be subject to change if Hamilton falls behind early on Saturday night. The Tiger-Cats started last season with eight straight-up losses before turning things around with a 6-4 record over their last 10 games.


Calgary has been the best CFL team in the regular season for the past two years, but its quest for a Grey Cup came up short in back-to-back losses to Ottawa and Toronto in the title game. The Stampeders started the 2016 season with a stunning Week 1 loss to BC as 2 ½-point road favorites. Last season, they had to settle for a SU tie against Ottawa in Week 1 as six-point favorites on the road. They closed out the 2017 campaign with a 0-6 record ATS in their final six games.


Betting Trends


-- Hamilton has been able to cover in five of its last seven road games against Calgary and the total has stayed UNDER in nine of the last 11 meetings overall.


Montreal Alouettes (3-15 SU, 8-10 ATS) at British Columbia Lions (7-11 SU, 8-8-1 ATS)
Point-spread: BC -6 ½
Total: 49


Game Overview


Montreal has nowhere to go but up as the longest shot in the CFL futures (+1800) to win the 2018 Grey Cup. In an effort to get things going in the other direction after winning just three games last season, Mike Sherman was brought in as head coach after making a name for himself in the NFL. It appears that Drew Willy will get the call at quarterback after getting the majority of the reps in the preseason.


The Lions finished last in the West in 2017 in light of some stiff competition from the other four teams, but there is still enough talent on both sides of the ball to stay in the mix this time around. Jonathon Jennings is penciled in as BC’s starter at quarterback after throwing for 3,639 yards and 16 touchdowns in 15 starts last season. He also tossed 19 interceptions, which were the most in the league. The Lions added quarterback Cody Fajardo as a free agent in the offseason.


Betting Trends


-- BC is 16-5 ATS in its last 21 home games against Montreal and the total has stayed UNDER in 11 of the last 16 meetings at BC Place.


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




Saturday June 16


Hamilton @ Calgary


Game 375-376
June 16, 2018 @ 7:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Hamilton
116.525
Calgary
113.007
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Hamilton
by 3 1/2
49
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Calgary
by 9
53
Dunkel Pick:
Hamilton
(+9); Under


Montreal @ BC Lions


Game 377-378
June 16, 2018 @ 10:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Montreal
98.172
BC Lions
102.039
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
BC Lions
by 4
46
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
BC Lions
by 7
49
Dunkel Pick:
Montreal
(+7); Under




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


Saturday, June 16


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

HAMILTON (0-0) at CALGARY (0-0) - 6/16/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CALGARY is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 52 over the last 3 seasons.
CALGARY is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in a home game where the total is between 52.5 and 56 over the last 3 seasons.
HAMILTON is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 3-1 against the spread versus HAMILTON over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 4-0 straight up against HAMILTON over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

MONTREAL (0-0) at BRITISH COLUMBIA (0-0) - 6/16/2018, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) in games played on turf over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 4-0 against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
BRITISH COLUMBIA is 4-0 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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






Hamilton @ Calgary (-9, 53)— Calgary won last 10 series games, covering four of last five; Ti-Cats lost last visit here 60-1 last July, but now June Jones/Jerry Glanville are in their first full year coaching Hamilton. Hamilton is 3-2 vs spread in last five visits here. Under is 8-2 in last ten series games, but last two went over.


Montreal @ BC Lions (-7, 49)— Lions won/covered last five series games; Alouettes are 1-4, both SU/ATS in their last five visits here. Three of last four series games went over.




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




Saturday, June 16


Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Hamilton is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Hamilton's last 6 games
Hamilton is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Hamilton is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Hamilton is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games on the road
Hamilton is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Calgary
Hamilton is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Calgary
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Hamilton's last 11 games when playing Calgary
Hamilton is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Calgary
Hamilton is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Calgary
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Hamilton's last 6 games when playing on the road against Calgary


Calgary Stampeders
Calgary is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Calgary is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games
Calgary is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Calgary's last 5 games
Calgary is 15-7 ATS in its last 22 games at home
Calgary is 20-2 SU in its last 22 games at home
Calgary is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Hamilton
Calgary is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Hamilton
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Calgary's last 11 games when playing Hamilton
Calgary is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Hamilton
Calgary is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Hamilton
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Calgary's last 6 games when playing at home against Hamilton




Montreal Alouettes
Montreal is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Montreal is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Montreal's last 6 games
Montreal is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Montreal is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Montreal is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing British Columbia
Montreal is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing British Columbia
Montreal is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against British Columbia
Montreal is 2-16 SU in its last 18 games when playing on the road against British Columbia
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Montreal's last 9 games when playing on the road against British Columbia


British Columbia Lions
British Columbia is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
British Columbia is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of British Columbia's last 5 games
British Columbia is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
British Columbia is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of British Columbia's last 5 games at home
British Columbia is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Montreal
British Columbia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Montreal
British Columbia is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Montreal
British Columbia is 16-2 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of British Columbia's last 9 games when playing at home against Montreal

 

[CNOTES]

Canadian Football Record; ( All Picks )


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


06/15/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
06/14/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50


Totals.............. 2-2-0........50.00%.....-1.00




CFL Best Bets:


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


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


06/15/2018...............1 - 0 .....................+5.00.....................0 - 1...................-5.50..............0.50
06/14/2018...............1 - 0......................+5.00.....................0 - 1...................-5.50..............0.50


Totals........................2 - 0.....................+10.00...................0 - 2....................-11.00............-1.00

 

[CNOTES]

SATURDAY, JUNE 16
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


HAM at CGY 07:00 PM
HAM +7.5
O 54.5


MTL at BC 10:00 PM
BC -8.0
O 49.0

 

[CNOTES]

GAME RECAP


WHEN IT COUNTS: STAMPS COME ALIVE IN FOURTH TO TOP TICATS


CALGARY – It took just over three full quarters but the Calgary Stampeders offence came alive when it counted most, finding pay dirt in the fourth quarter and outlasting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 28-14 in their season opener Saturday evening at McMahon Stadium.


Despite passing for over 200 yards in the first half it was the Stampeders run game that fueled the home squad in the final frame with Don Jackson and Terry Williams combining for 117 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries in the contest.


The Ticats — who held the lead for a good majority of the game — ran into an active Stampeders secondary down the stretch which shut down Jeremiah Masoli who passed for 302 yards on just under 70% passing.


One of the subplots in this matchup was how the young and inexperienced Tiger-Cats secondary would net out against a veteran-laden Stampeders offence. Despite scrimmaging from their own seven-yard line to start the game, Calgary pressed the issue early as Mitchell connected twice with Reggie Begelton totaling 70 yards to set up a 23-yard Rene Paredes field goal to open the contest 3-0.


The Stampeders continued to move the ball with ease for the remainder of the first quarter but would lament a few missed opportunities as three overthrows stalled Calgary drives.


Despite being in control most of the opening frame the Stamps would surrender the first major of the game when Masoli helped get his team out of a second-and-long deep in his own end.


Facing pressure, Masoli stepped into a deep throw down the near sideline to WR Mike Jones who had a step on his man and turned a catch-and-run into a 76-yard gain. On the ensuing play, Masoli went play-action, froze the Stampeders defensive front and scampered 13-yards untouched for the major and a 7-6 Ticats lead heading into the second quarter.


As the second quarter rolled on, it was the tale of two quarterbacks looking to attack in different ways. Despite some incompletions, Mitchell continued to stretch the field while Masoli took what he could underneath. Both moved the ball well but could not capitalize once in opposing territory.


The teams traded a pair of field goals before the half with Hamilton holding a slim 11-9 advantage.


Despite each defence forcing drives to come to a halt, both pivots each put up over 200 yards passing in the first half with Masoli completing passes at a rate of 84%.


Masoli continued to operate at a high efficiency when the third quarter began but two consecutive positive possessions ended just past midfield – one by fumble, one by sack.


The Stamps also had challenges gaining traction in the third against a Ticats defence that despite giving up big gains along the ground, took away the deep ball.


Calgary opened the fourth quarter with a 23-yard field goal by Paredes to regain the lead 12-9 before they finally took their biggest lead of the contest. A 39-yard pass interference call on Hamilton’s DB Don Unamba allowed Mitchell to find Kemar Jorden for a 15-yard touchdown with 9:58 remaining. The five-play, 65-yard touchdown drive was capped off by a Terry Williams run on a two-point conversion to give Calgary a 19-11 lead.


The Tiger-Cats looked to answer and did so with a 43-yard field goal after a pair of completions from Masoli to Jalen Saunders cut the lead to 19-14 with 4:25 on the clock. Saunders finished with over 100 yards receiving on the day.


The Ticats had an opportunity to make a comeback, taking the ball with 2:33 left and scrimmaging from their 34 yard line. A pair of Saunders completions put them in Calgary territory Masoli was flished out of the pocket, forced a throw and was picked off by veteran Brandon Smith.


Jackson put the game away shortly thereafter when he took a handoff 44 yards for the touchdown and iced the 28-14 victory.


Hamilton will double dip in Alberta visiting the Edmonton Eskimos in Week 2. As for the Stampeders, they will get another shot at an Eastern opponent when they visit Toronto for a Grey Cup rematch with the Argonauts.




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




GAME RECAP


JENNINGS LEADS LIONS OVER ALS IN WEEK 1 FINALE


VANCOUVER — Jonathon Jennings and the BC Lions clawed their way to a 22-10 home victory over the Montreal Alouettes in the Week 1 finale on Saturday night. The Lions’ versatile quarterback got his 2018 season off to a hot start, completing 20 of 24 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns while also adding a career-high 57 yards on the ground. BC’s defence did its part as well, adding an interception and five sacks to help hand Montreal their 12th-straight loss.


The Alouettes came out strong on their opening possession, with running back Tyrell Sutton carrying the ball five-straight times to put the Lions’ defence on their heels. Receiver B.J. Cunningham appeared to give Montreal the early lead with a long 52-yard touchdown catch, but the play was called back on a holding penalty.


Drew Willy and the Als’ offence made up for it just two plays later after the veteran quarterback found receiver Chris Williams deep down the field for a 56-yard connection. The ball was knocked loose before Williams could cross the goal line, but receiver Eugene Lewis was there to recover it in the end zone for his first career CFL touchdown. Kicker Boris Bede added the extra point to give Montreal the early 7-0 lead.


Jennings looked sharp on the Lions’ second offensive drive, zipping a slant pass to receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux to get things rolling. The athletic quarterback used both his arm and legs to push the Lions down the field, and BC’s passing attack found a steady rhythm that would continue throughout the game.


Receiver Bryan Burnham made an acrobatic 12-yard catch on the drive, and Jennings hit receiver Shaq Johnson on the very next play for a 35-yard touchdown. Johnson used his speed to gain separation and get open on the right side of the field, and kicker Ty Long knocked through the extra point to tie the game at seven apiece. Jennings completed his first ten passes of the game.


The Montreal offence looked strong again on their second drive, with Willy hooking up with receiver Ernest Jackson for a 54-yard strike. Odell Willis’ first sack as a Lion stifled the Als’ drive, but Bede made the most of the field position by making the 30-yard field goal to give Montreal the 10-7 lead. Willy was 10 of 12 for 183 yards and a touchdown after the opening half.


Jennings continued to make plays in multiple ways after the Lions got the ball back, and the athletic quarterback found space in the Als’ defensive front for a 21-yard run to bring the Lions into Montreal territory. The Als’ defence bounced back on the drive to hold strong, and Long punted the ball for a single to bring BC within two points.


Running back Jeremiah Johnson began to get the Lions’ running game going in the second quarter, and Long would boot another punt for a single to bring the score to 10-9 in the second quarter.


Both defences stole the show in the third quarter, with both defensive lines clogging up running lanes and applying pressure to keep the big plays to a minimum. The lone score of the quarter would be a 27-yard BC field goal from Long, giving the Lions a narrow 11-10 lead.


BC continued to build momentum near the end of the quarter with Jennings completing seven-straight passes, and Long would knock through a 30-yard field to extend the Lions’ lead to 15-10 early in the fourth quarter.


The first turnover of the game came when Willy was picked off by Lions defensive back Garry Peters while trying to complete a short pass over the middle to Eugene Lewis. Jennings continued his big performance immediately after getting the ball back, calling his own number for a 16-yard scamper. The Lions’ offence capitalized on the Peters interception when Jennings connected with receiver Cory Watson for an 11-yard touchdown strike, giving BC a 22-10 lead that would hold to seal the Week 1 victory.


The Alouettes will look to bounce back when they host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers next Friday in Week 2, while the Lions will be off until travel to face the Edmonton Eskimos in Week 3.

 

[CNOTES]

WEEK 2


Thursday, June 21, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home
7:30 PM Saskatchewan Roughriders Ottawa Redblacks


Friday, June 22, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home
7:00 PM Winnipeg Blue Bombers Montreal Alouettes
10:00 PM Hamilton Tiger Cats Edmonton Eskimos


Saturday, June 23, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home
7:00 PM Calgary Stampeders Toronto Argonauts




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




Canadian Football Record; ( All Picks )


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


06/16/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
06/15/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
06/14/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50


Totals.............. 3-5-0........37.50%.....-12.50




CFL Best Bets:


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


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


06/16/2018...............1 - 1......................-0.50......................0 - 2..................-11.00.............-11.50
06/15/2018...............1 - 0 .....................+5.00.....................0 - 1...................-5.50..............-0.50
06/14/2018...............1 - 0......................+5.00.....................0 - 1...................-5.50..............-0.50


Totals.......................3 - 1.....................+9.50.......................0 - 4..................-22.00............-12.50

 

[CNOTES]

CFL Betting Recap - Week 1
Joe Williams




League Betting Notes


-- Favorites went 3-1 SU in Week 1
-- Favorites/underdogs went 2-2 ATS in Week 1
-- Home teams posted a 3-1 SU record in Week 1
-- Home teams posted a 3-1 ATS record in Week 1
-- The 'Under' went 3-1 in Week 1


Analysis


The opening weekend was a disaster forthe East Division, as all three teams lost their initial game of the season. It was a great weekend for Ottawa (0-0), as they will head into Week 2 in first place as a result of everyone else's misfortune.


Toronto (0-1) lost a rematch of last season's East Final, as Saskatchewan (1-0) exacted a little revenge, 27-19. The Argonauts seemed to have a multitude of chances to get on top and bail out the betting public, but a pick-six late in the game sealed the win for the Roughriders. There were also just 22 total points heading into the fourth quarter, but 'under' (50) needed to chew their nails at the end of the 27-19 victory by the Riders.


Hamilton (0-1) took it on the chin in a 28-14 loss at Calgary (1-0), 28-14. QB Jeremiah Masoli rolled up 344 passing yards while also running for a touchdown, but it wasn't nearly enough for the Ti-Cats. QB Bo Levi Mitchell was up to his normal tricks, tossing for 297 yards and a touchdown while running for 12 yards. The Stamps pass defense isn't likely to be a problem this season, it's just that the Ti-Cats turned to the pass game and abandoned the run after being down late.


The most entertaining game of the weekend was the Thursday night opener in Winnipeg (0-1), as Edmonton (1-0) outlasted the Bombers 33-30. The Blue Bombers were able to hang on for the cover (+7.5), and that was never really in doubt. However, the Esks picked up a touchdown with 1:36 remaining, tying it up with a two-point conversion at 1:22 and then they posted the game-winning field foal from Sean Whyte with just :13 left in regulation. It was a punch in the gut for Winnipeg, and it will be interesting to see how they bounce back in Montreal this weekend.


Team Betting Notes


-- The Alouettes and Blue Bombers were battle in Montreal in a battle between 0-1 teams. The Bombers are 4-1 ATS in their past five following a straight-up loss, and they're 21-8 ATS in their past 29 on the road. In addition, they're 6-2 ATS in their past eight against teams with a losing record.


-- For Montreal, they're 0-11 ATS in their past 11 following a straight up loss, and they're 3-14 ATS in the past 17 overall dating back to last season. On their home turf, they're 5-16 ATS in the past 21 home games and 2-5 ATS in the past seven in June. In this series, Montreal is 1-6 ATS in their past seven home games against Winnipeg. The 'over' has cashed in each of the past five meetings in Montreal, and four of the past five overall.


-- The 'under' is an impressive 23-3 in the past 26 games for Montreal in the month of June.


-- The RedBlacks make their season debut in Week 2 against the Riders. Ottawa has covered in each of their past five outings in June, and 5-2 ATS in their past seven contests on Thursday. The 'under' is 12-4-1 in the past 17 for the RedBlacks, while going 3-1-1 in their past five against teams with a winning overall mark.


-- For Saskatchewan, the under is 10-1 in their past 11 games overall while cashing in each of their past six road outings. The under is also 4-1 in their past five games in the month of June.


-- The Ti-Cats head to Edmonton with a 2-7 ATS mark over their past nine games in the month of June. They're also just 5-12-2 ATS in the past 19 against teams with a winning overall mark. Hamilton has covered five consecutive meetings in Edmonton, while the 'over' is 5-1 in the past six meetings in Northern Alberta. The 'under' is 19-5 in the past 24 games in June.


-- The Esks are 5-0 ATS in the past five games following a straight-up victory, while going 5-1 ATS in the past six overall. However, they're just 1-4 ATS in the past five in June, and 6-13 ATS in the past 19 games at home. The 'under' is 9-4 in the past 13 games in June for Edmonton.


-- The Argos look to bounce back in Week 2, but they're just 5-15 ATS in their past 20 following a straight-up loss. They're also 4-9 ATS in their past 13 against teams with a winning overall mark.


-- The Stamps have posted a 19-9-1 ATS mark in the past 29 following a straight-up wein, but they're just 1-4 ATS in the past five in June and 1-4-1 ATS in the past six on the road. Calgary travels to meet Toronto in Week 2, and they're 5-1 ATS in the past six trips to Ontario. They're also 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings while the 'under' has hit in five of the past seven in this series.

 

[CNOTES]

CFL Betting Notes - Week 2
David Schwab


Thursday, June 21


Saskatchewan Roughriders (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) at Ottawa RedBlacks (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS)
Point-spread: Ottawa -3
Total: 51


Game Overview


Saskatchewan will be looking to take down its second-straight opponent from the East coming off last week’s win. Zach Collaros made a successful debut as the Roughriders’ new starting quarterback with 203 yards passing and one touchdown throw, while completing 72 percent of his 25 passing attempts. Jerome Messam was another big offseason addition at running back and he added 72 yards rushing on 21 carries in Friday’s victory.


Credit Saskatchewan’s defense for holding Ricky Ray to just 232 yards through the air and Toronto’s ground game to 54 total yards.


The RedBlacks come off that Week 1 bye fresh and ready to go. They lost to Saskatchewan 31-20 as 2 ½-point home favorites in the opening round of last season’s CFL playoffs with the Roughriders coming over from the West as a crossover team.


Heading into this season, Ottawa has Trevor Harris back as its starting quarterback after missing time in 2017 due to injury. Its offensive line was also banged up heading down the stretch last year. Harris proved he could move the ball down the field through the air with 4,679 yards passing in 15 games.


Betting Trends


-- The road team has won the last four meetings both SU and ATS with the total going OVER in four of the last six matchups in this inter-division clash.


Friday, June 22


Winnipeg Blue Bombers (0-1 SU, 1-0 ATS) at Montreal Alouettes (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS)
Point-spread: Winnipeg -2
Total: 46 ½


Game Overview


The Blue Bombers turned to Chris Streveler as their starting quarterback for the injured Matt Nichols and he ended the game against Edmonton with three scoring strikes to keep things interesting for all four quarters.


He ended the game with 178 yards passing on 15 completions. Weston Dressler was his top target with four catches for 74 yards and a score and Andrew Harris racked-up 77 yards on 14 rushing attempts.


Montreal had the fewest straight-up victories of any CFL team last season (three) and its opening-day effort against BC could point towards another long campaign in 2018.


The Alouettes scored all 10 of their points in the opening quarter before their offense ground to a halt. Drew Willy got the start at quarterback and he ended the night with 281 yards passing, but just one touchdown pass against one interception.


Betting Trends


-- Winnipeg has covered in six of its last seven road games against the Alouettes with the total going OVER in the last five meetings in Montreal.


Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS) at Edmonton Eskimos (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS)
Point-spread: Edmonton -6 ½
Total: 55


Game Overview


CFL fans waiting for the debut of Johnny Manziel as the Tiger-Cats newest quarterback will have to wait a bit longer after starter Jeremiah Masoli put on an aerial show that included 200 yards passing in the first two quarters of last week’s opener. He ended the game with 344 total yards passing, while completing 25 of his 36 attempts, but he did not find the end zone through the air. The Tiger-Cats only gained 56 yards on the ground on 12 rushing attempts.


Edmonton had its hands full with Winnipeg in Week 1 with the only difference in the final score being a field goal as time expired. Mike Reilly led the CFL in both passing yards and touchdown throws last season and he started the 2018 season with 408 yards and one score through the air. He was also the team’s leading rusher last Thursday night with 43 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries. Derel Walker hauled in eight receptions for 176 yards as one of eight different players to catch a ball from Reilly in that game.


Betting Trends


-- Hamilton is a perfect 5-0 ATS in its last five road games against the Eskimos and the total has gone OVER in five of the last six games of this inter-division tilt played in Edmonton.


Saturday, June 23


Calgary Stampeders (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) at Toronto Argonauts (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS)
Point-spread: Calgary -3 ½
Total: 52 ½


Game Overview


Calgary needed all four quarters to get past Hamilton last Saturday in a game that was closer than the final score might indicate. Bo Levi Mitchell threw for 297 total yards with 200 coming in the first half. It was the Stampeders’ ground game that helped generate 19 points in the fourth quarter. Don Jackson and Terry Williams rushed for a combined 117 yards and a score on 18 rushing attempts overall. Calgary did get a solid effort from its defense when it needed it the most.


The Argonauts scored a grand total of five points in the first three quarters of last week’s loss before posting 14 points in the fourth quarter to keep things interesting. Ricky Ray did not have his best night throwing the ball against Saskatchewan, especially in the first half when Toronto was held to 71 yards through the air. He ended the game with 232 yards passing with no touchdown throws against one interception.


Betting Trends


-- Calgary has gone 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings overall and it is also 5-1 ATS in its last six road games against Toronto. The total has stayed UNDER in five of the last seven meetings.

 

[CNOTES]

CFL
Long Sheet


Week 2


Thursday, June 21


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


SASKATCHEWAN (1 - 0) at OTTAWA (0-0) - 6/21/2018, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 28-12 ATS (+14.8 Units) in games where the line is +3 to -3 since 1996.
OTTAWA is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) in June games since 1996.
SASKATCHEWAN is 135-98 ATS (+27.2 Units) as an underdog since 1996.

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

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


Friday, June 22


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

WINNIPEG (0 - 1) at MONTREAL (0 - 1) - 6/22/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WINNIPEG is 25-13 ATS (+10.7 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 25-13 ATS (+10.7 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in road games off a division game over the last 3 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 14-3 ATS (+10.7 Units) in road games in games played on turf over the last 3 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
MONTREAL is 4-15 ATS (-12.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 4-15 ATS (-12.5 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) as a home underdog of 3 points or less over the last 3 seasons.
MONTREAL is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in games played on turf over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

HAMILTON (0 - 1) at EDMONTON (1 - 0) - 6/22/2018, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HAMILTON is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games when playing on a Friday over the last 3 seasons.
EDMONTON is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points over the last 3 seasons.
EDMONTON is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in a home game where the total is between 52.5 and 56 over the last 3 seasons.

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

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


Saturday, June 23


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

CALGARY (1 - 0) at TORONTO (0 - 1) - 6/23/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CALGARY is 129-97 ATS (+22.3 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest since 1996.

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

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








CFL


Week 2


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


Thursday, June 21


Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Saskatchewan is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Saskatchewan's last 5 games
Saskatchewan is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Saskatchewan is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Saskatchewan's last 6 games on the road
Saskatchewan is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Ottawa
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Saskatchewan's last 6 games when playing Ottawa
Saskatchewan is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Ottawa
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Saskatchewan's last 6 games when playing on the road against Ottawa
Ottawa RedBlacks
Ottawa is 14-7 ATS in its last 21 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Ottawa's last 9 games
Ottawa is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Ottawa is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ottawa's last 6 games at home
Ottawa is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Saskatchewan
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ottawa's last 6 games when playing Saskatchewan
Ottawa is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Saskatchewan
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ottawa's last 6 games when playing at home against Saskatchewan




Friday, June 22


Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg is 11-4 ATS in its last 15 games
Winnipeg is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 5 games
Winnipeg is 12-1 ATS in its last 13 games on the road
Winnipeg is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Winnipeg's last 16 games on the road
Winnipeg is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Montreal
Winnipeg is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing Montreal
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 5 games when playing Montreal
Winnipeg is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Winnipeg is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Montreal
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Winnipeg's last 5 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Montreal Alouettes
Montreal is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Montreal is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Montreal is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Montreal is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
Montreal is 3-6-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Winnipeg
Montreal is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing Winnipeg
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Montreal's last 5 games when playing Winnipeg
Montreal is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Winnipeg
Montreal is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Winnipeg
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Montreal's last 5 games when playing at home against Winnipeg




Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Hamilton is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games
Hamilton is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Hamilton is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Hamilton is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Hamilton's last 6 games on the road
Hamilton is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Edmonton
Hamilton is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
Hamilton is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Hamilton's last 6 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Edmonton is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Edmonton's last 8 games
Edmonton is 6-13 ATS in its last 19 games at home
Edmonton is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games at home
Edmonton is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Hamilton
Edmonton is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Hamilton
Edmonton is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Hamilton
Edmonton is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Hamilton
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Edmonton's last 6 games when playing at home against Hamilton






Saturday, June 23


Calgary Stampeders
Calgary is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
Calgary is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games
Calgary is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Calgary's last 6 games
Calgary is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Calgary is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Calgary's last 6 games on the road
Calgary is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
Calgary is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Calgary's last 7 games when playing Toronto
Calgary is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Calgary is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Calgary's last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto Argonauts
Toronto is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Toronto is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Toronto is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
Toronto is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Calgary
Toronto is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing Calgary
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 7 games when playing Calgary
Toronto is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Calgary
Toronto is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Calgary
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing at home against Calgary

 

[CNOTES]

CFL
Dunkel


Week 2


Thursday, June 21

Saskatchewan @ Ottawa


Game 361-362
June 21, 2018 @ 7:30 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Saskatchewan
111.779
Ottawa
118.365
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Ottawa
by 6 1/2
58
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Ottawa
by 2
51
Dunkel Pick:
Ottawa
(-2); Over




Friday June 22


Winnipeg @ Montreal


Game 363-364
June 22, 2018 @ 7:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Winnipeg
114.928
Montreal
92.710
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Winnipeg
by 22
50
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Winnipeg
by 2
46 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Winnipeg
(-2); Over


Hamilton @ Edmonton


Game 365-366
June 22, 2018 @ 10:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Hamilton
112.788
Edmonton
117.495
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Edmonton
by 4 1/2
51
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Edmonton
by 7
55 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Hamilton
(+7); Under




Saturday June 23


Calgary @ Toronto


Game 367-368
June 23, 2018 @ 7:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Calgary
115.944
Toronto
115.658
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
Even
47
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Calgary
by 3 1/2
51 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(+3 1/2); Under

 

[CNOTES]

CFL
Armadillo's Write-Up


Week 2




Saskatchewan (1-0) @ Ottawa (0-0)— Roughriders won four of last five games with Ottawa; winning last three visits here, by 2-1-11 points. Underdogs covered last six series games. Over is 6-3 in series games. Riders held off Toronto 27-19 at home LW, breaking open close game with a pick-6 midway thru 4th quarter. RedBlacks had the bye last week. (Ottawa -1.5, 50.5)


Winnipeg (0-1) @ Montreal (0-1)— Blue Bombers won eight of last 10 games with Montreal; they won five of last six visits here, winning last one in OT LY. Four of last five series games went over total. Winnipeg was outscored 11-0 over final 1:36 last week in 33-30 home loss to Edmonton, who outgained Bombers 487-315. Alouettes didn’t score after 1st quarter LW in 22-10 loss at BC. (Winnipeg -3, 46.5)


Hamilton (0-1) @ Edmonton (1-0)— Road team won six of last seven series games; underdogs are 4-0-2 vs spread in last six. Ti-Cats won three of last five visits to Edmonton. Over is 5-5 in last ten series games. Hamilton were outscored 19-3 LW in 2nd half of 28-14 loss in Calgary; Ti-Cats did gain 400 yards. Eskimos rallied late to win its opener in Winnipeg; Eskimos were down 8 with 2:00 left, but wound up winning 33-30. (Edmonton -6.5, 56.5)


Calgary (1-0) @ Toronto (0-1)— Stampeders won eight of last nine series games but were upset 27-24 in last visit here last November. Stamps won four of last five visits here. Favorites won four of last five series games. Under is 5-2 in last seven series games. Calgary held Ti-Cats to three 2nd half points in 28-14 win LW- they were down 11-9 at the half. Argonauts lost 27-19 in Regina LW, giving up 7.5 ypa. (Calgary -3.5, 51.5)

 

[CNOTES]

PREVIEW


REDBLACKS HOST RIDERS ON THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL


OTTAWA — It has been 221 days since the Ottawa REDBLACKS’ 2017 season came to an end at the hands of the Saskatchewan Roughriders on a crisp November afternoon.


Since then, much has changed for both #RNation and Riderville ahead of their Week 2 meeting on Thursday Night Football.


CFL.ca has unprecedented coverage Thursday Night Football presented by the Brick, including a 30-minute live show CFL Game Time at 6:30 p.m. ET on-site.


None of the five Roughriders who scored against Ottawa in last year’s Eastern Semi-Final will suit up for the Green and White on Thursday; quarterbacks Kevin Glenn and Vernon Adams along with receiver Bakari Grant are all gone, kicker Tyler Crapigna is out for the year with an injury and running back Marcus Thigpen has one game left on his suspension.


But, with a plethora of new faces which have gelled well early in 2018, the Riders dispatched the Toronto Argonauts last week and now have their attention turned firmly to the task at hand in Ottawa.


“You look, all they do is win football games,” Saskatchewan head coach Chris Jones told Riderville.com of his team’s Thursday opponent. “They’re very good in all three phases and we have to do a good job defending them (and) protecting our quarterback…we’ve got our hands full.”


Last year’s Eastern Semi-Final was decided by a handful of key plays — Marcus Thigpen’s big run, Christion Jones‘s return, etc. — and both the Riders and REDBLACKS definitely have the playmakers to dazzle again this season.


The biggest news of the week in Riderville was the announcement Duron Carter will be starting at cornerback. The enigmatic two-time all-star will replace Nick Marshall — injured last week against Toronto — at boundary corner.


“He’s a better DB now than he was last year against Calgary,” said Jones of the 6-foot-5 Carter, who got a defensive start against the Stampeders late last season. “Getting his eyes in the right spot, being a disciplined DB, that’s the main thing he’s got to work on.”


As if Thursday’s rematch needed any fuel to the fire, Carter may have stoked the flames when he told CKRM’s Rod Pedersen that it’ll be no challenge at all to face the REDBLACKS’ receiving trio of Greg Ellingson, Brad Sinopoli and Diontae Spencer.


“I don’t think they bring any challenges to tell you the truth,” said Carter. “They’re not better than the receivers we go up against in practice. So ya. There you go.”


The flamboyant CFL star was further asked what’s difficult about switching from his regular receiver spot to the corner.


“Nothing at all,” Carter offered. “If it was a challenge I don’t think Coach Jones would put me there. He has the confidence to put me there just like any other player.”


There will be some familiar faces lining up opposite the Saskatchewan offensive line on Thursday, as former Riders A.C. Leonard and Jonathan Newsome will both feature in the REDBLACKS rotation up front.


“They’ve got their game plan, we’ve got ours,” downplayed Jones of the familiarity factor. “They’ve been over there with them all camp, and I haven’t seen Newsome in over a year.”


It was the Rider defence which stole the show in a 27-19 win over the Argos last week, with winter acquisition Charleston Hughes recording three sacks and second-year pro Derrick Moncrief recording eight tackles.


For Willie Jefferson, who played opposite Hughes at D-end against Toronto, the veteran presence of Hughes makes his job easier.


“It’s what they said, man: The hype is real,” said Jefferson of Hughes. “I came out and I did what I do (with two pressures and a pass knockdown) and he played off me and did what he does.


“He’s a three-time sack leader for a reason. I just wanted to help him and have him help me.”


Moncrief, meanwhile, has taken a winding path to Rider green, and is now excelling at the same linebacker position which sparked his transfer from Auburn to Oklahoma St. in college.


“This is my living,” he told Riderville.com‘s Ian Hamilton. “I’m a versatile player, so I feel like I can mix it up all over the field. As long as I’m making plays and making the defence better and communicating with guys, I feel good about everything.”


Saskatchewan’s roster will see two changes from Week 1; in addition to Nick Marshall, fellow defensive back Denzel Radford hits the injured list this week.


Fullback Albert Awachie and defensive tackle Curt Maggitt draw in; Awachie played multiple positions while at the University of Toronto, while Maggitt played in nine games with the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts in 2016.


The Riders took their walk-through to Parliament Hill on Wednesday, which has seemingly become an annual tradition since Jones’ arrival.


In Ottawa, many of the ‘marquee’ changes have come on the defensive side of the ball, where new defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe has quickly gone about putting his stamp on the REDBLACKS defence.


“Camp was great, we came together as a team especially on D,” defensive end A.C. Leonard told OttawaREDBLACKS.com. “I love this system, it fits me (and) who I am — get to the quarterback, just do my job and that’s all I can ask for.”


Leonard, who recorded five sacks in both 2016 and 2017 as a member of the Riders, admits he has Thursday’s game circled for a while.


“I played in Sask the last two years, so I’m ready,” he grinned following practice Monday. “I’ve been ready since the end of last year, when I found out I was coming here. I’m ready to get it going.”


Another of Ottawa’s premium defensive pickups, defensive back Rico Murray, understands what Riders quarterback Zach Collaros can do: The pair were teammates for three seasons (2014-16) in Hamilton.


“We know they’re versatile, they’ve got a lot of weapons (and) a new addition with Zach Collaros, who’s pretty much revamping his career out there,” said Murray, who has tallied 247 tackles and 10 interceptions since entering the CFL in 2013. “They’ve got a lot of weapons they can use, (so) we’re trying to stay fast, physical, fly around and have fun.”


While the defence definitely has a new look, Jaime Elizondo’s REDBLACKS offence returns many of the same key pieces which led it last year.


Trevor Harris is once again looking to solidify himself as an elite quarterback, dynamic running back William Powell will aim to stay healthy and the “buds” receiving duo of Brad Sinopoli and Greg Ellingson is back.


The only new face at skill positions on offence for the REDBLACKS in Week 1 is Noel Thomas Jr.; the 23-year-old receiver out of UConn spent last season on the Detroit Lions’ practice roster and is set to make his first professional start at the field wideout position. Also keep an eye on Dominique Rhymes, who’s getting an opportunity at boundary slotback.


Cruchin’ Numbers:


3 – Sacks for Charleston Hughes in his Riders debut last week. Did we mention they were all in the first half? His career total: 102.


13.3 – Yards per punt return in 2017 for Ottawa’s Diontae Spencer, who ranked third in the category (min. 30+ returns).


110 – Tackles for REDBLACKS linebacker Kyries Hebert — then of the Montreal Alouettes — in 2017, the third-most in the league only to Solomon Elimimian (BC, 144) and Alex Singleton (CGY, 123).


221 – Days since Saskatchewan’s 31-20 win in last year’s East Semi-Final.


This game is impossible to predict in any way, shape or form.


Many of the Riders’ key playmakers from the Eastern Semi are long gone. The REDBLACKS defence has undergone a complete makeover, too.


Regardless, there’s likely to be a fair amount of bad blood for a Week 2 contest; Jonathan Newsome was cut by the Riders last summer; Zack Evans and A.C. Leonard have swapped colours on their respective D-lines; this is the same Saskatchewan team that ended Ottawa’s season on its own turf last November.


To top it off, Riders radio man Rod Pedersen claimed to have been “kicked out” of REDBLACKS walkthrough on Wednesday, prompting a Twitter war.


Gas up and get going, because the 2018 CFL season is finally about to fire up in the nation’s capital.


Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on TSN, RDS and ESPN+.

 

[CNOTES]

THURSDAY, JUNE 21
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


SSK at OTT 07:30 PM
SSK +1.5
U 49.5

 

[CNOTES]

GAME RECAP


REDBLACKS DOWN RIDERS, 40-17, ON THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL


OTTAWA – The Ottawa REDBLACKS shone on both sides of the football en route to a 40-17 win over the visiting Saskatchewan Roughriders on Thursday Night Football at TD Place.


Trevor Harris threw for 345 yards and a pair of touchdowns, William Powell found the end zone twice and Diontae Spencer showcased his dynamic ability in the win for Rick Campbell’s team, which was bolstered by a monstrous performance by its defence at-large.


On the flip side, the Riders lost starting quarterback Zach Collaros in the second quarter and managed just 345 yards of offence — 41 of which came in garbage time — on the night. Four turnovers proved costly for Saskatchewan, which never seemed to find its groove on either side of the football.


The REDBLACKS opened the scoring on the first drive of the night, when a handful of pretty Trevor Harris completions and an offside penalty set up a 26-yard field goal for Ottawa kicker Lewis Ward.


Zach Collaros and the Riders offence struggled on their first two possessions, with a pair of two-and-outs highlighted by a monster sack by Ottawa’s Michael Wakefield.


A second field goal from Ward — another chip shot from 23 yards out — then doubled the REDBLACKS lead.


The visitors woke up offensively late in the first quarter, as Collaros capped a five-play, 62-yard drive with a pinpoint 32-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Williams-Lambert — the latter’s first in the CFL. Saskatchewan kicker Brett Lauther drilled the convert, and the Riders led 7-6 after the opening 15 minutes.


The lead was short-lived, as Collaros’s first pass of the second quarter was picked off and returned for a touchdown by Ottawa’s Jonathan Rose; the pass was intended for Shaq Evans, but Rose jumped the route and returned it 55 yards to the house. Harris then found Greg Ellingson in the corner of the end zone for the two-point convert, giving the REDBLACKS a 14-7 lead.


Collaros responded with a 46-yard bomb to Caleb Holley, taking the Riders into the red zone. Two plays later, however, Ottawa forced an end zone interception as Corey Tindal deflected an end zone pass into the hands of teammate Loucheiz Purifoy.


Two plays later, however, Harris threw a pick-six of his own; enigmatic two-way Rider Duron Carter — exclusively playing defensive back on Thursday night — stepped up, snatched Harris’s pass and returned it 28 yards for a major before his trademark celebration in the end zone. Lauther hit the extra point to tie the game at 14.


The ridiculous back-and-forth play continued on the next drive, as the REDBLACKS marched down the field to set up a dashing 15-yard touchdown run by William Powell. Harris then found Ellingson for yet another two-point convert, and the hosts took a 22-14 lead.


Ward’s third field goal of the evening with 1:28 remaining in the first half sent Ottawa to the locker room with an 11-point lead, and it could have been more as the University of Ottawa product sent a 48-yard effort wide right as the clock expired.


After a two and a half quarters’ worth of chirping, REDBLACKS receiver Diontae Spencer got the best of Carter in their one-on-one matchup midway through the third quarter; Harris chucked up a bomb and Spencer sprinted past Carter on his way to a 56-yard touchdown. The Ottawa quarterback then sprinted the two-point convert in himself to extend the lead to 33-14.


The host defence continued to impress late in the third quarter, as Rico Murray hauled in his first interception as a REDBLACK with an athletic pick of Bridge in the Ottawa end zone.


A 35-yard field goal from Lauther cut the lead to 33-17, but it was as close as the Riders would come.


A handful of Duron Carter pass-interference penalties then gave the REDBLACKS a chance from short range, and Harris and co. did not miss; Powell proved the benefactor as he hauled in a four-yard touchdown reception. Ward’s convert then rounded out the scoring on the night, bringing the lead to 40-17.


The story of the night proved to be Ottawa’s defence, which limited Saskatchewan on offence and came up with four key turnovers — including two interceptions in their own end zone.


REDBLACKS receiver Greg Ellingson hauled in a game-high 104 yards, while Riders linebacker Samuel Eguavoen registered a game-high seven tackles in the losing effort.


With the win, the REDBLACKS moved to 1-0 and will now face the daunting task of travelling across the country for a date with the Calgary Stampeders (1-0) on the Week 3 edition of Thursday Night Football (9 p.m. ET).


The loss dropped the Roughriders to 1-1 on the young season; Chris Jones’s team will now have eight days off to prepare for a home date with the Montreal Alouettes (0-1) next Saturday (9 p.m. ET).

 

[CNOTES]

Friday’s 6-pack


— Dodgers’ pitcher Ross Stripling is also a licensed stock broker.


— Gleyber Torres passed on the Home Run Derby; they’re having trouble getting guys.


— Marlins’ P Dan Straily got suspended five games for drilling Buster Posey.


— It is possible that Brooks Koepka lost the trophy he won for winning the US Open. He says he doesn’t know where it is.


— Mike Trout had a stretch this week where he reached base 29 of 36 times, the best 8-game stretch of on-base %age since Stan Musial in 1953.


— In their first 74 games, Kansas City Royals started 11 different players in the #2 spot in the batting order. Not good.


Tweet of the Day
“I’ve been pleasantly surprised the last three weeks what a good teammate he is, how smart he is, how he sees the game. He should be playing in the National Football League, and I believe he will when he gets through with us.”
Hamilton Tiger-Cats coach June Jones III, talking about Johnny Manziel


Friday’s quiz
Which NBA team drafted Chris Webber?


Thursday’s quiz
Washington Nationals were the Montreal Expos before moving to our nation’a capital.

Wednesday’s quiz
Shaquille O’Neal finished his NBA career with the Boston Celtics, in 2011.


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


Friday’s Den: Running Diary of the 1st round of the NBA Draft…….


7:25: Before the NBA Draft, some NFL news. Bucs’ QB James Winston will be suspended for three games, for something that happened with an Uber drive in Arizona two years ago.


Buccaneers open at New Orleans, then the Eagles/Steelers come to Tampa Bay. Not great to play those teams without your starting QB.


Winston had character-related issues in college, too. This isn’t good for him or the Bucs or the NFL or coach Dirk Koetter, who needs a good season to keep his job.


7:30: NBA Draft is in Brooklyn; they need to do what the NHL/NFL do now and move the draft around the country, get out of New York City.


Commissioner Adam Silver is one of my heroes; a tall, bald man with glasses who has a great job and does it very well, but stop with the opening statement. Drafts get over-hyped; need to see teams picking players as soon as possible.


7:35: Jay Bilas has already questioned Deandre Ayton’s “motor” which means he doesn’t try hard all the time. Good Lord, that bothers me, if you spend your #1 pick on someone who is often lethargic. Effort should never be an issue.


Anyway, the Phoenix Suns take Ayton, whose Arizona team got plastered by Buffalo in the first round of the NCAA tournament. I picked Arizona, but I’m not bitter at all.


ESPN has Chauncey Billups (good) and Bilas (annoying) as its analysts, Rece Davis (very good) as its host. Billups compares Ayton to Joel Embiid. Davis points out that Ayton is the 9th straight college freshman to be the first pick in the draft.


7:44: Marvin Bagley III goes #2 to Sacramento. Bilas downplays Bagley’s defensive abilities, but Duke played a 2-3 zone almost all of last season. Go figure. Billups compares Bagley to Chris Bosh. Bagley is happy to be in Sacramento, which is refreshing.


Duke had a player picked in the top 3 in the last five NBA Drafts, which is a record.


NBA saved me lot of money by putting four patches on the right side of each team’s hats which they’re selling on the Interweb. I’m not a fan of a lot of junk on the hats I buy, so this saves me a decent amount of money, because the front of the hats are nice.


7:48: Worst part of the NBA Draft is they don’t announce the trades as they happen, which is stupid and misleading. Atlanta Hawks take Luka Doncic but ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski says he is being traded to Dallas, with the Hawks winding up with Trae Young.


7:55: Memphis takes Jaren Jackson Jr, whose mother is Director of Player Ops for the WNBA. At first, Jackson said he didn’t want to play for Memphis, but I’m sure he won’t mind being paid by Memphis. Billups compares him to Joakim Noah.


Jackson’s dad played 13 years in the NBA; his first eight years in the NBA, he played for a different team every year.


8:00: Dallas takes Trae Young, who will be traded to Atlanta. ESPN ruined Young’s season at Oklahoma by over-hyping him a sickening amount and putting a huge target on his back. The Hawks get a 2019 first-round pick from Dallas in addition to the Young/Doncic swap.


8:08: Orlando takes Mo Bamba with the #6 pick; he has a 7-foot-10 wingspan, the longest wingspan ever recorded at the NBA Combine. Bilas says he needs to get a lot stronger.


They showed video recently of Bamba making ton of 3-pointers in a workout, but he shot 27.5% behind the arc at Texas last year, so we’ll see. The NBA 3-point shot is longer than college.


NHL Draft is Friday; it’ll be different than this draft. Not better, not worse. Different.


8:13: Bulls won their fewest games in 14 years this year; they take Wendell Carter, a center from Duke. Carter could’ve gone to Harvard had he wanted to; he is a good shooter, but again, Duke played a ton of 2-3 zone last year, so will defense be an issue, especially on pick/roll? Billups compares him to Carlos Boozer.


8:18: Cavaliers take Alabama PG Collin Sexton, who Billups compares to Eric Bledsoe. Kid is highly competitive, but Cleveland might be a sad place to watch basketball for a few years, with Lebron James expected to skip town.


8:24: Knicks missed the playoffs the last five years; why does ESPN have to show Spike Lee before their draft pick? New York takes Kevin Knox, another Kentucky player. John Calipari’s recruiting has to get easier and easier with every year all his guys go in the 1st round.


Knox played quarterback in high school, which hints at leadership qualities.


8:30— 76ers take Mikal Bridges, a 4-year player who played on two national title teams with Villanova. He is 6-7 wth a 7-2 wingspan; Billups compares him to Nicolas Batum of the Hornets.


Bridges’ mother is VP of Human Resources with the 76ers.


8:37: Charlotte Hornets take a Canadian PG and another Kentucky player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who reminds Billups of Michael Carter-Williams, but the kid will be traded to the Clippers. I’d rather live in LA than Charlotte anyway, but no one asked me.


He shot 40.4% on the arc and 82% on the foul line, both good things, and he didn’t start early last season- he earned his way into the starting lineup.


ESPN has an international scouting guy named Mike Schmitz on; he says Gilgeous-Alexander was the best guard in the draft.


8:43: Clippers draft Miles Bridges, who will be traded to the Hornets. Bridges would’ve been a high draft pick LY; Billups compares him to Shawn Marion, a pretty big compliment.


Clippers gave Charlotte two future 2nd-round picks to swap the 11th and 12th picks.


8:48: University of Buffalo’s social media people posted this on Twitter:


“Congrats to @DeandreAyton on being selected #1 overall in the #NBADraft by the @Suns! We hope your @NBA career starts better than your college one ended”


Wow. Ayton’s college career ended with an ugly loss to Buffalo.


8:50: NBA Lottery started in 1985; Boston College’s Jerome Robinson is the Eagles’ first player ever taken in the lottery— Clippers took him at #13. John Bagley was the 12th pick in the ’82 Draft, taken by Cleveland.


Tonight is June 21; on July 6, the NBA Summer League begins in Las Vegas, so these kids who get drafted will be fighting for jobs in 16 short days, against other kids who didn’t get drafted and veterans who’ve played in the NBA before, or are fighting to get there. Very competitive.


8:54: Denver owner Stan Kroenke’s son Josh started for Missouri’s hoop team 15 or so years ago; if they don’t take Michael Porter Jr, who the hell will?


8:58: Nuggets draft Porter; their trainer should ask for a raise. Billups compares him to Kevin Durant, which is a total insult to Durant. Porter played three college games, and one of them was for two whole minutes. He is more suspect than prospect.


In totally unrelated news, Flava Flav threw out the first pitch at the Richmond Flying Squirrels game tonight. Squirrels are the AA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. They had 6,117 fans in Richmond, for a game that was shortened by rain.


9:06: Washington Wizards take Oregon alum Troy Brown, who I think is a Las Vegas kid and is considered a versatile player. Billups compares him to Andre Iguodala.


There is a guy sitting next to Arizona coach Sean Miller who has the shiniest bald head I’ve ever seen. As a bald man myself, just don’t have the energy to do that day after day, keep my head totally slick. Plus I’d look like Mr Potato Head if I did that, so no thanks.


9:14: Zhaire Smith played one year at Texas Tech; the Suns drafted him, but he’s getting traded to the 76ers for Mikal Bridges, which puts the kibosh on Mrs Bridges’ happiness from 45 minutes ago. Smith wasn’t an ESPN top 100 recruit coming out of high school- it is rare for a player like that to be drafted so high.


9:22: Milwaukee Bucks take Donte DiVincenzo, who started only 10 of Villanova’s 40 games LY, but he played starter’s minutes (29.7 mpg), scoring 13.4 ppg, making 40.1% on the arc, in his only season of college ball.


He scored 31 points in the national championship game, but anytime I hear a kid raised his draft stock in the Combine, it bothers me. Billups compares him to Tyler Johnson.


Random fact; over half the players in the NBA (53%) have played in the G-League.


Talk about draft/trades in the NBA; on June 24, 1998, Dirk Nowitzki was traded by Bucks with Pat Garrity to the Mavericks for Robert Traylor. How did that work out?


9:29: San Antonio Spurs drafted G Lonnie Walker from Miami, FL, who has had knee issues and also has ballhandling/defensive issues, but he can score. Spurs’ coaches will develop him. Not many kids who go to high school in Reading, PA go to college in Miami.


9:34: Atlanta Hawks take a kid from the Albany area, Kevin Huerter from Maryland. Huerter’s dad and brother play/played for Siena College; Kevin is an excellent shooter; good luck to the young man. I was surprised when he came out of school, but shooters are always in demand.


People have too much money: LeBron James’ jersey from Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals just closed on @NBAAUCTIONS to a winning bid of $100,322. Oy.


9:42: Minnesota takes Josh Okogie, a guard from Georgia Tech. Bilas says his man asset is that “…..he plays his tail off all the time.” No wingspan, no upside, he just tries hard. There are worse things someone can say about you.


Budweiser just ran a commercial with John Starks, the old Knicks’ guard who talks about being undrafted, then fighting to make it in the NBA. Damn good commercial.


Starks played 13 years in the NBA, scored over 10,800 points.


9:46: Utah drafts Grayson Allen; Jazz are coached by Duke alum Quin Snyder. Now I have to watch all of Utah’s summer league games to see if someone kicks Allen’s ass. He got away with being a dirty player in college because Coach K sheltered him, but now he is out on his own. We’ll see how that works out.


9:51: Chicago Bulls take Chandler Hutchison from Boise State. He is the first Boise player drafted since 1999, which should help their recruiting. Billups compares him to Kyle Kuzma.


OK, I have Madison Bumgarner on my fantasy baseball team and he’s pitching in a few minutes, so time to grab some food and watch that game. Hope you enjoyed this…….

 

[CNOTES]

Friday, June 22


Winnipeg Blue Bombers (0-1 SU, 1-0 ATS) at Montreal Alouettes (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS)
Point-spread: Winnipeg -2
Total: 46 ½


Game Overview


The Blue Bombers turned to Chris Streveler as their starting quarterback for the injured Matt Nichols and he ended the game against Edmonton with three scoring strikes to keep things interesting for all four quarters.


He ended the game with 178 yards passing on 15 completions. Weston Dressler was his top target with four catches for 74 yards and a score and Andrew Harris racked-up 77 yards on 14 rushing attempts.


Montreal had the fewest straight-up victories of any CFL team last season (three) and its opening-day effort against BC could point towards another long campaign in 2018.


The Alouettes scored all 10 of their points in the opening quarter before their offense ground to a halt. Drew Willy got the start at quarterback and he ended the night with 281 yards passing, but just one touchdown pass against one interception.


Betting Trends


-- Winnipeg has covered in six of its last seven road games against the Alouettes with the total going OVER in the last five meetings in Montreal.


Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS) at Edmonton Eskimos (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS)
Point-spread: Edmonton -6 ½
Total: 55


Game Overview


CFL fans waiting for the debut of Johnny Manziel as the Tiger-Cats newest quarterback will have to wait a bit longer after starter Jeremiah Masoli put on an aerial show that included 200 yards passing in the first two quarters of last week’s opener. He ended the game with 344 total yards passing, while completing 25 of his 36 attempts, but he did not find the end zone through the air. The Tiger-Cats only gained 56 yards on the ground on 12 rushing attempts.


Edmonton had its hands full with Winnipeg in Week 1 with the only difference in the final score being a field goal as time expired. Mike Reilly led the CFL in both passing yards and touchdown throws last season and he started the 2018 season with 408 yards and one score through the air. He was also the team’s leading rusher last Thursday night with 43 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries. Derel Walker hauled in eight receptions for 176 yards as one of eight different players to catch a ball from Reilly in that game.


Betting Trends


-- Hamilton is a perfect 5-0 ATS in its last five road games against the Eskimos and the total has gone OVER in five of the last six games of this inter-division tilt played in Edmonton.


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


Friday, June 22


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

WINNIPEG (0 - 1) at MONTREAL (0 - 1) - 6/22/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WINNIPEG is 25-13 ATS (+10.7 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 25-13 ATS (+10.7 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in road games off a division game over the last 3 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 14-3 ATS (+10.7 Units) in road games in games played on turf over the last 3 seasons.
WINNIPEG is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
MONTREAL is 4-15 ATS (-12.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 4-15 ATS (-12.5 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) as a home underdog of 3 points or less over the last 3 seasons.
MONTREAL is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in games played on turf over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

HAMILTON (0 - 1) at EDMONTON (1 - 0) - 6/22/2018, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HAMILTON is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games when playing on a Friday over the last 3 seasons.
EDMONTON is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points over the last 3 seasons.
EDMONTON is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in a home game where the total is between 52.5 and 56 over the last 3 seasons.

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

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


Friday, June 22


Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg is 11-4 ATS in its last 15 games
Winnipeg is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 5 games
Winnipeg is 12-1 ATS in its last 13 games on the road
Winnipeg is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Winnipeg's last 16 games on the road
Winnipeg is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Montreal
Winnipeg is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing Montreal
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Winnipeg's last 5 games when playing Montreal
Winnipeg is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Winnipeg is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Montreal
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Winnipeg's last 5 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Montreal Alouettes
Montreal is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Montreal is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Montreal is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Montreal is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
Montreal is 3-6-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Winnipeg
Montreal is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing Winnipeg
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Montreal's last 5 games when playing Winnipeg
Montreal is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Winnipeg
Montreal is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Winnipeg
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Montreal's last 5 games when playing at home against Winnipeg




Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Hamilton is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games
Hamilton is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Hamilton is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Hamilton is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Hamilton's last 6 games on the road
Hamilton is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Edmonton
Hamilton is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
Hamilton is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Hamilton's last 6 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Edmonton is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Edmonton's last 8 games
Edmonton is 6-13 ATS in its last 19 games at home
Edmonton is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games at home
Edmonton is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Hamilton
Edmonton is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Hamilton
Edmonton is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Hamilton
Edmonton is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Hamilton
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Edmonton's last 6 games when playing at home against Hamilton